Who Gets Credit for the Stimulus?

Is the stimulus working?

The figures show that July through September, the economy grew at a rate of 3.5%.

Can you imagine?

I feel like we should all be in Times Square kissing strangers. Except that gets you arrested now.

In any case -- does the stimulus get the credit. What are the economists saying?

"This is very much in line with an economy that is growing of its own merit not simply because of support from government."

The economy growing on its OWN. So -- if the numbers are showing MORE than just the effect of Cash for Clunkers, does that mean the stimulus was the spark, or would the economy have recovered without it?

I can answer that! If this turns out to be a real recovery -- there is NO WAY the stimulus gets the credit.

Remember what people were calling it?

"Relentless march towards Socialism designed to subvert the work of the individual."

It was socialism:

"We're here to stop Barack Obama's Socialist revolution."

In fact it was worse than Socialism: (!)

"I think he's a Fascist."

Fascism:

"Non-violent Fascism."

So no way the Obama stimulus gets the credit because that would mean that the capitalist's best friend is fascism.

But then who SHOULD get the credit! I say it's this guy:

"The Bible teaches that God wants you rich, that God wants you to have more than enough."

And this guy:

"Money is trying to get in to your hands right now even as I speak."

And maybe even this guy who keeps calling me:

"Hi, this is Victor Simmons with Suburban Debt Solutions. We'll even loan you $1000 to get you started."

I feel like kissing a stranger.

Who in the GOP Fought Pandemic Preparedness

When the stimulus bill was begin honed down and chipped away by the GOP, a focus for their revisions was on money for pandemic preparation. John Nichols has the story:

When House Appropriations Committee chairman David Obey, the Wisconsin Democrat who has long championed investment in pandemic preparation, included roughly $900 million for that purpose in this year's emergency stimulus bill, he was ridiculed by conservative operatives and congressional Republicans.

Obey and other advocates for the spending argued, correctly, that a pandemic hitting in the midst of an economic downturn could turn a recession into something far worse -- with workers ordered to remain in their homes, workplaces shuttered to avoid the spread of disease, transportation systems grinding to a halt and demand for emergency services and public health interventions skyrocketing. Indeed, they suggested, pandemic preparation was essential to any responsible plan for renewing the U.S. economy.

Bad Players!

But former White House political czar Karl Rove and key congressional Republicans -- led by Maine Senator Susan Collins -- aggressively attacked the notion that there was a connection between pandemic preparation and economic recovery.

Now, as the World Health Organization says a deadly swine flu outbreak that apparently began in Mexico but has spread to the United States has the potential to develop into a pandemic, Obey's attempt to secure the money seems eerily prescient.[...]

Famously, Maine Senator Collins, the supposedly moderate Republican who demanded cuts in health care spending in exchange for her support of a watered-down version of the stimulus, fumed about the pandemic funding: "Does it belong in this bill? Should we have $870 million in this bill No, we should not."

Even now, Collins continues to use her official website to highlight the fact that she led the fight to strip the pandemic preparedness money out of the Senate's version of the stimulus measure.

Any Good Players?

Collins played politics with public health, and the economic recovery. That makes her about as bad a player as you will find in a town full of bad players.

But Senate Democrats bent to her demands. That makes them, at the very least, complicit in the weakening of what needed to be a muscular plan.

The bottom line is that there were no heroes in either party on the Senate side of the ugly process that ridiculed and then eliminated pandemic preparedness funding.

There is, however, a hero on the House side. Throughout the process, David Obey battled to get Congress to recognize that a pandemic would threaten not just public health but a fragile economic recovery.

The Obama administration and the Democrats should be sorry now for even trying to negotiate with Republicans who value there own politic gain over the health, welfare and safety of their constituents. Shame on the Democrats who bought into their arguments.

When No Means Stupid!

THE RACE TO BE THE CRAZIEST....

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) has said he'll reject some of unemployment insurance from the federal stimulus package. Not to be outdone, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) said he'll not only reject unemployment insurance, but will also "not take $42 million in funding for green buildings."

