With Campaign-Like Rhetoric, President Obama Assails Stimulus Plan’s Critics as Pushing ‘Old Arguments’ and ‘Worn-Out Ideas’

Hmm, in the morning he agrees with Senators in the afternoon that the bill needs to be paired down. In the afternoon he rails against critics of the bill, and in the meantime the Senate swells the bill to over 900 Billion adding over 100 Billion.
Our government if officially out of control.

jpt quotes The Puppet:
“We can’t delay and we cant return to the same worn-out ideas that got us here in the first place,”
The elite-right Trojan Horse who wants Senator Gregg for Commerce DARES to say that?? He says that and nobody throws shoes? Amazing.
When that birthday-suit thing wears off, which should be any day, people WILL throw shoes.

PBO does not need to blame anyone, but his O experience in governing. If he has 10% of the skills of our old Bill Clinton, he would need no republicans to pass the PBO stimulation with pork fats,
58-41.
Clinton passed his real economic stimulus by a vote of 51-49, without a single support from the republicans. He raised taxes and created an environment that those who paid more taxes made even more money. That is called economic stimulus.
Money giveaway is socialist pandering. PBO, for your information, the election is over. You need to think and understanding governing.

It is a little amateur to go back to campaign rhetoric trying to save his bill. It probably doesn’t even need saving. The bill will probably pass the Senate at a whopping 900 Billion even with most of America against that much spending in the Bill. That is a failure of our government. Why did people get excited about this?

Concerned in OH, where have you been? Everyone acknowledges that it is not a short term fix to “drill here drill now”. The first drop would not come out of the ground for 7-10 years. By that time, hopefully, we would be on to other sources. Get with the times…

Go Obama!!!!….that’s the change we’re talking about.
sure, keep encouraging Jake T’s agenda. He has to date not challenged one thing the republican opposition has espounded

It is no surprise that Republicans continue to play their broken record. These aren’t the brightest bulbs around. The things that they have called for are a joke.
Republicans talk and act like tax cuts have no fiscal impact. These fools are the ones who added $5 trillion to the national debt over the last 8 years, by borrowing money so that tax cuts could be enjoyed by the top 5%.
So now they want to borrow more money and give it back to the same people? And where will people put that money? A lot of it wont go anywhere productive – buying gold, investing in overseas markets and currencies, sitting in their bank accounts, etc. Nothing to create and maintain the national job base.
Which means it makes a whole lot more sense (as all lucid economists have noted ad nauseum) to spend money on infrastructure, alternative energy projects, updating the medical records system, etc, etc. that will all go to more jobs, more consumer spending (which makes up the largest part of GDP) and also put the country on a more productive foundation for future economic growth.

Once again The republicans Dont want to get in the 21ST Century, Get up with times, The world is changing, Everyone is Changing But not the Republicans still stuck in the Past GO PRESIDENT OBAMA!

I’m so tired of this guy and his cohorts telling us we have to do this “now, or else!” Sorry Mr. Obama, while you may be able to walk on water, feed the poor w/ a wave or your hand, etc., we the people still get to have our say, and have our voices heard on such huge decisions before they are made. This is a big deal, Mr. President, you don’t just do it in a matter of days, trying to ram it through …. and then make it sound like we have to agree w/ you, and if we don’t, we are practically enemies of the state! Get real Mr. President …. 46 million of us voted against you. And while you won, you still represent those of us who didn’t vote for you, and you better start listening!!

This is like watching a little league game. You want the other team to lose. And who cares who gets benched. It’s about the win, not the game. We’re tired, cold, hungry and scared as he**. We don’t care who is spewing the rhetoric. Get out of the city and take a drive through rural America and see what’s left of the middle class. You have to spend money to make money. It’s as simple as that. The deficit is so astronomical as it is, does another billion really matter, if it means help for millions of people? Isn’t a prosperous and working America more secure than one that’s falling apart? Is it really that important to “win” for the sake of winning, when so many have everything to lose?

Echoing some others here, I think people are getting tired of the “same old rhetoric” coming out of Obama’s mouth. As the poll numbers show, he has failed miserably to convince most of the American people that this bill is a good one.

