For President and Congress, Kumbaya Ends, Tough Decisions Begin
EmailAs President Obama asks the nation to join him in making tough decisions — accepting responsibility for the bad judgments of the past — he will be faced with a tough decision of his own in the coming days: how to handle the pork-laden $410 billion omnibus spending bill Democrats on Capitol Hill are about to ask him to sign into law.
The bill contains significant spending increases in funding for various government agencies, include a $4.4 bill, 10% increase in Congress’s own budget.
According to Taxpayers for Common Sense, the bill contains 8,570 disclosed earmarks worth $7.7 billion, from both Republicans (Sen. Lindsey Graham’s $950,000 for the Myrtle Beach International Trade and Convention Center) and Democrats ($238,000 for the Polynesian Voyaging Society in Honolulu, courtesy of Sen. Daniel Inouye.)
Republicans have been making hay out of the pork in the bill, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, yesterday attacked Republicans for the charge, saying "You can’t spell earmark without an R," and arguing that 40% of those projects are Republican in origin.
Either way, as we all know, both parties hunger for pork. It’s there in the bill.
The issue: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., says he’ll call for President Obama to veto the bill if it arrives in the Oval Office in its current form.
The argument can and will be made: can the President credibly ask the American people to make sacrifices and accept this new "era of responsibility" if he’s not willing to ask Congress to do the same?
- jpt
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The President needs line item Veto.
Posted by: Ranger | February 25, 2009, 11:28 am 11:28 am
It would be brilliant politically for President Obama to veto this bill.
Maybe they are pushing this pork fest his way on purpose, so he can do just that.
Posted by: MayBee | February 25, 2009, 11:30 am 11:30 am
Answer to your question:
No.
And Obama will not force the Democratic Congress make sacrifices. In his mind he is running for President in 2012. Obama is always in campaign mode.
Posted by: Sally J | February 25, 2009, 11:34 am 11:34 am
The President needs line item Veto.
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I can only imagine how he would use it. Let’s see – no benefits for those frozen out in Kentucky but protect flies and mice all over the world. I’m not confident that he is trustworthy enough to give him more power than he already has stolen.
Posted by: Plumber | February 25, 2009, 11:35 am 11:35 am
the bill contains 8,570 disclosed earmarks worth $7.7 billion
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Out of $797 billion dollars. Yes, Obama stated no earmarks and not sure how he is finessing this. But as you point out Jake they are both Republican and Democrat. For Republicans to rail against pork when it is less than 1% is demagoguery at it’s finest….and a bit hypocritical. On the other hand Obama should have struck them from the bill.
Posted by: indy_voter | February 25, 2009, 12:05 pm 12:05 pm
The real question Indy voter is why you are NOT railing against the pork.
Posted by: Plumber | February 25, 2009, 12:09 pm 12:09 pm
Earmarks need to go regardless of the party.
They are barely disguised bribery in exchange for a vote.
We are asked to bailout mortgage problems in a handful of states for the good of the entire nation.
Congress must give up pet projects and polical payback for the same reason.
Posted by: mad | February 25, 2009, 12:12 pm 12:12 pm
Fill the bill up with pork on purpose so
Obama can veto it and look like a hero.
BO will get desperate as he continues to sink in the polls and the stock market crashes.
He’s losing the independents, appeasing his base by tossing them a bone now and then after keeping Bush’s policies.
Notice how quickly the Democrats backtracked on nationalization of banks when there was a public backlash?
Posted by: harry | February 25, 2009, 12:19 pm 12:19 pm
THIS IS WHAT O SHOULD HAVE SAID:
For homeowners who are facing foreclosure, we will do what we can to help you and your families, but we cannot solve all of your problems. In areas hardest hit by the collapse of inflated home values, there will continue to be people who cannot afford their mortgage payments anymore and many of them will lose their homes to foreclosure. But we can, we must, and we will do everything we can to prevent this where we can and to soften the blow where we can’t.
To these ends, we will:
Institute an across the board freeze on foreclosures while the FDIC completes the transfer of operations from the CEO’s of the major banks. However, a freeze on foreclosures does not mean a moratorium on paying your mortgage. If you don’t continue to make monthly payments, you will be expected to pay the past due amounts eventually, and if you can’t you may lose your home.
Allow every American who currently has a mortgage and meets income requirements to refinance with a federally-backed, conforming loan at 5% interest.
Make it illegal for foreclosures to be recorded on consumer credit reports after five years.
These measures will relieve some of the anxiety that so many millions of Americans are feeling today. A universal and unpleasant sense of distrust has crept into all of our civic relationships. Neighbors are feeling stingy about “bailing out the other guy” while their own ship may be sinking. Distrust of financial leaders, politicians, and the media has never been higher, and this incipient suspicion can easily become toxic.
WILL HE EVER HAVE A PLAN?
Posted by: neddaplan | February 25, 2009, 12:21 pm 12:21 pm
harry: ” Fill the bill up with pork on purpose so
Obama can veto it and look like a hero.”
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That’s what I think too, Harry.
