Obama Offers Proposals In Stimulus Plan That "Appear Designed Specifically To Attract Republicans"

President Obama ramped up his personal lobbying campaign for an economic recovery package that would cost at least $820 billion, holding his first bipartisan gathering of congressional leaders at the White House yesterday and releasing a report this morning with proposals to win over more supporters for swift passage of the plan.

Obama, who has seen GOP support for the package evaporate in the past week, hinted yesterday that he is open to compromise on business tax breaks but also bluntly rejected some Republican proposals to reduce spending in the plan, lawmakers and aides said, arguing that he believes he has a mandate to promote his own ideas.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[drlouise]

Boehner must think the American public is a bunch of uneducated, uninformed, unable to think, folks suffering memory loss. Does he forget that this administration turned a huge budget surplus into an unbelievably huge deficit? Does he think the middle class doesn't realize that it isn't better off than it was 8 years ago and that 90% of the wealth is now controlled by the wealthiest 3% of the population? Does he think that we don't notice the collapse of bridges, huge pot holes in our roads, energy costs that go beyond the pocketbook but to quality of life, absence of public transportation? Does he think that spending money on war is better than spending money on education? Does he realize the talent that our country wastes because people don't have the money to go to college or to further their education? Does he realize that the US is now in thirteenth place in HS graduates with South Korea in first place? Does he realize that any federal tax cut to the middle class is just shifted to property and other state taxes on the individual? Didn't he hear the message many Americans sent during the last election? Forget the partisanship, work together, get your head out of the sand, change happens!

[jsgaetano]

"Boehner must think the American public is a bunch of uneducated, uninformed, unable to think, folks suffering memory loss."

You've just described the conservative base.

[SwingingFromCenter]

So Boehner said something along the lines of "Republicans only want tax cuts, that way there business owners and entrepeneurs et al will have more money and will create tons of jobs".

Well John, as a business owner, I can tell you exactly why this won't work:

I will gladly say thank you for the tax cuts...and then put that money into my bank accounts. I wouldn't hire a single extra employee with that money. Not one. Both because the tax cuts wouldn't offset the cost of the employee, as well as the fact as I can see the GOP's end game here--which is to cry that the Dems are tax increasing mon.sters when the economy turns around and these tax breaks are taken back away--and then I'll be stuck with higher taxes and an extra employee.

Shrewd, but most business owners aren't going to fall for it. But hey, thanks for fighting to put more money into my savings.

[kotexbarbie]

Boehner = ALCOHOLIC!!! Man, he has a face just like my landlord's. Just look at it. Does Obama really think he can wean him from the GOP bottle?

[sc92705]

Wells Fargo got $25 billion dollars they said they didn't need from the government and now they are cancelling equity lines of credit to their customers. To many people this is a badly needed safety net.

The banks are doing jack to help the taxpayer. Giving money to these blood-sucking, 35K commode users, is a waste. The banks could care less about their customers.

[sc92705]

The consumer is not spending so the government, to kick start the economy, must spend.
The tax cuts will do little, it is only there to get republican support.

[thirtyninesteps]

Infrastructure investment is the best part of what Obama wants to do. Curiously, it is one of the things the Republicans are most against.

[abby4ever]

New main:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/24/obama-plans-sweeping-over_n_160615.html

[abby4ever]

Just what is going on on this thread?

:]

[McChimp]

The sound of Repub tro//s heads imploding is imminent.

[liseworks]

Peas & schmlove (always good on a bagel) .........& where's your hat ??????

Puddin':-)

[marijam]

First, they need to learn the lessons of the failed bail-out last October. This means not chucking good money after bad. It is now embarrassingly obvious that Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling invested in the banks without troubling to discover how disastrous the true situation was.

This time round they must do the necessary due diligence – however horrifying the consequences and whatever dreadful skeletons they find rattling in the cupboard.

Second, they must not protect the shareholders, as they did last October by paying too much for the shares they acquired. The brutal truth is that RBS, HSBO and Lloyds are totally worthless without government backing. I am no believer in state ownership, but I am afraid that the shareholders – who did such a wretched job keeping management accountable at the height of the credit boom – must be punished.

Thirdly, senior management at these banks still enjoy sky-high salaries. To give one example among many, Guy Whittaker, the finance director of RBS, is on £700,000 a year. This profligacy is obscene and must be ended at once.

Fourthly, Gordon Brown urgently needs to make the spending cuts to ensure our national solvency in these desperately troubling times. Sadly, the Prime Minister shows no sign at all of taking this prudent course of action.