KR,
You are the expert. So how much should we spend on a stimulus plan? Maybe we should spend 0 and maybe we should spend $2 trillion – it depends on what economist you talk to.
The one thing we do know is that to give more tax breaks to the richest %5 of americans did NOTHING FOR US OVER THE LAST 8 YEARS. That is why we are in this mess. Obama sent up a DETAILED plan that of course can be picked apart. Remember when Bush sent his plan to congressional leaders – 3 pages to ask for $700 billion from the Chinese (they will be buying this debt). At least this administration has a PLAN. He won – lets see what he’s got.

Are these “fiscal conservatives” forgetting just how open they were to the Dems ideas – even when W was elected by a much closer margin. Tell you what – lets see the difference in progress after BO’s first term. W’s first term progress was to totally go through the surplus built up by the Dems previously.

Have we not learned enough not to listen to a word these GOPer fools have to say?
Or are most Americans as stupid as the GOP thinks they are?
Posted by: Bud | Feb 5, 2009 2:18:28 PM
————————————
With all due respect, the policies Obama wants brought us the Jimmy Carter era. The policies we on the right want brought us the Reagan era. In the Carter era, unemployment was very high, interest rates and inflation were sky high, and everyone was depressed. By 1984, Reagan had reversed that and then some.
We on the right choose to actually pick a path that has worked in history. Obama? He wants us to go back to the Carter years …. maybe worse? No thanks!

This is not a stimulus plan, rather it is a liberal Democrat social agenda plan that uses fear mongering and threats of doom to push through their pet pork-filled projects.
Why the rush to get it done?
Because the more people learn about it the less they want it or see the need for it.

“What I also fail to understand is that development of oil fields are a great source of job creation!”
Your absolutely right. My brother worked in the oil fields in the summer back in the early 80′s during the oil boom. He was making about 3 times minimum wage while in high school. Another friend of mine worked on off shore rigs, working 2 weeks on, 1 week off making 50k a year, and it was manual labor, skills learned on the job. It was tough work, but damn good pay.
It not only creates jobs, it creates good paying jobs.

I thought the campaign was over. All the ranting, raving and rhetoric does not change what you are trying to foist on the taxpayers. Your “stimulus” plan was exposed as a politics as usual, pork-filled political payback scheme.
Where is the transparency you promised? Give people the line-by-line details. President Obama:
Perhaps it’s time you owned up to another ‘screw-up’ and start over.

“The Sky is falling! The sky is falling!
You must do what the Democrats say or the world will come to an end!” says the panicky Obama as he runs from TV camera to TV camera.
Obama is just spewing grade school silliness and talking out both sides of his mouth.

“We put up with a Bush for 8 years. He and his cohorts have brought this country to his knees.”
The Democrats — including Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Kerry et al. — were right there to enable the neo-cons. They’re there RIGHT now enabling the NEO-neo-cons whose Puppet Obama is.
Comments from another place:
“Change you can deceive in.”
“CHANGE … it’s the new SAME.”

The other side which didnt vote for him are not going to support him anyhow.
This group has to listen to what he says.
Dems did not vote for Bush either, but they listened to him for the long 8 years.
After all Republicans win in 2000 and 2004 was not a straight forward win in Florida and Ohio!

Jake- I appreciate your tough reporting. Thank you.
Gibbs seemed to not be so appreciative today, though.

In 1986, GDP was down over 6%. In the last quarter GDP was down 3.8%.
Did the Government of 1986 panic and try to put us in debt for $1 trillion?
Nope, they solved it with two words:
TAX CUTS.
In 1981, the top marginal tax ratewas 70%. When Ronald Reagan left office in 1989, the top marginal tax rate was 28%.
Recession long gone.

