So here is the latest - Obama being pointed today getting a little frustrated with the right side of the aisle…
“I reject those theories, and so did the American people when they went to the polls in November and voted resoundingly for change,” said the president, who was elected with an Electoral College landslide last fall and enjoys high public approval ratings at the outset of his term."
Not positive about the Senate, but do they even need republican votes to pass the bill?
If he has a mandate why doesn’t he just get Reid and Pelousi to railroad the bill?
Pelosi did railroad the bill without a single Rep vote. Senate needs a couple of Rep votes. More importantly, public opinion is swinging against the bill as passed by the House Dems. The Pres needs to have a credible argument that the final bill is consensus to keep momentum.
For top executives to award themselves these kinds of compensation pacakages in the midst of this economic crisis is not only in bad taste, it’s a bad strategy, and I will not tolerate it as president
Ok 'll admit I have no problem with a “Cap” on executives, or any salary, for companies that accept money from the government. They shouldn’t have taken it in the first place and they have pretty much opened themselves up for this type of stuff.
That being said, and with Obama being the “Wordsmith” that he supposedly is, does that last line strike anyone else poorly or is it just me?
As to why he wants Republicans to vote with him. Three reasons…at least. First if they do not it doesn’t appear that he is the “Bipartisan”, “Get everyone together”, “centrist”, “Change” type of guy he projected in the campaign. Second if they don’t go along with it they will fight every piece of implementation of it that might lead to it succeeding. If it fails the Reps can stand back and say “Told ya so” and “We didn’t vote for it”
The pubs in the senate are "improving" the bill as we speak...it's up to 901B now. lol
bars are getting bailout money now?! sheesh…I thought at the very least people would drink their sorrows away…guess everyone is getting hit by the current econ woes
If he has a mandate why doesn’t he just get Reid and Pelousi to railroad the bill?
This is what I find amusing about all of the political threads.
On one hand, all the Republicans are up in arms saying Obama is the same old politician and on the other, ask why he needs Republican support and shouldn’t do what the past administration did for 8 years.
I think he is trying to change the way things are done and is in a no win with Republican supporters who apparently, are not really all that serious about putting country first.
are not really all that serious about putting country first.
Just following the dear leader I would say. After all, nominating and supporting a tax cheat to head the IRS sure comes across as putting the country first, doesn’t it? Add to that more nominees have not even made it to confirmation for the same reason. I would think a leader putting the country first would nominate, for important positions especially, people who, I don’t know, pay their taxes?
Let’s face it, it’s coming to light a lot faster than even I expected. The “change” being preached about during the campaign starts and ends with the name on the door. Otherwise it’s business as usual.
After all, nominating and supporting a tax cheat to head the IRS sure comes across as putting the country first, doesn’t it?
Did Obama know he was a tax cheat when he appointed him? Do all Presidents get their appointments correct (cough Harriet Mierscough) all the time.
You guys are going to have to find something of substance before you start your victory party. Remember, you are supposed to want the President to succeed, right?
It’s simple. Democrat support means absolutely nothing. The democrats in both the House and Senate will support absolutely anything that he proposes…especially this early on. Getting a “yes man” to say *yes, *just doesn’t mean anything. He knows it, and he knows that we know it too.
Did Obama know he was a tax cheat when he appointed him?
Nope. But he did continue to support the nomination once he found out…and still does. Apparently though, one tax cheat in the cabinet is his personal limit. I guess we can at least be thankful for that.
Do all Presidents get their appointments correct (cough Harriet Mierscough) all the time.
You know that Harry Reid actually recommended Harriet Miers in the first place, right? You also know that Bush withdrew her nomination, right?
After all, nominating and supporting a tax cheat to head the IRS sure comes across as putting the country first, doesn’t it?
Did Obama know he was a tax cheat when he appointed him? Do all Presidents get their appointments correct (cough Harriet Mierscough) all the time.
You guys are going to have to find something of substance before you start your victory party. Remember, you are supposed to want the President to succeed, right?
The ones that are already in show that Obama was willing to let that happen, despite what he said....he could have pulled Geithner at any time. What you are saying is that you are willing to give him a pass on this, okay, but it's disingenuous to abuse people that call Obama for not living up to his own rhetoric. (same reason he got slapped on his lobbyist rule)
If he has a mandate why doesn’t he just get Reid and Pelousi to railroad the bill?
This is what I find amusing about all of the political threads.
On one hand, all the Republicans are up in arms saying Obama is the same old politician and on the other, ask why he needs Republican support and shouldn’t do what the past administration did for 8 years.
I think he is trying to change the way things are done and is in a no win with Republican supporters who apparently, are not really all that serious about putting country first.
Sorry Casey, but this is bull. This bill isn’t about putting country first. And it sure isn’t about stimulating the economy. It is about paying back supporters and special interests for their support, and ensuring it in the future.
Now, I’m not saying that the pubs are putting country first either. I honestly expect them to capitulate as soon as they get something that they can take back to their voters. Neither side is putting country first as far as I’m concerned.
is in a no win with Republican supporters who apparently, are not really all that serious about putting country first.
So putting country first means support for all kinds of special interest groups, frisbee parks for dogs, millions for National Endowment for the Arts, 12 cents on every dollar in the stimulus bill actually making it into the economy this year and 34% of it not even appearing until 2011?
Sorry, I always thought that America was founded on the principal that we fought for what was right for our country not blindly followed a leader because HE says we should. This stimulus bill is a giant pork package. Most Americans right now do not support this bill. Not just republicans. It is horrifying what we are saddling our children and our grandchildren with. If that makes me unAmerican well so be it.
At evey negotiation stage in this process to appease the Republicans in the House and the Senate this package has grown; by the time the people who are complaining that its “too big” are done with it, the $800BN package that Obama first proposed will be over a trillion dollars.
At evey negotiation stage in this process to appease the Republicans in the House and the Senate this package has grown; by the time the people who are complaining that its “too big” are done with it, the $800BN package that Obama first proposed will be over a trillion dollars.
Agree with the second part, but not the first. If you look back, even some house dems were complaining that the entire bill was being constructed by Pelosi and a few others without even the input of most dems.
My point in starting the thread was the claim Obama made. He claims that American rejected the theories of the past (assume supply side-economics) and that the people voted “resoundingly” for change.
If he believes that, then quit pussy footin’ around and twist a couple of Senators arms and get the bill signed. There are 58 dems and several moderate pubs…
As all of you know, I don’t want the bill passed as it is; whats more interesting to me is will Obama do what he thinks is right, regardless what the oppositions thinks…this is what leaders do - they twist arms and get people to go along with them.
when this stimulus tanks and doesnt do shit for anything but social programs and next year we are still where we are now, at least he can say the repubs were in on it too!
Tell me how the following stimulates:
dog park 500k
32 hole frisbee course 1.2 mil
honey bee insurance???
water parks
and so on and so on!
Its' interesting that it's now being reported that Obama was not really in on crafting the orig bill (it was Pelosi, Rangel, and a few others), and it may not be a bill he really is happy with anyway. Pelosi may have screwed Obama here. In other news, the senate pubs have a completely different, smaller, bill they are going to stump for. This one has McCain as a big backer, and he has pretty good gravitas as a pork fighter.