Jay Bookman

By AJC/DNC Management

February 11, 2009 4:09 PM | Link to this

{{{{Senator Susan Collins of Maine, a centrist Republican}}}}

Ahahahahahahahahaha, oww!

You mean RINO, right?

By AJC/DNC Management

February 11, 2009 4:12 PM | Link to this

{{{{By DB, Gwinnettian February 11, 2009 2:22 PM Robert “Third” Reich’s remarks…” Just in case anyone was unaware, Robert Reich is, indeed, of Jewish heritage.}}}}

It’s funny but there was a blog not too long ago that accused Jews of being racist towards Palestinians, perhaps you should pay attention, Deadbeat.

By getalife

February 11, 2009 4:13 PM | Link to this

Thanks to the three mavericks.

By TN Gelding

February 11, 2009 4:29 PM | Link to this

We’ve been stimulating the local economy since Christmas 2007.

I invite my fellow retirees to join us.

Good news on how quickly the deal was reached. I was afraid it would drag on until late Friday.

By gttim

February 11, 2009 4:29 PM | Link to this

It just amazes me that the GOP forced them to cut school construction funds. That would have employed workers right away, given our children better and more schools, and left behind valuable infrastructure. Anybody who says the GOP is for family values is full of it!

The GOP: Party of Wealthy Greedy A$$^%&#s!

By AJC/DNC Management

February 11, 2009 4:30 PM | Link to this

{{{{First, the new president deferred almost entirely to the Democratic congressional leadership on the initial shape of the stimulus package — which, in turn, was shaped by pent-up Democratic spending appetites instead of an explainable economic theory.-Washington Post}}}}

{{{{As you might expect, a bill that was supposed to come in at a comparatively svelte $300 billion has ballooned to an impressive girth, thanks to Democrats stuffing it with pet projects of dubious virtue. Now this porker has swollen to 800 pages. There is no logic to this. There is no sense to this.-See B.S.}}}}

{{{{However, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was conspicuously absent from the news conference in which members of the Senate announced the agreement, and it was not clear whether she stayed away out of unhappiness or a scheduling conflict.-PMSNBC}}}}

{{{{Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., one of the negotiators, earlier announced agreement to hold the bill to $789 billion, tens of billions below the cost of both the House and Senate bills that had cleared in recent days, and that 35 percent of the total would be in the form of tax cuts.-AP}}}}

Victory for baraKKK, eh?

By Mrs. Godzilla

February 11, 2009 4:32 PM | Link to this

I’ happy….but it really should have had fewer tax cuts.

By Redneck Convert

February 11, 2009 4:40 PM | Link to this

Bunch of libruls running the economy down the toilet with all kind of pork and putting us deep in debt. This country’s sliding right into the john.

Anybody know when I can expect my check?

By RW-(the original)

February 11, 2009 4:41 PM | Link to this

Color me skeptical when Harry Reid announces that all is done with no representation from the House tagging along.

By CommunistAJC

February 11, 2009 5:02 PM | Link to this

Welcome to socialism, comrades!

By caz1158

February 11, 2009 5:05 PM | Link to this

Pedagogue-I know I don’t totally agree with you,but it was a interesting read.

By rcs

February 11, 2009 5:06 PM | Link to this

{{{The GOP: Party of Wealthy Greedy A$$^%&#s! }}}

gttim,

You’re condemning the entire republican party for the actions of 3? pretty narrow minded observation.

I’m thankful for the 216 who voted against it.

By AJC/DNC Management

February 11, 2009 5:08 PM | Link to this

A year from now, when the economy is swirling down the toilet bowl, let’s all look back fondly and remember that-

{{{{Republicans Shut Out of Conference…}}}}

{{{{Republicans Are Irrelevant - Markos Moulitsas, The Hill}}}}

Yes, we are.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

By caz1158

February 11, 2009 5:10 PM | Link to this

When does the part of minimzing the size of Government take place??????Oh Yeah,that’s right-When He*L freezes Over!!!

By fed up

February 11, 2009 5:34 PM | Link to this

The true mavericks are the members of Congress that voted “no”. Hello socialism, good by to the republic.