Human Irrelevance,
Come on now. Take pointers from our Present Commander in Chief.
He admitted he screwed up and he will take his lumps. No doubt the minority party was going to fire away regardless on how he reveives the shots.
But now the moment of truth for you and your pathetic party.
The republicans screwed up. They lost touch with the American people and were fired (started in 2006 btw).
Now admit it and take your lumps…..
Question??? If you had a contractor come in and totally screw up your house. Would you receive advice from him/her after you fired him. Let me assist you… NO not only no but heck NO.
That’s where we are now. Same old contractor who screw up the house now comes back on the scene to give recommendation on how to fix it.

Obama’s rhetoric has fooled many but it just is not going to cut it going forward. He has to start doing something except talking and giving speeches.

If we’re having this much fun with the stim bill, can’t wait for next years budget. That’s going to be fun.
“I PRODUCE JOBS, I AM SMALL BUSINESS. I WILL BE CLOSING SOON IF ANY MORE SPENDING IS CUT.”
Coming from a business family, this doesn’t make much sense. Will you be closing your least productive store if you cut spending? Or you talking about closing all of the stores?
Have you calculated how much you spend in taxes? (payroll, workers comp, corporate tax, property tax, etc)?
My father owns 3 businesses too and he paid 250,000 in taxes last quarter. Thats in a QUARTER. That’s a hard check to write.

Franklindelena
Cut spending on what???? I own 3 retail stores and let me tell you buddy people have cut spending. I PRODUCE JOBS, I AM SMALL BUSINESS. I WILL BE CLOSING SOON IF ANY MORE SPENDING IS CUT.
Let’s rely on the people that actually won to make the decisions.
I always hear how dissatified people were with Bush – Who actually voted for him? Its hard to find anyone who admits to it now. How about admitting to voting for him and give us an apology.
The debates were over election nite. Its time for the Democrats to put new policies into place.
If you want to run the country you better rebuild your party and start appealing to middle america.
Posted by: sickened | Feb 5, 2009 2:39:15 PM
————————————
First off, I’m part of middle America, just like you. Secondly, I STRONGLY support and encourage tax breaks in a big way for small businesses like yours. As for Bush, didn’t vote for him in ’00. Voted against Kerry in ’04. Sorry, I guess.
I’m for tax cuts for everyone (everyone who actually pays them that is). Big corporations like the one I work for, the one that supplied me my job. Tax breaks for small businesses, like yours, that supply most of the jobs in this country. And tax cuts for people like me – if not through my actual income, then through things that promote spending, such as on new cars, home improvements, and also things like interest on legit loans such as college, home, etc. …. and day care too.
And I don’t have to listen or fall in line w/ anyone. That’s not how America was founded!! Sorry! And if any Dems fell in line w/ Bush, then that’s their problem …. not that I noticed too many doing so for eight years.

Seems we are stuck in politics as usual. Now here is an idea–the Pork Stimulus bill is indeed more of the same. Let’s support our new president by passing a much less expensive “stimulus only” bill and let local governments decide how to spend it in their communities. The amount each community receives will be based on a percentage of their unemployment and states asking for bailouts will have to get their money form their share of the stimulus package. Advantages: States know what the need most and a good chance for communities to get involved. Once a state makes its decisions they can be reviewed by congress. In the meantime Congress can generate taxes by passing legislation that discourages government tax cheats, simplify tax laws, and investigate taxes filed by all federal employees. Before we spend trillions of taxpayer dollars, we need “transparancy” achieved through discussion and thought. President Obama was elected because the American people wanted change. In 17 days, it is still business as usual.

“Didn’t we just go for 8 years of tax cuts and out of control spending on an illegal war?”
The entire defense budget, war in Iraq and Afghanistan is 60 Billion a month out of 1 trillion in spending. The Iraq war funding is roughly 6 Billion a month.
If your electricity bill for the month was 100 bucks, you’d save 60 cents.

I will be watching “moderate” republicans like the below. “Republicans” who allow passage of bills like this better prepare for a lot of money to be sent to their competitors in their next primary elections as well as money to the general election democrat if they win the primary.
Enough RINOs and neo-cons.
“Mr. Obama personally intervened to wrangle support among Republicans, courting key centrist such as Sens. Susan Collins and Olypia J. Snowe, both of Maine. “

Hey Barry, guess what? This is NOT a campaign! We don’t need rhetoric, we need leadership. We need you to realize this piece of pork will doom us for decades.
And ABC — we need editorial leadership to stand up to Barry and TELL him so.

