The Latest on the Stimulus

Also, this minor matter: CBO, the official scorekeepers for legislation, said the House and Senate bills will help in the short term but result in so much government debt that within a few years they would crowd out private investment, actually leading to a lower Gross Domestic Product over the next 10 years than if the government had done nothing.
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But, at least there's some good news: the Senate version provides billions for the Democrats' third-favorite constituency (behind themselves and crooked businesses).

In a sane world, where the GOP could be dealt with in good faith, I would totally agree with them. Rushing a $900 Billion package with little debate is a recipe for bad law. Of course this is not a sane world.
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Incidentally, is the "gang" planning to remove any tax cuts?

Please just make it so I don't have to see Jim Inhofe on my TV. I just start crying for no reason whenever I do.

Pourme? It's his voice. It's at a frequency that triggers feelings of disillusionment and misery.

Jay - thanks for the update. The posting and re-posting of comments and articles and other bloviations telling us "what Obama must do now or else the terrorists (sorry, I meant Republicans) will win" that has been circulating in the vacuum of information has depressed me to the point of catatonia.

Okay, now its time for Obama to put his foot down -- right on Ben Nelson's back.
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Nelson wants to cut funding for job creating endeavors like education and law enforcement, and cut funding for mass transit that not only provides access to millions of americans to their jobs, but is environmentally sound.
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If Obama wants to be bi-partisan, he can start by attacking Democratic scum like Nelson for cutting funding for programs that not only will stimulate the economy, but will improve the lives of tens of millions of Americans.

"what Obama must do now or else the terrorists (sorry, I meant Republicans) will win"

Based on Pete Sessions comment, billiecat, you were right the first time.

"gave them political cover so that if they ultimately vote for the bill they have an election-time retort in case anyone asks why they supported all those Democratic boondoggles."
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Oh so you can hold their feet to the fire when they say "I was against if before I was for it"? Not gonna hold my breath. What's going on w/ state aide? I hear about these cuts to 'state stabilization' money...how are the Republican governor's gonna take that?
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PS Why is someone offering a link to the Washington Times for anything other than entertainment purposes? Oh, he's a moron...gotcha.

I hope yall had access to CSPAN at some point today because the Senate Dems were knocking the rethugs around like Ray Lewis on a running back. I damn near popped some popcorn. Particularly Durbin and Schumer were wrecking shop. The bill should pass sometime tonight or tomorrow. And then we can get wait for the media to say President Obama failed as once again something he wanted gets signed into law. I can accept that kinda losing actually.

That's OK, JN-S… no pun written.
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pourme – How much of the deficit could we retire if we sold Oklahoma?

cinci
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Is the Washington Times not the Free Republic of the MSM world? Gawd I hate them.

For THE L-A-S-T freaking time, QUIT calling it a stimulus. It is NOT. It is a Revitalization and Recovery Plan!!

I've been listening to the debate on C-Span and so far none of the Republicans have apologized for putting the nation in this dire situation. The culture of personal responsibility takes another hit.

SG-- I've been looking for you: Let me start by saying oops, my bad, I owe you an apology, I was wrong and I hold my head down in shame. You do remember that whole McCain/Lieberman nexus I was pushing right?

@flownover Having once been exiled to the Sooner State, I'd guess about $9.99. But you'd have to include Ponca City.

SG -- Schumer wants to sell anyone with faith in the GOP Maddoff's hedge fund. That felt good.

SG, I concur....really hate Tony Blankley. Funny that a newspaper run by a religious org that believes that a Korean guy is the new messiah would be so popular w/ winger Jesus folks.
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Tweety is going on and on that Obama's problem is that no one knows whats in this bill. Of course Tweety hasn't spend a second actually ANALYZING the bill..just bloviating about it. Again, we need a group of people who acquire, analyze and communicate information relevant to the day's events and issues to the American people in a way that is factual and truthful. I mean besides the Daily Show and Colbert.

"For many Republicans that amendment, which failed, gave them political cover so that if they ultimately vote for the bill they have an election-time retort in case anyone asks why they supported all those Democratic boondoggles."
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JNS-What were the Democratic boondoggles being referred too?

Tweety just let the deeply closeted Lindsey Graham say that giving money to the states would create no new jobs. I live in a state in which ALL state constuction projects have been halted....there's unfinished state construction all over the place downtown and no workers. Pretty sure that money WOULD create jobs, yet the media just informed the American public that money to the states would create NO JOBS. Karen Tumulty must be sniggering.

Jay Newton-Small:
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It's very interesting to hear about the DeMint amendment to strip all spending out of the bill, thank you so much.
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Are Democrats discussing the fact that there's a simple, yet colossal disagreement between Democrats and Republicans as to whether or not government spending can help to create jobs?
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Are Congressional Democrats in agreement with Barack Obama when he said:

In the past few days, I've heard criticisms that this [stimulus] plan is somehow wanting, and these criticisms echo the very same failed economic theories that led us into this crisis in the first place, the notion that tax cuts alone will solve all our problems, that we can ignore fundamental challenges like energy independence and the high cost of health care, that we can somehow deal with this in a piecemeal fashion and still expect our economy and our country to thrive.
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I reject those theories. And so did the American people when they went to the polls in November and voted resoundingly for change.

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Are there Democrats in the Senate who do NOT reject Republican economic theory?
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Are there Democrats in the Senate who believe that Barack Obama has got it all wrong when it comes to what does or does not work to stimulate job growth?

I'm glad it's not just me on Inhofe. I was ready to seek meds.

Naysayers, though, may be under pressure to allow an earlier vote from Senators McCain, Lieberman and Kyl who are hoping to make a long-planned foreign affairs conference in Munich this weekend.
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This says it all.

After 8 years of tax cuts one would think that we'd be sitting on a $1T gov't surplus with everyone pulling down a $100K job. Overuse of tax cuts didn't work for W, and they aren't the only answer now.
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Why isn't this being pointed out by the media?

[...] 30,383: First Tally On Stimulus Jobs spin---LOL! baucus, pelosi, geithner The Latest on the Stimulus - Swampland - TIME.com UPDATE 3-Pelosi warns US stimulus must pass by mid-February | Markets | Markets News | Reuters [...]