From the Fact Check Desk: Is McCain’s ‘Transparency’ Attack on President Obama Accurate?

In the next few days we will review the suddenly budget-hawkish rhetoric of congressional Republicans and the way they spent money in the Bush era. Feel free to post nominees below.
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Is the idea if they spent money before, they must agree to all spending from here on out? Even though we just passed the most expensive bill in history?
Will we also review the complaints about “the bridge to nowhere” from Democrats, who now can’t find a bad way to spend money?

The stimulus bill clearly would be considered “emergency” legislation
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Possibly, but why spend the money to fly Sherrod Brown in from his mother’s funeral weekend if Obama is just going to wait until Tuesday to sign in anyway?
Why wasn’t it enough of an emergency for Obama to postpone his Friday night flight to Chicago to sign the bill at midnight?
Or, why wasn’t transparency important enough to wait ONE more day to sign the bill, thus fulfilling his promise?
It’s all these loopholes and waivers that make it seem insincere and easy to criticize.

Didn’t Obama promise he wouldn’t sign any legislation with pork or earmarks? I seem to recall that quite vividly and of course we all know this bill is loaded with pork.
Yet ANOTHER broken campaign promise.
Just like the no lobbyists. But what can we expect from a man who has hired so many tax cheats.
Oh, by the way, headline this morning:
Obama to hold fiscal responsibility summit.
No joke. And no, there are no reports of the media breaking into hysterical laughing as he reported his upcoming “summit” (read: vacation get-away on taxpayer dollars).

You crybaby Republicans will find something wrong with everything President does. You are nothing but a bunch of bullies. Be thankful he is trying to do something to help this country instead of sitting around talking about it–trying to get Republicans to agree–the Republicans are not going to agree with ANYTHING that goes on!! What do you want, another George Bush??? I say get some of those Republicans out of office who cause all the trouble–John McCain, for one!

I thought McCain lost the November election — if he had won, maybe his opinion would be worth something — but won the pick a Loser V.P. slam dunk competition (albeit by a much closer margin)!!!

“[why] … are we going to let ‘culture’ stop us from nationalizing the banks?”
When it comes to the pass that Lindsay Graham is FOR nationalizing the banks, and the former-Democrats including Obama are worried about creating the (false) perception blablabla that “private” capital is REALLY running things …
you KNOW the name of the game is bazillions of bucks to ALL the wrong (private) people — on their way OUT of the country with it, presumably doubt — crumbs to the “middle class”, worse than nothing to the burgeoning underclasses of former-”middle”-class and the unmentioned millions upon millions of poor people.
The “Obama” organization so truly sucks … it’s difficult to understand why people aren’t ALREADY rioting in the streets. Maybe when the weather’s warmer.

Yeah, and McCain said “Country First” and then picked Sarah Palin as his running mate.
McCain = LOSER

I don’t recall anyone seeking Kerry’s good opinon after 2004 – so why do we still have to hear from old man cranky-pants now?

My goodness….. I see the 0-supporters are obsessed with doing everything they can do defend him, no matter how much he fails! Let’s be clear, if I vote for somebody, I will continue to question them and their motives, because the President WORKS FOR THE COUNTRY. Yet, the 0-supporters will accept anything and eveyrthing that 0 does, without question!
get this straight….THIS IS NOT A MONARCHY! HE IS NOT KING!!!
in just a matter of weeks, the 0 has:
— LIED, LIED, LIED. Will the media catch up on this, like when he lied about the Caterpillar hiring and layoffs?
– Closing Gitmo, and releasing terrorists to a neighborhood near you and your family.
– Dropping charges for the man that killed our USS Cole soldiers.
– Committed to immigrating Hamas terrorists from Gaza to the US.
– wants to take the us Census from the Commerce dept to the white house.
– is going to bankrupt our economy and make our children and grandchildren pay our debts with this stupid stim bill.
– insisted I WILL HAVE NO LOBBYISTS IN MY WHITE HOUSE, and yet has hired, what….17 now?
– And has had 4 cabinet selections DROP OUT. You all complained big time when you thought that McCain didn’t vet Palin, yet how much did 0 vet this cabinet selections? Sounds like POOR JUDGEMENT to me.
– And the Wash times reports that the 0 is just a complete buffoon in his news conferences, with legal counsel whispering things in his ear when he is talking about terrorism. Totally clueless.
– in his news conference, he has preselected names he calls on. He calls on someone from Huff PO! that’s a lib site! how would you guys react if Bush had called on Rush or Hannity in a press conference?
This is just a few weeks! And, after, oh so much hard work, next week he is going on vacation? he hasn’t been at work for a month, and vacation already?
THIS IS CHANGE? Will you ever question this man on anythng he does?

