No House Republicans Vote For Stimulus Bill

Well, well.
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I guess we will get to see just who did what when the chips fall won’t we?
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Like I said, when dealing with the GOP, talk softly and carry a big brain…

I always felt that the average GOPer either loves pain or can’t feel it…

It truly is amazing just how consistently Republicans are as far as voting lockstep with each other on just about any bill of major consequence. Or minor, for that matter.

Good thing the democrats put things in the bill for the repubs and got zero votes for their effort.

Too expensive, the GOPers said?
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Let’s see now, Bernanke and Paulson, (GOP appointees in a GOP administration) handed out, without oversight, 7,200,000,000,000 dollars* without any oversight whatsoever.
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That made the GOP end of things, like, 8 and 1/2 times as expensive, doesn’t it?
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*includes thier half of the TARP money

Ain’t bipartisanship grand?

How will Lieberman vote? Can Swampland do online polls?

Lets see, Mike. You’re a GOPer, right?
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Now forgive me my math, but if the Earth is 4.586 billion years old, and the GOP just spent 7.2 trillion, then that means…
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jeopardy.wav
jeopardy.wav
jeopardy.wav
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Yup. $131 / month for for every month the Earth existed throughout the Hadean, Archean, Proterazooic, and Phanerizoic ages!
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Expensive?
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Yup. That is one hell of a lot of money those spendthrift GOPers handed out in the last six months of their time in office, ain’t it?
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Over to you, Mike…

Oh, and btw:
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That $131 / month?
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That’s at zero percent interest.
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Maybe God would have saved money by getting Geico insurance…

“It truly is amazing just how consistently Republicans are as far as voting lockstep with each other on just about any bill of major consequence”
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This is probably going to be worse going FWD as most of the moderates have been chased out of office. That’s good for dems going FWD.
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It’s ultimately all the GOP has got–unity in the face of their collapsed brand, and hoping that things get worse. But when things almost inevitably do improve in the next 4 yrs. who will get the credit. Meanwhile, the predictions of a shift to the moderate center on the part of the GOP has gone exactly where thus far? I just read that that cretin in GA was forced to apologize to Limbaugh for questioning his party leadership!? They are so far in the 20th century bubble it’s laughable.
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Again, yes, O has given up certain items on his wishlist, but I hope that strategically this enhances his position. He talks, he listens, he invites you over for beers and nuts, but if his agenda can get pushed through largely intact, you look like nothing more than obstacles to “change people can and desperately want to believe in.” As opposed to P-luk’s predictions of risk in 2010, if Obama plays things right, I think his majorities could grow in two short years. But I could certainly be wrong (reasons to doubt–two words, Pelosi and Reid).

“Ain’t bipartisanship grand?”
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I wonder, since the pre-election GOP dabbled so inartfully in the arena of tokenism when it came to race, maybe the Dems should have “token” Republicans!
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That way, at least, things will still appear bipartisan!

Why does every single House Republican hate all the presently or soon-to-be unemployed Americans?
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– hey, this reductio ad absurdum stuff is easier than it looks!

“This is probably going to be worse going FWD as most of the moderates have been chased out of office.”
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Most moderates on the GOP side have been defeated, leaving the moderate constituancy within the GOP disenfranchised, to say the least.
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If we see improvements and signs of revival during the Obama admin, look for these guys to look like the muttering denziens of smoke filled basements.
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Still muttering about Waco and Clinton and “Trickle Down” while the rest of the country rolled up their sleeves and helped fix this place up…

This is a shock. Dope addict Rush had suggested this. Can you believe these fools got on his wagon? Curse the Republican Party. May they all burn in hell.

FlownOver:
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Because we won the election. They’re pouting ’cause they couldn’t steal it like the last two times.

A flippin’ cancer. That’s all they are. More concerned about their own party than the country. It ain’t exactly treason, but they should still be shot for it. I hate Republicans…

Anybody catch Dick Army making a complete and utter a@@ out of himself on hardball? Telling Joan Walsh that he is glad she is not his wife since he doesn’t have to listen to her babble all day. Tweety let it go without comment.

