'RECOVERY SUMMER THAT NEVER HAPPENED'

Two Years Ago, Obama Kicked Off A "Recovery Summer" That Never Came To Pass
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TWO SUMMERS AGO, THE RECOVERY OBAMA PROMISED WENT MISSING

Two Years Ago, Obama Kicked Off "Recovery Summer" In A Desperate Push To Convince Voters His Economic Policies Were Working. "The Administration today kicks off 'Recovery Summer,' a six-week-long focus on the surge in Recovery Act infrastructure projects that will be underway across the country in the coming months - and the jobs they'll create well into the fall and through the end of the year." (Press Release, "Administration Kicks Off 'Recovery Summer' With Groundbreakings And Events Across The Country," The White House , 6/17/10)

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner's New York Times Op-Ed: "Welcome To The Recovery" (Timothy F. Geithner, Op-Ed, "Welcome To The Recovery," The New York Times, 8/2/10)

• Less Than Three Months Later: "Let's See, What Happened This Summer? Easy Question. The Recovery Went Missing." (Bill Bonner, "The Summer The Recovery Went Missing," The Christian Science Monitor , 9/2/10)
• NPR Headline: "Recovery Summer' Ends With Economic Pothole" "'Whatever happened to recovery summer? This was supposed to be the season the economy heated up, thanks to a wave of public works projects, funded by the government's stimulus program. But summer is coming to an end, and the recovery has not taken root." (Scott Horsley, "'Recovery Summer' Ends With Economic Pothole," NPR, 9/3/10)

"Economic Growth Never Lived Up To The Expectations" Of The Obama White House - "Remember 'The Summer Of Recovery'?" "And because economic growth never lived up to the expectations set early by different White House officials at different times - remember 'the summer of recovery'? - voters simply don't have the money or confidence to buy big things like they use to." (Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen, "Obama's Big Drags," Politico, 8/4/11)

TWO SUMMERS LATER, OBAMA IS STILL TOUTING THE SAME EXCUSES, SPEECHES AND BLAME GAMES WHILE AMERICANS STILL LOOK FOR A RECOVERY

Another Summer That Obama's Economic Team Has Given Up On

THEN: "Mr. Obama And His Economic Team Had Clearly Hoped For An Economic Rebound In Time For The Midterm Elections. They Are Not Going To Get It." (Editorial, "Waiting For Mr. Obama," The New York Times, 8/28/10)

NOW: "Privately, Senior Obama Advisers Say They Are No Longer Expecting Much Economic Improvement Before The Election." "For the White House, it was just the latest entry in the when-it-rains-it-pours ledger. This has been one of the worst stretches of the Obama presidency. In Washington, there is a creeping sense that the bottom has fallen out and that there may be no second term. Privately, senior Obama advisers say they are no longer expecting much economic improvement before the election." (Dana Milbank, Op-Ed, "Pileup At The White House," The Washington Post, 6/11/12)

Another Summer Of Framing The Economy Rather Than Fixing It

THEN: President Obama Used His Speeches "To Frame The November Elections As A Choice" Between Economic Policies. "WHITE HOUSE MINDMELD : The President used his remarks in Missouri to frame the November elections as a choice between the economic policies that led us into this mess and the policies that are leading us out - a theme you'll hear a lot of in the coming four months." (Mike Allen, "Mike Allen's Playbook," Politico, 7/9/10)

NOW: President Obama Used His Speech On Thursday "To Frame The Election As A Choice Between Two Economic Visions …" " President Obama will deliver a major campaign speech Thursday in Cleveland in which he will try to frame the election as a choice between two economic visions - one that protects the middle class and another that takes the country back to the failed policies of the past, campaign officials said." (Amy Gardner, "Obama To Give Major Campaign Speech Thursday," The Washington Post , 6/12/12)

Another Summer Of Blaming Headwinds From Europe For His Failed Policies

THEN: Secretary Geithner Claimed The European Fiscal Crisis Was Dragging On Growth. "From the start, President Obama made clear that recovery from a crisis of this magnitude would not come quickly and that the recovery would not follow a straight line. We saw that this past spring, when the European fiscal crisis posed a serious challenge to the markets and to business confidence, dampening investment and the rate of growth here." (Timothy F. Geithner, Op-Ed, "Welcome To The Recovery," The New York Times, 8/2/10)

• Obama Blamed "The Troubles That We've Seen In Europe" For "Some Headwinds And Some Skittishness And Nervousness On The Part Of The Markets …" OBAMA: "And although we've seen corporate profits go up, we have seen some very positive trends in a number of sectors, unfortunately, because of the troubles that we've seen in Europe, we're now seeing some headwinds and some skittishness and nervousness on the part of the markets and on part of business and investors. And so we're still going to have to work through that." (President Barack Obama, Remarks By The President After Meeting With Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke , Washington, D.C., 6/29/10)