Now, now, the Obama supporters don’t care about his promises. And they certainly don’t care about his policy since they will not have to pay their mortgages or pay to put gas in their cars.
The only thing they have ever cared about is Obama’s coolness. The rest is just gravy.

Hmmmm… I’m an Obama supporter and I pay a mortgage… hmmm… I also pay a car payment.
Go Barack !

The GOP:
Seeking to lead by going backward.

Jake, here is nice one:
During the Senate debate, 36 of the Senate Republicans voted for an amendment (S.AMDT 168 by DeMint) that would have cut taxes over the next decade and added 2.5 TRILLION to the National Debt.
John McCain and 35 of his Republican colleagues voted for that Amendment.
How can McCain claim to be a “fiscal conservative” or complain about “generational theft” when he and his fellow Republican Senators voted in favor of this amendment?
One of the criticisms by Republicans was also that the Stimulus bill wasn’t “timely, targeted and temporary”. The proposed amendment by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) that would replace the recovery bill entirely with *permanent* tax cuts, some of which DeMint referred to as “broad based.”. These tax cuts weren’t “targeted”, nor were they “temporary”.

“Massaged” is the new “Change.”

Yes it’s true.

“The stimulus bill clearly would be considered “emergency” legislation, but if one goes by the original language President Obama used in 2007, this bill will also fall short of the ‘five days on the White House website before signing it’ pledge.”
Funny thing, Jake, if it is such ‘”emergency” legistlation”, why didn’t President Obama postpone his Valentine’s Day getaway to stay and sign it? Of course, Nancy Pelosi didn’t give the Representatives (or the American people) two days to look it over before bringing it up for a vote in the House, either.
I’m starting to think that most of the ‘urgency’ with this legislation was the need to pass it before more people started asking questions about what was in it.

Does anyone care about what it will be like for our kids and grandchildren in the years to come?
Wake up and smell the coffee YES something has to be done now and so many people laid off and Prez O is still going like he is running for Prez and of coarse WHO is paying for all the bills when he is FLYING all over in a personal jet

Funny thing, Jake, if it is such ‘”emergency” legistlation”, why didn’t President Obama postpone his Valentine’s Day getaway to stay and sign it?
Posted by: I’m With Stupid
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Can the obstructionists finally settle on one line of attack? What is it, Obama should sign in NOW or should he wait ONE more day?
Funny thing not mentioned here, the obstructionist all claimed the Bill was not a Stimulus, just a spending bill. But they also claim they have not read it. So how do know it’s not a stimulus bill? That’s just silly.

Willem van Oranje:
You should know better than to employ LOGIC here.
Logic is BAD!!!
YOU MUST BE A BAD MAN TOO!!!!
LOLOLOL

Yeah big emergency, the obama left on vacation, the witch from the congress left and no one read the bill. The reason it was such a big emergency is because the more the American people learned about this bill the more they disliked it. So they had to call it a emergency so it would pass before the pressure got so hot on congress and teh senate that it failed. That and only that was the emergency. They wanted their pork and they had to get it before the American people woke up. Good by to America I am afraid. We will have to fight to get it back. Thank you cool aide drinkers. You voted in the witch, Reid, Kennedy, Franks, Boxer, Freakinstien, Dobbs, Waxman, Etc. Obama is not the one with the power are the one that is going to destory American it is the congress and senate.

McCain voted against the first Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act did he vote for it this time?

Speaking of McCain and transparency, I’m still waiting to hear when Sarah Palin will return her $150,000 ‘borrowed’ wardrobe …

Success to Obama/Pelosi/Reid is an increase in Americans getting welfare.
An increase in those needing handouts, and dependent on the government.
That’s their best chance at reelection.

To all of you blind believers–look up the facts before you blindly and stupidly accuse the Republicans of starting this mess with the housing and bank credit! Blame BARNEY & DODD and MAXINE WATERS & ALL THE OTHER IDIOTS YOU VOTED IN! Truly, no wonder all of you morons are so broke and waiting with your hands out! GROW UP! I am NOT a republican or a democrat and certainly don’t care for Bush nor for Obama..I care about what’s best for this really messed up coubtry and it’s only getting worse! Do you believe that Pelosi, Reed and Obama would ever take a paycut for you? Sacrifice for you? NO! They are in Rome and Chicago spending YOUR money and having a ball at YOUR EXPENSE!

All praises to Obama, our dear leader! Only through his grace we are saved from economic collaspe! If I could only touch the hem of his garmet. These stupid legislators need to stop questioning Obama, stop trying to actually read legislation, and stop trying to analyze his policies. Simply vote however Obama directs you. That is his first commandment.