By getalife

February 11, 2009 5:39 PM | Link to this

“The president of the peanut company linked to a nationwide salmonella outbreak serves on an industry advisory board that helps the U.S. Department of Agriculture set quality standards for peanuts.

Stewart Parnell, president of Peanut Corp. of America, based in Lynchburg, Va., was first appointed to the USDA’s Peanut Standards Board in July 2005 and was reappointed in October for a second term that runs until June 2011, according to the USDA.

Conservative governance in action, folks.”

A gop rep had a jar of peanut products from his factory and asked the CEO if he would eat some.

He pleaded the fifth.

He killed eight people so far.

By fred

February 11, 2009 5:48 PM | Link to this

gttim - Constructing schools “would have employed workers right away” You’re kidding, right? The only people that would be working on that in the next two years are bureaucrats. How is strapping our kids with a trillion dollars worth of government debt supporting “family values” Republicans may be greedy in your estimation but we are not stupid.

By getalife

February 11, 2009 5:53 PM | Link to this

Going to be a long eight years for our friends on the right.

You lost, deal with it.

By CommunistAJC

February 11, 2009 6:04 PM | Link to this

getalife, not as long as the unemployment line you’re going to be standing in,, comrade.

By Paul

February 11, 2009 6:07 PM | Link to this

The Irony Continues. The President announces his targets for the stimulus package. The House blows past it. The Senate porks down even more.

It takes three Republicans to get the numbers back to the territory the President originally staked out.

Irony.

gttim

Do you have a source that the three Republicans, who weren’t even part of the Conference, “forced” specific program reductions - rather than holding out for a total amount?

Jay

I’ve seen this copied from one ‘news’ report to another:

[[the agreed-upon package will pare back Democrats’ proposed spending on education and health programs in favor of tax cuts that were needed to win Republican votes in the Senate.]]

I’m really, really, really interested to have a reporter provide a source that:

• states those two areas (education and health) were targeted by Republicans

• states that since those cuts were made, any other Republicans are committed to vote for it

It strikes me as another not-too-subtle bit of bias - Democrats ‘had’ to gut health and education in favor of tax cuts so ‘Senate Republicans’ would vote for it.

Which Senate Republicans? The Three? They had sooooo much power they could dictate the specific cuts, not just say “get the overall down to this level and we’ll vote for it”?

Oh, and just what tax cuts were added? Or is the assertion that since more spending than tax cuts were cut that there was a ratio forced by the Three Republicans?

If there’s a cite, fine. Then I will be amazed at the Power of three Republicans in standing down Pelosi and Reid.

By AmVet

February 11, 2009 6:09 PM | Link to this

Whether one agrees with this “stimulus package” or not, one thing is certain.

The GOP will never, ever, ever allow anything but lock-step fealty to their old white guy leadership.

On virtually any significant legislation, there are usually a handful or more of Democratic legislators that will cross over and vote with their Republican colleagues.

The reverse is simply not allowed by the fascistic neo-cons who’ve hijacked the GOP.

The National Republican Trust PAC sent me this email (yes, I’m always interested in what the loons are saying):

Three traitorous Republican senators broke ranks to back Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Harry Reid, and the Democrats.

(TRAITOROUS???)

We at The National Republican Trust PAC will pledge maximum financial support to any Republican who challenges these three senators in a Republican primary.

Specter will go down to defeat in 2010 — if we have any say in the matter.

You don’t. But pretend you do.

And they shake heads and wonder why they keep getting annihilated every other November.

By Paul

February 11, 2009 6:19 PM | Link to this

AmVet

I just received a Dick Morris Newsletter saying essentially the same thing.

I guess the days of Tip O’Neil and President Reagan hammering out an agreement then meeting for drinks are long gone.

getalife

I hope a district attorney somewhere is trying to figure out how to charge that guy with manslaughter.

I see the NY Attorney General - Cuomo - has his eye on why CEO bonuses are regularly paid in January - but this time they were rushed through in December, right before the TARP got taken.