TPM has the video.
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http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/

trifecta said:
“Good thing the democrats put things in the bill for the repubs and got zero votes for their effort.”
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well yeah, too bad. but you gotta realize that we have conservative democrats too. they’re called blue dogs. Without those provisions, you betcha the bill would have been less efficient.
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personally, i’d prefer if the spending part was done on infrastructure projects like funding for energy legislation and healthcare legislation and that all the minor (important) stuff was just cut out. just a clean bill with major legislations only.

I’ve seen this story about the vote total confirmed by 2 MSM sources…anyone have confirmation from a reputable news source?
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Our liberal media folks:
“A story in Politico Wednesday explores those who advocate doing nothing in the face of the economic crisis. But the story doesn’t reveal that one of its main sources, Andrew Schiff (pictured), is a hardline libertarian who comes from a school of economics that opposes the very existence of the Fed.”
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/01/politicos-weirdo-source.php

53_3,
Your $131/month calculation impresses me, but I don’t think its going to impress the fringe GOPers. They’re all convinced that the earth is only 6000 years old. You’re going to need another calculation for them.

Is this a failure by Obama or is it just the beginning of a destructive shift towards complete obstructionism on the part of Congressional Republicans?

http://www.political-buzz.com/

Matt-If I were on teh Obama team I would be saying right now that the entire house republican party just bet on our country to fail and have shown that they would rather stand with Rush than have faith in the American people to get this done.

Three thoughts:
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(1) I’d love to see the names of the 11 Democrats who voted “no.” They will be getting e-mail, some of it from me.
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(2) Having proffered the olive branch and had it handed back to him, smoldering, Obama now has some actual data about how the Republicans are going to play this thing. He’ll get another helping from the Senate. I’m fairly confident that he will draw the relevant conclusions.
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(3) The House Republicans have just blown a gilt-edged opportunity to look like anything other than a bunch of snotty little teenagers, and they will deeply regret it very soon.

yes gunny what an azz

Meanwhile, Faux Knews is running video of a police chase in s. cal. Guess they are working on the talking points for the vote just now.

Friar Tuck, I totally agree. The obstructionists have given the President a great PR coup.

Way, way off topic…Go America!
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“The CIA’s station chief at its sensitive post in Algeria is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for allegedly raping at least two Muslim women who claim he laced their drinks with a knock-out drug, U.S. law enforcement sources tell ABC News.”
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/01/report_cia_station_chief_accused_of_drugging_rapin.php

“yes gunny what an azz”
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Dee-The gutless wonder of a tweety waited until Dick Head had left the set and he had other guests on to try and show he had some grapes to even say anything about how screwed up the comment was.

My powers of prognostication are not strong, but I really think this is a strategic misstep on the part of the House GOP. The public supports the stimulus bill. The public supports Obama. Making it a unanimous vote like this (vs., say, a few votes in support) is going to make them look like the petty, obstructionist, soon-to-be-rightfully-ignored idiots that they are.

I for one am OVERJOYED that the GOP stuck together on this one. For one it shows they are indeed a monolith and for two it shows they don’t give a sh1t about the little guy. Even the ones who have elections coming up in 2010. Thats a pretty nice nail they put in their own coffins.
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I missed hardball but I am about to watch the clip now.

“They’re all convinced that the earth is only 6000 years old. You’re going to need another calculation for them.”
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Good ol’ Ussher. Forgot about him.
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Make that $100,000,000 / month then for them. That’s 1.2 billion a year since God inflated our globe.
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I guess that means that switching to Geico won’t save enough, after all…

SG-Bonerhead was just on and said the republicans had a double secret plan that they did an analysis on that showed they would have created double the jobs that the dems plan did at half the costs.

Excuse me while I vomit all over the Grand Ol Party. I am disgusted with this no holds barred assault over the stimulus package, which only partially addresses the train wreck of the Bush administration. What an outrage.

“Geico won’t save enough, after all”
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I tried to tell the gecko that spending that dollar for some chips was a mistake. He told me to get bent.

“I for one am OVERJOYED that the GOP stuck together on this one.”
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I am too. I keep thinking of the Pied Piper and Sarah Palin.
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Maybe the Dems should set aside enough money to pay her to play her flute and lead them out of town…

“He told me to get bent.”
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I think the gecko might be upset about the bundle of money with eyes hogging his glory.
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But, you know, it just so happens that that bundle of money amounts to exactly…
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131 bucks!

