House GOP Tries to Raise Money Off Opposing Economic Help for Everyone Else

Apparently, House Republicans are so proud of themselves, they are trying to raise campaign dollars off their votes opposing economic help for everybody else.

I just received an email from GOP Rep. Pete Sessions, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee which supervises House election campaigns. Even though the nation is demanding action, the email gamely asks recipients to "stand with us" in stalling action.

Even though there is an unmistakable mandate for robust public investment, the NRCC lamely deems the bill "well left of center."

Too afraid of attacking the popular President Barack Obama who guided the legislation, he tries to attack the popular legislation as "goodies from Pelosi's grab bag," cherry-picking a few tiny items to obscure the overarching thrust of the legislation.

Here's the bulk of the email:

Last night Nancy Pelosi asked Republicans to join her in maxing out the country's credit card - Republicans said "NO!"

House Republicans are standing up to Pelosi, will you stand with us?

Under Pelosi's reign, Democrat crafting of this legislation was autocratic and well left of center. The $825 billion Economic Stimulus package was a grab bag of spending increases on programs long favored by liberals. Despite her claims, Speaker Pelosi never constructively brought Republicans into the process of drafting this legislation. 

Instead, Pelosi chose to force through a TRILLION-dollar spending bill - little of which will immediately stimulate our economy. In fact, her proposal was so bad, every Republican in the House, along with several Democrats, opposed this boondoggle.

A donation of $5, $10 or $25 will help us fight for you.

Here are some of the goodies from Pelosi's Liberal grab bag:

• $600 Million to Buy New Cars for Government Workers
  
• $335 Million for STD Education and Prevention
  
• $50 Million for the National Endowment for the Arts

We cannot spend and borrow our way to prosperity, a notion even some Democrats realized today when they joined the entire Republican Conference in opposing this insult to fiscal common-sense.

Please support us as we stand up for you - the American taxpayer - and against Nancy Pelosi and her liberal allies.

Thank you,

Pete Sessions
Chairman

Now, this isn't a scandal. There's nothing wrong under our campaign finance system to try to raise money of your legislative actions.

But it is eyebrow-raising to see House Republicans raise money for themselves by trying to deny economic help for everybody else.

And it's also telling. Clearly the NRCC believes, and is likely correct, that even though most of country supports the bill, tthe rabid rump conservative base is frenzied enough by the blitz of misinformation (ACORN! $275,000 per job! Full of pork!) for it to be financially lucrative to pander to the minority.

Of course, they are also crossing their fingers for failure, knowing that even the Obama administration doesn't expect 2009 to be a pretty economic year after the massive hole conservative dug us into. They are hoping to stoke public anxiety and spin themselves as prescient.

But they still have done nothing to accept responsibility for their own conservative failures. Their proposed alternative is literally more of the same Bush tax cuts that helped create the current mess.

So all they have at the moment is the hope they can squeeze more dollars out of the hysterical Hannitized dittohead diaspora.

If they can't, it's probably because after what they did to the economy, their supporters are broke too.

Originally posted at OurFuture.org

Comments

[tompoe]

Bring an artist to town, and no less than 3 jobs are created. The examples of communities around the country is undeniable. So, why would the Party of Corporate Welfare not want to encourage this stimulus item we call the arts? I suspect we're seeing a true effort to drive the country into ruin again, only this time on the Democrats' watch.

[Petey131]

At this point no matter how much the republicans cry like babies, they are irrelavent. They did nothing during the last 8 years and Bush destroyed this country. In 2010 I will volunteer and donate to remove from office any and all republicans running for re-election!

[Rapid Ray]

"A donation of $5, $10 or $25 will help us fight for you."

So, if they don't get the money, they aren't going to play?

When did the Repubs call Blago for advice?

[robbep]

The way I see it if the republicans are so confident O's plan will not work then why not get out of the way and let it fail? These arguements abt pork and liberal are tired and not worthy of comment anymore. We the people voted for a change in direction and that shld be respected by the ousted party. If the republicans are determined to not be part of the solution they shld at least not remain the prblm.