By fed up

February 11, 2009 6:20 PM | Link to this

getalife the death count is now 9….not surprising you blame it on the gop. That reason for everything that’s wrong is getting really old, need to come up with something else.

By $8 large

February 11, 2009 6:22 PM | Link to this

Highlights of the stimulus bill

Q: What are some of the tax breaks in the bill?

A: It includes Obama’s signature “Making Work Pay” tax credit for 95 percent of workers, though negotiators agreed to trim the credit to $400 a year instead of $500 — or $800 for married couples, cut from Obama’s original proposal of $1,000. It would begin showing up in most workers’ paychecks in June as an extra $13 a week in take-home pay, falling to about $8 a week next January.

There is also a $70 billion, one-year fix for the alternative minimum tax. The fix would save some 20 million mainly upper-middle-income taxpayers about $2,000 in taxes for 2009.

hehehe

THAT’S EIGHT BIG’UNS A WEEK!

By CommunistAJC

February 11, 2009 6:23 PM | Link to this

AmVet, one thing is for sure. WE ARE F’ED! Yes, the GOP was hijacked by idiots BUT the democrats have been hijacked by Communists. How else do you explain this bill?

By caz1158

February 11, 2009 6:24 PM | Link to this

AmVet-are you crazy? Answer H*ll Yes!!!! Voting by party lines has been going on for sometime. Bush went through it,now it’s yor boy’s turn. I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. Specially when you don’t include the opposing side in the process. 3 traitcoats were brought in for photo ops,with very little imput!

By Paul

February 11, 2009 6:24 PM | Link to this

AmVet

Mrs G noted the other day Nader was interviewed on Thom Hartmann’s Air America program. I’m still waiting for the transcript to get posted - but Hartmann did link to Nader dot org and there are, as there ever have been, some outstanding ideas - such as taxing the speculators - on how to handle some of this economic garbage.

Neither party will do too much past committee hearing grandstanding, of course. Makes one wonder, though - if the Democratic Party is the party that never saw a tax it didn’t like, particularly when it was directed at the rich - why are they shying away from this?

By AJC/DNC Management

February 11, 2009 6:28 PM | Link to this

{{{{By $8 large February 11, 2009 6:22 PM THAT’S EIGHT BIG’UNS A WEEK!}}}}

Aahhh, yes, we’re all rolling in it now, aren’t we?

geez

By caz1158

February 11, 2009 6:32 PM | Link to this

I just applied my $8 towards that beachfront property i’m payin on.Like I said earlier, Boy I Feel STIMULATED. What a bunch of CLOWNS!!!!

By fed up

February 11, 2009 6:32 PM | Link to this

What short memories some have. getalife says “And they shake heads and wonder why they keep getting annihilated every other November.” Huh?

By Paul

February 11, 2009 6:39 PM | Link to this

caz1158

Some good deals on beachfront property down in Galveston after their hurricane. Fed rebuilding has been zilch compared to New Orleans. Even closed down a public hospital that served the poor population. Not a peep from the new Administration. Thanks, Dems.

By Obama Voter

February 11, 2009 6:39 PM | Link to this

8 bucks won’t even buy a rock!

By caz1158

February 11, 2009 6:41 PM | Link to this

Paul-thanks for the real estate info,i’ll check into it.

By Midori

February 11, 2009 6:45 PM | Link to this

Hey Paul,

wer’e having a pitch in tomorrow.

I’m cooking short ribs, simmered in onions and mushrooms.

By caz1158

February 11, 2009 6:47 PM | Link to this

Obama Voter- Oh yes it will!! I was at home depot the other day, and I saw rocks for less than $4-really. Now that i know i’ll be gettin $8 a week,I’ll be able to re-due the island in my front yard!!

By Paul

February 11, 2009 6:48 PM | Link to this

caz1158

I’ve related this before but it illustrates the point: not long after Bush the Younger was elected a new FEMA appointee spoke at Sarasota, FL. It’s a pretty well-to-do community, but the keys (spits of an island) right off the coast, such as Longboat Key, are really really really really well off. And Republican.

