One Bold Thinker Among the Democrats (Barney Frank on jobs/econ)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56650-2004Mar13.html

One Bold Thinker Among the Democrats

By David S. Broder
Sunday, March 14, 2004; Page B07


On the left of the Democratic Party, they don't come any smarter than Barney Frank, the 12-term congressman from Massachusetts. Republicans enjoy debating him, because if you've beaten him, you know the next liberal will be easier.

In a March 4 speech, Frank took what has become a commonplace of political conversation, something that President Bush, Sen. John F. Kerry and scores of lesser lights constantly discuss -- namely, the frustrating job market -- and probed it in a depth one rarely hears from a politician.

By doing so, he carried the jobs debate to a level where the policy choices become so basic -- and challenging -- that ordinary pols and pundits fear to tread.

While most of those in office or seeking office suggest that tweaking the economy with modest measures such as more job training or new tax incentives will revive the great job-growing engines of the 1990s, Frank offers a more sweeping and disturbing hypothesis.

A fundamental shift has occurred, he says. "The ability of the private sector in this country to create wealth is now outstripping its ability to create jobs. The normal rule of thumb by which a certain increase in the gross domestic product would produce a concomitant increase in jobs does not appear to apply." <snip>

what it would take to get Cong. Frank to sign on.....?


just kicking your post papau, and mine to follow...

peace,
dp