Yes, because there's nothing worse than paying construction crews to make buildings more energy efficient.

There's apparently a race among some far-right Republican governors -- all of whom are already eyeing the 2012 presidential race -- to see who can be slightly crazier than the other. Jindal is clearly a contender, and Sarah Palin and Mississippi's Haley Barbour are obviously in the mix, but Sanford seems especially driven to get out in front of the pack.

It's leading him to make unusually ridiculous decisions affecting the people in his state, while making truly odd policy prescriptions.

Sanford, asked about the stimulus, said he would probably reject some of the funds. "I think it's a bad idea," he said of the package. "Period. Exclamation point."

"Good medicine to the wrong patient ultimately makes the patient sicker," Sanford continued. "What we're dealing with here is a fundamental misdiagnosis of the problem."

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) told the WaPo, "I think people will ... understand that it's political posturing and you're playing with people's lives, and that's a very, very dangerous game."

That's true, but for Sanford, it's a dangerous game he can win by losing -- he "wins" by currying favor with unhinged Republican activists, while "losing" as his state's economy deteriorates and his constituents suffer.

As for Sanford's notion of a "fundamental misdiagnosis," what does the South Carolinian believe is the wisest course of action? "When times go south you cut spending," Sanford recently explained. "That's what families do, that's what businesses do, and I don't think the government should be exempt from that process."

It is Neo-Hooverism in its most obvious form.

Sanford added, by the way, that supporters of the economic recovery package are "the real fringe" in American politics. Got that? The "fringe" includes the popular president, a majority of the Senate, a majority of the House, a majority of the governors, labor unions, the Chamber of Commerce, and 60% of the American people.

Perhaps it's best to assume that whatever Mark Sanford says, the opposite is true.

When No Means Yes

On the GOP side of the stimulus isssue, senators, governors and congressman slammed President Obama’s recovery and reinvestment plan. But some are now singing a different tune since Obama has signed the bill into law.

ThinkProgress pointed out that several Republican lawmakers who voted against President Obama’s economic recovery package are now touting its benefits to their constituents. The New York Times picked up on the phenomena, writing that “the temptation to take credit for at least a few of those billions” has proved “irresistible” to the anti-stimulus lawmakers.

So who are these flip-flopping lawmakers?

ThinkProgress has found at least 22 lawmakers who voted against the bill, but have spoken positively about what the money will do for their constituents.

Below is a list of senators and congressmen who criticized and voted against the plan but now will gladly accept the money.

House Of Representatives

Congressman Frank Lucas (R-OK)
Congressman Heath Shuler (D-NC)
Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR)
Congressman Glenn Thompson (R-PA)
Congressman Leonard Lance (R-NJ)
Congressman John Mica (R-FL)
Congressman Don Young (R-AK)
Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO)
Congressman Ken Calvert (R-CA)
Congressman Pete Hoekstra (R-MI)
Congressman Adam Putnam (R-FL)
Congressman Cliff Stearns (R-FL)
Congressman Bill Posey (R-FL)
Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL)
Congressman Tom Rooney (R-FL)
Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL)
Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL)
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)

Senate

Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Senator Kit Bond (R-MO)
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Senator Bob Bennett (R-UT)

Find out more details here.

The Name is the Game

The Republican Fear Factor

U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.)

As a “blue dog,” or fiscally conservative Democrat, Cooper voted against the first version of the stimulus bill. He then subsequntly voted for the second version.

He recently commented that he spoke with 10 or 15 Republican colleagues in the House who were in favor of the $787 billion federal economic stimulus bill, but feared Republican leadership too much to vote for it.

The bill passed with no Republican votes in the House, and only three in the Senate.

According to Huffington Post,

...many Republicans in the House are virtually immune from Democratic challenges because of the makeup of their districts, and have more to fear from GOP primary challenges in 2010. As a result, they have relatively little political incentive to break with conservative orthodoxy and support hundreds of billions in new federal spending.

Wimps!

The G.O.P Governors Backing the Stimulus

Backing the stimulus were governors from left, Jim Douglas of Vermont; M. Jodi Rell of Connecticut; Charlie Crist of Florida; and Arnold Schwarzenegger of California.

