Republicans Block Stimulus Bill

AP via SFGate ^ | 2/6/8 | JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS and ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writers

[SmithL]

WASHINGTON, (AP) -- Senate Republicans blocked a move by Democrats on Wednesday to add more than $40 billion in checks for the elderly, disabled veterans and the unemployed to a bill to stimulate the economy.

The 48-41 vote fell just short of the 60 required to break a GOP filibuster and bring the Senate version of the stimulus bill closer to a final vote.

[zebrahead]

48-41 is falling “just short”?

Good for McConnell. Keep fighting.

[Pyro7480]

Drive-by bias from AP

[Bubba_Leroy]

Republicans Block Stimulus Bill

No, Republicans Block DemocRat Pork Tacked On To Stimulus Bill

Now maybe the democRats will try again without the additional pork.

[ex-snook]

"Senate Republicans blocked a move by Democrats on Wednesday to add more than $40 billion in checks for the elderly, disabled veterans and the unemployed to a bill to stimulate the economy."

The GOP has already pissed off the young. Now the elderly and their children who are supporting them. Another addition to the GOP's 101 ways to lose elections.

[Bubba_Leroy]

48-41 is falling “just short”?

Sure. It's called Mainstream Media Math (MSMM).

[RKV]

So we should buy votes, is that what you want?

[kittymyrib]

“Another addition to the GOP’s 101 ways to lose elections.”

Democrats buy elections with the taxpayer’s money. Republicans don’t. You are obviously posting in the wrong place since Free Republic is a conservative site.

[PeterPrinciple]

So you support spending 40 billions dollars to stop a recession that doesn’t exist?

[PeterPrinciple]

So you support spending 40 billions dollars to stop a recession that doesn’t exist?

[Perdogg]

48-41. It fell short by a good 25%.

[coffee260]

That was my thoughts when I first read that.

[7thOF7th]

Good for them! These Dems are a bunch of self serving leaches who could care less about the Country. 40 Billion dollars of money that has already been sucked from our portfolios due to their ineptness is an insult. I say throw every one of the bums out!

[rednesss]

That was my first take on that as well, 57,58... that’s falling “just short” of 60, 12 votes away, WTF?????

[EBH]

58-41 vote fell just short of the 60 required

Pork the other form of wealth re-distribution!

[umgud]

Republicans Block Stimulus Bill

Oh, those coldhearted bustards.

[avacado]

Just cut the federal income tax rates again and make them permanent! We don't need no stinkin' McDonald's Happy Meal Grab Bag!

[VRWCmember]

The 48-41 vote fell just short of the 60 required to break a GOP filibuster

Just short? Yeah, just short by a full 20%.

[AppyPappy]

add more than $40 billion in checks for the elderly, disabled veterans and the unemployed to a bill to stimulate the economy.

I.E. people who don't pay taxes.

[Petronski]

48 is "just short" of 60?

[steve-b]

I’m sure it’s just a random error that caused them to write a headline creating the misimpression that Republicans are preventing people from getting their checks in the mail....

[stockstrader]

This entire "WEALTH TRANSFER SCHEME"--to give money from the most productive in our society to the least productive is outrageous!!! Socialists everywhere have never been happier about our government sponsoring an outrage like this.

Where is John Galt when we need him?

[Laverne]

I thought the vote was 58 to 41; close but no cigar.

[Free Vulcan]

That’s a posting typo, it should be 58-41, per the article. It was actually 59 but Reid voted it down to be able to bring it up again.

Good on the GOP for blocking the pork smorgasbord in the bill.

[aft_lizard]

Sheesh the dems should have added starving children and minorities to make it into the perfect commercial.

[Petronski]

The point of such a stimulus package is to prevent an imminent recession from developing.

[boomop1]

I guess I won’t be stimulating.

[theBuckwheat]

It would be just as “stimulating” if all Americans would just get a $300 cash advance on their credit card. In the end we will be worse off for two reasons: rebate checks tend to be spend on less productive assets as money deliberately saved and we have the interest burden that Congress and the President have no intention of paying off directly. No, their only recourse will be to trust that slow and steady inflation will nullify the debt in time.

This is nothing less than self stimulus, which never really satisfies. The only way to really stimulate the economy would be for government to make a significant (say 5%) drop in the amount it spends and the amount it sucks from the economy to pay for that spending.

The elephant in the room here is the simple truth: on balance government never spends money as productively as do the people who pay the taxes. People rarely go to Wal-Mart and pay more than than they think anything is worth. Government, on the other hand, happily pays $500 for $25 hammers. Government fights tooth and nail to fund $250 million bridges to nowhere and $1/2million solar powered outhouses that few hikers will ever use.

