Is Casey Pandering?

I attended a recent gathering at the Keystone Research Center, where Senator Bob Casey spoke of the wonders of the stimulus. He emphasized that only the stimulus could have saved the the United States from economic catastrophe. The senator produced elaborate graphs and figures about how people were put back to work. The only apparent problem, according to Casey, was that it was not working fast enough.

Yet, at the Berks County Community Foundation’s economic forum, Casey said, “When you see some of the unemployment numbers, none of us can be satisfied.” He continues to maintain that the stimulus is working, only “not as well as it should”. The change in tone is surprising given that the two meetings were less than a week apart. Like most politicians, Casey seems to pandering to different audiences.

But rather than promote yet another stimulus by giving businesses tax credits to hire workers, Casey should examine the effect government spending has had on the economy.

However, the only truth we know is that politicians will do whatever makes them look like heroes.