IMHO this is brilliant planning on all parts. The Republicans knew this thing was going forward to the next step. They also knew that the Senate version is much more bipartisan and easier to swallow. So they can present a unified front to show their side that they’re in this together. They put up a big, pointless “no,” which will give them cover in a few weeks when they come back and many decide to vote “yes” to the revised bill. Dems can then claim that they worked to get the peoples’ will done; Republicans can claim that they held out and made sure that their concerns were weighed; and Obama can be the post-partisan leader who gets things done.

Is this a failure by Obama or is it just the beginning of a destructive shift towards complete obstructionism on the part of Congressional Republicans?
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Wait just one second. Whoa! Hold on, here, hoss. Are you saying that the Repugs were, in any manner, shape or form, at any time in modern history, _not_ destructive to this Country? I defy you to provide proof of that, sir.

gysgt
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Oh I saw that earlier but it was the funniest sh!t I have ever seen. They got their numbers backwards AND the person they sighted as to who they got their formula for projecting jobs is the same person who is advising Barack Obama. I think it was Josh Marshall that pointed this out but its going to end up drowning the wingnuts with egg all over their faces. And a few of the Dems in the House went the eff off on them and said what we have been waiting for them to say. I know Congressman Obey for one definitely pointed out that we tried it their way for eight years and they drove the economy in the ground. And he nor a few others weren’t nice about it AT ALL.

100,000 jobs lost this week (the number is KO’s and no, I’m not going to research it, I’m tired). This week alone.
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Jebus. Is there even an adequate curse word for all this?

gunny, let me guess: this plan was too big to write in the margins of the book?

sacoharry
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There is only one problem, Congressman Obey called the GOP out on that very scenario BEFOFRE the vote. I hope I can find the video but he said they would do like they did in the past and vote against it in the House knowing it will pass and then when the senate passes their version they would vote for it.

Update for those who don’t tune into Faux Knews. They have cut away from the police chase in s cal to Bile O’Rally to rant about the nanny state and the communist provisions of the stimulus package.

Supercalliphuckalistic expealidosh!t

Friar:
“Jebus. Is there even an adequate curse word for all this?”
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I don’t think so. Just trying to convey the enormity of what the GOP did in the last days in office isn’t working.
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I really think that this era in our political history is one for psychologists studying mass psychosis as well as historians.

Supercalliphuckalistic explodedbagofdogsh-t.
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Any better?

sgwhite, just because someone calls your play doesn’t mean you change it. House Republicans are a very varied lot, with an awful lot of competing ideas & interests. Getting every last one of them to follow a pattern means it had to be a good one. This is the best one there is. Like I say, everyone knew a Republican “no” would be meaningless–the bill would still win and still advance to the next stage. It’s good theatre, well-orchestrated to let them go back to their base and say “I fought it and worked to make it better.” It may have even been discussed with Obama yesterday, if it was as candid and positive a meeting as many said.

formerlyjames. Chase over, watched it on kttv.com. U-Haul ran out of gas. Girl did a run but only made it 100 yards before being taken down. Cheeky though, tried to hop into another car & hijack it.

@ Mr. Nice Guy -
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Absolutely! Thanks.

sacoharry, I wish the same fate to the GOP.

“Good thing the democrats put things in the bill for the repubs and got zero votes for their effort.”
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“Ain’t bipartisanship grand?”
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Does no one get this? Really? I still don’t understand what’s so difficult to digest about all of this. Obama sacrificed a handful of provisions that he probably won’t even have to sacrifice in the long-term. He didn’t get any Republican votes, but he’s just as well off without them. His stimulus bill will pass, and with the administration being able to cast the House Republican caucus as knee-jerk obstructionists despite his ultimate victory. Obama gets to cast the Boehner as an obstructionist despite the fact that he ultimately failed to obstruct anything. This is win-win situation on the Obama PR front, so long the Democrats play this well.

They can’t use Geico because Geico hires cavemen…who didn’t really exist. All those fossils were put there to draw a distinction between godless libruls and good conservatives by Satan, I guess.

sacoharry
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Make no mistake, I agree that they are still going to do it. But they are going to look like the worlds biggest ass holes when they do it after he already predicted it. Especially to their constituents. On a side note we need to get Jesse Jackson to go see my fellow UT alumnus Heath Shuler and cut his balls off. Thats mofo should just cut out the middle man and change to Republican

‘It may have even been discussed with Obama yesterday’
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So you think Obama plotted to give the GOPers cover while they vote to torpedo his own legislation? And he did this behind the backs of the Dems? Machiavelli would be impressed.
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I’m not.