[VRWCmember]

The article at the link says 58-41 rather than 48-41. So apparently it was a typo and has been corrected at the link.

Senate Republicans blocked a move by Democrats on Wednesday to add more than $40 billion in checks for the elderly, disabled veterans and the unemployed to a bill to stimulate the economy.

The 58-41 vote fell just short of the 60 required to break a GOP filibuster and bring the Senate version of the stimulus bill closer to a final vote. The Senate measure was backed by Democrats and a handful of Republicans but was strongly opposed by GOP leaders and President Bush, who objected to the costly add-ons.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Drive-Bias! I love it!

[Petronski]

Thanks.

My crAP art still applies, though.

[maine-iac7]

Where is John Galt when we need him?

Making sure that visually deceptive screen over Galt's Gulch stays operative

[VRWCmember]

This is nothing less than self stimulus, which never really satisfies.

But sometimes you have to settle for what you can get. Oh wait, you're still talking about the economy aren't you. Nevermind.

[stockstrader]

I hope he shows up at my doorstep,,,,,this latest “WEALTH TRANSFER SCHEME” is enough to recruit me!

[oblomov]

>>Where is John Galt when we need him?

Didn’t you hear? Back in ‘99 the BATF raided his house, killing him and his family. Something about violating the Alien and Sedition Act and the Stamp Act.

[Bahbah]

I thought the vote was 58 to 41; close but no cigar.

Nope, the "ayes" maxed at 48. They never came close. Couldn't even get all of their own and had to have some of ours (like Snowe) cross over.

[bluedressman]

I’ve been wondering, since Bill Gates no longer draws a salary and all his money is in DRIPs, if he’ll get the $1200, while I who make 151,000 in NY will get nothing, while someone in Arkansas who makes 149,000 will get $1200.

seems fair.

[Graybeard58]

So you support spending 40 billions dollars to stop a recession that doesn’t exist?

The $40 billion you mention is the senate add on. The total package would be $205 billion. I oppose the whole damn mess as long as it includes anyone who doesn't pay taxes and excludes people who make "too much".

[PeterPrinciple]

The point of such a stimulus package is to prevent an imminent recession from developing.

---

So, you think this will solve the “problem”? Or does it put off the problem until it is really big instead of allowing for a correction now?

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

48-41 is falling “just short”?

I can never get past the first or second line of any AP article without tripping over something completely idiotic like this.

[Petronski]

So, you think this will solve the “problem”? Or does it put off the problem until it is really big instead of allowing for a correction now?

I think it COULD help soften or avoid a recession. I don't put much stock in these theories that need a certain amount of correction that, if delayed, will make the correction worse. That smacks of "prudent bear" sales spiel and/or goldbuggery.

[stockstrader]

You obviously have NOT been paying your 'fair share'!!

This 'WEALTH DISTRIBUTION SCHEME' will attempt to correct that.

But not to worry,,,,

to make up for the budget shortfall resulting from this wealth transfer scheme---

YOUR TAXES WILL HAVE TO BE RAISED IN THE NEAR FUTURE!

[freedom4me]

So, now our senators have found 40 billion dollars they want to send “back” to us. Doesn’t this mean they’re taking too much of our money in the first place? And the idiots in the Senate don’t want to renew the Bush tax cuts. Idiots.

[nygoose]

Let’s spend some more money to buy votes.

[RightWhale]

The Senate was going to be a problem in this, and they are. And it’s the Ds who are the problem.

[Trteamer]

Since the illegals will also get rebate checks, this is a stimulus package for Mexico!

[JustaDumbBlonde]

"The GOP has already pissed off the young. Now the elderly and their children who are supporting them. Another addition to the GOP's 101 ways to lose elections."

THAT right there is a fine example of the thinking that is driving the republican party over to the left side these days and getting us liberal candidates to choose from. Thanks.

[ladyinred]

The dems would like nothing more than for the economy to fall even more. It helps them win elections with their lies about it and how they will fix it.

[reaganator]

Why won’t increasing unemployment benefits (26-39 weeks) increase unemployment?

[antiRepublicrat]

on balance government never spends money as productively as do the people who pay the taxes.

You buy for yourself using your own money: consider quality and price.

You buy for someone else using your own money: don't consider quality, best price.

You buy for yourself using someone else's money: consider quality, but not price.

You buy for someone else using someone else's money: don't consider quality or price

The last one describes government.