Posted on 01/29/2009 4:09:23 AM PST by Schnucki
President Barack Obama got the $825 (or $1.2 trillion over a decade) stimulus package through the House of Representatives but the 244 to 188 vote is a hollow victory indeed. Without a single Republican voting for the bill, his high-profile visit to Capitol Hill on Tuesday came to exactly naught - at least on the House side.
Obama vowed to change Washington and usher in a new post-partisan era. The the mood music and optics were pitch perfect as he trekked up to the Hill. Republicans praised his gesture, welcomed his sincere demeanour and appreciated his willingness to listen.
Problem was, he wanted only to listen and did not want to act on what Republicans said. When he was asked if he would re-structure the package to include more tax cuts, he reportedly responded: "Feel free to whack me over the head because I probably will not compromise on that part."
He apparently added: " I understand that and I will watch you on Fox News and feel bad about myself."
That's fine. No doubt Obama will indeed get beaten up on Fox News. But his failure to get even the squishiest moderate Republican - including the 11 entertained in the White House by Rahm Emanuel last night - to back him is not merely a big score for Rep Eric Cantor, Republican Whip, and the rest of the GOP leadership.
It also shows that it is not just Fox, the loony Right or Rush Limbaugh - or however else you might want to characterise the opposition in order to marginalise it - who had grave misgivings about the content of the bill.
The Democratic leadership on Capitol Hill badly miscalculated by treating the bill as a victor's charter. Not that it seemed to bother Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.telegraph.co.uk ...
Republicans are better as the minority than they have been as the majority.
I read some parts of the plan, don't recall exactly which part, has the old Clinton trap in it. "We'll give you this $7B if in turn you let the Fed usurp the powers of you state government." We are also seeing reports from DC where they are taking to Fed money and then moving existing budget money to cover short falls in other areas.
This is all just one big down payment on the 2012 Presidential race. $900B flushed down the toilet of special interest projects.
Hats off to Cantor, et al for getting unanimity in the GOP ranks on this one.
That and the probably 1000s of returned pledge cards with the note attached "not a penny more until you guys can actually oppose these communists".
“When he was asked if he would re-structure the package to include more tax cuts, he reportedly responded: “Feel free to whack me over the head because I probably will not compromise on that part.”
Ha-ha, Zero. Let the whacking begin.
I would like to know why no reporter asked him why he wouldn’t allow tax cuts when his major promise to the people was that nobody earning over $250,000 would pay taxes. Whack him over the head? How about Whacking him over the head with his own words?
“Obama said yesterday he did not feel he had ownership of the bill.”
Thats how the donks will play it. Even with every Republican voting against it, they will refuse to take ownership of it.
What gonads?
They knew that it would pass with, or without, their votes.
All they did was cover their butts.
If it does well they can say, "See, we were part of the Congress that passed that."
How many people do you think will look to see how they voted?
If it craps out, which it surely will, they can say, "See, I voted against this measure."
All they did was cover their butts.
I’d go no further than to grant them “vestigial” gonads. We need to see this kind of resolve 24/7.
Hopefully to be followed up with a swift kick in the groin.
“All they did was cover their butts.”
True
At least they hung together for a one time cause.
Gag me.
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