The National Governors Association sent a bipartisan letter of support to Congressional leaders of both parties, signed by its Democratic chairman, Edward G. Rendell of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Douglas, its Republican vice chairman. “The combination of funds for Medicaid, education and other essential services is critical for governors as they work to manage the downturn in their states and improve government for the long term,” it said.

Looking for a "Scintilla of Bipartisanship"

As the analogy goes, Obama reached out with an open hand to the Republicans in an effort to bring bipartisanship into the political process.

On Capitol Hill Obama met with the Republicans who described the meetings as cordial. They appreciated Obama's willingness to listen but there was scant evidence he had persuaded many of them to back the measure.

The Republicans then responded with a clenched fist when House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced that all Republicans in the House will vote against the President's stimulus proposals. His announcement came before the scheduled meeting with the President.

Then every, yes every Republican member of the House of Representatives voted against the bill that would bring jobs to their states and their constituents.

The stimulus bill ultimately passed the House of Representatives with no Republican support. It is expected to garner the votes of three Republican moderates in the Senate.

Now John McCain says of the Democrats that, "I hope they've learned a lesson. I hope that they will reverse course, and sit down, negotiate from the beginning, so you're in on the takeoff, so you can be in on the landing."

"No one could view this as having a scintilla of bipartisanship," said McCain.

I agree with McCain. The behavior of the Republican party has shown not a "scintilla of bipartisanship!"

No More Obstruction, Pass Economic Recovery NOW

From Campaign For America's Future:

House and Senate leaders have crafted a big and bold economic recovery bill that will create and save 3.5 million jobs in clean energy, infrastructure, health care and education. But Sen. Mitch McConnell is still playing the old conservative game of distort and delay. He even tried to claim that "We know for sure that the big spending programs of the New Deal did not work."

Conservatives don't know history, don't know how to create jobs, and don’t have any businessesobstructing action.

Go to http://ga3.org/campaign/econ_recovery_now to email your congress people, and tell them "Ditch Mitch". Pass BIG and BOLD economic recovery NOW!”

After that, call your House and Senate representatives to put maximum pressure on Congress. You can call the main congressional switchboard toll-free at 1-866-544-7573.

If you’re having difficulty getting through, try calling your representatives’ offices directly, either in Washington or at home. Go to House.gov and Senate.gov for more information.

Rachel Maddow calls Bull Puckey!!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Rachel Maddow: Republicans may not like it but the way to create jobs fast is through spending. It matters when you're wrong. A whopping proportion of the Republican rhetoric about stimulus is wrong - total economic bull puckey. It's time to take the radical step of privileging correct information over incorrect information.

Here is the key portion of the transcript via Washington Monthly:

"Cutting food-stamp funding to attract Republican support is proof positive that the Republicans are not trying to come up with an effective stimulus here. If your house is on fire, and you call your fire department, and your fire department tells you to pour gasoline on the flames, they're not actually making a good-faith effort to help you put out the fire. They're not a good fire department.

"If you're working up policy to fix an economic crisis, which is characterized by there being no spending in the economy, and someone in that debate says, 'OK, but cut the spending out of the rescue plan,' they're bad at making policy.

"And you know what? It matters when you're wrong. A whopping proportion of the Republican rhetoric about stimulus is wrong.... It's just wrong. The time is now to take the radical step, as Americans -- as civic-minded Americans concerned about our future -- it's time to take the radical step of privileging correct information over incorrect information....

"If you are wrong, from here on out, you should lose the argument and you should lose your political potency. Form a flat-earthers club or something, where you talk enthusiastically to each other about your made-up economic ideas that aren't based in reality. But get out of the way of the people who are actually trying to save the country."

Rachel's got it Right! The President's got it Right!

So what do you say to all of the politians, Republicans, Democrats, bipartisan or not, who want to cut more money from the stimulus plan....Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha...Bull Puckey!!!

The Disconnect

Example of Bipartisan!

Democrat: Here's the bill. What do you think?

