Income Inequality

CHARTS: What Romney Doesn't Want You Talking About -- Except In 'Quiet Rooms'

Brian Beutler | January 13, 2012, 5:27AM

Mitt Romney

Too bad for Mitt Romney. Turns out income inequality -- that thing he claims has no place in our political debate, or anywhere outside of "quiet rooms" -- will be a central theme of President Obama's re-election message. We know this because one of his top economic advisers essentially claimed as much in a public address at a top DC think tank on Thursday morning.

And the data he brought to the table suggests Democrats will have an easy time making their case.

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Income Inequality

Krueger's Speech Seals Obama's 2012 Inequality Message

Sahil Kapur | January 12, 2012, 11:15AM

If a speech Thursday morning by one of his top economists is any indication, President Barack Obama is going all in with the 2012 re-election message of stemming the rise in income inequality and reforming a system that's increasingly perceived to be rigged in favor of the rich.

White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Alan Krueger rattled off a flurry of statistics illustrating the rise of inequality and its connection to the shrinking middle class. He blamed it on economic policies tilted to favor top earners -- including income tax reforms (presumably during the Bush era) and the "drastic cut in the estate tax."

He also argued that implementation of the Affordable Care Act, which Republicans are eager to repeal, will help reduce the disparities.

It's a message that bore an uncanny resemblance to the "Teddy Roosevelt" speech President Obama delivered in early December, which was interpreted by many as laying out the grounds for his re-election campaign.

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Economy

Top White House Economist: Economy Still Vulnerable

Brian Beutler | January 12, 2012, 11:12AM

President Barack Obama

One of the White House's top economists Thursday said recent good economic news is a sign that the economy continues to recover slowly, and suggested it's still susceptible to shocks -- specifically the possibility that Congress will fail to extend the payroll tax cut through the end of the year.

"If you look at the statistics that are coming in, it's clear that they're painting a picture of an economy that is slowly recovering -- slowly but surely recovering," said Council of Economic Advisers chairman Alan Krueger at an event hosted by the Center for American Progress. "I think it's extremely important that we keep that momentum going forward. The steps that I would highlight most importantly are extending the payroll tax cut through the end of the year and extending unemployment insurance benefits. The CBO concluded that of all the measures we've looked at, extending unemployment benefits have the most bang for the buck in terms of supporting demand, raising economic growth and creating jobs."

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Alan Krueger

Obama Taps Krueger As Top Economic Adviser

Susan Crabtree | August 29, 2011, 11:18AM

Alan Krueger

President Barack Obama Monday announced his selection of Princeton economist Alan Krueger as his choice to succeed Austan Goolsbee as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers.

Krueger served as the top economist at the Treasury Department during the first two years of Obama's presidency and previously as Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy at the Labor Department during the Clinton administration.

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