Democrats kill McCain's alternative stimulus plan

WASHINGTON — The Senate has killed an alternative economic stimulus plan by Sen. John McCain that would have cut income and payroll taxes but spent far less than President Obama's plan.

The party-line 57-40 vote against McCain's $421 billion plan came Thursday as a group of moderate Democrats and Republicans struggled to cut up to $100 billion from Obama's version.

McCain's plan would have cut the bottom two income tax brackets and lowered corporate income taxes. It also would have extended unemployment benefits and provide money to repair and replace military equipment worn out in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Obama defeated McCain for the presidency last fall.

Comments

[Volunteer1]

06:16 PM on 02/08/2009

Oh right Aloha, another trillion on top of the last 700 billion is obviously the right way to move. You've thought that through. First, I don't recall ANY plans by McCain pertaining to this issue actually being passed into law. The plan "proposed" plan by McCain, however, is heck of a lot better than what is on the Senate floor right now. If you want to stimulate American labor and income, then stimulate business. Business is where the jobs are created and wealth for the working people generated; not handouts, porkbarrel projects, and "we will do this in 2011." You CAN NOT simply throw around money and hope to spend your way out of economic hardship. Sorry Aloha....you are just wrong.

[aloha43]

11:58 AM on 02/08/2009

If McCain is against the stimulus bill.....then it must be the right thing to do.

He was wrong on the economy every step of the way in the past....why would anyone want to take this man's advice?

[swanie]

07:45 PM on 02/07/2009

I hope that McCain realizes that the STATE OF ARIZONA will have a nearly $2 BILLION deficit this fiscal year because of the drop like a rock revenue stream.

The U of A, ASU, and NAU will have to sustain cuts of nearly 40% in their budgets, the state's school systems (already underfunded) will have even more money denied them, and the state's education system may DROP from 45th in the US to take Mississippi's place as number 50.

THAT IS WHAT YOU'RE DOING, Mr. McCain, and I WILL GUARANTEE YOU THE VOTERS OF THIS STATE WILL NOT FORGET IN 2010 WHAT YOU HAVE DONE.

From:

Charles Swanson
Green Valley, AZ

[myworld]

04:50 PM on 02/07/2009

I noticed J.Mcsane and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)huddled together protesting the package ,they had the weirdest smirks on their faces ,like the were playing a game.They have no real interest in helping those who are not rich,bankers and oil execs.and the elite

[AsISaid]

04:48 PM on 02/07/2009

Let's face it. McCain has never been known to be an intellectual heavyweight. He has a reputation for being nasty to those who oppose him. He's admitted he knows nothing about the economy. His ideas are as tired as he looks.

Look who the Republicans acknowledge as leaders these days: McCain. Palin. Joe the Plumber (who the Republicans called upon to advise them). DeMint. Vitters. Brownback. Boehner.

It's pitiful.

[dartagnan]

05:54 PM on 02/07/2009

You left out Flush Rimbowl.

[grumpygranny66]

06:22 PM on 02/07/2009

LOL ;-)

[aloha43]

12:03 PM on 02/08/2009

From this day forward....Rush's name will make me think of a toilet every time I hear it.

(But, in reality....he is what is floating in that toilet, and we need to flush it as fast as we can!)

[swanie]

07:46 PM on 02/07/2009

The people of the State of Arizona NEED TO START NOW to make the plans and take the actions to ensure THAT McCain IS NOT RE-ELECTED IN 2010.

LET'S GET TO WORK ! ! !

Enough of this idiocy.
.

[RudiZ]

01:48 PM on 02/07/2009

McCain would be better off engaged in shooting wolves from the air with Sarah, but best not to take Cheney along as Dick might miss again & pepper the pilots face instead. However with his flight record, it would be unwise for Sarah to allow John to pilot the plane himself ---- he’s pretty good at crashing stuff.

[Eyeswideopen1]

03:19 PM on 02/07/2009

"The ecomony is fundamentally sound"

[myworld]

04:38 PM on 02/07/2009

That sums up the still present tone deafness

[grumpygranny66]

05:52 PM on 02/07/2009

Those were the exact words McCain said. That's why he is not the Prez.

