Not one Republican vote! Not one! And that is the Republican Party's response to the American public who, as every poll indicates, are begging for less partisanship and more "just get the job done."
The Obama stimulus package passed in the House along strict party lines. So there it is America, we now know who to thank or blame. That being the case the Republicans just painted themselves into an obstructionist corner. They are betting on and praying for national failure. Like Rush Limbaugh, they are hoping the economic recovery fails. They have bet against our future, even against a president who reached out in an unprecedented way to them. Their answer to President Obama's extended hand? A clenched fist! Head in the sand! The "we won't play!" of perennial brats.
The Republican Party just doesn't get it. We are in trouble! And our country's fate and the success or failure of the Obama presidency is now one and the same.
The Republicans could have done a great thing for their party and the country: sent a message to the world -- we stand together! Imagine the impact on tomorrow's stock market, and our enemy's view of America and our standing in the world if instead of a partisan Republican "NO" vote the backing of the recovery plan had been unanimous approval!
If the Republicans weren't stuck in a white man's reactionary country club past -- and I speak here as white former life long Republican -- this momentous vote could have changed American history. It would have changed it not just on this issue but because of the symbolism. It would have told all Americans -- we are at war with our weaknesses, we will prevail, take heart help is on the way.
The Republicans might have then shared the credit, even won a few elections in the future. Now their fate is sealed. Obama will succeed. America won't forget who to thank.
The Republicans have made themselves the enemy of our recovery. They would rater take us all down than let our president have his day. While President Obama is blessed with a large vision, the Republicans are mired in a petty past, a small "victory" in unanimous obstruction passing for a moral "victory."
With this NO vote, the Republican Party sends us this message: we are a group of bad losers, don't entrust us with your future! And: We are betting against you America!
We Americans are wounded. President Obama has arrived with his ambulance as he promised he would. All the Republicans could think of doing was to try and let the air out of the tires. Shame!
Frank Schaeffer is the author of Crazy For God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back (Now in Paperback).
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I want to know why NOT one elected thug is speaking of BRINGING BACK MANUFACTURING JOBS TO AMERICA? Service industry jobs cannot employ everyone. Building roads and bridges cannot employ everyone and those jobs will not and cannot last forever. So, when is America going to bring back jobs...Why are NOT the elected thugs who are stealing us blind talking of REAL JOBS for Americans?
This crap of oh its cheaper...BS!!! Its a damn lie. IT IS ABOUT TIME AMERICANS DEMAND THESE OFFICIALS DO FOR AMERICA, FOR AMERICANS AND DO THE RIGHT THING. Building a road or bridge is NOT an answer!!!
has anyone noticed that Hollywood producers are on the stimulus package list to receive money?
Can anyone explain that to me?
Is this the Democrats watching out for middle America or is it payback for all the campaign contributions?
I think you're looking at this backwards.
The vote shows that "bi-partisanship" was on the side OPPOSED to Obama's massive giveaway of non-existent funds destined to prop up Democrat pet projects.
The "partisan" side was the "YES" side - only Democrats.
You also seem to be silent on your hero's selection of scandal-ridden cabinet members. Remember during the campaign how the mainstream media wore out the phrase "McCain didn't do sufficient vetting on Sarah Palin"? I must have heard it a hundred times the first few days that the left talking points mavens passed that one around.
Why aren't those same people complaining about Obama's insufficient vetting of the tax cheats, criminal pardoners, and other political sleazeballs he's trying to appoint to the cabinet? Of course! It can't POSSIBLY be the Messiah's fault! Because you have defined him as faultless. You must make reality conform to your preconceptions. Hey, isn't that what your dad always taught?
The best way to get rid of the gridlock is by getting rid of the Republicans. We do that by reinvestigating 9/11 to show that the Neocons were complicit with the event and show that the past 8 years' worth of history has been a lie based on 9/11. (Evidently this idea is censored from Huffington blog posts, for whatever reason - we'll see.)
If I may continue: I believe, as millions of Americans do, that (some of the) Neocons and members of the "military industrial complex" (a.k.a. the "national security state") were directly responsible for 9/11 occurring. I believe this was done as a repeat of the "Reichstag Fire", to allow the Republicans (as some of them openly desire) to establish a permanent one-party State based on permanent Warmongering to control the world and its resources. I believe this goal has not changed, and the only way to remove the threat is to reinvestigate 9/11 top to bottom without allowing a "national secrets" defense, culminating with at the very least the dismissal of people whose actions contributed to the intelligence "failure" (but I believe that almost all of 9/11 was a HOAX.)
If we prove these suspicions true, that changes the entire world politcal scene - and many, many people will go to jail. So of course there are very vested interests against reopening the 9/11 investigations.
