Posted on 01/30/2009 10:53:54 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
WASHINGTON (Reuters) Former presidential rival John McCain expressed disappointment on Friday that President Barack Obama has not negotiated with Republicans over a huge economic stimulus plan and said he is working on an alternative package.
Speaking to Reuters, Arizona Sen. McCain said the alternative plan would include what he described as "more effective tax cuts, such as a payroll tax cut" and spending on projects aimed at immediately creating jobs.
"A group of us Republican senators are working on coming up with an alternative package that I would hope would have some elements to it that Americans would support," said McCain, who lost the November 4 U.S. election to Obama, a Democrat.
"One, we have to have an alternative and two, we still hope that the administration -- although time is running out -- that the administration will sit down and do some serious negotiating, which they have not done," he said. [snip]
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
The vote was excellent, but the counter proposal was non-existent. I watched Boehner on Meet the Depressed on Sunday and he was horrible. Incredibly uninspiring, in articulate and unoriginal.
All the GOP says it cut taxes, cut taxes, cut taxes. It's a freakin' broken record. How about: Here's the taxes were going to cut. Here's who will be impacted. Here's how much extra it will mean in their pocket each week. Here's specifically how it will impact the larger economy etc, etc, etc. I home hoping that someone in the Republican party can SOON step forward and offer a fresh, charismatic alternative to Barry. McConnel, Boehner, McCain et. al. just isn't getting the job done.
Don't play that futile game. A bill that has tax cuts AND includes Obama's massive spending increases (the likely result of any attempt to "do better") would actually be worse. The House Republicans did the right thing in the end. We don't need a compromise which will raise the deficit even more. Normally tax cuts would produce even more revenue but that won't happen in this case because Obama is going to send us off an economic cliff. The further that the GOP can be from that disaster the better.
The 100 percent emphasis on “tax cuts” is misplaced. The GOP needs to press for tax cuts AND a balanced budget. That effort would be a winner. A tax cut and bigger deficits is an ultimate loser for the GOP.
Response: He does not have to consult. He won. Now Americans can begin to experience the true meaning of conquest. "Woe to the conquered!"
Exactly. Any compromise in this crap sandwich will still result in a crap sandwich. The GOP members in Congress need to stay on the sidelines, pull up som chairs, eat some popcorn, and watch the show.
We need to just one TV camera in the Senate and watch Schumer and McLame fight over it.
It would be the only time, I would watch either.
***McCain: Obama needs to consult on stimulus***
No, he needs to veto it and resign.
AMEN! I can’t even look at McCains face, I just want to punch him.
nd Nelson doesn’t want to stop there. He wants to pluck out what he says are extraneous projects in the stimulus bill to pay for the amendment. Providing hundreds of millions of dollars for prevention of smoking and sexually-transmitted disease — though they may be worthy causes — does not create jobs. Nelson even is willing to remove popular Pell Grant increases, saving them for annual spending bills later in the year.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/29/senates-gang-poised-strike-stimulus/
How ironic, zer0 is a smoker. This entire package smacks of payoffs.
I wish this was someone other than McCain. Elements we can support? That's easy:
1. Large spending cuts.
2. Large tax cuts.
3. Simplify the tax code, including getting rid of the phase out of all deductions/exemptions. If it's good enough for me, it's good enough for Bill Gates and everyone in between.
4. Kill TARP and the Bailout Boondoggle.
A real Republican leader could get a lot of support for those elements. As for McCain, I expect to see him fighting to reduce the Bailout from $850B to "only" $840B ... before he compromises on $950B.
McCain needs to fade fade away. Republicans need to step forward and send him back to the margins from whence he came
Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t McCain lose the election? And if he did, why is he acting as if he’s a shadow President? And why is the MSM all of a sudden taking him seriously and giving him air time when prior to November he was public enemy #1 to them?
McCain said he is working with Republican colleagues Mel Martinez of Florida, John Thune of South Dakota, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Lindsay Graham of South Carolina and others on the alternative plan.
Why, as of late, does the media keep misspelling Sen. Graham's first name? Is it trying to tell us something?
The operation was a success? >:-)
LOL!!!
If people take to calling him “Linds,” there’ll be no doubt.
Dammit, not “... him ‘Linds’...” but “... Graham ‘Linds’...”!
Well Lindsay has already lost all credibility with me. During the Clinton Impeachment process he was a good stand up guy. And then, over the cliff...
It’s sad actually. I liked the guy.
More than likely with a good deal of help from Senator Lugar.
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