Republican: You didn't ask for our opinion till now?

Democrat: We're asking you now. Here's the bill. What do you think?

Republican: Cut funding for family planning.

Democrat: Done. Now that is working together.

Republican: Not!!! We will ALL vote against YOU!

Democrat: We want to help get money to the people who have lost homes, health care and city services. We need to fix the infrastructure to create jobs. Work with us.

Republican: We will cut money to cities, law enforcement, education, childcare, health services, science. We want job creation. These services do not create jobs.

Democrat: OK we agree to all of those cuts. We need a stimulus package now.

Republican: More cuts! More cut! More cuts! We need more tax cuts!!

Good Idea or Bad Idea?

The Real Cost of the Compromise!

The bipartisan team of Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Susan Collins (R-ME) are responsible for trimming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act up to $86 billion in programs.

Are these cuts truly bipartisan? How will these cuts in programs and policies effect the American people?

Political Animal finds that cutting state aid from the stimulus bill is a very bad idea.

These cuts specifically targeted $40 billion in proposed aid to states. The consequences of this mean drastic cuts -- which in turn make the effects of the recession worse...The result, as the LAT noted, will be massive layoffs at the state level and huge cutbacks in services: "Parks will close. Environmental programs will be scaled back. Bus and ferry routes will shut down, possibly sending more drivers onto clogged streets and highways. Schools may go without school nurses, and classes may become more crowded. Sick people who rely on state health programs may instead getsicker."

Christy Hardin Smith questions whether "children be the losers in this publicly played out farce? "

CQ reflects on the differences between the House and Senate bills regarding education and school programs.

Another major difference between the House and Senate bills involves school construction. The House allocated $14 billion to renovate, repair and build public schools. The Senate zeroed out the $16 billion its original bill set aside for that purpose.

The compromise also eliminates $3.5 billion for higher education facility modernization and purchase of instructional equipment. The House voted to provide $6 billion for higher education.

The compromise would cut additional funding for Head Start and Early Head Start, programs to prepare children to succeed in school, from $2.1 billion to 1.05 billion. That’s half of the $2.1 billion in the House bill.

The reduction in funds for healthcare is also noted:

The Senate substitute eliminates $5.8 billion in the original measure that would have been spent on grants and contracts to prevent illness through health screenings, education, immunization, nutrition counseling, media campaigns and other activities. The House has set aside $3 billion for prevention and wellness.

Funds to expand the use of electronic record keeping in health care are cut from $5 billion to $3 billion in the substitute, still more than the $2 billion in the House plan. Under the new Senate plan, a national coordinator would distribute the money to pay for technology, planning and training.

The compromise eliminates funding for pandemic flu preparedness, a prominent target of critics who said figuring out how to increase the supply of vaccine would not create jobs. The House bill includes $900 million for flu, and the original Senate proposal had $870 million.

It is true that the Senate's stimulus plan does bring money to education, health services, local governments. However, these changes fromm the House bill seem to cut at the heart of the problem.

Where is the Outrage?

The Senate “centrists,” led by Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Susan Collins (R-ME), are proud of the fact that they’ve cut $86 billion in spending from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

According to Paul Krugman "the centrists have shaved off $86 billion in spending — much of it among the most effective and most needed parts of the plan. In particular, aid to state governments [...] But in the name of mighty centrism, $40 billion of that aid has been cut out."

It appears that GOP and the centrist Democrats have also done a good job of cutting billions in spending for the arts, environment, law enforcement, science, and education, to name a few.