Many books in print support the demand for a reinvestigation and show that the original investigation was a whitewash. We get a reinvestigation by demanding one. So start demanding a (thorough) reinvestigation.
Ummm...this is a joke, right?
Republicans AND Democrats are telling America to go to hell. Just like they've always done. Are you kidding me? Some of you people on here act like Democrats are somehow less likely to rip you off. They are ALL ripping you off. Take the bailout from a couple weeks ago, for example. It was pushed by Republicans and approved by Democrats. TOTAL SCAM! This bailout we're talking about right now. Pushed by Democrats and not approved by Republicans yet, but they'll probably cave in sooner or later. ANOTHER TOTAL SCAM! Congress is up there living large, giving my hard earned money away to totally worthless institutions and programs like Citigroup while I struggle to pay bills. Well here's my message to Congress, the White House, Republicans AND Democrats. You go to hell!
They get their marching orders from Rush Limbaugh who stated unequivocally, "I HOPE HE FAILS."
I think the worst example was Phil Gingrey, GA rep, who said something like "Rush, Hannity, Levin don't speak for me!" for which his phones and email were bombarded by Dittoheads. He called in to grovel to Rush and lick his boots - and we even have video! I smell a potent political ad.
Here's the Young Turks showing the clip and commenting on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSr2DFjU8aI&feature=related
How's "Rush says 'JUMP!' Republicans ask 'How high?'" sound for a tag-line?
This one's a spoof
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DETxIUpyc5o
Okay, the spoof might be a tad much. However is does make the point of how 's wipes grovel at Limbaugh's feet. Personally, I think for the rest of his administration Obama should ignore Rush. He should treat Rush as a virtual nonentity. Unless Rush makes a direct personal attack against him or his family. What I admired about Obama while on the campaign trail, he responded positively. His detractors couldn't get any traction against Obama. The momentum stayed with Obama. Ignoring self important blowtards like Rush absolutely infuriates them. The more infuriated they get, the worse their judgment. Eventually, they implode. Speaking of blowtards, white supremacist David Duke has come out swinging against RNC Chair, Michael Steele. He called him a racist (go figure) and has threatened to remove 90% of the Republican Party. Don't know why he's leaving the other 10%. BTW, Duke isn't the only one. I smell a meltdown.
The Pubbies apparently didn't think through the ramifications of their obstructionist votes. If the stimulus package does fail--as they evidently hope it will--the Dems can blame the Pubbies for sabotaging it. The Pubbies are betting on America's going broke--hardly a position that endears them to our people.
I like Colbert's solution: If they all voted NO based on principal, then those 177 GOP and BDD reps' districts shouldn't see one penny of the money. Works for me!
Harder to do in the senate, since they are statewide and 2 per. BUT, if BOTH of a states senators vote NO...
Enough for my fantasies, back in reality, didn't the Pubbies forfeit any seats on the conference committee that reconciles the house & senate bills? I mean if they ALL voted NO, why should they be trusted to make compromises? That makes as much sense as Bush appointing anti-regulation people to regulate - or a UN ambassador who hates the UN... (many other examples)
On the sabotage front, I've heard some GOP senators bragging on TV how they're going to dangle bi-partisanism, while threatening filibuster, to get drastic changes made, then vote against it anyway - same as the house.
Rush (and Sean, and Mark, et al) well be SO proud!.
THE ReupbliCons always tell Americans to go to hell. Look how they governor, the proof is, the Repubs have effed up.
Republicans are a mess..then again so are democrats! The chaos of this country lies on BOTH PARTIES...WAKE UP!
Everyone is all over the Republicans for the partisan vote. However, if you take close note, this passed along "strict party lines". Do you mean there wasn't even one Democrat that thought there was too much pork in this package? That bothers me just as much as no Republicans supporting it.
Both sides have a vested interest in partisan politics and it seems obvious that neither side is willing to extend a hand across the aisle.
Every example of pork given by the republicans has turned out not to be pork upon close inspection. They have made up lots of outright lies, half-truths, and misinformation while frantically waving their arms and screaming PORK, DEFICITS, NATIONAL DEBT, PORK over and over again. They have entered the twilight zone where they spout lies in whirling dervish mode.
They lie, all the time. They don't like the bill because it spends money that will help U.S. citizens instead of handing the money to Halliburton.
If you can't see the hypocrisy inherent in their every move after spending ten billion every month for the past five years on a war we started on the basis of lies, then I don't know what else to say.
Economists agree that it's a reasonable stimulus package. If you prefer to accept a different conclusion based on statements made by known liars, then be my guest.