Finally, we must hope and pray. We are now on a downward spiral, and these are the most terrifying economic conditions for 80 years.

[CarolinaDem]

Wait a minute. This post far exceeds the upper limits of intelligence and coherence established by our tradition here, limits to which I for one only vainly aspire. If this keeps up we may start learning stuff!

[borderorder]

Way way OT: David Koresh's mother stabbed to death by her sister ...
http://www.corsicanadailysun.com/news/local_story_024140715.html

[scjk67]

i'm just wondering if the Rethuglicans neo-con right wing so called christians knows that they're the same as Al-Qaida or the Taliban? Religions is the very cause of this world affairs, based on falsifying preaching to spread democracy. Islamic groups are doing the same thing spreading their beliefs of the lies they were taught likewise christiananity, i'm not a christian but spiritually believe whats written in the Bible. this whole planet has become dumb down on stupidity of man kinds rule on everything on race, gender, and whatever reason they believe. Jesus made it clear this days are coming or is it here already, i vote for the latter of what i said. a terrible shame that what we all are these days of bickering this and that!
i love everybody even my enemies. we will never be in peace unless we think straight with out having to go to war over stupid lies from either the government or whatever!

Peace, jim

[scjk67]

off topic-------

i'm just wondering if the Rethuglicans neo-con right wing so called christians knows that they're the same as Al-Qaida or the Taliban? Religions is the very cause of this world affairs, based on falsifying preaching to spread democracy. Islamic groups are doing the same thing spreading their beliefs of the lies they were taught likewise christiananity, i'm not a christian but spiritually believe whats written in the Bible. this whole planet has become dumb down on stupidity of man kinds rule on everything on race, gender, and whatever reason they believe. Jesus made it clear this days are coming or is it here already, i vote for the latter of what i said. a terrible shame that what we all are these days of bickering this and that!
i love everybody even my enemies. we will never be in peace unless we think straight with out having to go to war over stupid lies from either the government or whatever!

Peace, jim

[Mogamboguru]

I feel so - DOOMSDAY - today:

UK - "We"re a nation on the brink of going bankrupt"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/columnists/article-1121427/PETER-OBORNE-We-8217-nation-brink-going-bankrupt.html

and

Roubini Predicts U.S. Losses May Reach $3.6 Trillion
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aS0yBnMR3USk&

Britisch and american banks combined will account for a further loss of 5.4 TRILLION DOLLARS in 2009, these articles say .

Thats 5400 BILLIONS - or 5,400,000 MILLION DOLLARS.

While:

Hyperinflation will begin in China and destroy the dollar
http://www.marketskeptics.com/2009/01/hyperinflation-will-begin-in-china-and.html

"Bucke up! Ready to go!"

[borderorder]

We'll all be slumdogs soon.

[wonketteRAWKS]

What about this, though it will never be done. Take the stimulus money and pay off every American's bills. Thus, leaving all Americans owing nothing. The Money paying off those bills will go to the companies owed allowing them to pay off their bills and reorganize their companies to operate efficiently until the economy improves. Americans with no bills will spend and be responsible for any new bills generated. With that time oversite will be re-established, unlike the Bush years and we can get back to being on the right track.

Just a thought.

[Mogamboguru]

This is so logical, intelligent, simple and effective, that it will be NEVER; EVER set in motion, I am afraid...

[liseworks]

"If it sounds too good to be true, then it must be" - .....SOMEBODY TALK US DOWN ! : )

[hardybear]

I vote for Denzel. He could talk me down from just about anything.

Except, perhaps, a bush redux.

Perish the thought.

[rubygreen]

whitehouse.gov, recovery.gov, change.gov Pass it forward!!!!

[kassandrasduplex]

Isn't the stimulus money more debt against the nation's Treasury, which will result in massive social service cuts? Bush left us $11 trillion in debt. Eventually the country will not be able to pay its debt. So how can it pay anything?

[CarolinaDem]

Sell Texas! Talk about a non-performing asset! It's rich in minerals and technology and utterly lacking in moral quality--perfect for the Chinese. They'll civilize the place, hire the Mexican people and build a huge wall to keep the cattle in. Free enterprise at its finest!

[rockyb26]

"He can't win in swing states."

[postman606]

"He can't close the deal".

[liseworks]

He's way too nice to win - he's got to be tougher !! ; )

[DACC]

there's no way a black man will be a US President

[brynnrose thorn]

But, but, but...he's not black enough!