Oh, do you think you should do something?

The Obama Administration has looked at the economy and found, much to their surprise, that they might have to do something about the job market. Sure, when it was the financial sector in trouble, our elected betters swept in and threw out money like halloween candy. But when it's workers, they need months and months of evidence before they decide that maybe someone should do something. The epiphany came when economic adviser Paul Volcker explained to the White House that the 9.8 number they kept hearing in relation to jobs was not a positivity rating on a scale of 10, but the percentage of people unemployed. It was then everyone knew action was needed.

President Obama’s economic team discussed a wide range of ideas at a meeting on Monday, following his Saturday radio address in which he said it would “explore additional options to promote job creation.” But officials emphasized that a decision was still far off and that in any event the effort would not add up to a second economic stimulus package, only an extension of the first.
...
Among the options for additional steps is some variation on Mr. Obama’s proposal during the stimulus debate to give employers a $3,000 tax credit for each new hire, which Congress rejected last winter partly out of concern that businesses would manipulate their payrolls to claim the credit. Another option would allow more businesses to deduct their net operating losses going back five years instead of the usual two; Congress limited the break to small businesses as part of the economic stimulus law.

The search for further remedies is part of a two-track effort in the White House and Congress. Democrats are also considering plans to continue through 2010 the extra unemployment assistance and health benefits available to people who are out of work for long periods.

Oooh, tax credits, deducting losses, extending unemployment benefits....these all sound exactly like things that were in the original stimulus bill and would have to be extended soon. You know, the stimulus bill that was too small and didn't actually stimulate job growth as much as it made sure the job numbers only crashed into the ground at an insane speed instead of a mindbogglingly insane speed? Of course they're just going to extend old non-working plans instead of creating better new ones. That's because Washington is a stupid place and no one is capable of learning anything or doing anything productive while the prospect of electoral gains are on the horizon in 2010....or 2012...or anytime really. Let's just say incapable.

What's funny is that when you read a comprehensive piece on the Obama team's stimulus efforts, like Ryan Lizza's in the New Yorker, you see that the Administration didn't really think that they'd be at this point despite warnings from people on that team that what they were doing was too small and too focused on tax cuts. Did I say funny? I meant horrifying. Ah well, I guess the solution is to extend everything. I'm sure that'll fix everything in amazing ways that didn't happen the first time around.