Anyway, this guy tells the audience that many of them have rebuilt their beachfront megaexpensive homes several times with federally-subsidized flood insurance or other federal subsidies and since a Republican administration was in power, they’d follow through on their campaign promises and stop this type of federal spending. Free enterprise and all that. You want a house in a hurricane and flood-prone area, it’s your risk.

Well, I don’t think this guy’s plane touched down in Washington before the administration ‘clarified’ this guy’s remarks. The subsidies continued.

And so did the campaign contributions.

By Paul

February 11, 2009 6:51 PM | Link to this

Midori

I love short ribs! Cooked’em a fortnight ago. Great cool-weather dish. You’ve got the right idea - long, slow simmering. My mouth’s watering!

back later -

By caz1158

February 11, 2009 6:52 PM | Link to this

paul-no suprize there.

By AmVet

February 11, 2009 6:53 PM | Link to this

Commie, it’s hard to explain it, I’ll grant you that. BushCo unleashed the socialism monster on behalf of his criminal buddies on Wall Street and now the genie’s our of the bottle.

I’m not a believer in this approach.

caz, yes. I’m crazy. And only a genius like you would notice. :-)

Paul, I’ll be interested in seeing the transcripts.

BTW, that link you provided the other day on microwaves, icebergs, and global warming was fantastic!

More than incredibly informative, it was done in such a way that it was relatively easy to understand.

But you’re fooling yourself if you think Andy would get through more than two minutes of it. He has absolutely NO interest whatsoever in radar scatterometers, sophisticated computer modeling, feedback systems, atmospheric absorptions or historic CO2 variations.

The flat-earthers and ostriches are terrified. And they certainly are NEVER going to even consider learning anything contrary to what they desperately want to believe. Certainly they won’t adequately educate themselves on this extremely complicated matter and therefore will give up any relevant input going forward.

But for EVERYONE else, I recommend you take about half an hour to watch this. If you want to be conversant on this topic, this is a GREAT use of your time. And very entertaining to boot.

http://byubnew.byu.edu/talks/Talk.aspx?id=2994

By caz1158

February 11, 2009 7:00 PM | Link to this

AmVet-as usual your intelligence is only surpassed by your ego!!! Question-do you ever argue with yourself? If so,how do you determine the winner?

By @@

February 11, 2009 7:03 PM | Link to this

O-:MG! $8.00 a week? That’s what all the fuss has been about?

‘Ya gotta wonder what impact the inevitable rise in inflation will have on that, O-:MG! $8.00 a week.

OUCH!

By @@

February 11, 2009 7:10 PM | Link to this

Paul:

I was downstairs and caught your “In2TheFray” link. Access to Stratfor articles through “In2TheFray” and Mauldin’s “Outside the Box”.

Cool.

Thanks! I love this guy. His videos were carried at the site.

I think we’re soul-mates.

HE GETS IT!!!!! HE SOOOOOOO GETS IT!!!!!!

By AmVet

February 11, 2009 7:10 PM | Link to this

caz, perhaps. But there’s no doubt that I get under your skin terribly, so I must be doing something right.

Woohoo!

Who would Jesus shoot?

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas House has narrowly approved a bill allowing concealed handguns in churches, despite hearing arguments that lawmakers should put their faith in God, not guns.

The bill passed Wednesday on a 57-42 vote and now heads to the Senate.

The measure removes churches and houses of worship from the list of places where concealed handguns are banned. Currently, the only private entities where concealed weapons are banned are churches and bars.

By Ayn

February 11, 2009 8:50 PM | Link to this

Change = SOCIALISM, apparently.

By itpdude

February 11, 2009 8:55 PM | Link to this

Is it just my skewed perception or are the Republicans the dumbest people you’ve ever met? I’m serious. The dumbest people I used to know were Dems but the GOP has taken over stupid these last few years… either the dumb Dems died or the smart Republicans stopped being Republican a while back.

Leaving guys like Joe the Plumber at the wheel.

