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Holding Obama Accountable on Stimulus

Submitted by Conn Carroll on Mon, 01/26/2009 - 11:28

Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) did a fine job this Sunday on Meet the Press. His "wasteful Washington spending" that does "nothing to help create jobs" message was widely picked up in the papers today. I only have one bone to pick: he didn't make the point that none of the new spending in Obama's trillion dollar spending plan is temporary.

By National Economic Council director Lawrence Summers' own criteria, only a stimulus bill that is "timely, targeted, and temporary'' can have any hope of succeeding and there is nothing temporary about the spending in Obama's plan.

When the left was still in the wilderness, Peter Daou outlined a messaging "triangle" writing:

Forming a triangle of blogs, media, and the political establishment is an essential step ... Simply put, without the participation of the media and the political establishment, the netroots alone cannot generate the critical mass necessary to alter or create conventional wisdom.

Right now both the blogs and the media are hitting the "Nothing Temporary About This Stimulus Spending" message. David Brooks is on board. George Will is on board. Heck even The Washington Post is on message.

Now we need the GOP leadership to get on the same page.

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<<temporary stimulus>> And

Submitted by In between on Mon, 01/26/2009 - 11:47.

<<temporary stimulus>>

And this is the mistake Bush did. Tax cuts for 8 years and deficits and debt. The right way to stimulate is to have tax cuts for about 2 years along with the fed lowering interest rates for two years or so. After that you work on the budget, which was not done.

So after 8 years of tax cuts, we are sitting right back into a recession.

Problem one-The tax cuts have become less effective and they are overdone. It is borrowed money creating deficits and debt. How many times can you cry wolf.

Problem two-The fed has lowered interest rates to their lowest levels. They can do no more.

Problem three-Nothing has been done for our infrastructure through the years. So we are behind in money and time to fix our country.

Problem four-We are dealing with a possible worldwide depression. And it will need an infusion of money from the government. Whether borrowed or printing of money.

Problem five-There has been nothing done to counter globalization. We are losing middle class jobs. Cities and states are going broke. Tax cuts does not solve this problem. You need investments in people and in the country. Nothing done in all these years and we are short in time and money. 

I don't think the republicans understand the seriousness of the problems we face. It all has come at the same time. And the question is, what can we do?

That's what we need - more volume!

Submitted by ronbailey on Mon, 01/26/2009 - 13:23.

LOL... using a bigger megaphone to shout an already thoroughly discredited ideology isn't going to get you very far.

He's like the drunk at the party...

Submitted by Cahnman on Mon, 01/26/2009 - 17:08.

who believes that if he says it one more time, and just a little louder, surely everyone will understand.