I love how everyone is blaming SOMEONE ELSE….When in reality it’s the individual American that insisted in living beyond their means, thinking they would ‘somehow’ never have to pay the piper.
We were ripe to be set up by Obama AND THE MEDIA….with promises that he would save your cookies, and make everything allright again….
NO ONE IS GOING TO SAVE YOU!!!!
Unless we all get really smart really soon, and start looking out for ourselves….then we deserve the screwing we’re gonna get from Obama and his compadres…
This is gonna be painful…face it!
The free ride you’re expecting from Obama is’nt going to happen.
It’s OUR fault the media got away with their shamless promotion of Obama…We did’nt stand up and say enough.
All you have to do is look at what Obama spent on his campaign to see he threw money around shamelessly…and why not? it was’nt his money…football stadiums, rock concerts, buying tv time..He bought the election…somewhere I read it cost $8.00 per vote he got.
And NOW you think he is going to suddenly spend our money conservatably…Have another glass of kool-aid….
And start taking responsibity yourselves..And face the fact this is gonna be painful for awhile.

”
“Didn’t we just go for 8 years of tax cuts and out of control spending on an illegal war?”
The entire defense budget, war in Iraq and Afghanistan is 60 Billion a month out of 1 trillion in spending. The Iraq war funding is roughly 6 Billion a month.
If your electricity bill for the month was 100 bucks, you’d save 60 cents.
”
Well its even worse than that.
If any old porky spending stimulates the economy, then havent we just had years of stimulus spending?
If the spending needs to be targeted to be helpful then people should be examining the spending in the Bill.
For instance what is the P&L on this $600M in foreign hybrids he wants to buy government employees? It sounds like for this to make economic sense you’d have to be driving 60,000 miles per year. Is that right? No one knows because it hasnt be examined.

And I refuse to let that happen. We can’t delay and we can’t go back to the same worn-out ideas that led us here in the first place. In the last few days, we’ve seen proposals arise from some in Congress that you may not have read but you’d be very familiar with because you’ve been hearing them for the last 10 years, maybe longer. They’re rooted in the idea that tax cuts alone can solve all our problems; that government doesn’t have a role to play; that half-measures and tinkering are somehow enough; that we can afford to ignore our most fundamental economic challenges — the crushing cost of health care, the inadequate state of so many of our schools, our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.
***********************************************
This passage should be referred to since it comes prior to the editorializing made on “doubling” the deficit. It’s not arguable that the plan will increase the deficit – but for each dollar spent on infrastructure, a stimulus of at least 1.90 is added to the economy. And what’s there to show for the deficits of the Bush administration and their tax cut panaceas?

I am glad that Obama has gone into “Campaign Obama”.
President Obama needs to be on OFFENSE every single day while he is president. He should NEVER allow the Republicans to try and roll over him.
Posted by: Cameron | Feb 5, 2009 3:41:12 PM
————————
The democrats are going to roll over him and spit him out! IMPEACH!

Support for Stimulus Package Falls to 37%
Two weeks ago, 45% supported the plan. Last week, 42% supported it.
Opposition has grown from 34% two weeks ago to 39% last week and 43% today.
Sixty-four percent (64%) of Democrats still support the plan. That figure is down from 74% a week ago. Just 13% of Republicans and 27% of those not affiliated with either major party agree.
Seventy-two percent (72%) of Republicans oppose the plan along with 50% of unaffiliated voters and 16% of Democrats.
Related survey data shows that half the nation’s voters say the plan that finally emerges from Congress may end up doing more harm than good.

“BertieW … The entire defense budget, war in Iraq and Afghanistan is 60 Billion a month out of 1 trillion in spending.
that is the budget for the military even if we were not at war.
”
Yes, but with all this extra GWOT spending why arent things going gangbusters?
Either- the type of spending matters
or
We arent spending enough on GWOT!e

“”Do we have the votes? We believe we do. We believe we can find two Republicans of good will” to back the plan and override a Republican filibuster, Reid said.”
Classic. He doesn’t have all the Democrats on board, but clearly focuses on Republicans as the halt. Lets wait for the vote and see.

