Economic uptick?

Not an April Fool's joke! According to reports, the economy added over 200,000 jobs in March.  More good news, the Tea Party is rallying in Washington.  That's only half of an April Fool's joke.  Let me explain.

We're still in the middle of this fierce and increasingly silly budget debate.  It's become so heated that the Tea Party has been holding rallies in Washington to threaten Republicans who compromise on a budget with primary challenges.  Some of these people are even advocating a government shutdown.  We know, of course, that if America would just do what the Tea Party wants and stop spending money then all our economic woes will...poof...disappear.  We know this because the Tea Party is loud about it, not because all the evidence shows otherwise.  

On the one hand, consider that Britain, whose government imposed strict austerity nearly a year ago, has seen its economic prospects darken.  On the other hand, consider that America's economy has begun to recover - albeit slowly - without any cuts being made.  The private sector is creating jobs.  Making the budget cuts the Tea Party wants, or worse shutting down the government would set America back economically.  Since the fortunes of the Tea Party are probably inversely linked to the fortune of the economy, this makes sense.  These people may have policy ideas that are toxic for America's future, but they know a thing or two about self-preservation.  

The best part about all this is that the Tea Party is holding a rally in Washington right now prophesying the doom that will be brought both to our nation and to non-Tea Party Republicans if we don't pass budget cuts that will destroy our economy.  The fact that the economy added over 200,000 job while these people rant about job-killing budget cuts is just too sweet. 

Our recovery has been slow and the effects of the recession are still painful.  But the mythology that cutting 100 billion from this year's budget will somehow solve our nation's economic problems is ludicrous.  We would be wise to remember that it is far more important to get our long term fiscal house in order than to wantonly chop away at programs whose existence do far more good for Americans than harm to our deficit.  Maybe John Boehner - I do love seeing him squirm - will be able to convince his caucus that the real issue - and one that DOES need to be addressed - is long-term spending.  

There are ways the Tea Party's super austerity might be useful.  Democrats are unwilling to tackle entitlement reform, and Republicans pretend to care about Medicare and Social Security in election years.  The Tea Party certainly wants entitlement reform and probably won't shy away from the issue as election day nears, in fact they will probably embrace it.  If so, their energy and passion for budget reduction could be put to productive use rather than being aimed at derailing our economy. 

In the meantime, Americans will continue to be bombarded by the Tea Party and the media with foolishness about how nothing less than 100 billion worth of cuts will lead to armageddon or a communist takeover or perhaps an infestation of locusts.  The Tea Party has really said what will happen if we don't make these cuts, but with every passing month and every new job created, the tea gets a bit less tasty and the rhetoric makes even less sense.