Posted by: MayBee | February 25, 2009, 12:23 pm 12:23 pm
hahaha…..lets see here,
if its a gop fork,
its not pork?!
a thousand deaths to the grand obstuctionist party of do nothings!
obama for life!
Posted by: the death of gop! | February 25, 2009, 12:28 pm 12:28 pm
harry: ” Fill the bill up with pork on purpose so
Obama can veto it and look like a hero.”
======
That’s what I think too, Harry.
Posted by: MayBee | Feb 25, 2009 12:23:45 PM
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Me too Harry!
They are stacking the deck all day every day. They are screwing America and we are a one party corruptrd nation. God help us.
Posted by: itisworsethanyouthink | February 25, 2009, 12:29 pm 12:29 pm
There is a master plan. Those that have power, craft it to stay in power. (Even Bush w/911).
The master plan is simple. Do what is necessary to maintain the best interest and support of the voters.
Obama is fortunate to have an opportunity to do just that. Albeit, anyone else would have been fortunate as well. However, a person as experienced as Obama in life’s ups and downs, and as well educated and learned as he, is very rare. To have the caliber of such a person at this time of need is truly prophetic. History will be written around this moment. I can say that today, I am a little prouder to be an American. Hopefully in 4 years I can say the same with solid reverence.
Godspeed.
Posted by: Matt | February 25, 2009, 12:37 pm 12:37 pm
I believe the Supreme Court has ruled the line-item veto unconsitutional.
Meantime, from Reuters:
“US stocks fell on Wednesday on disappointment that President Barack Obama shed little new light about how his administration would stabilize the economy in a major speech before Congress.”
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | February 25, 2009, 12:46 pm 12:46 pm
Senator Byrd SLAMS obama as a power grabbing president
anyone else notice that biden adn the pelosi had to look at their copy of the speech to know when to stand up lmao, look at some of the tapes, it was hilarious…”STAND AND APPLAUD>>HERE”
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Actually I was waiting for her to tear an ACL from her “Pogo-stick” act!
Posted by: Mike_C | February 25, 2009, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm
when did kumbaya ever begin???????
Posted by: Omentum | February 25, 2009, 1:32 pm 1:32 pm
Stock market tanks after Obama’s speech:
Posted by: Michelle | February 25, 2009, 2:06 pm 2:06 pm
Now i don’t know the politics of this, but i strongly urge you to make a lot of noise on this issue.
.
I strongly support the investments in Health Care Reform, Alternative Energy and Education. But if, we’re gonna spend all of this money, why do we need all this silliness?
.
And i think you’ve hit the moral rectitude node quite well. If we’re being asked to tighten up and straighten up, why the hell would congress not be more prone to do so?
Posted by: Lupercal | February 25, 2009, 2:23 pm 2:23 pm
“Stock market tanks after Obama’s speech:
Stock market as of 3pm EST was down less than 40.
Much like the right wing talking point yesterday about Obama’s dip below 60% approval in Gallup (now 61%), its been overtaken by more current events.
Posted by: Ryan C | February 25, 2009, 2:58 pm 2:58 pm
Ryan — just wait until Obama signs the pork laden budget. Then watch the numbers. By the way, the S&P is up less than 1% today, by all accounts, far short of the hop the administration expected from Mr. Teleprompter’s speech last night.
Posted by: Larry | February 25, 2009, 3:27 pm 3:27 pm
Did anyone else find it interesting that it was Attorney’s General Eric Holder (the comment Coward) that was chosen to sit out the speech (in case something happened, like an attack of some kind). Was Obama just trying to keep him out of the picture for a while, Or was he being spanked for his comment !!?
Just think if something had happened and he had wound up in charge. A hapless Coward as a leader (even if he was being spanked they should have chosen someone else). He tried to call others cowards but he was the Ultimate Coward because:…….. Funny, I didn’t hear him make a comment like that during his Confirmation Hearings.
Posted by: Da Truth | February 25, 2009, 3:47 pm 3:47 pm
“By the way, the S&P is up less than 1% today, by all accounts, far short of the hop the administration expected from Mr. Teleprompter’s speech last night.”
The Obama admin is looking to fix the economy not for a short bump in the Dow.
Posted by: Ryan C | February 25, 2009, 5:03 pm 5:03 pm
Guess I’m not the only one who feels this way….
In his press briefing on Wednesday, Robert Gibbs offered the strongest assertion to date that President Obama would like to see the restoration of the line-item veto.
Asked if Obama would use that legislative tool — which was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1998 — to help weed out the earmarks from the forthcoming omnibus-spending bill, the press secretary replied:
“I can assure you that he’d love to take that for a test drive.” (Sam Stein)
Posted by: Ranger | February 25, 2009, 5:28 pm 5:28 pm
Da Truth—what’s up with the Holder obsession? he did nothing wrong and doubt he was being punished. he cannot have an opinion? his opinion didn’t supreise me, i mean it’s really a fact. why should he have not been nominated?
Posted by: Paul Wall | February 25, 2009, 6:42 pm 6:42 pm