I’m not sure I’m quite as pessimistic about job growth as Rattner, but he certainly makes some compelling arguments here. Now, I suppose some of the more “”Ayn Rand-ish” conservatives out there might argue that a decreasing rate of legislation is actually a net-postive (all government is bad government, etc…), but even they should consider that their conservative anti-government bills aren’t becoming law either. Back in the Reagan era, conservatives were anti-government – not pro-nihilism. Most conservatives I know obviously don’t think big government is a panacea – but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t support policies to lower corporate taxes and decrease the regulatory burden on small business. Guess how that happens, folks? DOING SOMETHING.

(If nothing else, just stare at the first chart for a while – Unless you’re just anti-American, that’s just one UGLY picture)

[“The New Economic Risk: Complacency,: The New York Times, Steven Rattner Blog, 6/22/2013]