""They lie, all the time. They don't like the bill because it spends money that will help U.S. citizens instead of handing the money to Halliburton.""
You are so right.
And the media carries the water for them every time. Most of what you hear is about 4 items (the bee thing, STD prevention, ...) that can be made to sound silly (think pregnant chads), but don't even total $1B! They did the same thing with the $700B bank bailout bill. The bill grew by over $160B when the senate Dems had to insert "sweeteners" to get GOP votes - but all you heard about were Wooden toy arrows, PR rum and two others I can't remember.
I don't know whether the media is just so lazy that they just run with whatever talking points the RNC distributes, or they are in open conspiracy with the RW GOP. Probably some of each... Remember how much money the GOP's been shoving back into these 8-figure pundits' pockets for the last 8 years - which is why every interview of any Democrat includes a question about, and pushback against, raising the top tax rate - lately, even crusading for new, bigger tax cuts.
When America's in trouble, the rich can always be counted on to step up and fill their own pockets, with the "remedy."
I also can't believe that the GOP is still preaching tax cuts and de-regulation (Mark to Market repeal?) when that's the reason we're where we are!
.
Ha ha! You mean the R's are using the Dem's favorite tactic: repeating a line over and over again until everyone believes it? This was Slick Willy's favorite trick!
Read the stimulus, there is no pork in that bill. That is repugs bein sore losers. Stop listening to them and do your own research.
There are 255 Democratic members of the House and 178 Repugs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives#Latest_election_results_and_party_summary
The vote in favor of the stimulus bill was 244 to 188.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/partisan-barbs-follow-house-stimulus-vote/
Therefore a third-grade education should allow us to conclude that 10 Democrats voted against the stimulus package. It's one thing to be ignorant of the facts. It's another thing to broadcast one's ignorance via the web.
It's funny how all of the Democrats are mad at Republicans for not playing along, but imagine this if you will. What if Democrats would have stood up to Bush and Paulson when they presented that god-awful bailout from a couple of months ago? Republicans are now doing what Democrats should've done the last time around. It's called OPPOSING A STUPID IDEA!
Hard to oppose a Dictator, especially when you could be found "Un-American" by Ashcroff and sententenced to prison with no Constitutional Right's or Legal Representation.
Imagine this if you will, Obama brings the entire Bush Administration to Justice and has Rush Limbaugh hanged for impersonating an Elected Official.
Furthermore, why did'nt the allmighty Republicans stop that god-awful bailout?
Because it lined their pocket's, that's why!
Oh, get off it. Dictator? Really? Did you honestly feel, PERSONALLY, that you were living in a dictatorship for the past 8 years? Have you talked to anyone who has lived in a REAL one (Cuba, USSR, etc.)? Can you give me a list of normal, everyday Americans who were imprisoned for no reason except that Bush or Ashcroft thought they were un-American?
Read about Stalin if you want to learn what a dictatorship was like. The last 8 years was a picnic compared to that. There is no comparison whatsoever. HuffPo couldn't have survived if the country was as bad as you claim.
The Bank bailout was a disaster. We agree on that.
Economists agree that the stimuli package is good, except it would be better with more spending. That is economists.
The only people I have heard say that the Stimuli Package is bad are partisan hacks, republican aperatchiks, and miscellaneous propaganda dispensers.
If you keep taking economic advice from fools, you wind up with the current conditions.
We voted for change, not more of the same as what got use here. Get over it.
Voodoo Economics is not only a complete failure, it is an unmitigated disaster. We have tonnes of evidence at how well it does not work.
Ideologues! Ignore reality and the evidence that you ideology is faulty! Ever onward to the complete death of the economy! Stay the course (right over the cliff)!
I don't care what "economists" say. I'm an economist. Who the hell cares? Nobody. I will never approve of anyone taking my money and giving it to totally worthless institutions like Citi when I need that money to pay bills. Some "economists" in some far off place know better than me what I need right now? Are you kidding me?
Change? What change? Please! It is the same but getting worse! and this is NO sitmuli package...it is indeed the tanking of America.
Again, as I ask anyone...WHERE DOES THIS MONEY COME FROM? AND DID YOU NOT HEAR CHINA SHOUT...THEY HATE US. Please..wake up!
May I ask what you think Obama should do to resolve the current crisis?
I don't care what he does as long as it doesn't involve taking my hard earned money that I need to pay bills and give to total crap like Citigroup.
obama needs to let those failure corporations and individuals fail as they did the deed and now they must pay the price. It is NOT Americans who are doing right responsibility to lift the failures out!! Who is going to bail us out? NO ONE...thats who! And NO obama cannot bail you out if you loose a home, cannot pay bills...wake up!!
