Paul Ryan was more than a little apocalyptic in his State of the Union response:
"The debt will soon eclipse our entire economy, and grow to catastrophic levels in the years ahead," Ryan said. "On this current path, when my three children - who are now 6, 7, and 8 years old - are raising their own children, the federal government will double in size, and so will the taxes they pay. The next generation will inherit a stagnant economy and a diminished country."
The entire performance reminded me of this Daily Show clip:
Of course, and Paul Ryan notwithstanding, we should remember that unemployment -- not the debt -- is the country's most pressing economic problem. With a stronger economy and more workers, most of the deficit takes care of itself. Far from helping that problem, Ryan's austerity measures -- budget cuts, benefit cuts, etc. -- would halt the recovery and push more people into poverty and economic misery.
-- Jamelle Bouie
