Posted on 02/05/2009 9:53:22 AM PST by lewisglad
President Obama has given Republicans a golden opportunity: Insist on splitting the legislation being debated on the Senate floor into a true short-term stimulus, which can pass quickly, and long-term policy proposals, which require serious debate.
Republicans should stop trying to improve the unimproveable with small-bore amendments to the current legislative package.
Instead, they can point out that Obama is supporting under the guise of emergency legislation a bloated catch-all of stimulus, pork policy.
They can make clear that Republicans will support a real short-term stimulus (pro-growth tax cuts, housing measures and a few targeted spending provisions unemployment and COBRA extensions) that meets Larry Summers’s criteria of being targeted, timely and temporary.
They should introduce such a measure as a substitute -- “The Emergency Economic Growth Bill of 2009” -- and trumpet their vigorous support of it.
And they should insist that all the “energy, health care and education” proposals be debated in an orderly and serious way in the regular legislative process -- not jammed through.
This strategy depends on GOP willingness to slow the process down and to challenge Obama’s arbitrary deadline.
The Republican position should be: We’ll pass on this emergency timetable a real stripped-down emergency stimulus.
But if Obama insists on legislation incorporating an alleged “strategy for America’s long-term growth,” then the country deserves hearings and debate that obviously will take some time.
And Republicans should make clear they cannot agree to limiting debate to a couple of days on such momentous long-term legislation.
In other words: If Obama wants a stimulus, Republicans will give it to him tomorrow.
It’s the president’s and the Democrats’ insistence on incorporating a huge and problematic policy agenda in this one bill that’s delaying action.
Why then, Republicans can ask, is President Obama delaying a necessary, short-term, emergency growth package?
(Excerpt) Read more at voices.washingtonpost.com ...
....... 24 hours before Daschle was humiliated once again before the entire country, Barnes confidently predicted he’d be confirmed........
Watta nitwit. We will not rest til Barnes and Kristol are ousted from Fox (tick-tock----Little Billy was thrown off ABC Sunday and the NYT-----tick-tock).
They won’t make that change any time soon, not with Hume’s departing and lil Bret trying to show he’s up to filling his shoes.
I think you have better odds waiting for them to get by lightning.
It's something to look forward to.
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