It's called doing nothing which is what they do best!
Doing nothing is better than picking my pocket. I'm struggling to pay may bills and these clowns want to give MORE of my money away to totally worthless institutions even after they just did it a couple of weeks ago?
If the Bill is not top heavy in tax cuts for the GOP base along with cuts in social spending, republicans are not interested.
This is the United States of America, Not My America, Not Your America, Our America!!
For Richer or Poorer, In Sickness and in Health, In Good Times or Bad, Till Death do us part, we are commited to defend this Great Nation and it's People.
Republicans had their chance to help develop the stimulus package and concessions were made to accomodate their contribution.
Only because it is not a total Republican plan, that means it's useless and that mean's they do not have to do what they have been Elected and Paid to do.
The Republcan Party along with some Democrats have demonstrated the ability to Violate the Constitution, Ignore the Rule of Law, Bankrupt the US Treasury Dept. and Decieve the American Taxpayer's for 8 Straight Year's.
Would it be too much to ask if we could simply try something different?
I do not agree with everything in the plan myself, but we must do something other than whine, throw pi$$y fiit's, and hide behind Rush Limbaugh who never ran for anything but a pill.
If it were up to me, I would try something a lot less expensive like put a million dollars in the hands of every Tax Paying American that earned less than $250k per year, and the Economy would turn around faster than you could say It's Over.
When common folk's have money, they save some and spend some, resulting in Mortgages,Cars and Cedit Card's getting paid off.
You give tax cuts to the rich, and they invest it in Chinese Corporations. That is what put us in this situation.
I don't want to stimulate China's economy and create more jobs in China, we need jobs created here.
Trickle down has trickled down everywhere but here. Here is where we need it.
Exactly!!! Shut off stimulus aid to every company that outsources our jobs to foreign markets and tax everything that is an imported product untill the cow's come home.
>If it were up to me, I would try something a lot less expensive like put a million dollars in the hands of every Tax Paying American that earned less than $250k per year, and the Economy would turn around faster than you could say It's Over.
When common folk's have money, they save some and spend some, resulting in Mortgages,Cars and Cedit Card's getting paid off.<
Interesting plan, but, unfortunately, it would cost about $9.5 TRILLION. Maybe we could try it with $100K for each?
I love how The Pubbies keep screaming about the Democrats' plan costing close to $1 trillion - yet they never mention the $6 TRILLION Bush added to the debt, between his $1.3T & $1.2T tax cuts and all the money wasted on Iraq.
Up until 2007, they kept both wars and Medicare part D off budget, then bragged about keeping the deficit down (while quietly borrowing a half trillion per year, mainly from China and SA, and about $1.5T each for '07 & '08) When the Dems took over congress, the WH moved those items back onto the budget, then pointed the finger at Democrats for "exploding the deficit".
8 years? Are you serious? It has been going on for a very LONG time. DO some research!! And why am I not shocked you think MONEY should be handed over to us? Amazing...How about this concept...CAPITALISM HAS FAILURES AND WE MUST ALLOW THOSE WHO FAILED....FAIL!!! NO BAIL OUT, NO HAND OUTS!
No one is OWED anything and it is time we get back to that thinking! That is what built America!
53 milion for Obama vs. 47 million for McCain. The people voted against this b.s., didn't they? More Tax cuts for the rich, adolescent snark about contraceptives ("I wonder who that's stimulating...ha ha ha"), refusal to vote to bail out policemen, firemen and teachers who are certainly going to be laid off in NYC and other places--the Republicans still want to argue as if this was September and the elections hadn't been held yet. They want the country to fail so that they can prove that their ideology is correct. They just don't realize how bad things are for the vast majority of our citizens. Time for Obama to get into campaign mode again. Just go on t.v. and fireside-chat us up--this is a great teaching moment for him.
This latest antic on the part of the Republican party just confirms my long standing suspicion, that they do not care one bean about America or Americans, all they care about is their wallets, their perceived power and sense of superiority, and their political party. TIme and time again I have seen signs of this, especially over the past 8 years, and now they confirmed with 100% certainty that they could care less what happens to America or Americans, as long as they get to keep their wallets filled and egos stroked everything is good in their book.
They are despicable! I am so happy that all the former Republican friends, family members and acquaintances I have came to their senses in the recent years and saw what a disgrace the Republican party has become, and switched parties fast. So one good outcome of the Bush reign of terror is that it helped many decent, intelligent Republicans, who were blind, see the light and run the other way fast! and as a result, these former Republicans are now full members of the Democratic party.
Republicans care more about Rush Limbaugh than they do about America. They apologize to Limbaugh and laugh at the American people.
All the way to the bank.Poor rich babies
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