OMG! There are millions of dollars in this bill for alien autopsies! Tell me how that is stimulus? What about the handouts to one-armed bandits? Listen to me people — don’t believe what the press says is in the bill, we commenters know so much more and whats really in it! ONly believe Rush!

Obama’s stealing the census from Congress has suddenly awakened and enraged the Republicans. Maybe this will arouse them as well to challenge Obama for stealing the Presidency itself. They surely know he is not an Article 2 “natural born citizen” (which is more than merely being a 14th Amendment “citizen”) by virtue of either Obama’s birth to a dad of Kenyan/British citizenship or birth in Kenya itself — as manifested by his unwillingness to supply his long form birth certificate now under seal.

McCain might be sitting in the White House right now if he had stood up against the first bailout bill.
And, yes, Obama has lied over and over again and is never held accountable for what he has said and done.

Too bad. I voted for him to:
1. Beat McCain
2. Keep the GOP out of office
3. Get things done
4. listen to me
So far I am happy, but I do not believe he could make many of happy no matter what he does or says.

Who’s seen the SNL send-up of teh congressional Republicans? Funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time.

You repubs got us into this mess!!! McCain ddn’t win so he should shut up his complaining…..he picked an idiot to run with him and that was his first poor judgement call…. I keep looking for Palin’s repub. clothes to be given to charity….. Republicans get over it — you lost the election….

Why wouldn’t John McCain stay home and learn how to use a computer than telling utter nonsense on TV? That way he will serve our nation better. The more talks these days more I lose respect for him. Remember his concession speech about that he and the Republicans should rally go beyond partisan difference for the sake of our country? I guess his moment of generosity didn’t last that long! The face remain that Republicans have destroyed America. President Clinton’s budget surplus was 486 Billion and on a trajectory of surplus 5.60 Trillion… After eight years of Republican abuse of America the current situation of our country is dire. But we are confident that we the people will prevail. And our country will be resorted to it greatness. We have a wonderful President; even in the wake of colossal Republican destruction of America, I am so relieved that we have an intelligent man as our President who is at the helm of our ship of state. President Obama is full of dignity and intelligence. He articulates America’s vision of leadership for the future. Unlike his floundering and self-destructive predecessor George Bush, President Obama is a great compliment to the office of the President of the United States. I think he’s going to be one of our great American Presidents like Washington, Lincoln or FDR. Republicans are so struck in the past like John McCain isn’t smart enough to understand he has to move beyond the conservative mantra of “Tax Cuts” “Small Government” “No Regulation” “Let Marketplace Decides…” I can’t understand, a man like John McCain who doesn’t know how to use a computer, can he really understand what future holds for America. John McCain’s type of politics is over for good. But Republicans have not learned anything it seems. What President Obama is doing is laying the necessary foundation to revitalize America, again. President Obama has to prevent America from a colossal collapse; after all the years of poor judgment and damage done to our country by the Republicans and to go beyond to lay the foundation for America’s future. President Obama is proposing to do is what FDR did to save our country for disintegration. President Obama is planning to go even further and lay the foundation for a strong future in terms of healthcare, infrastructure, schools and universities, research and science, education and jobs, business and industry to prosper and America to be strong and lead the world. Now, John McCain has started to lie publicly. It is sad to see once admirable politician like John McCain become a desperate and tragic charactor.

Haven’t read it!? It’s just like politicians and partisans to be sitting on all branches of the idiot tree and slinging crud at each other, after having spent weeks criticizing/praising, analyzing, and commenting on the viablility of something they haven’t read. Nor have they bothered to offer alternatives – real ones, in writing with fleshed out details, not just what they read in the paper or heard from some special interest backed talking head somewhere.
Just remember, the deeper this crisis gets, the cheaper it is for the vultures, foreign and domestic, to buy up/steal even more of this country.
For people who profess to love their country so much, I haven’t seen such lazy and shallow efforts in exercising their duties since… well, probably the previous sessions of congress.

So much for the national emergency Obama whined about for 3 weeks.
He kept telling us we had to have a spending package ASAP. So fast even Democrats admitted they hadn’t read the bill.
So they passed it and what did Obama do? Went on vacation for 3 days. Yes, we can all see this was a serious emergency. /sarcasm

When the country goes into a depression, just remember this spending bill that most economists say will be death to the economy.
I know it’s fashionable for Obama to lie and say most economists agree with him, and for the media to cover for him, but anyone with a brain watching CNBC can see the handwriting on the wall and hear what the true analysts and economists are saying.