CNN obtained, from a Democratic leadership aide, a list of some programs that have been cut, either entirely or partially:

Partially cut:

• $3.5 billion for energy-efficient federal buildings (original bill $7 billion)

• $75 million from Smithsonian (original bill $150 million)

• $200 million from Environmental Protection Agency Superfund (original bill $800 million)

• $100 million from National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (original bill $427 million)

• $100 million from law enforcement wireless (original bill $200 million)

• $300 million from federal fleet of hybrid vehicles (original bill $600 million)

• $100 million from FBI construction (original bill $400 million)

Fully eliminated
• $55 million for historic preservation

•$122 million for Coast Guard polar icebreaker/cutters

• $100 million for Farm Service Agency modernization

• $50 million for Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service

• $65 million for watershed rehabilitation

• $100 million for distance learning

• $98 million for school nutrition

• $50 million for aquaculture

• $2 billion for broadband

• $100 million for National Institute of Standards and Technology

• $50 million for detention trustee

• $25 million for Marshalls Construction

• $300 million for federal prisons

• $300 million for BYRNE Formula grant program

• $140 million for BYRNE Competitive grant program

• $10 million state and local law enforcement

• $50 million for NASA

• $50 million for aeronautics

• $50 million for exploration

• $50 million for Cross Agency Support

• $200 million for National Science Foundation

• $100 million for science

• $1 billion for Energy Loan Guarantees

• $4.5 billion for General Services Administration

• $89 million General Services Administration operations

• $50 million from Department of Homeland Security

• $200 million Transportation Security Administration

• $122 million for Coast Guard Cutters, modifies use

• $25 million for Fish and Wildlife

• $55 million for historic preservation

• $20 million for working capital fund

• $165 million for Forest Service capital improvement

• $90 million for State and Private Wildlife Fire Management

• $1 billion for Head Start/Early Start

• $5.8 billion for Health Prevention Activity

• $2 billion for Health Information Technology Grants

• $600 million for Title I (No Child Left Behind)

• $16 billion for school construction

• $3.5 billion for higher education construction

• $1.25 billion for project based rental

• $2.25 billion for Neighborhood Stabilization

• $1.2 billion for retrofitting Project 8 housing

•$40 billion for state fiscal stabilization (includes $7.5 billion of state incentive grants)

Krugman has a way of putting these cuts in perspective:

My first cut says that the changes to the Senate bill will ensure that we have at least 600,000 fewer Americans employed over the next two years."

The real question now is whether Obama will be able to come back for more once it’s clear that the plan is way inadequate. My guess is no. This is really, really bad.

Cuts Target Women and Children: UPDATE

According to Greg Sargent, cuts to the Senate American Reinvestment and Recovery Act that are being considered by Senator Ben Nelson [D] and Senator Susan Collins [R] and the bipartisan group of Senators includes Head Start, Child Nutrition, Food Stamps and Public Transit.

Here is what’s being eyed in the bill right now:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Total Reductions: $80 billion
Eliminations: Head Start, Education for the Disadvantaged, School improvement, Child Nutrition, Firefighters, Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard, Prisons, COPS Hiring, Violence Against Women, NASA, NSF, Western Area Power Administration, CDC, Food Stamps
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reductions: Public Transit $3.4 billion, School Construction $60 billion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Increases:Defense operations and procurement, STAG Grants, Brownfields, Additional transportation funding
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nelson spokesperson Clay Westrope confirms the authenticity of the memo, adding that the figures obviously could change. But this is currently the general direction.

As you can see the amount being cut appears to have fallen, to a total of $80 billion, though Westrope says the actual number is closer to $100 billion. Also, it appears some of those cuts are being maintained even as defense funds appear to be getting added.

I received another email stating that $77.9 billion of the reduction cuts include a large portion of the science funding. Here is what is being proposed to be cut from the bill, according to TPM:

NASA exploration $750,000,000 = 50%

NSF $1,402,000,000 = 100%

NOAA $427,000,000 = 34.94%

NIST $218,000,000 = 37.91%

DOE energy efficiency & renewable energy $1,000,000,000 = 38%

DOE office of science $100,000,000 = 100%

It is time to call your Senators and “urge them to support science funding.”

That means pick up the telephone and call 202-224-3121 (or use the toll-free service at 866-544-7573). Ask the Capitol operator to transfer you to one of your state’s U.S. senators. When you’re connected, say you’re calling to urge your senator to “support the Obama economic recovery plan and oppose all conservative amendments.” Call back and repeat for your other senator. Then contact everyone you know and urge them to do the same.