By Dill

February 11, 2009 8:57 PM | Link to this

I’ll start by saying that I am a Republican. I did not vote for Obama. I was not very crazy about McCain. I began this year hoping that President Obama would actually work with both sides and solve our economic problems. All I want to say about this new spending bill is this: The 2009 budget has not been approved yet. This country creates about 1 Trillion dollars a year in tax revenue for the government to spend. Take this new bill and add the interest and you get about 1.4 Trillion. Add the recent Tarp and you can throw in another 1.2 Trillion. Looks like we are starting 2009 with a 2 plus Trillion dollar def. That runs the national debt up to about 12 plus Trillion.

If this works it will be a miracle and I’m certainly going to pray that it will. You should too.

By B.O.Stinks

February 11, 2009 9:05 PM | Link to this

Love all that pork. Oink, Oink, Oink, Oink, Oink.

By Democrat

February 11, 2009 9:10 PM | Link to this

Considering the TOILET BOWL the republicans left us with, I cannot believe any of you have the nerve to critic ANYTHING this admin does.

Personally, I think you ALL need to shut the hell up!

By JohnnyTide

February 11, 2009 9:12 PM | Link to this

I was born by two depression era parents that taught me never to rely on the gov’t. I hate that people are forgiven for not planning for their future. Let em eat cake. I eat well and am a millionaire.

By roubini

February 11, 2009 9:18 PM | Link to this

The liberals are running the country into the toilet? Too late, the Republicons already did that. My concern is nothing is going to work to pull the economy out of this situation.

By rcs

February 11, 2009 9:20 PM | Link to this

Democrat, what has the last two years of Pelosi/Reid done for you? Anything? Or do you blame their failure on the republicans?

By Dill

February 11, 2009 9:28 PM | Link to this

roubini, you are right. Bush did not control spending when he had the chance. When the Dems won the majority for his last two years, the damage was done and they simply fed gas to the fire. However, by his own admission, Bill Clinton allowed the leagal action to require lending institutions to lesson their credit requirements and lend money to people who should have not been allowed to buy homes. The housing bust is what started the slide. But, this thing is fixable. I know that no one wants to hear this but tax cuts do work. Reagan inherited an economy that was mush worse off than we are now. Unemployment was higher, infation was at double digits, and a home loan cost an average of 14%. Put more money into the taxpayers pocket and they will feel comfortable about spending and investing. Lower the corporate tax from 35% to 5% and corporations will expand, creating jobs and wealth. Like I said, I do not think the plan to spend our way out of debt will work. I know that it doesn’t work in my household budget and I bet it won’t work for the government. I wish President Obama all my prayers and luck.

By Atlanta Native

February 11, 2009 9:36 PM | Link to this

If it does not fund within the next 12 months it need not be in the stimulus package.

I understand the desire to reverse the policies of the last administration, but hat is for the 2010 budget, not the stimulus. This is full of garbage that is not stimulus.

This is the one time Georgia is better governed. We have the sigle purpose doctrine, where each act must focus on a single subject matter. Too bad the congress is not as advanced as Georgia. (I said that with a straight face).

Kill every non-financial portion not funding in 12 months. Those are for the budget debate. It’ll still pass, but it won’t be corrupt then.

By Next

February 11, 2009 10:08 PM | Link to this

So when do the low-life, bottom dwelling, shallow end of the gene pool, entitlement seeking, unemployed, multi-children in a no father household, generational government dependents get their hands on my money, i.e., their tax cut?????

After all, we need to be patriotic and fair to those whose have made poor life and financial choices…

By Concerned oldtimer

February 11, 2009 10:11 PM | Link to this

I am soooo suprized you bought the lies and support th bill. Many of us are sick!

By Democrat

February 11, 2009 10:11 PM | Link to this

rcs says “Democrat, what has the last two years of Pelosi/Reid done for you? Anything? Or do you blame their failure on the republicans?”

Oh please. Don’t try and blame the 18 months of Pelosi/Reid for causing this mess. Bush and Co were in complete charge for the first six years AND had the presidency.

It took Bush 8 years to run this country into the ground and yet the Rush-bots cannot give Obama a month before proclaiming doom and gloom.