I voted for president Obama. I believe he has better access to facts and qualified opinions than I do. I decided to give him the trust that George Bush completely destroyed. The republicans are still doing the “same old same old” as anyone truly following the news will see. Stop nitpicking and give the guy a chance, he’s looking good to me so far

A31: “…just remember this spending bill that most economists say will be death to the economy.”
Interesting definition of most. I haven’t even seen a reputable argument that a majority of economists share any position, pro or con on this bill. Although the Nobel winners in economics – a nicely circumscribed set of economists of defined qualification – that are on record are majority in favor of the stimulus or recommend a larger one.

Peach: “Opposition was building hugely. Congressmen on both sides of the aisle said the call opposed to the legislation nearly mirrored the same level of anti phone calls they received with regard to Bush’s guest program legislation.”
Ah, a fan of the American Idol style of government. Lets have the fanatics burning up the phone lines override the national election we just had! And ignore the polls showing no loss of support for the stimulus – it actually kicked up from 52% to 59% support in the favor/disfavor/no opinion gallup poll after Obama started pushing it directly.

I don’t think it’s too bad that Obama has told the people they would post the bills online and the American people would have 5 days to view (legislation) on the Internet. That is happening on certain bills, I guess.
But when Obama was in Peoria, he told the crowd if the stimulus bill was passed the CEO of Caterpillar, James W. Owens, said he would be able call some of the people that were laid-off at Caterpiller. Mr. Owens told President Obama that he didn’t say anything like that. There will need to be more lay-offs before Owens could start to bring people in. Luckily, somebody on Obama’s team backed up Mr. Owens. Guess Obama needs a hearing aid? Or just thought the he could use the bully pulpit to get Mr. Owens to bring laid-off people back to their former jobs.
You’re only the President of the United States and the jobs you create will be shorter than your own term.

jhw539 – Apparently you didn’t see the Rasmussen poll which showed support for the spending bill down to 30-something percent. Drastically down.
And let me just add – it really shows which posters have ever watched CNBC or read a financial publication. American Idol form of government indeed. It’s quite sad and telling that more Americans know the names of judges on talent shows than the names of SCOTUS judges.

Peach:
” Apparently you didn’t see the Rasmussen poll which showed support for the spending bill down to 30-something percent. Drastically down.
And let me just add – it really shows which posters have ever watched CNBC or read a financial publication.”
Two things on the Rasmussen poll: One, the results are adjusted to fit their proprietary, undisclosed likely voter model. In a non-election year, I have very little respect for changing the results like this. Second, their question includes the “stimulus with changes” option. Everyone always wants it passed with improvements, just like the generic Democrat/Republican polls better than a specific candidate.
And you are the one who claimed that irate phone calls are somehow more representative of majority will than the national election we held just a few months ago.

“If people are unhappy with Obama, they should think about asking Congress to investigate whether he is even a natural born citizen. He may only be a naturalized citizen, if that. But because he has been hiding his original, complete birth certificate (nobody has seen it), we just do not know if he’s even a legal president.”
Oh and while Congress is at it they need to investigate if the moon landing was faked, the conspiracy behind the assassination of JFK – oh and those aliens living at Roswell!

Note: When President Bush took office in 2001, Republicans and Democrats in Washington had built a strong consensus on the need for
[[Fiscal Responsibility]].
Bush Blew that apart within a few months. With the country in a recession, a temporary return to deficits was inevitable.
But Bush’s [[Tax Cuts and Spending Increases and Clear Disdain for the Pay-As-You-Go Approach]] that had brought deficits down in the [1990s], brought a return to [Permanent Deficits].
These actions almost certainly didn’t cause the current crisis, but they have left the Federal Government in a much weaker position to combat it.
—————————————
Time Magazine: Tax Cuts Solution, Aint The Solution……
When Ronald Reagan slashed taxes on capital gains and high earners in the early 1980s, inflation was pushing the middle class into top tax brackets, financial markets had been stuck in a funk for 15 years and income inequality had been declining for almost five decades.
Like him or not, the man’s actions fit the times and the U.S. economy boomed for most of his two terms in office.
Big Note: Bush came to Washington facing almost diametrically opposing economic conditions, yet he offered up the same solutions as Reagan. Guess what: they weren’t what the economy needed.
Hahaha !!!
The GOP’s One Trick Party Rule…[[Tax Cuts]]
You Need a Decent Balance of All Things and [[100% Tax Cut Bill]] would be a JOKE !!!

