Sen. McCaskill Tweets from Fiscal Responsibility Summit
EmailAfter one of the breakout sessions at the White House Conference of Fiscal Responsibility, Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., tweeted on her twitter page — @clairecmc — a positive review of the session.
“Surprised at how productive breakout session was on procurement. McCain Collins Lieberman Issa Tauscher Price Levin Towns. All great," she wrote.
Then she added in a separate tweet: "It was a session of good policy not politics. Makes me hopeful. If we could just keep that kind of productive atmosphere down the street.”
Attendees included McCaskill, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano; Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., John McCain, R-Ariz., Susan Collins, R-Maine; Reps. Tom Price, R-Ga., Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., and Ed Towns, D-NY; Anna Burger of Change to Win, Joe Flynn of AFSCME, Larry Korb of the Center for American Progress, Martin Regalia of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Hilary Shelton of the NAACP, and Deputy Secretary of State for Management Jack Lew. White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel attended for the last 10 minutes.
The 90-minute conversation, dominated by McCain, Levin, Lieberman and Issa, dealt with why cost overruns are becoming so common and whether the government should go back to fixed-price contracts as the norm.
At one point, Issa remarked that U.S. military generals and other officers in theater are controlling more money than the entire State Department.
“Thank God," joked Levin.
“Jack’s not smiling,” noted Price, referring to the deputy Secretary of State, who was taking notes.
“You’re writing ‘Who the hell invited that guy?,” Levin said, laughing.
McCaskill, it should be noted, tweeted during the president’s open forum as well.
"Everything from the far left to the far right in this room. Finding the middle is harder than it looks.But the participation’s encouraging," she wrote.
Followed by: "Pres speaking now. Going to open up for comments and Q’s.Continues to recognize contributions of Repubs and wants their input.Discipline."
Then, noting the president’s selection for first comment: "Calls on John McCain first."
Followed by, in reporting an Obama response to GOP Rep. Joe Barton’s complaint that the House Republicans were shut out of negotiating the stimulus package: "Great quote. ‘ The majority has to be inclusive. The minority needs to be constructive. ‘"
- jpt
Santorum: Money Will Not Defeat Obama, Ideas Will 
Rick Santorum's Full Speech at CPAC 2012
We are all afraid of PB0′s fighting dog. She could bark at anything, anytime, on any random thoughts.
Posted by: skinny dog | February 23, 2009, 6:16 pm 6:16 pm
Wouldn’t it be better if both the majority and the minority were constructive?
Posted by: Hmmm... | February 23, 2009, 6:20 pm 6:20 pm
Jake, I appreciate your willingness to ask tough questions of the new administration–they need to more adequately reconcile a philosophy of economic stimulus and addressing potentially crippling deficits. I hear too much doublespeak from the administration on this.
Posted by: mr b | February 23, 2009, 6:24 pm 6:24 pm
Dems don’t trust the “liars”. They’re Snakes and Fakes.
Posted by: sngeorgia | February 23, 2009, 6:32 pm 6:32 pm
JUST ACROSS AP NEWS:
Politics News House Democrats propose $410B spending bill (AP)
WASHINGTON – House Democrats unveiled a $410 billion spending bill on Monday to keep the government running through the end of the fiscal year, setting up the second political struggle over federal funds in less than a month with Republicans. The measure includes thousands of earmarks, the pet projects favored by lawmakers but often criticized by the public in opinion polls. There was no official total of earmarks contained in the bill. The legislation, which includes an increase of roughly 8 percent over spending in the last fiscal year, is expected to clear the House later in the week. Democrats defended the spending increases, saying they were needed to make up for cuts enacted in recent years or proposed a year ago by then-President George W. Bush in health, education, energy and other programs. Republicans countered that the spending in the bill far outpaced inflation, and amounted to much higher increases when combined with spending in the stimulus legislation that President
Posted by: Cali | February 23, 2009, 6:48 pm 6:48 pm
jpt quotes McCaskill:
“Everything from the far left to the far right in this room.”
Is it even REMOTELY possible that McCaskill actually sees “Change to Win” and the Center for American Progress as “the far left”?
Comes da Revolution, McCaskill may find herself “surprised” for REAL.
Posted by: Human Intelligence | February 23, 2009, 6:51 pm 6:51 pm
“Great quote. ‘ The majority has to be inclusive. The minority needs to be constructive. ‘”
==============
That quote struck me, too. The majority should also try to be constructive, or they’ll find themselves in the minority again soon.
It’s happened before!
Posted by: MayBee | February 23, 2009, 6:53 pm 6:53 pm
“That quote struck me, too.”
