Posted on 02/10/2009 5:51:28 AM PST by Federalist Patriot
Tom Brokaw talked with Meredith Viera this morning on The Today Show, and gave his take on President Obama's first prime-time press conference, and the Obama Stimulus Bill.
Brokaw said that Karl Rove will issue a warning to Republicans in a column later this week that if the economy begins to recover later this year, they will be "on the outside looking in" having opposed the Stimulus Plan. . . . . (Watch Video)
(Excerpt) Read more at freedomslighthouse.com ...
Like the note says, if the GOP supports it, they will get no credit. So, they lose either way. However, if the economy has a weak recovery or none at all, the GOP will look very good.
Who cares what they look like? Stand on principle.
You NEVER lose when you stick to your principles!
Does Obama sound like a man who knows this stimulus will work? Heck no...he’s already making excuses about how it’ll take years for the economy to recover.
So what’s Rove’s problem? Maybe to soften the criticism toward Bernake and Paulson (and Bush) for the mess they started back in October (or was it September) by acting like a couple of hysterical doom and gloomers.
The GOP wins if there’s no economic recovery...or if we’re attacked by terrorists.
They’ve staked out some great ground for themselves there.
Rove - the creator of our current problems.
“Brokaw said that Karl Rove will issue a warning to Republicans in a column later this week that if the economy begins to recover later this year, they will be “on the outside looking in” having opposed the Stimulus Plan.”
Earth to Tom, the generation theft act will make the economy worse. Thw Democrats will have no one to blame but Obamachev! Heh..heh...
Didn’t Brokaq resign a few times?
Bingo. The 'Pubbies lost the Whitehouse and both houses of Congress precisely because they did not stick to the conservative principles that swept them into power for the first time in decades in 1994. Trouble is, there are far too many Republicans that are all too happy to be the minority party....
This bill is like a giant dose of steroids. Borrowing another trillion (on top of our $11 trillion deficit) and injecting it into the economy may grease things for some people for some while, but the long term effect will be disastrous.
Besides, Karl, if the democrats REALLY thought they were on a roll with this bill- they wouldn't be trying SO very hard to get GOP fingerprints on it.
What is it with guys like Rove?
We will always be able to point to the debt ridden detritus that Zero is going to leave.
I finally figured out what Tom Brokaws voice sounds like: it sounds like Tommy is in a protracted Valsalva Maneuver while attempting to force a bowel movement - notice that the content of what he is saying appropriately stinks, figuratively.
I thought Obama’s talk was very impressive.
As we understand it Bush doubled the deficit which was very bad and now Obama is going to triple that which, of course, is good. And, whereas Bush by doubling the deficit created the worst economy since the great depression Obama’s tripling that deficit will cause the economy to greatly improve.
And now Karl Rove, who was clueless about the economy under Bush has grown into an economic sage and believes that indeed with the deficit being tripled beyond what it went to under Bush the economy is likely to recover from a national version of Ci-cago style patronage.
Do we have this right?
i dont believe a word of this cuz rove has been against this porkolus from the get go
No, they’re not.
This idiotic plan should be opposed on principle alone.
Snowe, Collins and Specter should’ve been tarred, feathered, and run out of town on a rail long ago.
If the economy recovers or not the GOP is much better in the long run if it stands on fiscal discipline and balanced budgets (including, IMO, easing the obsession with tax cuts).
Rove’s political expediency gave us “compassionate conservatism,” and the Medicare RX bill, No Child Left Behind, ballooning deficits, etc. and it’s why politically the GOP is in the state it is today.
It's all politics all the time -- principles be damned.
First, the economy is not going to recover any time soon and Rove's apparent lack of understanding of what is apparent to anyone who has paid attention to economics and finances is a testament to the fact that he is nothing more than a political honk.
I doubt that Rove will say that Republicans should have voted for the porkulus. More likely, he will state the obvious: that if the economy starts to recover by itself, the MSM and those who are disgusted with the Bush years will give the credit to Obama.
In the Video, Brokaw also highlights Obama’s repitition of the “accountability” theme. I don’t see how Geitner could do much worse than Paulson with the TARP money, so that is another opportunity for Obama to gain prestige, at least in the short term.
It doesn’t matter what the Dems do, the media is going to tell the public how much better off they are.
IMO, ANYTHING the Dems do will be regarded as miraculous and stupendously successful.
So might as well stand on principle instead of sell outs with 30 tainted peices of silver.
I don’t really care what Rove has to say at this point...but Brokaw sure seems like an odd mouthpiece.
I think you’ve pegged it.
What was bad is now good; what was good in now bad or better. Depending, of course.
Everytime doughboy is on TV I turn him off. I can’t stand this creep. I think he was the one that gave GWB the bad advice on illegals and the spending. He can go fly a kite.
Yeah, that’s right, except Obama forgets to mentioned Bush doubled the deficit over 8 years, and Obama wants to triple it within his first 3 weeks in office.
He may be right. The real economic damage (inflation?) may not be apparent for a year or two or more, not to mention the power-grabbing details tucked into it.
But that doesn’t mean Republican should jump on board. Stand on principles. Perhaps some of the long-term damage will be visible by the time the 2010 elections roll around. Even if not, even if by then the power grab is complete and we have lost most, if not all, of our liberty, what is to be gained by signing on to demagogued evil? It will only increase Dim contempt for the Publies and confirm them in the belief that demagoguery wins every time.
Our real problem is that the people are now ripe for demagoguing. It’s been building for decades. The fight has to be on the level of getting through to people so that they wake up to the fact that they are being demagogued.