Obama’s advisers want to be certain tax dollars sent to the faith-based social service groups are used for secular purposes, such as feeding the hungry or housing the homeless, and not for religious evangelism. The administration doesn’t want to be perceived as managing the groups yet does want transparency and accountability.
Transparency and accountability? From the Obama Administration? Like the same transparency and accountability over here?
But the Obama team also made its own mistakes. The president’s troubled cabinet nominees added to the cacophony that at times drowned out the White House economic messages in the past two weeks. And it seems more apparent each day that the nascent Obama Administration isn’t fully prepared for the task at hand.
You mean, like, you hafta have, like, experience to do the job of president-ing?
The president’s decision to push through a massive stimulus bill, while perhaps unavoidable, is forcing the much-vaunted Chicago crowd to adapt at lightning speed to its more skillful adversaries on Capitol Hill, while at the same time taking a crash course on harnessing the full power of bully pulpit.
Poor widdle babies. Tsk, Tsk. Here’s my suggestion to President Obama:
RESIGN. You made history as the first African-American president and you’re making history again by outdoing Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, hell, even Warren Harding in the incompetence department. Let your Secretary of State assume the charge you are so ill-prepared to execute.
Since what you’re really good at is talking empty platitudes from a podium and making lots of misguided people give you money, why don’t you start your own church? Hey, it worked Reverend Moon!

“The war in Iraq and Afghanistan has not cost the Military one cent over standard military cost. Inflation included.”
You have to love the ridiculous lies told by the right wing.
The Iraq & Afghanistan wars are funded by supplemental bills to the defense budget.

“The Iraq & Afghanistan wars are funded by supplemental bills to the defense budget.”
You are correct.
Iraq and Afghanistan together equal about 7 or 8 Billion a month.
But compared to total US government spending per month of 1,000 Billion.
Total perspective is everything

“But compared to total US government spending per month of 1,000 Billion.
Total perspective is everything”
This from the same person who freaked out over tobacco taxes eventually not being able to cover children’s insurance and the need to find another revenue stream.
When the original program cost $40B over ten years.

“Obamamania appears to be fading a bit in recent polls and special elections.”
ROFLMAO.
His job approval is between 62 and 65 and his favorables are in the mid 70′s.

Obama and the Washington PIGS have no clue as to the plight of the average American. They’re on a RETREAT using our money while we’re trying to survive! Lets’s take away the perks of the politicians and see how many would go to Washington. Obama comes out with a cap on CEO’s. How about a CAP on politicians! Please remember all of this in the next local and state elections.It’s time for the people to UNITE and get these PIGS out of Washington!

Sorry Republicans, the American people aren’t buying it any more. You are about thirty years behind in your idiology. Only truth, clarity, and being forthright will save you. But the question is, can you DO that?

Wow, all of a sudden people on this board, who are probably in debt to their eye balls, are calling for fiscal responsibility even though they licked the boots of an administration that doubled the deficit with tax cuts for the wealthy and an illegal war?
Go home and clip coupons. No better yet, take 50% of your monthly income and buy guns and ammo for 7 years straight!!!!!

Pork = projects that put people to work. I know what you mean when you question when Obama said he was going to use a scalpel to go thru the budget line by line, and I think he will. But people need jobs now, so we can’t worry about every little thing that the right throws in. But don’t be fooled, they call it pork because they don’t want it in the bill. Probably not benefiting them in some way. This is the same smear and confuse tactics that came from the right during the election. Just make it all too confusing so nobody can understand. Well, it will all be onine for anyone to see. And Obama will ask for our opinions 5 days before he signs or vetos a bill. HOW COOL IS THAT? Have you read this article? It explains things perty well:

“Wow, all of a sudden people on this board, who are probably in debt to their eye balls”
I am not up to by eyeballs in debt- is it ok with you if I comment?
- CBO Study says Stimulus will lower GDP over time.
- Popular Mechanics. Shovel-Ready will make the infrastructure worse. “Why Shovel-Ready Infrastructure is Wrong (Right Now)”
-And there isnt much infrastructure in the current bill. Maybe $90B.

