Does Garrett Read His Releases?

I'm not going to put this on Representative Scott Garrett entirely, however one has to wonder if he actually reads his press releases before they go out. His press release on his alternative to the bi-partisan economic stimulus package being put together (read: once again, our District is not at the negotiation table), contained this little nugget:

While most economic indicators continue to be positive, a rise in the unemployment rate (from 4.7% to 5%) and the housing slump (the fourth worst since World War II) are fueling consumer fears of a recession.

Yes, Garrett's staff believes the following economic indicators are positive:

• Inflation rose at the highest rate in 17 years.
• The Philadelphia Fed's manufacturing index dropped by it's largest amount since right before the 2001 recession.
• Consumer spending in December was the worst in five years.
• Manufacturers stockpiles have grown, likely leading to more layoffs.

However, it would be unfair to put this entirely on Garrett's people. After all, Garrett was saying the housing market was good as recently as September. For a guy who sits on the Financial Services committee, either Garrett or his people or both have painfully little clue about what's going on in the real world.

Garrett's never getting out of committee package, based on what was highlighted in the release, seems to focus exclusively on business tax cuts. For Garrett this makes sense, as he was one of 19 representatives to vote against extending unemployment benefits during the last recession.