Uh, tax cuts did work under President Bush. Have you forgotten that he inherited a recession and then 911 happened? We recovered pretty well and very quickly from those events under Bush.
The current economic problems are the result of the democrat Congress refusal to reign in Freddie and Fannie, despite President Bush’s pleas to do so. Remember, the democrats took over in 2006. The economy was fine until then.
So the whole “tax cuts don’t work” is a joke. Even more of a joke is someone who would rather have the government spend his money than do it himself.

So you cared about deficits then, but not now Paige? How’s that working for you?
You can’t revise the fact that Bush inherited a recession, and then we were hit with 911 and he brought back the economy until the democrats took over in 2006.
Nor can you revise the fact that the current problems are a result of Barney Frank and Chris Dodd and their pals and friends of Angelo.
You can try of course as the scribble below shows, but you won’t succeed.

So much for the national emergency Obama whined about for 3 weeks.
He kept telling us we had to have a spending package ASAP. So fast even Democrats admitted they hadn’t read the bill.
So they passed it and what did Obama do? Went on vacation for 3 days. Yes, we can all see this was a serious emergency. /sarcasm
Posted by: Peach | Fe
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TERRIBLE! A man who actually has family values rather than just talk about them. Spending a Saturday and Sunday VACATION with his family is one of the WORST things I have ever heard of.
Imagine having a bill pass on Friday and putting it on the White House website for the whole country to read until he signs it on the fifth day (Tuesday). OUTRAGEOUS!

Politifact has Obama’s promises kept to promises broken ratio at 7:1.
Perhaps McCain might adopt a more fair and less partisan position toward the president…the American people as well as history may regard him more kindly.

Not reading the fine print gets many into trouble from buying houses to cars.They should have passed the bill in stages from the most critical to the least (least= mouse habitats). Which makes me think Obama already knew who he wanted to pay back, gave Nancy a draft and said “get to it Gal”. In any case while the uproar is over whats in the bill Obama and his team of a-d-d assistants are over all over the place getting ready for other legislation such as putting 30 year olds on Mommie and daddys health care plans, letting terrorist off the hook and preparing for more gun restrictions. So much confusion in fact that one would quickly forget his staff of high profile tax cheats and lobbyist now in his employment.

Is the bill on the WH web site? How about a link to that portion of the web site.

delores, dear — the Republican version of their “stimulus” bill is in written form and was detailed in various financial publications, none of which you apparently read. Pity that.

david:”least= mouse habitats”
Thanks for including this – whenever I see this blatant lie referenced (there is, in TRUTH, no money marked for mouse habitat in the bill), it allows me to immediately assess the credibility and value of the rest of the post. Great time saver.

jhw539: ROFL. That’s it. When there’s a poll you don’t like, just attack the credibility of Rasmussen or whomever took the poll. Got it.
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I’d recommend you read jwh’s posting again. You apparently didn’t understand it well.

Peach:”Is the bill on the WH web site? How about a link to that portion of the web site.”
Not too hard to find.

Peach:”I don’t like your poll either. Outlier numbers. There you go — see how that works? ”
That doesn’t make any sense since the Rassmussen poll is the one with the largest difference from the major polls (Pew, CNN/Opinion Research Corporation, Foxnews/Opinon Dynamics, etc.). Words have definitions and meanings, and based on reality the Gallup poll doesn’t fit the definition of an outlier at all.

Speaking of transparency, the Republicans are now demanding Roland Burris resign after it has come to light that Blagojevich’s brother asked him for a contribution…hmmm…I wonder who let the cat out of the bag? What say you, Jake? Could it be that needing his vote, Reid and Durbin suddenly caved and welcomed Burris with open arms, knowing that they could get rid of him as soon as the “rushed” stimulus bill passed? This is Axelrod’s M.O. isn’t it?

What is this so called blog? Is this suppose to be a talking points primer from foxnews or rush limbaugh. Remember that President Obama won the election so get over it.

Silly, defensive argument. This has Axelrod written all over it. Ingenious. You just have to admit when it comes to playing the game Ax and O are the best. They had their and can eat it too. The best part is they can blame it on the Republicans.
ps. Kennedy wouldn’t miss this to save his life.

So what? Obama is a liar just like the rest of the DC crowd. Are we suppose to be suprised???
The more they lie, the more we love ‘em! :)

As hard as it is to understand, I think McCain is starting to make Palin look intelligent.

How come Obama can make promises and not come through on them, but get a pass?
Someone else Lied, so Obama gets to also? Is that how it works now. Damn, some change.

John suspended his campaign to help fix the economy. Tell him to start running for president again this Tuesday.

Like everyone, McCain sees through Obama’s “bipartisan” politics. Perhaps, we should have put up with “Moosekiller” to get John.