[Quixotic2]

08:58 PM on 02/06/2009

The Democrats had better start acting like they are in charge. Republicans not only have no political capital after their sound thrashing in the last election, but they are saying things that should be anathema to their constituency, such as attacking $500K salary caps on executives of companies that fail and defending multimillion dollar perks for these same people. If a worker is part of a failed company (through little fault of his own), he's laid off. (Or she.) If an executive is part of a failed company (an outcome they certainly helped produce), he (or she) complains that he might have to live on $500K a year and will quit if that comes to pass. Just how many successful companies are standing by with huge salaries for failed executives?
Let's face it, tax relief and lack of government regulation have resulted in the destruction of the middle class and the creation of a financial aristocracy, membership in which politicians clearly covet. It's like the French aristocracy must have been just before the famous revolution. McCain has 8 houses and is worried more about his social standing with the elite than helping restore the middle class.
Has anyone noticed Republicans keep referring to their "base", i.e., donors and sponsors, rather then their constituency, the middle class folks that elected them and depend on them?

[Gerald101]

05:45 PM on 02/06/2009

John: will u ever put country first? ever? do you have no honor, em?

[jfoxx]

03:10 PM on 02/06/2009

I love the last line of this article. thanks AP.. thanks for putting things into context. .I completely forgot who John McCain is.

[swanie]

07:47 PM on 02/07/2009

The people of the State of Arizona NEED TO START NOW to make the plans and take the actions to ensure THAT McCain IS NOT RE-ELECTED IN 2010.

LET'S GET TO WORK ! ! !

Enough of this idiocy.

[Forest]

02:00 PM on 02/06/2009

The Repubs and McCain want to give failed bank execs all they want from the public till, but wring their hands over $$ helping public programs.

[PWM]

03:03 PM on 02/07/2009

The GOP has a long history of creating poverty.

[billtheroofer]

12:59 PM on 02/06/2009

Two words for McCain--SHUT UP

[Kiabell04]

02:25 PM on 02/06/2009

Agreed!! ^

[dartagnan]

05:55 PM on 02/07/2009

I could make that four words but it wouldn't get past the censors.

[ffny]

12:01 PM on 02/06/2009

John we can change your name to NERO and the U. S. to Rome....get the analogy.

Republicans had 6 of the last eight years a took a surplus to a deficit bigtime. Get out of the way!

[Lawyer822]

11:30 AM on 02/06/2009

Note to John McCain you lost. Why in the world would you introduce your own stimulus plan. Bi-partisan my a..... Where did the Maverick go or was that all talk... Corporate tax breaks don't work. My opinion on all these Republicans is that they want Obama to fail so they can reclaim the presidency. I don't believe any of the Republicans care if our country tanks... I wish I was a fly on the wall and could hear what they probably say to each other. These politicans claim they work for us but I don't believe that at all. Once they get to Washington they forget all about us the people.

[imnofred]

11:39 AM on 02/06/2009

My feelings exactly!! With the country going down the toilet, all the repugs are concerned about is positioning themselves for the next election. What happened to "country first"???

[Telemachus]

03:12 PM on 02/06/2009

Positioning themselves in castles, with private armies ... excuse me, "security contractors". Welcome back to the Dark Ages.

[aloha43]

12:07 PM on 02/08/2009

He must have suspended his Arizona Senator duties to submit his own stimulus plan to save the economy.

We all know how that worked out.

[garymc8]

11:21 AM on 02/06/2009

I must be getting old. I heard mccain on the tv in the other room and yelled "Get off my lawn, I mean TV"

[Steamboater]

11:19 AM on 02/06/2009

McCain is such a tired old man with tired old policies he supports. No wonder he lost the election. He should just go away and retire to Alaska and sit on a porch wth Sarah Palin and watch Russia.

[Gerald101]

05:46 PM on 02/06/2009

he would rather lose the e rec ti/ion than rub up against pal/in.

[RODERICK098]

01:12 PM on 02/08/2009

Geraldine it is time you came out of the closet don't ya think