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: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.
- $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
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
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So, if they don't get the money, they aren't going to play?
When did the Repubs call Blago for advice?
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.
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!
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’’:
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.