The right is trying to whittle down the infrastructure spending, cuz they think spending is a bad word. How else to put people back to work AND fix our broken infrastructure at the same time? I’m sorry, but SPENDING is not a bad word, and PORK is used to scare you. We can’t mess around any more. The republicans can’t really say, exactly what they do want. All they want is tax cuts for all the rich folks who benefited from Bush. Are you gonna let them get away with that? Isn’t it enough that they wouldn’t confirm Holder till he promised he wouldn’t come after them for war crimes. Isn’t that extortion? And then the Iraq war, and now they want to pull this? Republicans GET OUT OF OUR BILL. IT IS THE PEOPLE’s BILL! And btw, we don’t have to work with you. No good deed goes unpunished! Pass the kool aid.

Mr President:
Stop the political posturing and pass
this non-stimulative, wasteful spending
bill of yours!
You have the votes in both houses to
pass it! Stop Whining!
Don’t expect Republicans to sign on to
this Titanic(as in disaster)bill.
You will get no cover. It’s your baby!
You sink or swim with it.

“I can’t believe we all let them get away with it.”
Um.. I think this is what we are trying to do, prevent more of the same? How can people complain about the enormous debt rung up by the previous administration then be so oblivious to one of the biggest spending bills outside the budget in our lifetime?
I think what’s ticking Obama supporters off is that the bill is stinky, the American people realize it, and that’s not a good thing coming out the gate. So just bury your head.
I don’t think so. Give us a less stinky bill and I’ll be writing Republicans to support it. But not this bill, not this much.
And I have not heard 1 single Obama supporter refute making this a 1 year bill instead of a 4 year bill? Why 800 Billion over 4 years? Why not 200 Billion this year and fight over that. He’s asking too much of the American people, and his supporters.

“The right is trying to whittle down the infrastructure spending, cuz they think spending is a bad word. How else to put people back to work AND fix our broken infrastructure at the same time? ”
So how much infrastructure spending do you think is in the bill?

Dear Human Intelligence, I haven’t read the bill but as i understand it there is not enough infrastructure spending because the Republicans whined to get it taken out. We need that infrastructure spending. Email whitehouse.gov and tell them we need to fix out outdated infrastructure. Aren’t you tired of them side streaming money for these worthy project to their pet projects.

BertieW,
The only pork I know that was approved by the majority of so called fiscal conservatives is known as IRAQ! And it cost over $2 trillion. Where were you then? Bin L. is laughing at YOU!
If you want to call it infrastructure spending in the Middle East then that’s your call.

But Bertie Bertie Bertie, you are commenting now, and you will always be allowed to comment. I think, however, that you need to look back at what your party went wrong instead of just going for the knee jerk “attack the dems no matter what” mentatlity. I saw PALENTY of consulting of Republicans going on. TOO MUCH, in my opinion. I mean WE WON.

BertieW,
Under Bush, the trade deficit doubled so don’t go there. Also, are you stating that we need another war to provide jobs?
As well, you cannot pass legislation with monikers like “Buy American” because it violates world trade agreements already in place.
The US Chamber of Commerce (not exactly a liberal enclave) says that it will spark trade retaliation.
Remember, 95% percent of the worlds’ consumers live outside the US. If we refuse to buy foreign made goods, then our trading partners will refuse to buy from us. We are the largest exporter in the world so does that make sense?

“I think, however, that you need to look back at what your party went wrong instead of just going for the knee jerk “attack the dems no matter what” mentatlity”
That’s why the “attack the dems no matter what” strategy is the only thing they have going. What else are they going to do? -List examples of all the great policies and accomplishments of the last 8 years?

Skip said “That’s why the “attack the dems no matter what” strategy is the only thing they have going. What else are they going to do? -List examples of all the great policies and accomplishments of the last 8 years?”
Thanks for chiming in with some logic! :) I whole heartedly agree.

JV and Skip are my new best friends. WE ARE NOT ALONE AND oh yes WE DID! :) LOL

Hey JV, yeah those Limannity’s can’t produce truth or fact. I’m just gonna keep asking for it, because I want to know about valid arguments, but they can’t just say it and expect us to believe it anymore. Talk about fear tactics. I also love the fact that Obama’s middle name is now a source of pride for us. Look what WE did! :) Ha!

Any estimates of how much taxes will go up to pay for this? I don’t have a government job with its associated great benefits and pension, and now my 401(k) is essentially gone, so I want to know how I’m going to afford my life after paying for everyone else’s. How much will this cost me?

“If you don’t have a copy of the stimulus bill (last House of Rep revision) on your desktop then don’t comment on it.”
Darn right. It’s only as long as the Patriot Act, so make it a substantial desk … thousands, maybe millions of trees would die for the PAPER to print it over and over as reporters sniff out earmarks and special-interest underwriting.
OO! ooo! Jughead’s about to speak at the House Dems’ stimulating zillion-dollar “retreat”. Aux teevee!

gee, it sure got quiet in here when we started demanding facts….it’s been fun. Signing off. :)

” … if Obama keeps his promises, and so far as I see, if he said it, he meant it.”
Except on lobbyists, and “change”, and all that. To the House Dems’ retreat: “thank you for giving me a reason to use Air Force One”, then he RE-does the unfunny joke about Rahm Emanuel teaching bad language to underprivileged children and LAUGHS AT HIS OWN (non-)JOKE.
It’s on news teevee now. It’s one of the weirdest exercises in empty words that I’ve ever heard (and that’s plenty).

SOUTH CAROLINA please vote Senator Graham out, move on out of the 18th century.

James Villa, I’m glad you brought that up. Why hasn’t Paulsen been trotted out in front of a congressional panel to find out WHERE THAT MONEY WENT. Now THAT was a feeding frenzy on American tax dollars, and we should DEMAND to know where that money went and WHEN it will be paid back. Hello? AUDIT!!!!!

“Why don’t you move to another country if you don’t like it?”
Which one do you suggest?

The Internal Revenue Service is trying to collect billions of dollars in unpaid taxes from nearly half a million federal employees. According to IRS records, 171,549 current federal workers did not voluntarily pay their federal income taxes in 2007. The same is true for 37,752 active duty military and nearly 200,000 retired civilian and military personnel. All for a total of $3,586,784,725 in taxes owed.
While Bush was in office, his office the Executive Office of the President, which includes the White House, had 58 employees who did not pay $319,978 in taxes for year 2007!!

Terrilyn – Hope you’re right about my federal taxes not going up, but I don’t believe it for a minute. I know my state taxes are going up — I live in Massachusetts, so there’s the Big Dig to still pay for. Did any of you catch the story in Forbes about under funded government pensions? It’s scary.

Obama is a flaming idiot with less backbone than earthworm. If this bailout passes I certainly hope it’s 100% partisan. The results will be next to worthless and this Yo-Yo will be looking for someone else to blame. What’s next? Bailing out Mexico.

Here is the report available off the CBO home page:
“Estimated Macroeconomic Effects of the Inouye-Baucus Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 1″
Essentially they are saying that after spending trillions we will end up slightly worse off. Why? If the spending is just pet project pork then there is no lasting benefit to the economy so it is a net negative. Hover Dam was a net positive for many decades. Building a dog park is not.
“Most of the budgetary effects of the Senate legislation would occur over the next few years. Even if the fiscal stimulus persisted, however, the short-run effects on output that operate by increasing demand for goods and services would eventually fade away. In the long run, the economy produces close to its potential output on average, and that potential level is determined by the stock of productive capital, the supply of labor, and productivity. Short-run stimulative policies can affect long-run output by influencing those three factors, although such effects would generally be smaller than the short-run impact of those policies on demand.
In contrast to its positive near-term macroeconomic effects, the Senate legislation would reduce output slightly in the long run, CBO estimates, as would other similar proposals. The principal channel for this effect is that the legislation would result in an increase in government debt. To the extent that people hold their wealth in the form of government bonds rather than in a form that can be used to finance private investment, the increased government debt would tend to “crowd out” private investment—thus reducing the stock of private capital and the long-term potential output of the economy.
The negative effect of crowding out could be offset somewhat by a positive long-term effect on the economy of some provsions—such as funding for infrastructure spending, education programs, and investment incentives, which might increase economic output in the long run. CBO estimated that such provisions account for roughly one-quarter of the legislation’s budgetary cost. Including the effects of both crowding out of private investment (which would reduce output in the long run) and possibly productive government investment (which could increase output), CBO estimates that by 2019 the Senate legislation would reduce GDP by 0.1 percent to 0.3 percent on net.”

Campaign style rhetoric >>>>
This is the old style politics in action. And talk about old ideas, his ideas of stimulus is going back to the Johnson/Carter administration. Those are old ideas. Where are the government cuts in spending or ways to pay for all this? Its almost a Trillion dollars without interest.

Look, the head of the RNC stated “bipartisanship is over-rated”. With their childish attitude of my way or no way how can bipartisanship be expected. Meanwhile, folks continue to lose jobs. Do folks forget it was Republicans in charge that led to the mess we’re in? So, the hell with Republicans….they are not interested in bi-partisanship. They are only interested in mindless demagoguery. That’s my opinion as an Independent voter. Pass the damn stimulus now!

Man, this guy is like some psycho girlfriend who keeps you guessing one day to the next. One day I think he “gets it,” the next he seems clueless as a teenager.
So today he talks like We the People are just itching for him to add nearly a trillion dollars to our debt when everyone knows that is not true. Most Americans are against this stimulus package because it is laden with unnecessary pork and, more importantly, we don’t think it’ll work.
I mean, what did the $700 billion from last October do for us????

I am disgusted by how Congress, mostly the Republican members of Congress, don’t get it. They LOST the election! And incredibly they continue to play the same old game that has crippled this country. Does the Republican Party really want to be responsible for causing the Great Depression of 2009, because believe me they will be! Do we need to have Hoovervilles in Central Park again, before they get it? Are they so out of touch with the American peoples’ plight that they play games and don’t expect the consequences to be felt in homes across America?
I cannot believe how some Americans continue to embrace oil as the only way! What is wrong with you folks…don’t you realize that we are funding our own demise…I say the bill doesn’t go far enough…I say let’s fund a “Project” bringing together the best minds in our country to develop energy alternatives ab alternative to oil.
I think President Obama has been extremely patient with these hacks and I applaud his tenor and his words and I say Right On PResient OBAMA!

“The president did not mention that the bill he is proposing would double that deficit.”
The deficit that Bush left us with was spent on a needless war and on making the rich even richer. The deficit that Obama will get us into will be spent on things that we will need not just to jump start our economy (by stimulating short-term demand and investment) but also to lay the foundation for the next and more sustainable period of economic growth (by investing in alternative energies, infrastructure, health care, etc.). If everything is done right and folks in DC start getting serious about doing the right thing, the next period of economic growth will generate more than enough to cover Obama’s (and hopefully also Bush’s) deficits. Bill Clinton inherited the first Bush’s huge deficit and managed to turn it into a decent surplus. I’d put more trust in a Democratic President’s ideas.

I think its ironic that there is stimulas money for Hollywood- It seems to me the Dems think its bad to be a buisness man and make money, but if you are a politician, an actor or actress, a sports star, or rap artist or in the entertainment buisness that its ok to make millions of dollars, but you cant do so if you own a buisness- DO YOU KNOW THAT PALOSIE-(How ever you spell the speakers name) is worth 60 million dollars- so why isnt she giving up some of her fortune- politicans as a whole on both sides make more money than they should- and it seems that a lot of them dont pay their taxes- ( the person over the IRS now, just overlooked the taxes he didnt pay- yea right and I am a bannana -