GOP Leaders, Including McCain, Reject Stimulus Plan

Leading Republicans Sunday indicated that they would oppose passage of the stimulus package as it is currently written. While there is bi-partisan acknowledgment that some sort of stimulus package needs to be passed to provide a jolt to the economy, Democrats are attaching a sense of urgency to the situation that Republicans do not seem to share. The economic picture shows no signs of improving, as investors brace for the biggest plunge in GDP in 26 years.

Originally, Democrats wanted to have a stimulus plan ready for Obama to sign on his first day in office. That was, perhaps, an unrealistic goal, but it is now unlikely that any kind of plan will be passed before mid to late February.

Commenting this morning on the Sunday talk shows, high-ranking GOP members gave the current stimulus package low marks and threatened to vote against it unless significant changes are made:

"Right now, given the concerns that we have over the size of this package and all of the spending in this package, we don't think it's going to work," the House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio, said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "And so if it's the plan that I see today, put me down in the no column."

Boehner warned that many rank-and-file Republicans had the same sentiments.

John McCain also voiced his opposition to the stimulus:

Senator McCain, who lost the presidential election to Mr. Obama in November, said that he planned to vote no unless the bill were changed.

"We need to make tax cuts permanent, and we need to make a commitment that there'll be no new taxes," Mr. McCain said. "We need to cut payroll taxes. We need to cut business taxes."

To watch McCain's appearance on "Fox News Sunday," click here.

Republicans want much more of the stimulus package to consist of tax cuts instead of spending, and Democrats have acceded to much of this demand. Indeed, Democratic Congressional leaders defended including more tax cuts in the package despite calling them ineffective. Huffingon Post's Sam Stein reports:

Two of the highest-profile Democrats in Congress argued on Sunday that when it comes to the economic stimulus package, spending projects will do more to jump-start the economy than tax cuts.

And then... they defended the tax cuts.

Appearing on the Sunday talk show circuit, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi touted the merits of the recovery package now making its way through Congress. But there was a peculiar logic to their defense: tax cuts would not be as effective in encouraging job growth, but they would make up a major portion of the legislation anyways.

It wasn't just GOP politicians who took to the airwaves to criticize the stimulus plan. Leading Republican intellectuals offered their own, much more pointed, critiques. Think Progress has compiled a video of Bill Kristol and Charles Krauthammer bashing the stimulus. David Brooks also weighed in with a column on January 23rd, calling it an "unholy marriage that manages to combine the worst of each approach." Apparently Obama's conservative dinner party was not as effective as he would have hoped. Watch the video below.

Comments

[Joeprah]

I think the stimulus plan needs work. Here's an idea: http://dad-blogs.com/the-blogs/home/65-news/161-building-a-better-stimulus-plan.html. I am just glad so much discussion is generated. Let's have our voices heard!

[grf67]

McCain, Boehner,McConnell, Palin and the rest of the losing republicans will do anything to stay in the news. It would be better if they were smart enough to be constructive rather than distructive.

[StanziT]

It's a "no-brainer." Something MUST be done. And I want to know where Boehner got his tan. Is it real, or is it Man Tan?

[billw8017]

Just a couple points:

1) Tax cuts do not add money to the economy since the government would have spent the money itself: It's a wash. Tax cuts and continued deficit spending adds money, but the operand factor is the continued spending.

2) The real problem is the stratification of wealth. Since the rich cannot consume more, their wealth goes into invented paperwork, the stock, property, hedge funds and derivative investments. The price of these rises and it all floats above the "real" economy, taking some extractions but not really productive. The real economy is the source of wealth and because it is neglected, the wealth from investments declines. All speculative investments are a kind of Ponzi game, anyway. The bubbles burst just the same way full Ponzi games fail when exposed.

And what does this all mean: Tinkle down works as well according to this theory as it works in fact. A stimulus program will work because it redistributes wealth, restoring the mass of the people as consumers. Everybody knows this. That is why in the most desperate circumstances, people are rushed their tax refunds or have unemployment benefits extended or are otherwise given some cash.

The Republican program is what brought the economic collapse about. They have no concern about it. Remember, some people made out quite well and, now, have their money in foreign banks.

[6milliondollar man]

First John doesn't know how many houses he owns, now he doesn't remember the economy is going down the drain.

Dementia is something else.

[NWRICK]

Yo Sen McCain(and other obstructionists),
We heard your ideas.
On the 4th of Nov. we told you were to put those ideas.
Get a clue. Obama is being a gracious winner, he could tell you all to take a hike.

[Burkelbile]

Our "maverick" who wants to "reach across the aisle" appears to have left the building.

Pleased to welcome the return of Mean Mr. Mustard

[norkas]

Ask Mc Cain if he is proud of how he and the lowlifes left our economy

The Republicans like to say Clintos had a hand in the sub prime and no money down lending.

Now if i have this wring the Republicans dummies ruled the white house ,senate ,congess and all decisons making for 8 years except for congress which has no power the dems has for the last year.

Did the dummie Republicans consider that if Clinton passed a bill with democrats that was not good for the nation to change because they had the power to do it. No they want to share blame and only a fool would listen to these dictator cry babies who destroyed this nation economy by allowing us to be scamed by wall street, lobbyist and then passing the buck on to Democrats to share in the economy woes.

Like i just say Republicans were the powerhouse that let people purchase homes for 0 down and 10% down and they cannot blame anyone because they could of changed everything and decided not to. Never trust the Republican party of today they are NOT patriots but lowlifes whom would trade this country away for a dollar anytime.