[lj9283]

Interesting that the Republicans used the $600 Million for "New Cars for Government Workers" as a rally point.

Did they miss the fact that every year (including the past eight) the GSA retires and acquires 40,000-50,000 vehicles? Don't they read the Budget they approve every year?

From the press Summary of the Bill:
GSA Federal Fleet: $600 million to replace older vehicles owned by the federal government with alternative fuel automobiles that will save on fuel costs and reduce carbon emissions.

The uptick on price for an alternative energy vehicle runs between $6,000 and $7,500 from what I've seen in the market.

7500x80000=600 million

GSA is buying new cars. They buy 40000 to 50000 every year. This provides "stimulus" to the alternate energy car market for the next two years from the GSA.

[brotherdoc]

No doubt the bankers who accumulated $18 billion in year end bonuses (paid for with taxpayer bailout money) will have plenty of $ to make donations to the GOP....especially after our president made critical comments about their irresponsibility yesterday.

[dreamsmasher]

Are you that much of an idiot or are you really that brainwashed?
How much of this bill is actually a stimulus package and how much is nothing but pure unadulterated pork?
Why are you not condemning the eleven Democrats who voted against it and if this was such a good bill why are the Democrats not celebrating? I'll tell you why, because the Democrats know that they cannot blame the Republicans for any of this crap, they wrote it, they voted for it, they own it!
You cannot blame Bush or the Republicans for this trash.
The Democrats for the last four years have been blaming extensive pork barrel spending on the Republicans but now it is painfully obvious who really deserves the blame.
I totally agree with the Republicans on this one and if you would take time to do your research you would find that Sessions was actually being nice with the ones he "cherrypicked," by your blog I guess you feel it's okay for David Obey to earmark 2.2 billion dollars to the National Parks Service for which it just so happens his very own son is a lobbyist, isn't that interesting?
This bill is a total waste of taxpayer money, the Democrats are feeding the American people a load of crap and telling us that it is fillet mignon and you believe them, what a pitty!

[lj9283]

For those who would be interested in the wording of the Bill:

National Park Service - Construction
For an additional amount for ‘‘Construction’’, $1,700,000,000, for projects to address critical deferred
maintenance needs within the National Park System, including roads, bridges and trails, and for other critical infrastructure projects: Provided, That funds may be transferred to ‘‘Operation of the National Park System’’:

[DallasMike]

Why should the GOP stick their necks out for a bill that they were stoped from having any input.
I sure as hell would not.
Like dreamsmasher said the Dems drafted this, did not want any GOP imput but the Dems want the GOP the goose step in line and vote for it.

[Osmona]

I'm glad the Republicans did not sign on. So when it WORKS they can't take any of the credit. But of course they will find a way to take credit.,

[dreamsmasher]

Yeah right! Name one single time in the past when the Republicans were totally against a bill by the Democrats that succeeded and the Republicans tried to take credit.
To the contrary I can say that the Democrats were totally for the war in Iraq before they realized that it would make George Bush more likable so George Sorros and James Carville talked the Democrats into going against the war, then the onslaught began, since then every single Democrat has tried to drive a wedge between the country to claim that they were totally against it.
Isn't it interesting that only a month ago ninety percent of the country (Democrat and Republican) was against the $750 billion bailout yet the Democrat controlled Congress passed it anyway and now present day the Democrats are at it again but this time they are calling it a stimulus package when in reality it is no more than a pork bill and I guarantee you that in 2010 the voters will remember this!

[Disdain]

Trying to have a logical conversation with a liberal is like banging your head against the wall, all you'll get for your trouble is a massive headache! While you're at it, try and get one of them to answer what the democrats since taking control of Congress on November 2006? Did you see the beating that was given to Campbell Brown of CNN for having the audacity to call the president on his failed promised of no Lobbyists in the white house. I feel like I'm back in my native country where speaking your mind could get you killed!