The irony is that had Bush spent some significant money on infrastructure projects early in his term, he would not be facing a jobless recovery now. He would be a hero for improving the infrastructure, something business likes as well as the average guy. In other words, he would be a shoe-in for re-election instead of in another tough fight for a razor thin win/lose margin.

Stubbornly ignoring the need and refusing to do so has bought him exactly what...? The fact is, infrastructure spending is money well spent, and if you do it when the economy is in the tank, you get lower bids, and get to make political hay as well. Hard to imagine what the downside would have been except it might have meant small tax cut for the wealthy.

oc