I went to TPM and saw a lot of stuff from the GOP that was really just ridiculous. It is beyond me though that the Republicans can complain about some Americans getting bigger EIC refunds under the stimulus package and totally ignore the bigger picture:
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The GOP handout to “needy” financial institutions was 2,400 times the size of the entire welfare budget.
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Their tinkering with teh USTC last year “on the quiet” was fully 40 times the entire welfare budget
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Friars and MNG’s expletives are a start, anyway…

Hopefully Obama gets the message not to waste any more time talking to Republicans, as it only makes him look weak. This is a major loss for all the idiots who think chasing the mid point between two points on a line, that are always in motion, has anything to do with moderation.

Derek, it doesn’t make him look weak at all. It makes Obama look like he tried to involved them (and I think he really did listen to some of their ideas) and they all did a big F-U at the expense of the millions of Americans who are jobless and losing money by the day.

charity
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Listen, I have been where you are right now. But when I find myself in the minority of opinion in a conversation with like minded folks I have to sit back and ask if maybe I am not the one who is wrong. The problem is you are, without any founding in fact, somehow certain that President Obama will still get to put those programs back in later. Most of us have seen how the Republican party works and are rightly skeptical that after you concede a point to them that you will ever have the opportunity to try to make it again. Now don’t get me wrong most of us are HOPEFUL that he can pull it off. But nothing so far has shown that he WILL be able to. And the truth is if they were going to vote no anyway what does President Obama gain by taking it out? Absolutely nothing. Like I said, all day the talking head, even the ones labeled “librul”, have been calling those projects pork simply because the Republicans’ position was validated when President Obama demanded they be taken out.

‘This is win-win situation on the Obama PR front, so long the Democrats play this well.’
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You may be right. I have no confidence in the PR abilities of the Dems in congress, but Obama and his people may be able to turn this to their benefit as things go forward. We’ll see.
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Any predictions on what’s likely to happen in the Senate?

I agree hickoryduck, I hope President Obama goes to the Capitol everyday and meets with the idiots. His good will and intellect will cause untold disruption and confusion to the idiots. He should even hold prayer breakfasts to further confound them.

‘He should even hold prayer breakfasts to further confound them’
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Priceless.

By the way, if you thought you saw a lot more GOP surrogates talking about the stimulus plan on Tee Vee than Dem surrogates, it turns out you weren’t hallucinating.
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http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/28/cable-news-stimulus/
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Honestly though a lot of it has to do with the Dems themselves for not holding more press conferences like the GOP was doing every five minutes

Toss in another 6,700 jobs lost:
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http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/28/news/companies/Starbucks_earns/index.htm?postversion=2009012817

He should even hold prayer breakfasts to further confound them.
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LMAO. Psssst, Boner, dude, where’s that gilded Koran you said he had laying around? I don’t see it.

I think the GOP is using the only avenue it has left. They don’t have the WH as a bully pulpit any more, so they have to make a really, really loud noise somewhere.

“Now don’t get me wrong most of us are HOPEFUL that he can pull it off. But nothing so far has shown that he WILL be able to.”
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Nothing recently has been predicated on the reality of a Democratic president with healthy approval ratings and a simultaneously sizable Democratic Congress.
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“And the truth is if they were going to vote no anyway what does President Obama gain by taking it out? Absolutely nothing.”
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He gets to pass a stimulus package, and look like a grown-up babysitting the House Republican daycare center in the process. I’ve only made this point seven times now.

“I think the GOP is using the only avenue it has left. They don’t have the WH as a bully pulpit any more, so they have to make a really, really loud noise somewhere.”

This is an interesting take, but I still don’t know what it does for the House Republicans in the long-term. I can understand the valor of their Titanic band solidarity, but the unfortunate moral of that story is that they all die in the end.

Has anyone read the ThinkProgress report that shows Reps outnumber Dems 2to1 on cable news talking about the stimulus?
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http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/28/cable-news-stimulus/
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Darn you liberal media, DARRRRRRRRRN YOUUUUUUUUUU.

