Don't Act Surprised

Like Alonzo said in "Training Day", this is chess not checkers.

WASHINGTON – Congress laid the foundation for President-elect Barack Obama's economic recovery plan on Thursday with remarkable speed, clearing the way for a new infusion of bailout cash for the financial industry while majority Democrats proposed spending increases and tax cuts totaling a whopping $825 billion.

Two days after Obama personally lobbied for release of $350 billion in bailout funds, the Senate narrowly turned aside a bid to block the money.

Across the Capitol, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. said, "Immediate job creation and then continuing job creation" were the twin goals of the separate stimulus legislation. It recommends tax cuts for businesses and individuals while pouring billions into areas such as health care, education, energy and highway construction.

She and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., have pledged to have the economic stimulus bill ready for Obama's signature by mid-February.

Both houses debated Obama's call to release another $350 billion from the financial bailout package, but the Senate vote was the triumph he had sought. Despite bipartisan anger over the Bush administration's handling of the program to date, Democratic allies of the incoming president prevailed on a 52-42 roll call.

The vote followed a commitment by Obama to use as much as $100 billion of the funds to help homeowners facing foreclosure proceedings.

The money will be available in less than two weeks, at a time when there is fresh evidence of shakiness among banks.

First off I hate to say I told you so but nobody should be surprised that Obama gets what Obama wants especially with the make up of Congress now. Always remember that when you hear about a Democrat criticizing or opposing some legislation that Obama favors to look and see who it is. When I saw Senator McCaskill and Senator Kerry criticizing the Tarp legislation and the stimulus bill I just knew the fix was in. They can't look like they are rubber stamping President Elect Obama's agenda but after the bluff and bluster over if you see a Democrat voting against Obama get ready for a cold day because Hell will be freezing over.