Me, too. Whenever someone says someone ELSE, especially someone on the other side, “NEEDS to”, what is meant is “OUGHT to”. In other words, the effort is to redefine what you WANT someone else to do as a need of the person under direction.
Along with the substitution of the nasty word “stakeholder” for “citizen”, “participant”, etc., this “you need to” construction is one of the least attractive Reagan-era coinages subverting American English into a language in which it’s nearly impossible to speak plainly.
It’s a semi-illiterate usage — sort of like using “fulsome” for “really, really FULL”.
That Obama, when He’s off a supplied script, expresses Himself sooo infelicitously means, some would say, that He also doesn’t THINK so hot.
Posted by: Human Intelligence | February 23, 2009, 7:12 pm 7:12 pm
I guess people laughed when Obama promised to tax the rich. Then they looked at their own 401(k) and realized what a financial disaster Obama was for every man who had a brain and invested in his own future knowing that Social Security was broke.
Posted by: Peach | February 23, 2009, 8:45 pm 8:45 pm
Simple question for Obama supporters – well, maybe … why? Just ask yourself that – why is the market tanking right now? Why?
Posted by: Jonathan | February 23, 2009, 8:46 pm 8:46 pm
why is the market tanking right now? Why?
Posted by: Jonathan
==========================================
Because the investors on Wall Street realize the days of easy money is over and they have to actually start working for a living instead of being bailed out by the government.
Posted by: Willem van Oranje | February 23, 2009, 8:55 pm 8:55 pm
The market is tanking because they realize that Obama is a socialist/Marxist.
The guy condemned business travel today, for goodness sake. Is there a corporation left in America that he hasn’t demonized?
Socialists hate private enterprise and think the government can do better which should have all of you rolling over with laughter right about now.
Posted by: Peach | February 23, 2009, 8:57 pm 8:57 pm
Willem van – we understand .. anyone and everyone that works on Wall Street is a crook! Oh you pathetic people – it’s insane! Just because a guy got out of his hometown and doesn’t work at Speedway – and makes 6 figures doesn’t mean he’s a crook! Got it yet? It means he had a plan and motivation – look it up!!
Posted by: Jonathan | February 23, 2009, 8:58 pm 8:58 pm
The market is tanking because they realize that Obama is a socialist/Marxist.
Posted by: Peach
==========================================
This is all you can muster up?
Phail.
Even Greenspan is calling for nationalizing BoA and Citi. Greenspan a socialist?
ROTFLMAO
Posted by: Willem van Oranje | February 23, 2009, 9:01 pm 9:01 pm
Willem van – we understand .. anyone and everyone that works on Wall Street is a crook
Posted by: Jonathan
===========================================
You think investors on WS “work” on WS?
Phail
Posted by: Willem van Oranje | February 23, 2009, 9:03 pm 9:03 pm
“The sky is falling – the sky is falling!!!
I’m an optimistic though”
Signed
President O-fraud-a
Posted by: Harold | February 23, 2009, 9:04 pm 9:04 pm
Does anyone else notice (how could you not) that every time Obama says we have to spend more money, the market tanks?
It’s so insensible. Obama tells us we’re broke and he’s going to fix it by spending more money.
Sure, that’s how we all handle our private finances, right?
Posted by: Peach | February 23, 2009, 9:04 pm 9:04 pm
Willem van – time to make the doughnuts!
Posted by: Kathy | February 23, 2009, 9:05 pm 9:05 pm
I’m not worried about depressions – all we have to do is print more money, borrow more from China, and throw money at it .. why does anyone worry about that if that’s the case? I don’t get it .. DUH!!
Posted by: Jonathan | February 23, 2009, 9:08 pm 9:08 pm
Oh, man. You know the prez in in deep doo do when Newsweek takes Obama to task.
“Judged by his own standards, President Obama’s $787 billion economic stimulus program, which he signed into law last week, is deeply disappointing.”
Posted by: Peach | February 23, 2009, 9:09 pm 9:09 pm
You think investors on WS “work” on WS?
==============
Who do you mean when you say “investors on Wall Street?”
Do you mean investment bankers and traders?
Or do you mean the people who have money invested?
Posted by: MayBee | February 23, 2009, 9:16 pm 9:16 pm
ROTFLMAO:
President Obama is benefiting from remarkably high levels of optimism and confidence among Americans about his leadership, providing him with substantial political clout as he confronts the nation’s economic challenges and opposition from nearly all Republicans in Congress, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.