Thank God the GOP stood firm and no one defected. It sends a real clear message to Americans …. “We don’t want no stink’in recovery. We made this mess and we want want to be remembered as the party that launched the Greatest Depression.”

We are dealing with a group of individuals who have a death wish. Like Jim Jones these men and women believe that the only way to save themselves is to destroy themselves. We can expect 4 years of obstuctionist behavior because the only position they now have is ‘No”. The good news is they are so bent on self destruction they will nominate Sarah Palin in 2012 and finally destroy the Republican Party. Should be fun.

Taylor/Fillmore 2016

hickoryduck
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I beat ya to it.

newfloridian, exactly. These fools are riding on a Jim Jones death trip.
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I don’t know that the package will work. Nobody does. What I do know is that it is a good try. I also know that the Repubs are standing on a failed ideology. It’s both infurriating to me, and yet fun to watch at the same time. No, thanks, I won’t have any kool-aide, I’ll just enjoy the party, such as it is.

Oops, sorry sgw, my skimming skills have been deteriorating.

bobcn, Machiavellian indeed. I think folks underestimate Obama’s grasp of power principles at their peril. The thing is, absolutely nothing got torpedoed this evening. A bill that everyone knew would pass, passed. Film at 11! The question was: would the Republicans come out of the evening divided, limping, cornered, and rancorous? Or would they have been able to show a moral victory for party unity and “upholding the torch of small government/free market values” or whatever it is their constituents understand? They did the latter. They’re now -MUCH- more free to vote “yes” to the stimulus when it comes back in a few weeks, as it will undoubtedly be closer (even if just a little) to their beliefs than the one they just said “no” to. Like I said before, I’m convinced this was all about political cover, and I’d not be surprised at all if it wasn’t discussed and OK’ed with Obama himself.

Hello, my name is formerlyjames, and I am a Faux Knews addict. I can’t tear myself away from it. Now Shame Heinyratty is informing us as to the terrorist connection of President Obama. Whatever happened to the House UnAmerican Activities Committee? And who should we call first? I would suggest Rupplestiltskin Murdock.

Re: formerlyjames
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This is probably the best point of all: this whole thing could prove a massive failure, at which point the Republicans will be glad to remind us all that they valiantly obstructed. In the meantime, however, the Republicans hemorrhaging political capital when they’re already at a deficit.

charityforamerica, yes. If it fails, I will still hate Repubs.

I wonder how many rethug senators up election in 2010 will vote NO.
I hope they all do.

obscurantism |əbˈskyoŏrənˌtizəm; äb-; ˌäbskyəˈran-|
noun
the practice of deliberately preventing the facts or full details of something from becoming known.

I think is what the O stands for in GOP.

That would be “I think this is…”- it’s been a long day cooped up with four dogs and three cats (two of which despise each other). Worse than a room full of over-tired two year olds.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090128/pl_politico/18128

The Democrat party’s Magic Obama has lied about…

- FISA
- Faith
- Funding
- Gitmo
- Gaza
- Lobbying
- Lawyering
- Pandering
- PayPal
- Blago
- Bush

So what’s the Big Dig II deal, if he now lies about desperate make-work for union thugs and tenured jerks and corporate pals and Clixon clones?

Oh well.

HILLARY HAPPENS.

“During the campaign, then-Sen. Obama put forth the toughest ethics and lobbying reform policy in history,” Vietor said, “and now he’s acting on it to reduce the influence of lobbyists in Washington.”

Here are former lobbyists Obama has tapped for top jobs:

Eric Holder, attorney general nominee, was registered to lobby until 2004 on behalf of clients including Global Crossing, a bankrupt telecommunications firm.

Tom Vilsack, secretary of agriculture nominee, was registered to lobby as recently as last year on behalf of the National Education Association.

William Lynn, deputy defense secretary nominee, was registered to lobby as recently as last year for defense contractor Raytheon, where he was a top executive.

William Corr, deputy health and human services secretary nominee, was registered to lobby until last year for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a non-profit that pushes to limit tobacco use.

David Hayes, deputy interior secretary nominee, was registered to lobby until 2006 for clients, including the regional utility San Diego Gas & Electric.