Rove’s too much into finessing in order to win. That’s what got us into this mess.
Its like what Rush has Flat out told us........its not that bad, Carter Admin -6.8% last year was a heck of alot worse econ. that this.......
Our GOP Congress people need to add this into why they are not supporting the Porkulus........its not that bad as compared to Jimmy Carter yrs....this bill is a huge overreaction...simply a power grab.....
Recessions are a natural phenom.....you only get depressions when govt & Treas overreact to try and prevent a recession....Whiskey & Gunpowder..
It could very well rebound......its not that bad vrs Jimmy Carter yrs @ -6.8% GNP
and really what credit can be given to the Pork-bill..only a small portion of it is to be even spent in 09’...it just is a coincidence that the vast majority of spending is to be done in 2010-—an election yr....
even the dem’s are telling us....the economy isnt that bad and this is just a power grab........
be like the Last Mohican-—read the trail....read between the lines.
That puts us in the position of the Democrats: good economy - bad.
Hopefully, the Republicans have enough morals that they won’t actively work to sabotage the economy - unlike the Democrats who spent the last decade doing doing so.
Our biggest problem.........is the crackup of the world FDR started contruction of.....piled on by LBJ, accelerated by Jimmy Carter & Clinton w/ Fannie Mae.......
Federal Mandated, unreveiwable spending up 700%....vrs annual budget spending of 204%......
and this bill isnt even going to address the 700% problem—just gonna add to it w/ Natl Health care
Rove holds some responsbility for the predicament we are in now. Remember his plan to out democrat the democrats and win a permanent majority forever? Well, here we are in the minority, out in the wilderness, and holding the massive bill for all the spending.
I agree with and many other commenters here that the GOP should stand on principle whether it is politically positive or not. The stimulus plan is wrong for America. But Rove may be right that it will end up costing the GOP votes if the economy improves in the next year and Obama gets all the credit. That’s a chance the GOP has to take.
This gives us some insight into why W was such a horrible president.
You got it-the bought and paid for media will uphold whatever the Kenyan usurper does, it doesn’t matter. They are already shilling for him with the “bipartisan” talking point-they know that the majority of Republican congressmen who vote against this crime are anxious (as they well should be) that the Republican party not be smeared with this shame, and that they stand apart from any blame for the fall-out. All it would’ve taken would’ve one R vote, much less three or four, for the ‘rats to have spurious “cover” for the responsibility for it. Laughing up their sleeves all the while, knowing darn well that it’s not bipartisan, and that in any other event would never be labeled as such. This is what really makes me mad. The Republicans in Congress are for once standing on principle, and because of a whored-out media, will not even get credit for that much.
How will most Americans, the ones who hear a soundbite or two from the evening news and consider themselves informed, ever really know the truth about the economy and what caused what? The whore media will spin this whichever way shine’s Hussein’s azz.
If Rove is for this package then we will know who led Bush astray.
You may not lose you principles...but you can lose elections...take for example the impeachment of Clinton (I don’t like Clinton so this in no way defends him), it was unpopular with the country...the GOP House knew the Senate would vote to acquit, but impeached anyway...the next election, the House lost GOP seats. You have to consider getting elected at some point (this may not be it-don’t know), or despite all your principles...the other guy wins.
Glad NYPD and NYFD don’t think like you do...or else they’d never stick their necks out and put themselves at risk to do what is right.
What good does it do to have a wobbly RINO in place if they will cave with a bit of pressure?
IMO, your explanation is exactly what is wrong with the GOP...duck to tough stuff to posture yourself for the next election, keep your seat no matter what.
GM cutting 10,000 more Salaries ...very good jobs-whole bunch of job cuts in other companies as well. The real unemployment is about 15%. if this continues, we will enter depression levels of unemployment this years. It is that bad. I hope Rush doesn’t say that it is not...haven’t listened for a while since I can’t get AM in the house. I sincerely hope the stimulus works...don’t see how it will, but I won’t hope for ill on this country.
Well, we have rid ourselves of RINO’S in New England, New York,California,Oregon, Washington State, Mid West(Voinivich’s is retiring so will probably lose another),some in the West, North Carolina (Dole) and Virginia (Warner). We are well on our way to becoming a regional party-mostly in the South. Are we better off? RINO’s are elected in areas where true conservatives that I like won’t win-bottom line. Thus, it’s better to have someone who votes with you 75% of the time than against you 100% of the time as Reagan noted during a time of GOP dominance.
The economy is going to get far, far, far worse than it is now before it gets better.
The Fed nearly doubled the money supply in December, 2008.

This is unprecedented.
The world as we know it has come to an end.
A Brave New World will begin shortly.
Lock and load.
Do we have this right?
Sounds good to me. I'd also add that Obama himself helped Bush double the deficit by voting for lots of spending while he was Senator.
I'm no Karl Rove but I figured that out. Better bet is this ain't gonna work and whoever is behind it is going down like the Titanic. Just wait till the public finds out this is not the last time they have to dig into their pockets. Gird your loins people.
Obamunism is actually telling the truth on this particular issue. In my life, I never thought the GOP would become unabashed Rats. I knew Rats would become communists (er ah - "Progressives").
Geitner and Paulson are one in the same. They co-managed TARP.
Up is down...the GOP betting against their country just like the libs on Dem underground. I’m not convinced that the GOP really is trying to kill the stimulus. Let some Senators vote against it (safe senators). Everyone else waxes eloquent about how bad this plan is...if they could not kill it, they should have made it a better plan. Even Pres. Bush believed in stimulus plans-surely something could have been done...ah who knows?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.