Boo hoo, poor widdle McCain and the other poor widdle losers who are so bitter and mean. Republicans are looking like clowns who don’t care about anyone or anything but themselves. The country deserves better than what republicans are amounting to. We are in a meltdown that republicans caused and they are the ones who are so outraged about everything. Amazing cluelessness.

Paige,
You misread what I said: Bush inherited a recession from Clinton. It threatened to become much worse after 911. The Bush tax cuts stopped that.
And yes, 911 happened on President Bush’s watch. You apparently think there was no threat before that time. You fail to mention the Gorelik wall (as in Jamie also of Fannie Mae, and Clinton fame) which made it impossible to identify the threat. Perhaps you haven’t heard of that.
AS for 60 Minutes, I’d be embarrassed citing them as a newsource. If Fannie and Freddie hadn’t tampered with historic credit practices “because everyone deserves a house they can’t afford” no predatory lending could have happened. The blame lies with Frank and Dodd and their refusal to reign Freddie and Fannie in.
You make a lot of allegations Paige, but are vary short on facts. Let me know when you get to that stage of your research.

When Obama said he never knew about Wright’s sermons after sitting in the pews for 20 years–that should have been a clue about his character and credibility.
It’s been one lie after another.

“The country deserves better than what republicans are amounting to.”
Someone once said the people deserve the government they elect (or something very close to that).
Unfortunately, most of us do not get the opportunity to vote yea or nay on Nancy Pelosi or Barney Frank!
So we get a 1071 page of crap that will take weeks to figure out, but it was so important to “do something”, Our leadership decided it was not important enough to allow the members of Congress to actually READ IT!
Obviously after all their whining & complaining about TARP, Pelosi/Frank & Co. are gladly willing to repeat its mistakes all over again!!
I know im curious to know if we are still spending 650,000,000 more to get people ready for the Digital TV conversion. It was in the house version, and the senate version. I assume it probably is still in the final version.
The Digtal TV “switch” was originally supposed to be turned ON this Thursday! Now after a campaign that has run for well over a year, people still are “not ready”??? The “ON” time has now been pushed out until June 12.
So in the deep wisdom of this “stimulus” bill, we need to now spend 650 Million more dollars, in addtion to the 1.3 Billion already spent to inform people who dont understand this thing and give them vouchers.
OMG, if there is anyone out there with a TV who does not understand that this id going to happen, they are morons!!!
There has been an ongoing campaign of annoucements and ads for well over a year!! Why on earth do we need to spend over half a BILLION dollars NOW!!!
Exactly how are we going to anything differently in the next 4 months that we have not done the previous 16 or 18 months!
If you want absdoulte proof of how the government(Republican OR Democratic controlled) CANNOT run anything correctly, just look at this extremely simple problem and how badly screwed up it has become! 30% of the near 50 million vouchers mailed out have “expired” !
I cant wait to “watch” as this “transparency” we keep hearing about shows us just have many 100′s of billions of dollars get wasted with this bill !

I can’t believe that people are still pushing the mice meme. That has been so completely debunked as to make anyone who brings it up look like 1) and idiot, or 2) a really, really bad political operative.

Think about it. Why was there not enought time to read the entire bill? If Obama is not signing it until tomorrow, why not let Congress (and the American public) have the bill over the weekend?
Who would sign or agree to anything without thoroughly reading what you were signing? C’mon, America, wake up! We are being scammed.

Hey Flash,
Since I didn’t spend my entire weekend “debunking” liberal minutia…
Why don’t you enlighten me?
LOL…seriously,, I used it as an example, Since the idiocy of voting so quickly on this bill left the weeding out of things like this to internetters, instead of Congress!!!
It points out how insane it is to have a 1000+ page bill and then force a vote on it in less than 24 hours from the time it was put into final form!!!
Of course there is tons of foolish pork in that bill. Also someone tell Sen Chuckie Schummer that millions of Americans DO care about that “pork!”
On more important and REAL point…
Why didn’t the Democrats, who “claim” to care so much about the working people and jobs, include 9 Billion to continue production of the F-22 Raptor???
That would have immediately placed almost 100, 000 jobs in the presidents “saved Jobs” column!!!
My guess is that it makes too much sense to spend a few billion ACTUALLY doing something like that which would give those people some job security and confidence to spend!!!…you know ACTUALLY stimulating the economy!!!

Why was there no time to read the entire bill if it wasn’t going to be signed right away by President Obama?
That’s not transparency.