Mark Patterson, chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, was registered to lobby as recently as last year for financial giant Goldman Sachs.

Ron Klain, chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden, was registered to lobby until 2005 for clients, including the Coalition for Asbestos Resolution, U.S. Airways, Airborne Express and drug-maker ImClone.

Mona Sutphen, deputy White House chief of staff, was registered to lobby for clients, including Angliss International in 2003.

Melody Barnes, domestic policy council director, lobbied in 2003 and 2004 for liberal advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the American Constitution Society and the Center for Reproductive Rights.

Cecilia Munoz, White House director of intergovernmental affairs, was a lobbyist as recently as last year for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group.

Patrick Gaspard, White House political affairs director, was a lobbyist for the Service Employees International Union.

Michael Strautmanis, chief of staff to the president’s assistant for intergovernmental relations, lobbied for the American Association of Justice from 2001 until 2005.

… … …

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090128/pl_politico/18128

… … …

Some change, that one.

Move On indeed.

HulagateL
I guess you had to wait till your parents went to sleep last night to use the computer?

Your rants have the stink of desperation. Imagine ranting like that for the next 8 years. On and on about really stupid stuff and not being able to change anything. Eventually sliding into a slow disintegration into madness.

That’s your life for the next 8 years – enjoy it!

At least Collin Peterson D (sic) Minn is consistent-he voted against the 1993 budget bill too.
The Blue Dogs like Peterson are living in the 80s, not that it hurts them when they run. It just hurts the country.

“Derek, it doesn’t make him look weak at all. It makes Obama look like he tried to involved them (and I think he really did listen to some of their ideas) and they all did a big F-U at the expense of the millions of Americans who are jobless and losing money by the day.”

He threw one of the party’s most supportive blocks, women, under the bus, and in exchange he got “nothing.”
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Real good move kissy face man.

By the way, if you thought you saw a lot more GOP surrogates talking about the stimulus plan on Tee Vee than Dem surrogates, it turns out you weren’t hallucinating.
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those numbers are deceptive, because its not about “surrogates”, rather it includes only “lawmakers” — a category that includes on legislators, and does not include members of the Obama administration nor actual “surrogates” for the GOP.
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The big problem is that “balance” is achieved by moving the Overton window to the right — those to the left of Obama are excluded from the discussion, and “the middle” is somewhere between the Lightbringer and the Obstrutors.
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The other problem is framing the proposal using the word “stimulus”, rather that “recovery”. “Stimulus” practically ensures that massive and unwise tax cuts will be included; whereas an emphasis on “recovery” (and stability) would allow tax cuts to be excluded (“Before we even consider tax cuts, we need to fix the regulatory system to ensure that we’re not throwing billions down the same hole.”

oh, btw, two of the 11 Democrats (Shuler, Ellsworth) who voted against were part of the celebrated “new breed” that the media fawned over in 2006. Indeed, Shuler was one of the things that Rahm took credit for and boasted about.
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If these were all “blue dog” democrats, they should be the focus of netroots efforts to run real Democrats against them in the primaries. These blue dogs are the most likely to switch to the GOP when the GOP regains the upper hand — and there is no real point in keeping around these DINOs anymore.

“If these were all “blue dog” democrats, they should be the focus of netroots efforts to run real Democrats against them in the primaries.”
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I suggest that you build a time machine, and transport yourself back in time to 1858. Head to the White House, look for a man named James Buchanan. He tried this once; you should ask him how it turned out.

If you actually read through the bill, a lot of it is really ridiculous, and I’m ashamed of my party’s leaders for including it.

While it is easy to lambaste the Republicans for how they are playing this, we should direct a bit of our venom at the House leadership for loading such a critical financial piece of legislation with so much random crap.

I suggest that you build a time machine, and transport yourself back in time to 1858. Head to the White House, look for a man named James Buchanan. He tried this once; you should ask him how it turned out.
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hint — progressives aren’t in control of the white house. James Buchanan is irrelevant.

What’s one person’s “random crap” is another person’s job. That’s basic knowledge.

Fifteen hours and twenty minutes later I’m still waiting for Time’s WH correspondent to post anything about the reaction on his beat to this event.
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Thanks a pantload for the incisive reporting, Mikey. Glad we can always look to Time to learn what the President of the United States and his staff are doing and saying about a national crisis.