[kittyma]

By the way. Will someone tell the Repubs and the media that there are people who work in the arts and that planting grass on the mall and otherwise fixing the mall will give people lots of jobs. (but i guess since the former is for those artsy types and the latter is probably for the poor of DC, these do not count as people!)

[blatgirl]

Thank you. When will any of these pundits correct these goons? It's The Democratic Party. They fall over themselves cutting it off at Democrat. I've been using Repubs, also. It's kindergarten while our economy is imploding they are playing pitiful semantics.

[JShep]

Can anyone identify where in the history of the world a government was ever able to spend their way out of an economic crises. However, there is historic data indicating that certain tax reductions can stimulate economies. This whole stimulus package is just a giant spending spree that our grandchildren can not afford.

[spartanmom]

New Deal

and don't give us that cr@p about it not having any effect or the 1938 downturn because we all know that they are misreadings of the historical record and we don't believe that you know more than Nobel Laureates do,

[spartanmom]

And as far as tax reductions go, that only works up to a point and then it becomes a case of diminishing returns

[NWRICK]

The massive public works project known as WWII.

[Daly]

Our G'kids could not afford this war; nor the lies of the last 8 years that have cost us & their futures.
Drill here,drill now.

[winnie47]

Thanks to the Rethugs, we have a $1.3 trillion deficit that our children AND grandchildren cannot afford, and that's BEFORE President Obama spends one red cent. That deficit was caused by two things: Bush's illegal war in Iraq, and Bush's tax cuts to the very rich. We have seen what eight years of GOP-trickl­e-down-fre­e-market-s­upply-side­-ownership­-society economics will get us - Great Depression II. Time to face the facts, Rethugs. You have no credibility when discussing the economy or criticizing someone else's spending policies. Now shut up and let the grownups clean up the mess you made.

[Hank10303]

The republicans has three trys to make their concept of economic theory work. First Ronald Regan with the trickle down theory; then George Bush 41, his presidency ended in recession and now George Bush 43, we are near depression. Its clear to those that have experienced all three attempts that the republicans theory may work on paper but in practice it sucks. It is also clear they have no clue that its not working because its constructed to advantage the rich and they have benefited greatly. ENOUGH your people are suffering and you still won't hear our voices. ENOUGH

[silentknight65]

HEY, JOHN McCAIN!
What part of L-O-S-E don't you understand?
Obama has been very patient thus far. If this keeps up, he should go on TV and tell the American
people: "I can't govern effectively with all this Republican obstructionism". Then we can vote MORE of these Bush clowns out in 2010.

[winnie47]

I think that's exactly where this is headed. President Obama won a clear victory and a clear mandate. He is CHOOSING to be magnanimous by trying to encourage bipartisan governing. He is doing it in a very public way. When it becomes clear that the GOP is nothing but an obstructionist waste of space, he can give a press conference saying, "Look, America, I bent over backwards to give these guys a chance. They don't WANT to work together. But I was elected to get things done, so unfortunately, the Democrats will have to proceed on their own. The country can't be held hostage by ideologues forever". Then he is off the hook, and the GOP once again looks as asinine as they really are.

[jdh45]

McCain thought Palin was a good idea...Nuff said.

[StevenevetS]

Hear, Hear!

[caught-in-the-middle]

The truth is that the repubs know, as well as veteran dems, that the stimulus package is not only too sm all, it is an effort in futility. The markets are controlled by a small number of ultra rich individuals.

Their wealth dwarfs the GDP of all nations combined and they are simply toying with the world economies for their own amusement and to increase their personal wealth.

Aerosmith had it right. “E a t th e rich.

U want to stop this? It will take a global e ffort. Stop paying a ll of your bill s. If the f l o w st ops. The ma chine g r I n ds to a h a l t.

Stock u[p on foo d and w a t e r. then s t o p paying the m.

I giv e it te n days at the mo st.

[Star2000dancer]

As all these banks & corporations merge, they are creating monopoloies. This use to be illegal? I thought it still was. We need to go back to small banks & businesses that have prode in what they due & are honest. Let the big guys fail & give all the money back they stole.

[acecat]

John McCain is on record as saying he "doesn't know much about the economy", and the GOP is going to HIM for advice on the stimulus package?? Hey GOPers, ask a guy that doesn't have a clue about the economy to help you fight an idea that might help the economy. You had eight years to get it right, you drove our economy to the brink of destruction and now you're against new ideas? THAT's the way to restore your party and gain the trust of Americans! Brilliant!!

[Star2000dancer]

I want to see every eletist have to live one month the way I had to live since they came into power.

[lynettema]

Boehner: " Hey, this stimulus package just might work. We better oppose it at all costs. Obstruct, obstruct, obstruct!"

[Star2000dancer]

No McCain, you're right. You know so much about the economy. I guess you learned it growing up as slave owners & you got to see how your slaves lived. Heck, you even have a whole black family from cross breeding that you refuse to acknowledge.
Now we have dangerous deadly medications to deal with too. We can not wait until you & the rest of ye old Plantation owners, blue dogs, & clueless Gopers are gone. I believe I speak for most Americans.

[acecat]

Mr. Boehner is always interested in how much airtime he can get out of any situation. One thing is certain--his wife doesn't have to worry about him being unfaithful because he will never allow anyone to get between him and himself!