The nerve to criticize Obama after the abysmal job the Republicans did.

Again, just SHUT UP.

By vince neil

February 11, 2009 10:22 PM | Link to this

Stimulus bohimbulus! This bill is a riduculous extravagance which will be the beginning of the end of a one term president……. I have asked before on other posts…i want to see the list of cities, counties, or states run with/by or for the “worldview” proposed by our leftist comrades that is not a disaster?

I would like a list of 5 but 1 will do.

By Sassy

February 11, 2009 10:23 PM | Link to this

I’ll be interested to see how much of the money that’s earmarked for construction ends up in Mexico, since it’s the Mexicans who do all the construction work.

By Dee

February 11, 2009 10:36 PM | Link to this

Scare tactics and bullying has resulted in the worst possible deal. This bill is full of liberal pork the likes of which this country has never seen before. Giving money away does not, nor has it EVER, helped people learn to help themselves!

By Me

February 11, 2009 10:38 PM | Link to this

I think this is a complete waste of money and is going to put future America in even more debt. I can’t believe our congress is so dumb.

By MICHELE

February 11, 2009 10:53 PM | Link to this

What is the cost of Socialism? About $790 billion. Guess who paid for it? Your children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. This is a sad day for America. If you think that your life will be better than it has been in the past, think again. The only way you may see it improve is because you will be getting perks for free. It will not improve your quality of life nor will it put money in your pocket or savings accounts. Your destiny is up to you not a bunch of idiots that can not pay their own taxes. They are using you like a patsy. Under their plan, my family is a receiptant of their help, we don’t want it or need it. It will never stimulate the economy, it will only stimulate more greed. It won’t create jobs, why would any one want to work when their every need will be taken care of. I will never support Socialism and will fight it with every breath I have. I would like to think that after you had eaten crap this long the taste would get old. Guess not.

By Chris

February 11, 2009 11:05 PM | Link to this

Right on Michele!

..this “Spendulous” plan is absurd, how do these absolute idiots in Congress get to stay there?

By N.J.

February 11, 2009 11:06 PM | Link to this

You want to see real fraud, look at the waste in the Defense Department budget. Republicans and red states are the largest recipients of defense pork and earmarks, and while railing against government waste, they quietly offer bills and amendments that exempt defense spending from being examined for waste.

This was the real reason the Republicans went after Daschle. He was a pitbull when it came to seeking out and finding defense department waste, which is not closely looked at, because if the waste spending is eliminated, thats simply less money that goes to their states. Its one of the prime reasons they are always screaming “national security” We could be just as nationally secure spending less money, less wastefully, but they wont have that.

The Defense Department has been found to simply dump, destroy, throw out or sell for pennies on the dollar as surplus, brand new equipment that has only barely gotten in the door. It orders stuff it already has on supply, unused, with years of shelf life left.

The huge national deficit is largely the result of this wasteful defense spending. 11 cents out of every dollar of the federal deficit comes from non-defense spending. 89 cents is defense or defense related.

There are many other government departments that spend large parts of their budgets on defense related items. The Department of Energy, for example, spends 67 percent of its entire budget producing fissile materials for nuclear weapons. This is 14 times what it spends on research for providing energy.

The median income family in the United States paid $3,736 in federal income taxes in 2006 . Here is how that amount was spent:

Military $1,014 Interest on the Debt (Military) $340 Interest on the Debt (Non-Military) $385 Health $779 Income Security $224 Education $169 Veterans’ Benefits $125 Nutrition $98 Housing $70 Natural Resources $57 Job Training $11 Other $463

Even these figures are not completely accurate, because the government does not consider spending that is done by other governmental agencies for defense purposes as “defense spending” so when the DoE spends 67 percent of its budget making materials for nuclear weapons, this is not put into the “defense spending” area.

Republicans, whose states are the largest beneficiaries of defense spending, are rather less careful about examining defense spending or not, Wasteful or not, their constituents benefit from the waste.

