Thursday, January 29, 2009

The Porkulus Package

The trillion dollar economic stimulus bill passed in the House, but every Republican voted against it.  Eleven Democrats joined the Republicans in opposing the bill. Hopefully Senate Republicans will be just as strong.

There are several reasons for Republicans to continue take a firm stand:
  1. Principle: This "stimulus" package is a scam. It will do little to help the economy. It will do much to help special interest groups. It is immoral to spend colossal quantities of cash for such dubious purposes, and to put the responsibility for paying for it on the shoulders of future generations.
  2. With massive spending comes massive inflation. There are better strategies for stimulating the economy, e.g., cuts in capital gains taxes.
  3. If the economy bounces back soon, the Democrats will take credit no matter how the Republicans vote.
  4. If the economy continues to flounder, Democrats and the MSM will blame George Bush and the Republicans no matter what the Republicans do.
  5. Obama says it's his way or the highway.  Call his bluff.  Show the world how bipartisan he really is.
Republicans: Don't vote for this bill or for anything that remotely resembles it! Show you have some principles...or at least fake it.  Force the Democrats to stand on the courage of THEIR convictions.


More

Obama Hosts Stimulus Bill Cocktail Party
Obama's Blank Screen Deception
The Bipartisan Alternative to The "Porkulus" Bill 


Update

My senator's response to my letter regarding his vote to confirm Geithner:

Thank you for taking time to contact my office regarding the nomination of Timothy Geithner to be the Secretary of the Treasury Department.  Your input is important to me, and I appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts.

Like you, I am concerned with the serious challenges we are facing in our financial markets, and how they are affecting our overall economy.  The Department of Treasury plays a crucial role in the recovery process of our economy, and I believe it is important that we have a treasury secretary that understands our financial markets. 

There is no question that having a Treasury Secretary nominee with perceived tax issues has been troubling.  For that reason, I have spoken several times to Mr. Geithner, read every word of his testimony and his answers to hundreds of questions from the Finance Committee, and then called him again before the vote to ask him a number of very pointed questions.  He answered those tough questions regarding his tax returns to my satisfaction.  While, like you, my preference would be that we were not in the situation to even have to discuss tax issues with a Treasury Secretary nominee, I also think it is appropriate to give fairly wide latitude to presidents regarding their cabinet selections.  At the end of the day, while the issues surrounding Secretary Geithner's confirmation are very important, after spending a great deal of time exploring the merits of his confirmation, I believe that he does pass the test of being qualified to be the Treasury Secretary.

Thank you again for your letter.  I hope you will continue to share your thoughts with me as I serve you in the United States Senate. 

[emphasis mine]

Maybe I should be happy that he didn't really read my letter.

11 comments:

Timeshare Jake said...

I was proud of the Republicans. They all stood up against it.

robert verdi said...

I like my title:
The Stimu-Pork Democrat Enrichment Act of 2009

-suitepotato- said...

Don't read too much into it. The Republicans were beyond steamrolled. They had nothing to gain by going along and nothing to lose either.

I'd more impressed with the 11 Dems and their states. Mostly southern. I wonder why...

Ray said...

That's great you got a response, as I await from one from my congressman Mark Kirk as I thanked him for his no vote.

NO senators as mine are deadbeat liberals, old traitor Suck My *ic* Durbin, and of coarse the new Blago pick Roland Mr Monument Burris in Obama's empty seat he hardly sat in. Porkulus is a Limbaugh gem.

Anonymous said...

Super blog RK, I just did one like it today myself.

DaBlade said...

Not enough lipstick on the shelves to pretty up this porkulus!

a red voice said...

The letter from your senators sounds just like the "form" letters I receive from my blue senators every time I write them. I wish they actually read what I wrote.
Glad the GOP stood up against it & kudos to the 11 dems who did too.

RightKlik said...

CB: 'bout time they did something right.

RV: Democrat enrichment is clearly the goal.

SP: The battles have just begun. When those people do something right, we should recognize it.

CR: I hope he doesn't give the president as much latitude when it comes to judicial appointments.

D9: Thanks for visiting.

DB: Apparently the "gang of 14" has truckloads of lipstick.

RV: Maybe I should start calling him out by name on my blog.

Doc said...

I received the exact same letter from my Senator. I assume we have the same Senator, Corker of Tennessee. Or all they all using the same formatted reply?

RightKlik said...

Yes, Bob is the man. As I said earlier, I hope he doesn't use the same excuses when it comes to judicial appointments.

Laura Lee - Grace Explosion said...

Fire him. If he lets someone into the cabinet you don't think should be there, vote a new person into his position and don't let him through the primaries. Remind everyone of what he's done when it's time for his re-election.