Now the centrists have shaved off $86 billion in spending — much of it among the most effective and most needed parts of the plan. In particular, aid to state governments, which are in desperate straits, is both fast — because it prevents spending cuts rather than having to start up new projects — and effective, because it would in fact be spent; plus state and local governments are cutting back on essentials, so the social value of this spending would be high. But in the name of mighty centrism, $40 billion of that aid has been cut out.
My first cut says that the changes to the Senate bill will ensure that we have at least 600,000 fewer Americans employed over the next two years.
600,000 jobs for three measly votes. Welp when the economy doesn't turn around in two years I guess all those "centrists" like Harry Reid who allowed the Blue Dogs and WingNuts to hijack the bill instead of forcing a filabuster and that are up for reelection will see just how much appreciation the voters show for their "bi-partisanship" won't they?
Update: I had my own objections to Tom Daschle being the head of HHS but its hard to argue with Cenk here when he says that allowing him to go down in flames over his taxes was showing some form of weakness. And thats the same weakness we are seeing with this stimulus bill. And also just like he said if the Republicans were in a similiar situation they would tell Harry Reid to blow it out his ass and have at it if he wanted to filibuster a bill whose expressed purpose is to save our economy. At some point we are going to need to see the Majority Leader ACTUALLY LEAD!
Just forward to 3:29
The Nancy Kilifer bit about how the Republicans would have handled it was both hilarious and true.
(h/t Benen)
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I COULD NOT AGREE MORE. I hope the weaksauce Reid, Pelosi and their ilk find out the price of trying to be friends. If you're gonna be friends, why not be friends with the majority of people who PUT YOU THERE.
ReplyDeletePresident Bush and the R's didn't blink for 6 YEARS! 6 whole years, you were either with them or trucked over. Now Reid and Pelosi and their ilk want to cowtow to these guys in the sake of some faux bi-partisanship.
This is an opportunity. Take it. If you fail then you're out anyways so why not FAIL YOUR WAY. You're gonna fail and do it on someone elses terms. If you succeed then you are the majority for at least another 2 cycles.
And this BS about republican's opposing Bush is just that. You can't support someone for 98% of the time and then when they dive point to the 2% divergence as opposition.
This change, peace, friendliness meme has GONE WAY TOO FAR. More Barney Frank's and fewer Harry Reid's are needed.
I'm venting and rambling I know, but how IN THE WORLD do competitors in the majority with the wind (the NATION and GLOBE) at their back get sonned by a crusty old minority time and again. This is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. The american people (especiallyt hose facing layoffs) don't care if 60 or 80 people vote for a bill. They do care if it passes and helps them. This cowtowing is ridiculous.
The R's would have put the bill on the floor, dared the D's to fillibuster and then if they did, they would have painted them as obstructionist, let another week of 50k layoffs go by and then let the American sentiment naturally grow against the obstructionist. I swear the D's strategic incompetence is mindboggling.
k1
ryanculver.blogspot.com
The R's would have put the bill on the floor, dared the D's to fillibuster and then if they did, they would have painted them as obstructionist, let another week of 50k layoffs go by and then let the American sentiment naturally grow against the obstructionist. I swear the D's strategic incompetence is mindboggling.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with this whole heartedly. Cenk Uygur of the young turks has a clip where he talks about how the Republicans would have handled some nominees that had tax problems and although I don't condone what Daschle and Geitner did, he is absolutely right that Republicans wouldn't have allowed that to derail a nominee at all. I think I am going to post that clip because it shows the difference between how Republicans know how to go for the jugular and take no prisoners while Democrats are always worried about being "bi partisan" to the point where instead they give the keys to the car over to the Republicans.