Monday, February 2, 2009

Calling Jimmy


Think the Senate Republicans might filibuster the stimulus bill? A part of me hopes they do; assuming, were it so, that the Democrats would have the guts to make them actually do the thing. Bring in the cots, the Jimmy Stewart impressions, and carry on day and night, round the clock. Let them read the phone book. Let the data roll daily, about layoffs, economy shrinkage, let the President fire up a little of his patented rhetoric and call them out.

I can only assume the reason the dangerously daunted Dems have let bill after bill fail over the mere threat of filibuster is that they figure sooner or later they'll be in the minority again and would have to go to the mattresses themselves.

Pussies.

Because this is real. This is fly or fail for the economy. If they can't find a way far enough to the middle, and if the Republicans won't go past -- or, as it turns out, anywhere near -- the middle (given the recent failures of everything of which they're demanding more), then let it rip. See who the voters side with, those who put forth a bill or those who reject it.

Fair is fair. Elections have consequences. Country first. That sort of thing.

[As to fixing the stimulus package: Here's an opinion piece by a conservative (but Harvard!) economist that makes a lot of sense to me, especially his comments about what sort of tax breaks might actually work. He seems more enamored of defense spending than I am, but much of it rings true. I wonder if our esteemed Senators read it.]

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7 comments:

  1. Filibuster??? Oh like the DEMOCRATS did with the CIVIL RIGHTS Bill?? Who was that DEMOCRAT Senator again?? the one who was in the KLAN?? Oh I'm sure he was kicked out of the Party Eons ago, probably even been dead, burried, and in hell for a good 10 years...

    Jeez Sid, you've really got me worried about the Alzheimers thing now...

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  2. Yeah, I'm worried too, since I can't see how you think your comment is relevant to what I said. It's almost as if that's always true. It must be me.

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  3. That stim bill was a joke, no? Out of 800 billion buckaroos, less than 100 set aside for infrastructure. It's terrible and embarassing. And indefensible. Which goes to show that you can't trust what happens on capitol hill, no matter who's in charge. Even Obama was begging Pelosi to remove the contraception pork from package.

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  4. My problem is that I doubt if most congressfolk and senators have actually READ the 647 page "Stimulus Plan". I can assure you the "yea" vote from Ted Kennedy will come blindly as will many from the other duffers of both parties. Pathetic but true.
    Then my second problem is "Who Wrote this Thing?" You can bet Sen. Dodd and Arlen Spector didn't burn midnight oil. Do you think some recent 22 year old college kids "serving" these senators got together over pizza? Most assuredly if you have ever been a senator's intern.
    Finally, nobody really seems to know what is in it..you can get blurbs of "aid to Dakota turkey breeders" and "inner city family planning clinics" and "widespread tests for STDs" but what "puts people to work" and "creates jobs".
    Lastly, they want us to "start spending again" and lament that the $500 which some folks got last year was "saved" and used to pay down bills and not spent! It seemed to me that unfettered spending is what got us here...
    I'll put money down...6 months to 1 year from now they will be back for another 500 billion. And every increase in the national debt makes your $Dollar bill worth that much less in coming years.
    Let's take a deep breath...look this thing over. Debate it, tell us what's in it. We can make it while you take a few weeks to fix it right.

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  5. Hey, Buck, nice to hear from you. I agree, and it's really disappointing and infuriating. The Dems simply can't contain themselves: larded it up with all sorts of pet projects. I hope the Senate can clean it up. But it's frustrating that it got off so poorly, and one can only wonder why Obama's team wasn't more involved; or, if they were, why they let it get out of hand.

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  6. Dr B: can't really disagree. Although I actually saw a copy of the Senate bill, which is a mere 400+ pages, and each page is so minimally encumbered that it's really less than 200, I'd guess. You can see it here, if you can stand it.

    As to the House bill, which was 600+ pages, it was written pretty much entirely by Congressman David Obey, chair of Appropriations.

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  7. Democrats Adding Pork??!! I'm Shocked! Shocked! Hey, is that Senator Byrd, (D)West Virginia, in that old photo?? You Know, the DEMOCRAT Senator who filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1964, who was a Grand Klaxon in the Klan,
    "That" one.

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