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by Fersboo
Nine months ago, Congress passed and President Obama signed an economic stimulus package totalling $1.8 trillion. Hastily designed and implemented, the legislation was highly criticized because it was virtually impossible for anyone to have actually read the bill (much less understand it) prior to implementation. The President himself told us that it was imperative we pass these bills in order to restore economic stability. Conservatives, especially fiscal conservatives, howled, claiming the bill was inappropriately designed, that the money being spent could not possibly generate economic growth because it would take too long to move through the system, with the added concern of driving up an already astronomical deficit. The Administration insisted that the spending was necessary to keep unemployment from exceeding 10%. We were being deceived, and we knew it.
It generally takes about six months for changes in fiscal or monetary policy to be felt throughout the broader economy, so after nine months we should be seeing some signs of economic improvement. That is, the weekly economic statistics [...]
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by Linda Morgan
Bruce McQuain, this morning at Q&Q:
Well there’s an agreement on the Generational Theft Act of 2009. The squishy middle has capitulated.
As expected, just enough Republicans have signed on to ensure its passage. Names?
Specter for one:
Specter said Friday night that action was “very necessary,†and this bill, though not perfect, is better than inaction.
“I think no one could argue with the fact that the situation would be much worse without this bill,†Specter said at a news conference.
And of course, Susan Collins is the other (and Olympia Snowe is also reportedly going to vote for it). Voinavich and Martinez bailed. They’ll give this the veneer of bi-partisan legitimacy.
Which, doubtless, will be endlessly touted by the Democrats over the following two years. And, forever, for that matter, each time the amount of debt incurred by this mess turns up as a discussion point on online venues, or talking head programs.
The problem is obvious; it is what Bruce describes as the “squishy middle†. I’ve been telling you people for nearly a decade now that it is the centrists among us that are going to kill us off as a nation. If this [...]
by Art Smith
Good news: The Iowa General Assembly has decided that the “new” bottle bill tax proposed by Iowa Governor Chet Culver (see earlier story) is dead for 2008. As you would probably think, I’m pleased. It’s not clear if the reason for the timely...
