In the wake of today's tragic economic news, the Republican National Committee research team conjures another ghost of Obama promises past. February 17, 2009 - President Obama vows his $825 Billion Recovery Act will "lift two million Americans from poverty:"
September 13, 2011 - Gruesome:
The U.S. Census Bureau Reports That 2.6 Million More Americans Fell In To Poverty And The Number Of Americans Living In Poverty (46.2 Million) Reached The Highest Level On Record.“The nation's official poverty rate in 2010 was 15.1 percent, up from 14.3 percent in 2009 - the third consecutive annual increase in the poverty rate. There were 46.2 million people in poverty in 2010, up from 43.6 million in 2009 - the fourth consecutive annual increase and the largest number in the 52 years for which poverty estimates have been published.” (Press Release, “Income, Poverty And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2010,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/13/11)
The Number Of People Who Didn’t Work At All Last Year Increased To 86.7 Million. “Trudi Renwick, the bureau's chief of the Poverty Statistics Branch, says ‘the single most important factor’ in the increase in poverty might be the increase in the number of people who did not work at all last year. She says the number of people over 16 who did not work at least one week increased from 83.3 million in 2009 to 86.7 million last year.” (Douglas Stanglin, “Census Bureau: U.S. Poverty Rises To 15.1%, Highest Since 1983,” USA Today, 9/13/11)
Median Income Is At Its Lowest Level Since 1997.“The report also indicated that median household income, adjusted for inflation, was lower last year than any year since in 1997.” (Reid J. Epstein, “Poverty Rate Highest In 18 Years,” Politico, 9/13/11)
Unfriendly White House reminder: Shut up, we must pass this president's non-negotiable, unscored, unpaid-for, $450 Billion second stimulus right now. And speaking of that price tag, Sen. Jeff Sessions has a few choice questions for the administration: