Yeah, He Did
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In the midst of handwringing from our own side and the predictable attacks from the incredible shrinking right, let’s not forget what our president has actually just achieved.
Twenty-four days into his presidency, Barack Obama recorded last night a legislative achievement of the sort that few of his predecessors achieved at any point in their tenure.
In size and scope, there is almost nothing in history to rival the economic stimulus legislation that Obama shepherded through Congress in just over three weeks. And the result — produced largely without Republican participation — was remarkably similar to the terms Obama’s team outlined even before he was inaugurated: a package of tax cuts and spending totaling about $775 billion.
As Jed Bartlett said: “What’s next?”
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© 2000-2011 Oliver Willis
This stimulus bill is a joke and is not something to be proud of.
All anybody needs to do is go to:
http://stimuluswatch.org/
to see the bloat.
He’s still too diplomatic to the Republicans.
Hopefully he understands that the Republican leadership would rather the country fail than Obama succeed. It’s their only chance in 2010 and 2012. And if the Republicans don’t win in 2012, they will lose an entire generation to the Democrats.
I remember reading that is someone votes for the same party the first three times they vote, they are generally lifers.
Wait a minute! Why don’t we cut taxes? Cos that worked out really well over the last 8 years!
A side note on the breaking news…
Still obstructing: GOP dead set against 59th Dem
“Cornyn said Coleman said Coleman has raised $5 million since election day – and that even that isn’t enough.”
$5 million! The Republicans have wasted $5 million on these legal challenges!
Where was this money before the election when it could have been put to good use.
The party of fiscal responsibility strikes again!
As Jed Bartlett said: “What’s next?”
Fire Geithner and Summers; get someone like Roubini. If he does not, then the stimulus bill will be for naught, as we are well and truly f*cked..
This stimulus bill is a joke and is not something to be proud of.
Yes, we should totally listen to the people who drove us into the ditch. “I said just hit the gas. HARDER!!!!”
Or I guess the theory is: The government shouldn’t spend money on anything ever. Except when the President is a Republican. Or when its being funneled to conservative groups and private contractors. And government spending is really important. Except when Republicans fiscally mismanage the government to epic proportions.
Or some bull that you guys are pumping out this week.
You have to think like a conservative. High speed rail means the government wants to take your guns.
Jay Caruso: “This stimulus bill is a joke and is not something to be proud of.”
OW: “Yes, we should totally listen to the people who drove us into the ditch.”
Exactly.
Credibility matters, and the Republicans and their cheerleaders have none.
ZERO.
Sunlight Before Signing: Too often bills are rushed through Congress and to the president before the public has the opportunity to review them. As president, Obama will not sign any non-emergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House website for five days.
Another Obama promise broken.
“Yeah, He Did”
All anybody needs to do is go to: http://stimuluswatch.org/
to see the bloat.
Not exactly, Jay. Unless you want to name the projects you consider bloat.
What I see are a lot of local projects that create jobs and improve quality of life at a time when most states are severely strapped for cash.
Your side and poo poo dog parks (ha ha) all you want but 7 jobs kept or created in Chula Vista is 7 jobs kept or created in Chula Vista. And when the park is built, that’s a pretty nice thing for the people of Chula Vista in the long term.
Or are a cat person or something?
And then on closer inspection, what do we find? A site riddled with errors and misinformation. Check the comments on this thread:
http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/view/12396
Hmmm. So Stimuluswatch lists the project as costing $600 million (!!!!) but the actual cost is closer to $3 million or less?
Wanna tell us where the bloat is now Jay?
And this comment in the following thread is just awesome:
http://news.stimuluswatch.org/post/76941950/most-active-projects-scrutinized-in-the-press
This fucking moron can’t find what Rush Limbaugh told him he would find and he still believes it’s true. Did he ever stop to think that maybe the stimulus bill doesn’t actually give any money to ACORN, for anything? Of course, not. Rush told him it did. It has to be true.
Conservatives are a joke. Period.
Dennis says: “Sunlight Before Signing: Too often bills are rushed through Congress and to the president before the public has the opportunity to review them. As president, Obama will not sign any non-emergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House website for five days.
Another Obama promise broken.”
Could this top your ’3 is a majority of 9′ screw up?
“As president, Obama will not sign any non-emergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House website for five days.”
Or do you not consider this an emergency?
If so, how many jobs would have to be lost for this recession to be considered an emergency?
Jay says:
February 14, 2009 at 10:21 pm
This stimulus bill is a joke and is not something to be proud of.
I’ll tell what’s not a joke: outing a CIA agent for political gain.
As Kos pointed out, Obama just pushed through the biggest package of tax cuts ever in American history without the support of a single Republican in the House, and only three in the Senate.
It really is mind-boggling. Obama has eight years to turn the economy around, and that should be more than enough time. Not only is he going to (deservedly) take credit for rescuing America from the Bush Recession, but the entire Democratic party is also going to be seen as winners on this.
The only thing that can save the Republican Party now is a massive economic Great Depression II, and that simply isn’t going to happen. So on the one hand, they’re actively rooting for America to fail. On the other hand, it won’t, and they’ll be seen as the party that slowed down the economic recovery.
Truly amazing. Throw in Palin running in 2012, and we might literally see the end of the modern Republican party. And I’ll be laughing heartily the whole way.
“Truly amazing. Throw in Palin running in 2012, and we might literally see the end of the modern Republican party. And I’ll be laughing heartily the whole way.”
The Republicans could literally lose a whole generation of voters, and they think they are winning.
I agree 100%, Jaim, Strowbridge.
Say Dennis, it’s obvious that you’re a troll who’s sole intent is to cruise this site and try to crash all things Obama or Democratic and in many cases, plain facts. You get spanked every time.
The problem is that you’re so bad at it. Then again, maybe you like getting spanked (….oooh, beat me, hurt me, I’m a baaaad rethuglican!).
As Kos pointed out, Obama just pushed through the biggest package of tax cuts ever in American history without the support of a single Republican in the House, and only three in the Senate.
Except he’s not ‘cutting’ taxes but redistributing money by giving ‘tax cuts’ to many people that don’t pay any federal income taxes already and also providing benefits to “the rich” which we know Democrats hate (ie, the new house and new car tax credit).
What I see are a lot of local projects that create jobs and improve quality of life at a time when most states are severely strapped for cash.
It’s obvious from your ignorant comment that you never been involved with any kind of construction project at any level. The stimulus bill doesn’t get signed and POOF! these projects take off with thousands and thousands of jobs being created. Most projects like the ones listed take at least 6 months just to go through the planning and the obtaining of permits. That’s if any legal issues don’t crop up. In any event, you’re talking about a 6-9 month window before ground is even broken on any of these projects.
The purpose of a stimulus bill is to provide an immediate boost to the economy at a time when it is stagnant. Historically, infrastructure projects don’t do the trick and spending on such projects really doesn’t take off until after the economy has already recovered.
Jay Caruso: “Except he’s not ‘cutting’ taxes but redistributing money…”
Yeah, that might sell with the lunatic 25% crowd, but if you think the general population will buy that shit, you have another thing coming.
“It’s obvious from your ignorant comment…”
You shouldn’t call other people ignorant, because it comes across as jealousy.
“The stimulus bill doesn’t get signed and POOF! these projects take off with thousands and thousands of jobs being created.”
Actually, there are many shovel ready projects that just need the money. There are also projects that have stalled because of the lack of money.
Additionally, with the stimulus bill signed, companies are less likely to fire workers that will be needed by the end of the year, because it costs money to hire and train people and it will be cheaper to keep them for the lean months when you know work is coming.
“The purpose of a stimulus bill is to provide an immediate boost to the economy at a time when it is stagnant.”
No. The purpose is to build long-term growth.
Just artificially inflating the economy for short term gains is what got us in this mess in the first place, and it will not be what gets us out of it.
It’s obvious from your ignorant comment that you never been involved with any kind of construction project at any level….The purpose of a stimulus bill is to provide an immediate boost to the economy at a time when it is stagnant.
Jay, the length of time it takes to start a construction project was not your original complaint about the stimulus bill. You asserted that the bill was nothing to be proud of because of its obvious “bloat”. Arguing that construction projects take too long to get started is not an example of “bloat”.
In response, all I can say is that economies don’t turn on a dime either, Jay. Can you name a single thing the government can do that would “fix” the economy in a week? A month? Two months?
Given the length of time it would take for any plan to make an impact, a construction project begun in 9 months is still a construction project begun in 9 months. Do you know how the economy will be doing in 9 months, Jay?
At the same time, you’re bitching about the length of time it will take for construction projects to begin while simultaneously complaining about that part of the plan which will put money into peoples’ pockets very quickly: the tax refund portion of the plan.
Finally, I’ll note that you have nothing to say about the fact errors that are immediately evident on even a cursory browse through the stimuluswatch site you linked to.
Care to comment on the veracity of your sources? We already know the consistency of your logic is wanting.
It’s obvious from your ignorant comment that you never been involved with any kind of construction project at any level.
Oh, and you have no idea how ironic this comment is.
Except he’s not ‘cutting’ taxes but redistributing money by giving ‘tax cuts’ to many people that don’t pay any federal income taxes
However, anyone who works does pay…anyone? anyone?…correct! Payroll taxes!
What do you have against giving those taxpayers a break, Jay?
Shorter Jay: ZOMG IT WILL TAKE SIX MONTHS FOR THE STIMULUS TO KICK IN WHY NOT JUST GIVE PEOPLE MAKING OVER 250K/YEAR ANOTHER TAX CUT!!!
When Republicans lose, America wins.