They continually attempt to distract taxpayers by pointing at social programs and demanding massive cuts in these budgets, as if the pittance that is spent on social programs could even be described by using the word massive.

And in order to spend this sum on waste in defense, the government must borrow and the largest creditor is not China or some other foreign power, but the American taxpayer. More than half of the federal debt is money owed to the Social Security and several other trust funds that are paid as dedicated taxes for various pension and retirement purposes.

Small wonder that Republicans are always trying to cut Social Security, or trying to get rid of it altogether. They simply want to default on the debt they have created with government programs closest to their hearts.

By Michael

February 11, 2009 11:19 PM | Link to this

OK, conservatives. You can’t all of a sudden get…conservative. The war in Iraq will probably end up costing roughly the same as this stimulus package (in monetary terms), and a lot of you were all for doing that. It accomplished getting thousands of people killed and exchanging a dictator for a quasi-democracy in a country filled with people who have hated each other for a bazillion years.

You’re also not allowed to play the socialism card because you play it more than Jesse Jackson plays the race card. Explain to us what is actually wrong with a socialist policy or two instead of just calling it socialist. Social security, the military, the USPS — all socialist.

Most of us for this stimulus package wouldn’t normally want the government to dole out $800 billion in loaned money to earmarked programs. I know I wouldn’t. But people in the U.S. are losing jobs, and as Barack Obama said, the government is the only entity big enough to try to jump start the economy without suffering through an even worse downturn.

If we build roads and schools and get American companies to develop alternative energy sources, they will need to hire American workers, who will then pay taxes instead of collect unemployment. If you think all of these people getting laid off are lazy bums who aren’t productive, you’re a fool. Most of these people are innocent victims of other people who made horrible decisions and forced us into this.

By N.J.

February 11, 2009 11:20 PM | Link to this

Fortunately, the conservative flinging around of words like “socialism” and “liberalism” and “communism” have almost completely lost their meaning. The effort to turn the word “liberal” has died the timely death it has deserved, and words like socialism and communism no longer haver any effect on the new generations of voters who have no memories of the cold war and its propaganda, which has created a new Russia, not much different than the old one, except this one has a lot of money, and a new China, still communist, but a financial superpower. China has just passed the United States in the number of cars its citizens purchased.

The new generation of young American voters see that the GDP of Russia has increased six fold in the last eight years and the average real wages have more than doubled. In America, they see real wages falling, the middle class shrinking, poverty increasing, they will likely never be able to afford to buy a home, their health care costs are skyrocketing while they get less health care for every dollar they spend.

At this point, socialism looks rather good to the post cold war, post baby boomer, post generation jones generations.

Many polls indicate that the young are far more liberal and left leaning than even the sixties counter culture generation was. Extremely liberal. 67 percent of voters under the age of 30 self identify with the liberal left wing of the Democratic Party.

Its about time someone did.

By gunbldr

February 11, 2009 11:51 PM | Link to this

There are millions of illegals in this country that will benefit greatly from this pork package. There are a bunch of DA’s in Washington!

By Mel

February 12, 2009 12:01 AM | Link to this

I’m a conservative. If I didn’t approve of what Bush did while in office (and didn’t vote for him because I think he is socially conservative and economically liberal, which leads to a spending free for all…), do I have the left’s permission to think this bill is a royal disaster?

Didn’t think so.

By George P. Burdell

February 12, 2009 12:01 AM | Link to this

I love when you throw out Social Security as an example of a Socialist program that works. This country hasn’t even seen the tip of the iceburg compared to the problems that will come from people depending on SS and Medicare. And don’t give me that crap about it being a Rep. or Dem. issue, they both have ignored it. The promises being made today for future payouts are worthless and somebody will have to sacrifice. How many of you liberal screamers would be happy with tracking everybody’s SS contributions by some account number, say a Social Security Number, and make the payouts based on that. I’m guessing exactly zero because you realize it is just another means of transferring wealth. All this crap about taxes and deficits is pretty much stupid anyway because only about half of all households pay taxes anyway. If you want to count SS and other payments, those in truth are premiums towards making sure you have money to live on after working. No different than a 401k, Roth etc. except right now there is no accountability and the system is raped of its resources.

