Republican Heros?

[stevoh]

As most of you already know, 3 republican votes guarenteed that a modified economic stimulus package has now passed the senate.

Those three republicans helped modify the house version of the bill, reducing its total cost, and changing its focus somewhat, a good summary is here:

http://www.propublica.org/special/the-stim...ouse-vs.-senate

Basically, five areas of stimulus go down in funding:

Aid to Low-Income Families

Aid to States

Small Businesses

Education

Energy

And three areas of stimulus go up in funding:

Science and Technology

Tax cuts (75 billion dollar increase, single biggest increase)

Transportation and Infastructure

So, the result of the efforts of three brave republicans (who are certainly feeling the heat for thier decision right now) is that the plan has increased tax cuts by 25%, while reducing spending on most other areas.

I, being left wing biased, believe that these three republicans are hero's, they know that they only way they are going to get any real influence at all within the current administration is to work with them, rather than block them. They are basically putting their potential political future on the side in order to benefit millions of americans. They are putting America first, not their own partisan beliefs. These kind of "put America first" hero's are vital to the recovery effort.

Its easy for a democrat to support this bill, business as usual. But to the three republicans who pulled for what they believed in and made real change on the economic stimulus, hats off to you!

[Shady]

I, being left wing biased, believe that these three republicans are hero's

I think that's a dangerous road to go down. I was recently reading that President Obama thanked them for their patriotism, as if those not supporting the stimulus in its current form aren't being patriotic. Isn't that the same type of thing Democrats, and critics of the last President had problems with? Not supporting him was deemed "unpatriotic." In this case, you're defining these Republicans as heros for standing up for what they presumably believe, but others, who also are standing up for what they believe, aren't heros. I don't think that's correct.

Very good topic though!

Edited February 10, 2009 by Shady

[sharkman]

The changes to the spendulus bill are just window dressing. The bulk of the amount doesn't get spent this year. Obama didn't need to hand wring about getting it through the senate, enough lefty Reps were willing to do the job for him.

This was all just a big farce designed to look like Obama rallying the Senate. The msm bought the story by the truckload and are now shoving it down everybody's throats. One year from now the true usefulness of this bill will be obvious.

[stevoh]

I think that's a dangerous road to go down. I was recently reading that President Obama thanked them for their patriotism, as if those not supporting the stimulus in its current form aren't being patriotic. Isn't that the same type of thing Democrats, and critics of the last President had problems with? Not supporting him was deemed "unpatriotic." In this case, you're defining these Republicans as heros for standing up for what they presumably believe, but others, who also are standing up for what they believe, aren't heros. I don't think that's correct.

Very good topic though!

I see your point there. However, I am equating the combination of risk and personal belief with Heroism. Republicans who are against the bill are putting nothing on the line.

[bush_cheney2004]

....This was all just a big farce designed to look like Obama rallying the Senate. The msm bought the story by the truckload and are now shoving it down everybody's throats. One year from now the true usefulness of this bill will be obvious.

Correctomundo.....no heroes here. President Obama is going to get a crash course in how the US House rolls...he can't even reign in Speaker Pelosi, let alone the Republicans.

Pick your cliche...."hold nose and vote"...."perfect is the enemy of good enough"......"our backs are against the wall".

Or how about...."spending political capital" to win the day.

Yawn......

[August1991]

The stimulus package seems a strange Hallowe'en bag (and we may have to wait until October to see it pass) but the real story rignt now is Geithner and his PPP solution to the banking crisis.

(Does Jean Charest circa 2003 advise Geithner?)