Why are the republicans so upset with the stimulus package is it because they played a big role in getting us into this situation we are in they were very negligent in their duties when they had control along with George Bush.They should have tried something like this before now, the stimulus that Bush tried did nothing but add to the deficit and did nothing to stmulate the economy so it’s time they shut up unless they have an excuse as to why they did nothing to stop the recession when they indeed knew what was happening to the housing market long ago.They knew there were people losing jobs homes banks going to fail and did nothing so they should stop listening to their great leader Rush and think for themselves if that is at all possible.

John Mccain doesnt Understand Economics so what is he ranting about? Last I checked the country REJECTED Him and the Republicans Ideals.Amazing a man that voted 95 Percent of the time with W And helped put our country in this mess. Well If Mccain is against The Stim Bill that makes me even more for it.Mccain retire already and Republicans Go reinvent your Party W Has destroyed you!

” the stimulus that Bush tried did nothing but add to the deficit and did nothing to stmulate the economy so it’s time they shut up unless they have an excuse as to why they did nothing to stop the recession when they indeed knew what was happening to the housing market long ago”
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Now here is brilliant logic!!!
Bush’s $600/person stimulus didnt do much…your right about that, BUT…
Why then do you think giving people $13 extra per paycheck is going to have any effect on the US economy?
There is NO intellignet reason to think that the economy is even going to notice it! ZERO!!!!
No question times are tough, but if you do have a job, getting $13/check extra is not going to alter your current home budget situation one bit!!!
Most people are going to do the same thing with it that they did with Bush’s checks!!! Save it!!!
People are going to spend when they have confidence that the job they have today is not going away in the near future! Care to point out the specific pages in the bill that are supposed to make anyone with a job feel confident???
There is no consenus that this bill is going to do anything! Both sides can bring forth theie “economist of the day” to support whtever their position is.
Instead of spending time to focus on actual real solutions, Pelosi & Reid created a series of blobs of money that may or may not end up creating jobs.
Take a GOOD LOOK at the document created by the US Conference of Mayors.
It shows infrastructure jobs that are ready-to-go..AND in an amzing stoke of genious, they took each project and stated the money required and the number of jobs it takes!!!!
What a concept!!
If the liberal idiots in Congress who wrote this pile of prose had done that, then we would actually have had a way to see what things worked & what thingsa did not! Of course that makes sense, so we can’t possiblly do that!
Lets just keep going along doing the same things we have done for decades.
Obama had a chance to impose his will on this process and hold Congress’s collective feet to the fire. He too chose the easy way out!
Now we all have to hope that someone can wave the magic wand over this gathering of billion & million dollar blobs to actually create stimulus to the economy.
Everyone including the talking haeds on Sunday keep saying “We had to do something!”….Seems to me we heard that in the fall When Bush/Paulson & the Congress panicked. We just HAD to do something right then too, the result…NO ONE knows where the money went!
Yet the same buffoons have done the same thing again and we are supposed to be dumb enough to believe this time is different!!!
Can someone point out in that 1071 pages exactly HOW the oversight is different????

Did McCain really make this astute observation and statement of accountability on Obama transparency, or is he assuming a stance suggested by GOP operatives? I’m inclined to think it’s not his own after some of his campaign debacles — like announcing the fundamentals of the economy were strong last September, referring to Gov Palin as his soulmate, and wandering the stage during the town hall debate with Obama to name just a few. I’m not trying to attach ageism to some of his behaviors, but simply making the observation that McCain doesn’t appear to have the perspicacity or discernment to form such an observation and conclusion.

Hey Mike C Unlike the Garbage Fox News, and Rush Limbaugh is Shoving down your Throat after 8 years of An IDIOT For a President, and 6 of those Years a Republican Congress And the Results of their Leadership. The More the Republicans are against the Stim Bill the More the Public is for it.And As for Mccain Ranting I believe he Lost,The people Rejected him I work in the Public and I can tell you NO ONE CARES WHAT THE REPUBLICANS THINK! Unless of course your from Texas.

Posted by: Angie | Feb 16, 2009 12:25:47 PM
You cannot be serious. There is $30 million to save Nancy Pelosi’s mouse. There is $2 billion for ACORN, and to make room for that spending on infrastructure was cut.

“There (were) commitments made that certainly aren’t being kept now.”
Thanks for that video. There are others. It’s not easy to lie with every single sentence you speak, but Obama did it.

“There is $30 million to save Nancy Pelosi’s mouse. ”
100% false – right winger lie – keep spreading it – says a heck of a lot about you.

drjohn pulls the non-updated article from the Washington Times – they even corrected their false story, yet he must continue to spread it.

To angie, jks and the other hate speech liberals…..
If Obama & The Dems and you care so much for the American worker, Why are we still waiting for this administration to authorize the continuation of the F-22 raptor program.
That program holds near 100,000 American jobs!
We see a lot of gum-flapping about “SOMETHING” had to be done…WHY was this not included!!!

