McConnell/Boehner Threaten Economic Stimulus Package

[sandnsea]

Senate Minority Leader McConnell and House Republican Leader Boehner released near duplicate statements today that sent a clear signal to President-elect Obama and Congressional Democrats that Republican leadership has no inclination to be honest partners with the new administration. Despite all the right words, like “bipartisan” and working “across the aisle”, they quickly dissolved into just another round of talking points, filled with veiled slurs and innuendo.

The statements begin with grave concerns that the new administration will “waste taxpayers money” or “shut the American taxpayer out of the process”. The audacity of getting a spending lecture from the architects of the biggest deficit in our history, with so much corrupt cronyism that it has crashed the global economy, can’t be missed. McConnell then attempts to apply Obama’s campaign budget standards to the emergency legislation, saying Obama promised to ‘go through the federal budget—page by page, line by line—eliminating those programs we don’t need, and insisting that those we do operate in a sensible cost-effective way’. I imagine when this doesn’t happen, because emergency legislation won’t include any program that would need cutting, they will then issue another dire statement accusing Obama of being just another tax and spend Democrat.

Boehner’s remarks are equally laughable, demanding that “the text of the measure should be made available online for the American people to review for at least one week.” Laughable, because as I recall, Barack Obama is the Senator who passed legislation to put all federal spending online, put the donations to his inauguration online, and has been the primary advocate for putting all budget proposals online. I can’t wait to see what Boehner comes up with when it is time to lend his support to the legislation that will actually put the budget online.

If McConnell and Boehner really believe that “taking action to turn the economy around is job one”, then they need to put their proposals on the table and trust that the American people can discern what is best for us, since the Republican tax platform is based on trusting us with our money. They are the last ones to lecture a Presidential transition team that has been more open and inclusive than any other, that has already scheduled community meetings on health care and engaged citizens in a national community service effort, and has met every challenge with competence, prudence and most of all, candor.

http://mcconnell.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=306255&start=1
http://www.republicanleader.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=108063
http://www.obama-mamas.com/blog/?p=135

[Turbineguy]

1. Well, they would

wouldn't they?

[redstate_democrat]

2. I hope senate Dems realize that they will only get about 3 repukes to side with them on this

The rest of them are interested in revitalizing their political party for the 2010 midterms. They will now be branded as the party of "fiscal responsibility" and "real conservatism". Whether that works for them or not will be determined come Nov. 2010. Until then, sit back and get ready to have this notion of post partisanship stuffed up your bung hole.

[babylonsister]

4. I think they ignore their suffering constituents at their peril. nt

[redstate_democrat]

5. Democrats control most seats in the places we win.

Repukes control the rest. I don't think the union-busting, creationist, "small government" freaks in the South will care whether or not the Repukes block any part of this so-called "socialist" agenda. They will champion it.

[babylonsister]

7. Then I look forward to them circling the drain that would be the rethug party's

demise.

[redstate_democrat]

9. One can hope.

[BeFree]

10. We could even campaign on this idea

Those states that elected the partisan republicans should be left out of any economic stimulus package.

Hey McConell, you're either with us or against us!

[sandnsea]

12. I think hungry people want to eat

and the country is hungry. They will not take kindly to these Republicans offering nothing but attacks.

[backscatter712]

23. With our new majority, we only need three...

Obviously, Obama's gonna have to send Biden down to act as the President's whip and lead the Democrats in the Senate, since Reid's not going to do his job, but given enough motivation, we can get the Democrats to vote as a block, and push a few Republicans across the aisle by offering them tasty earmarks, threatening to take their tasty earmarks away, hitting the talk show circuit and shaming the Republicans into voting for cloture, and so on.

Given the current majority, I think it will be far easier to break filibusters, and if we do it enough times, we'll embarrass the Republicans into toning their shit down.

[lonestarnot]

3. I hope those two pigs are put into a 2 x 2 pen, that can only face them forward.

Isn't what they did to the pigs in CA before they voted for change?

[elleng]

6. Reid and whatshername had better

get their ducks in a row; reps will make them look like idiots otherwise.

[ProSense]

8. McConnell and Boehner are speaking from their perches in the 110th Congress

They will have a hard time blocking anything with both House of Congress at nearly 60%, and they would have to peel off significant Democratic votes to prevent anything from passing. That isn't to say it's impossible, but their threats will mean nothing on issues that Democrats are united on. They should be responsible and join the debate on issues and stop issuing threats. They could find themselves in 2010 without the ability to make threats with any potential force behind them.

[sandnsea]

13. I think it's hysterical they are threatening

Who the hell do they think they are anyway. Did you read their statements in full? They're a riot.

[eleny]

11. Lusting for more tax cuts, no doubt

[Thrill]

14. They have no power. Collins, Snowe, and Voinovich

Thanks for playing.

Voinovich wouldn't dare vote against it with Strickland out there begging for money

[sandnsea]

21. The poorest states tend to be red

It is going to be difficult for the Congressional delegation to vote no when the Governors are broke.

[certainot]

15. boner and mcconell are shit without talk radio

and the sooner progressives realize we wouldn't be in this mess without the coordinated uncontested repetition of talk radio the better.

[Doctor_J]

17. Yep. Things will really begin to change when Hate Radio

is in little bits and pieces scattered across a Louisiana Bayou. Until then we will remain a laughingstock, and headed toward USSR status.

[davidpdx]

16. We could see this coming a mile away

The rethugs campaign against America continues.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

18. Yes, pass the bank stimulus package and refuse the people's stimulus package.

That will look GREAT.

[annabanana]

22. Americans won't know this unless Harry makes them ACTUALLY filibuster

The media will pretend that Republicans in Congress speak for roughly half of the people, and that their arguements deserve comparable weight in reporting.

The only way we will break through that meme is to make the Repugs actually FILIBUSTER in the old fashioned Jimmy-Stewart-Mr-Smith-goes-to-Washington way. Make them do it for a couple of days and it will dawn on the semi-attentive that the obstructionists are filibustering to stop money from getting to the people.

a Trillion for the banks?. ."Sure. Help yourselves. Take what you need and do whatever the hell you want with it".

a few billion for the Auto Industry?. . "Well, OK.. but only if we can look over your shoulder and take it all away if we don't like the way things are going".

a bunch of money to put people to work, rebuild the bridges and roads and electical grid and water systems?. . ."Are you out of your minds? Whadya think? We're made of money?"

That'll get people's attention and they will apply the necessary pressure to cure the constipation.

[camera obscura]

19. You mean the stimulus plan that is backed 56-42 by the American people?

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/23/economy.stimulus/

This is not the bailout. People LIKE stimulus. The Republicans will do themselves no favors by trying to block it.

[usregimechange]

20. Ha! Thay can't stop it!