NOW: Obama Says "We're Still Facing Some Headwinds, Like The Situation In Europe Right Now, Which Is Having An Impact On Our Economy." OBAMA:"Now, we all know how difficult these past few years have been for the country. Iowa has actually done a little better than some other states, but it's still been tough. And after the worst recession of our lifetimes, it's going to take some time for the economy to fully recover -- more time than a lot of us would like. And we're still facing some headwinds, like the situation in Europe right now, which is having an impact on our economy." (President Barack Obama, Remarks By The President On Energy, Newton, IA, 5/24/12)

Another Summer Of Blaming Congress, Whether He Controls It Or Not

THEN: When Asked If He Obama Had Any New Plans For The Economy, He Responded By Blaming Congress, Which His Party Had Control Of, Saying "I've Got Things Right Now Before Congress That We Should Move Immediately." NBC'S BRIAN WILLIAMS: "Do you have anything new on the economy and while you've been away, we've had a horrible GDP number last week." OBAMA: "Well, look, we anticipated that the recovery was slowing. The economy is still growing, but it's not growing as fast as it needs to. I've got things right now before congress that we should move immediately. And I said so before I went on vacation and I'll keep on saying it now that I'm back. We should be passing legislation that helps small businesses get credit." (NBC's " Nightly News" 8/29/10)

NOW: "President Barack Obama Is Calling On Congress To End Partisan Gridlock And Pass Proposals He Says Would Put Americans Back To Work." "President Barack Obama is calling on Congress to end partisan gridlock and pass proposals he says would put Americans back to work. In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama says GOP lawmakers "haven't lifted a finger" on many of the ideas he sent to Congress last year. He says there's no excuse for inaction just because it's an election year." ("Obama Calls On Lawmakers To End Gridlock," CBS News, 6/16/12)

Another Summer Of Campaigning Like It Is 2008

THEN: "President Obama This Summer Has Repeatedly Blamed George W. Bush For The Nation's Economic Woes, A Year After He Took Ownership Of The Economy And Criticized Those Who 'Carp And Gripe.'" (Bob Cusack, "A Year After Claiming The Economy As His Own, Obama Points Finger," The Hill,8/21/10)

NOW: ABC News' Rick Klein: "The President Need To Do More Than Blame His Predecessor …" " But the danger in the comment is that it undercuts the president's effort to connect with skittish voters on the key issue of the election. The president needs to do more than blame his predecessor for inherited economic conditions; his challenge is to convey a sense of momentum around his policies for job growth." (Rick Klein, "'World News' Political Insight: President Obama's Rough Stretch Exposes Weak Spots," ABC News , 6/10/12)

• CNN's Gloria Borger: "It Is A Leadership Question. They Don't Want A President Who Whines About What A Terrible Situation He's In And Woe Is Me. They Want Somebody Who Can Lead Us Out Of It." (CNN's "John King USA," 6/14/12)

Another Summer Of Pretending The Same Failed Policies Will Work

THEN: The New York Times : "If President Obama Has A Big Economic Initiative Up His Sleeve, As He Hinted Recently, Now Would Be A Good Time To Let The Rest Of Us In On It." (Editorial, "Waiting For Mr. Obama," The New York Times, 8/28/10)

NOW: "The Reality Is The Ideas Coming From Obama Are Likely To Be The Ones He Has Already Proposed." "The 'president is continuing to work with his team on potential new ideas' to jumpstart the economy, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Monday when pressed about the sagging rate of job growth. The reality is the ideas coming from Obama are likely be the ones he has already proposed. There is no money and no political appetite for bolder ideas." (Andrew Taylor, "Few Options Left For Obama On Economy Before Election Day As Gridlock Takes Hold," The Associated Press , 6/5/12)

Another Summer Of Telling Americans To Wait A Little Longer

THEN: Secretary Geithner Said That "Recoveries That Follow Financial Crises Are Typically A Hard Climb." "As the economists Ken Rogoff and Carmen Reinhart have written, recoveries that follow financial crises are typically a hard climb. That is reality. The process of repair means economic growth will come slower than we would like." (Timothy F. Geithner, Op-Ed, "Welcome To The Recovery," The New York Times, 8/2/10)

NOW: On Thursday, Obama Said That It Has "Typically Taken Countries Up To 10 Years To Recover From Financial Crises Of This Magnitude." OBAMA: "In other words, this was not your normal recession. Throughout history, it has typically taken countries up to 10 years to recover from financial crises of this magnitude. Today, the economies of many European countries still aren't growing. And their unemployment rate averages around 11 percent." (President Barack Obama, Remarks By The President On The Economy, Cleveland, OH, 6/14/12)