A majority of people surveyed in both parties said Mr. Obama was striving to work in a bipartisan way, but most Americans faulted Republicans for their response to the president, saying the party had objected to the $787 billion economic stimulus plan for political reasons. Most Americans said Mr. Obama should pursue the priorities he campaigned on, the poll found, rather than seek middle ground with Republicans.
Posted by: Willem van Oranje | February 23, 2009, 9:20 pm 9:20 pm
this is Obama’s intention:
[blablabla]
Posted by: Peach
==========================================
Why would we go to you to learn what Obama’s intentions are?
Obama is perfectly capable to explain them himself. And he’s doing what he campaigned for: tax the wealthy, and redistribute it to the rest.
Posted by: Willem van Oranje | February 23, 2009, 9:45 pm 9:45 pm
Winston Churchill so presciently pronounced: “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy; its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”
Posted by: Peach | February 23, 2009, 9:55 pm 9:55 pm
Mr. Orange, are you really okay with redistributing wealth from other Americans? You may want to watch the documentary “The Rape of Europa”. Slippery slope stuff but definitely something that should make one reconsider taking from a segment of society just because you can.
Posted by: Hmmm... | February 23, 2009, 10:20 pm 10:20 pm
After just reading that Obama may be planning to give amnesty to illegals, I have to wonder if any of the brain trusts in DC have asked:
Unemployment is already high and we’re going to give amnesty to illegals? What — so we can give out more unemployment benefits?
Posted by: Peach | February 23, 2009, 10:27 pm 10:27 pm
The Rasmussen Consumer Index, which measures consumer confidence on a daily basis, fell two points on Monday to 55.5. That’s the lowest level of confidence ever recorded in the seven-year history of the Consumer Index, and the fourth time a new low has been set this month.
Posted by: Peach | February 23, 2009, 10:42 pm 10:42 pm
The president promises to cut the budget deficit in half by the end of his first term .
Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron, appearing on CNN, disparaged the plan as “wildly optimistic,” especially since the massive, ever-expanding Social Security and Medicare entitlement programs are left unaddressed.
Posted by: Peach | February 23, 2009, 10:48 pm 10:48 pm
ABC’s Jonathan Carl says the spending bill is loaded with thousands of earmarks!!
Posted by: Peach | February 23, 2009, 10:50 pm 10:50 pm
You may want to watch the documentary “The Rape of Europa”.
=======================================
Either you have never viewed the documentary, or you adhere to the extremist position that taxation is equivalent with Nazi’s pillaging art treasures from occupied countries.
Posted by: Willem van Oranje | February 23, 2009, 10:53 pm 10:53 pm
Senator Coburn said today that Obama was turning us into Soviet America.
It’s a work in progress.
Posted by: Peach | February 23, 2009, 11:10 pm 11:10 pm
Hahaha.
John Huntsman, the Republican Governor of Utah, says that the GOP response to President Obama’s economic recovery legislation is “gratuitious political griping.”
The Republican John Huntsman also says that Republicans need to come up with real solutions and ideas instead of “nibbling around the edges”.
Take that, Peachy.
Posted by: Willem van Oranje | February 24, 2009, 12:41 am 12:41 am
Jake, apparently you just had half a quote.
“On the one hand, the majority has to be inclusive. On the other hand, the minority has to be constructive… What you should see, i think, is the majority saying ‘what are your ideas?’ The minority has then got to come up with those ideas and not just want to blow the thing up.”
Classic.
Posted by: Willem van Oranje | February 24, 2009, 12:45 am 12:45 am
ABC’s Jonathan Karl said there are thousands of earmarks in the anti-stimulus bill. He said there were so many thousands he couldn’t count them all.
Some posters who keep pretending it’s a Republican myth there are earmarks in the bill may wish to take note.
Posted by: Peach | February 24, 2009, 6:13 am 6:13 am
I thought Bush was full of it, but the only thing
that has changed in Washington, is the geometric
rise in the volume of B.S. coming out of the
Whitehouse. Only Barack Obama could throw more than
THREE QUARTERS OF A TRILLION Dollars out the window,
and then announce a Referendum on Deficit Spending.
How can I stop laughing? Saturday Night Live
couldn’t make this cr*p up. who, Obewan, is the bigger
fool: the fool, or the fools who follow him? Forget
SNL, Barack and the Obamacrats are, by far, the best
joke in America.
Posted by: Jerry | February 24, 2009, 8:21 am 8:21 am
Well, at least that’s ONE thing Claire McCaskill can do…tweet on her twitter.
Posted by: RL in Illinois | February 24, 2009, 6:59 pm 6:59 pm