UPDATE: Compromising Away One Million Jobs...Or Is It Two? Via Daily Kos:

The so-called "moderate compromise" in the Senate cuts $140 billion in spending from the stimulus legislation, but leaves in place between $300 billion and $350 billion in tax cuts.

This is important, because it's not just how much they cut, it's what they cut.

So what does that mean for the Senate "compromise"? It means it will generate between 1 million and 2.5 million fewer jobs than the original
proposal.

OK it is time to Stand Up and Fight!

Bernie Horn puts the issues over the stimulus plan in perspective and gives each of us the ability to take a stand:

The word on the street here in Washington is that the right is killing us with phone calls to Congress on the Obama economic recovery plan. One congressperson said the calls are running 100 to 1 against it.

The legislation is now on the Senate floor. If senators perceive that Americans side with Obama in this fight—which several polls say they are—that will strengthen the power of progressives in the debate and we’ll get a good bill. If, on the other hand, senators are only feeling the heat from conservatives, then our advocates will be weakened and we’ll get a lousy bill. That’s just the way things go on Capitol Hill.

Those who worked for the election of Barack Obama and are currently sitting on the sidelines waiting to see how his economic recovery bill turns out—it’s time to stop waiting. Stand up and fight!

That means pick up the telephone and call 202-224-3121 (or use the toll-free service at 866-544-7573). Ask the Capitol operator to transfer you to one of your state’s U.S. senators. When you’re connected, say you’re calling to urge your senator to “support the Obama economic recovery plan and oppose all conservative amendments.” Call back and repeat for your other senator. Then contact everyone you know and urge them to do the same.

Here’s what’s at stake. If enacted, President Obama’s economic recovery plan will be the biggest and boldest progressive legislation in the past 40 years. These are just some of the highlights:

$142 billion for a middle-class tax cut
$47 billion to extend unemployment benefits
$16 billion to expand food stamps
$17 billion in one-time payments to low-income Americans
$26 billion to expand access to health care
$87 billion to help states pay for Medicaid
$24 billion to modernized health information technology
$46 billion to fix bridges and roads
$80 billion to improve public education
$19 billion for school construction
$14 billion to make college more affordable
$32 billion for clean energy

There's much more. All together, the Obama plan will create or save 3 to 4 million jobs and keep our nation’s economy from sliding into a lengthy and severe recession.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell claims he’s not trying to kill the Obama plan. But he and an army of right-wingers are working furiously to cut the most progressive parts of the bill and substituting them with huge tax breaks for the rich.

Senator Jim DeMint, R-S.C., has laid out the ultra-conservative wish list: Make the Bush tax cuts permanent, lower capital gains taxes, and enrich large corporations in a variety of new ways. According to the Think Progress "Wonk Room", DeMint’s largess to the wealthy would cost taxpayers—hold onto your hats—$3.1 trillion!

Obviously, all that is not going to happen. But some of it will happen unless progressives commit themselves to winning this fight. That means pick up the telephone, call 202-224-3121 or 866-544-7573, and urge your senators to stand with President Obama

Obama Going to the Media

In light of the GOP media blitz regarding the Obama stimulus plan, President Barack Obama has decided to take his message to the public. He reiterated his position yesterday at his press conference on the Recovery and Reinvestment Plan and executive compensation. Today, The Washington Post published a statement by the President on The Action Americans Need.

WaPo:

By now, it's clear to everyone that we have inherited an economic crisis as deep and dire as any since the days of the Great Depression. Millions of jobs that Americans relied on just a year ago are gone; millions more of the nest eggs families worked so hard to build have vanished. People everywhere are worried about what tomorrow will bring.

What Americans expect from Washington is action that matches the urgency they feel in their daily lives -- action that's swift, bold and wise enough for us to climb out of this crisis.

Because each day we wait to begin the work of turning our economy around, more people lose their jobs, their savings and their homes. And
if nothing is done, this recession might linger for years. Our economy will lose 5 million more jobs. Unemployment will approach double digits. Our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not be able to reverse [...]