If Obama & The Dems and you care so much for the American worker, Why are we still waiting for this administration to authorize the continuation of the F-22 raptor program.
That program holds near 100,000 American jobs!”
You act like Obama and Dems have already let this fail when you said yourself the deadline is not until March.
Dems do support the project as well as Obama’s Secretary of Defense.

“Im pretty sure you have had ZERO knowledge of the fact this program held that many jobs until I brought it up”
You are dead wrong.
In addition, the only blindness by “extreme partisanship” I have witnessed is how you address others. I’m not interested in your biased assumptions.

Maybe Obama wont sign the bill for the F22 because it is a collosal waste of time and money. Sorry about the 100 K jobs but seriously join the rest of the country who are already in the toilet. Maybe the money can be done to support something besides make work for defense companies.
————————————
mike,
Now here is the real voice of reason…LOL
LETS SPEND 700 Billion & HOPE we fix the financial system…..
LETS SPEND 800 Billion & HOPE we can create/save a few jobs…..
Lets NOT spend 9 Billion and KEEP nearly 100,000 jobs!…
So, now you liberals get to choose which jobs we should save. Im sure that will fly well with American public. Talk about destroying ALL confidence!!!!
JKS,
If you knew ANYTHING at all, why not bring it up over the past few weeks? It was a slam dunk for the DEMS & Obama, yet they continue to let 100,000 familes sway in the wind. Proof Positive that this adminstartion and its congressional allies care more about their agenda than the American people and their jobs!
Persoanlly I couldn’t care less what you think about me. I am not the issue, the issue is JOBS & CONFIDENCE.
We know where mike stands, he has no interest in working towards a solution!
Do you favor extending the F-22 ? OR do you want put another 100,00 on the unployment rolls?

Mike_C – I think the F 22 is already outdated, overblown and not necessarily where the military needs to be spending money. From a stimulus perspective, yes, it will keep jobs, but the complete irony is watching all these free market, hyper fiscal conservatives suddenly find their inner Karl Marx and go all command economy on us when it comes to big defense programs – like yourself……

Johnny just wants to spend money the traditional GOP way: on fruitless wars and tax cuts for the rich!

The real question is ….IS MCCAIN ACCURATE ABOUT ANYTHING.
Give him a day or two he will flip flop on anything.
Hmmmmm…..
Wonder why he didn’t get elected????

Have some of you even looked at that bill? Huffington post has 3 versions. The House version, the Senate Version and a brief Summary by theSenate Appropriations Committee of the finaly bill.
From what I see there are quite a few mistruths on here as to what actually passed. Go do your research and quit whining. Just type in 2009 stimulus bill Huffington post. It’s that simple.

And btw, National Defense has always been, and will always be, a command economy. To lump national defense in the same boat as billions for community organizing is just silly. National Defense should always be steady and consistent, and in our case, on the tip of technology and capability to keep our edge over strategic competitors.

“KR – The F22 can not land on an aircraft carrier.”
I know that, I flew off carriers. I never said it DID fly off CV’s, I mentioned CV’s as one of our “edges” in superpower status as something that must be maintained and improved.
“It is estimated roughly 2/3 of the existing F 22′s have major corrosion problems.”
All new aircraft have development problems after production. Doesn’t mean you scrap it or don’t fix it. Complex aircraft in todays military MUST be funded and maintained, not only to keep the airframes viable, but to keep our flyers safe. I flew in the late 90′s, I saw first hand 6 friends of mine perish from training. I blame at least 4 of those crashes on poorly funded maintenance. So don’t lecture me on military funding unless you’ve been there.
“To suggest the F 22 is the only thing keeping America from losing its “superpower” status is selling America way short and simpleminded.”
I explicitly did not say “only”, it is definitely one of those assets contributing to that. The latest Sukoi’s being sold around the world are on par, if not superior to our current inventory of F18′s, F16′s, and F15′s. The F22 is the only thing in our inventory that is better than it is. For that reason alone, it is worth keeping it up. The Russians are also selling their most advanced Air to Air missile systems that, at least in the IR realm, is superior to ours until we get the newest AIM9 deployed. We still have a slight edge in radar guided missiles but that is fading fast. The last thing we want is to accept status quo while our competitors are advancing.

JKS…”Specifics are important here” NOT ON A PUBLIC SITE….PLEASE be mindful of your comments………

Tapper, keep up the good work. At least you will ask a serious question not just set the Prez or his spokesman up for a good soundbite.
Thanks!

Wasn’t the Obama “promise” above only one of seven he made in the same speech? How did the others fare?