Is NYT's Herbert Losing Faith in Obama or Pushing for Stimulus II?

October 7th, 2009 10:03 AM

"The Obama administration seems hamstrung by the unemployment crisis. No big ideas have emerged. No dramatically creative initiatives."

Such was written Monday by one of President Obama's biggest supporters -- New York Times columnist Bob Herbert.

So concerned is Herbert that he's presaging doom and gloom for the president if things don't change soon.

Maybe even more shocking, as he addressed the currently devastated labor market, Herbert never once blamed it on George W. Bush:

The big question on the domestic front right now is whether President Obama understands the gravity of the employment crisis facing the country. Does he get it? The signals coming out of the White House have not been encouraging. [...]

The Obama administration seems hamstrung by the unemployment crisis. No big ideas have emerged. No dramatically creative initiatives. While devoting enormous amounts of energy to health care, and trying now to decide what to do about Afghanistan, the president has not even conveyed the sense of urgency that the crisis in employment warrants.

If that does not change, these staggering levels of joblessness have the potential to cripple not just the well-being of millions of American families, but any real prospects for sustained economic recovery and the political prospects of the president as well. An unemployed electorate is an unhappy electorate.

Yes, and a disenchanted with a liberal president columnist is an unhappy columnist -- so unhappy that he couldn't muster one swipe at former President Bush.

I guess Herbert unlike so many of his Obama-loving colleagues has finally realized the current president's recovery plan isn't working, and, as a result, the current White House resident bears responsibility for the poor state of the economy.

Now THAT'S an unhappy columnist.

Exit question: Is Herbert really concerned, or is this the beginning of media's push for a second stimulus package?