In recent days, there have been misguided criticisms of this plan that echo the failed theories that helped lead us into this crisis -- the notion that tax cuts alone will solve all our problems; that we can meet our enormous tests with half-steps and piecemeal measures; that we can ignore fundamental challenges such as energy independence and the high cost of health care and still expect our economy and our country to thrive.

I reject these theories, and so did the American people when they went to the polls in November and voted resoundingly for change. They know that we have tried it those ways for too long. And because we have, our
health-care costs still rise faster than inflation. Our dependence on foreign oil still threatens our economy and our security. Our children still study in schools that put them at a disadvantage. We've seen the tragic consequences when our bridges crumble and our levees fail [...]

So we have a choice to make. We can once again let Washington's bad habits stand in the way of progress. Or we can pull together and say that in America, our destiny isn't written for us but by us. We can place good ideas ahead of old ideological battles, and a sense of purpose above the same narrow partisanship. We can act boldly to turn crisis into opportunity and, together, write the next great chapter in our history and meet the test of our time.

Read the complete statement of the President.

The Economists vs the Pundits

The War of Spin

Guess who won? According to John Amato at Think Progress the pundits are dominating the message.

I'm sure you've heard about the hundreds of economists that are either for or against President Obama's stimulus plan. My question to the media is: Where are they? Thankfully, Paul Krugman goes on THIS WEEK and usually destroys the panel when they regurgitate disingenuous economic talking points that they probably don't understand.

While networks are using the sound bites of the past:

The networks like to have the same tired debate format with the same hired analysts debating with "sound and fury" that usually "signifies nothing" to most of America. Last week the media chose to have Republicans like John Boehner, who helped create the situation we're in, dominate the airwaves, which does nothing but muddy up the discussion on our rapidly failing economy.

President Bush appears to understand the situation:

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.

I reject those theories. And so did the American people when they went to the polls in November and voted resoundingly for change.

Democrats have solid majorities everywhere you look, but not when it comes to the media that is supposed to inform us and not play "spin wars' with the country.

As the conservatives begin an all-out assault on President Obama's recovery plan, the cable networks are still turning more often to Republicans and allowing them to set the agenda on major issues.

Hand Out vs Closed Fist

In a Nutsell~Obstructionists

What’s the game plan for the GOP to help stimulate the economy? You guessed it, to become Obstructionists.

The People For the American Way Foundation found that "after being crushed at the polls for the last two elections by voters fed up with their inability to govern, those on the right side of the aisle have apparently decided that the best course of action is to simply obstruct President Obama and the Democratic Congress as they attempt to repair the damage the Republicans have done to the country over the last eight years."

What are the GOP surrogates suggesting to do?

The Family Research Council through Tony Perkins applauds the Republican legislators for “showing real backbone against unprecedented government expansion” since “swimming against the liberal tide isn't easy.”

And Tony Perkins says that the stimulus bill is "more about pork and political payoffs than economic recovery" and calls on Congress to enact more tax cuts instead of "abortion promotion".

So what ideas do the Republicans have in creating a stimulus package for economic recovery?

According to Think Progress, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said that President Obama’s recovery package, priced at roughly $819 billion, is too expensive. GOP “members” believe that they can pass a “very robust” stimulus at a cheaper price, he said:

Most of my members believe that we could pass a very robust stimulus for less than the amount currently before us. We have been throwing figures around like it was paper money. We are already looking at, before we even do this, at over a trillion dollar deficit for this year. We all agree that we need to do something, but I don’t think we should not just completely act like the amount is irrelevant.

Watch it:


But McConnell’s cheaper plan doesn’t exist. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) is pushing the Senate GOP’s only alternative, “American Option: A Jobs Plan That Works.” A new Wonk Room analysis finds that DeMint’s plan will cost $3.1 trillion over ten years, more than 3.5 times the cost of Obama’s:

Not surprisingly, DeMint’s plan consists of permanent tax breaks for corporations and lowering income tax for the wealthy. For the Senate GOP, it seems that deficit spending is permissible as long as it is done via tax cuts for the rich.

The Stimulus, Bipartisanship & Cartoons