This country is done if we don’t move from this attitude of “let the government” take care of me. The example about Russia is absolutley hilarious. Its easy to gain 6 fold when you start out as low as they did. The US, for all its faults, still grows more in GDP in real dollars each year than any of the high flying “percentage” countries. You also might be wise to realize that even the poor in this country are much more fortunate than the middle class, if one exists, in other countries.

By David

February 12, 2009 1:53 AM | Link to this

Lincoln freed the slaves, Obama intends to turn us and our children into economic slaves. Who knows maybe more with his “service” plan, which sounds suspiciously like something else….. Wow you zombies who voted for this clown need a lobotomy or at least deemed traitors.

By TN Gelding

February 12, 2009 4:57 AM | Link to this

David

February 12, 2009 1:53 AM

Consider the alternative.

At this point, Obama is trying to save our banking system and avoid a depression. Let’s withhold our judgement until the crisis is over, if it ever is.

By flyintheointment

February 12, 2009 5:58 AM | Link to this

If government spending is the answer, then why are we in this mess? Bush doubled the deficit in the last eight years.

Obama blames the mess on the policices of the last eight years. Yet, his solution is more of the same and the some. Bush’s deficit rose to 20% of GDP. Obama’s will rise to 30% of GDP.

By Gerald West

February 12, 2009 5:59 AM | Link to this

Improving education and infrastructure is the most effective way to stem the hemorrhaging of the American economy. Tax cuts are the least effective.

We recovered from the Great Depression by moving from a consumer-driven to a production-driven economy. Too bad it took a World War to force the switch!

By elainer7

February 12, 2009 6:08 AM | Link to this

You mean I get 8 bucks extra in my paycheck starting in June? It is going to be very difficult to decide how to spend that much extra money. This whole package is as usual, geared at the rich so they can become richer. What a joke.

By Tray

February 12, 2009 7:34 AM | Link to this

Ok, i’m tired of people bashing republicans-first off, it was Clinton and his goons who coerced the banks to give loans to people who downright couldn’t afford them. Secondly, the Obama-Pelosi-Reid Pork bill costs the U.S. more money than Bush’s 8 year war on terror, in case you dumbocrats didn’t know. Yes, that means Obama’s staff has added more debt in 2 months to this country than Bush did in 8 YEARS!! Third-I’m tired of Obama complaining that he ‘inherited this debt’. OF COURSE HE DID, THAT’S THE PLATFORM HE RAN ON FOR PRESIDENT!! You can’t tell me he didn’t know that was coming because if he didn’t-he’s the dumbest president in history.

Third, let the rich get richer!! I’m not rich by far, i only make between 30K and 40K a year. However, do you idiots realize that JOBS ARE CREATED BY THE RICH, NOT THE GOVERNMENT?? That’s right, let me explain it to you Dems out there that are a little slow-poor people can pay other people to work, EVERYONE works for a rich person. You give them more money, they can hire more people. You tax them and take their money-here come the layoffs!! I dare you to argue any of these points with me. Q: Why did the stock market tank 380+ points when the bill passed?? A:Because the smart rich people who handle the stock exchange know this plan will fail miserably!! I dare to say anyone on Wall Street has more intelligence than anyone in government.

Yes, there are some dumb rich execs who really screwed the pooch, but look at ALL THE ECONOMIC PROBLEMS THROUGHOUT HISTORY-did throwing money at the problem fix any of them?? ANY OF THEM?? No, so if Obama-Pelosi-Reid would only open a history book and read for about an hour-they’d realize their plan WILL NOT WORK.

Save your hard earned money people-you’ll need it once our country goes down the crapper thanks to some retarded democrats and a couple of turncoat republicans.
The positive side of this, the majority of Republicans (minus 3) will come out clean on the other end because this will be a democratic failure, and will go down in the history books that way as well!!

By Mort Merkel

February 12, 2009 7:37 AM | Link to this

It seems like a lot of the stuff that would have more ground-level, Joe Sixpack impact was cut out.