Stimulus Passes

[an amused spectator]

Per USA Today

[jackmercer]

“Republican Congress 1995 - 2006: $1.6 trillion budget deficit.
Democratic Congress 2007 - 2009: $3 trillion plus budget deficit.
Fact!”

Ok, you obviously think we now have a parliamentary system with no presidents and thus no signing or veto of legislation so presidents in these years are irrelevant. But that isn’t the case so lets be a little more intellectually honest:

Let’s look at the national debt and changes according to the treasury data http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt.htm

Reagan years, debt increase of $1.7 trillion or 188%, 23.8%/year
1980 907 Billion
1988 2.6 trillion

Bush I with Dem Congress, debt increase of $2.6 trillion or 54%, 13.5%/year
1988 2.6 trillion
1992 4.0 trillion

Clinton with Dem Congress, debt increase of $600 billion or 14%, 7%/year
1992 4.1 trillion
1994 4.7 trillion

Clinton with Republican Congress, debt increase of $900 billion 19%, 3.2%/year
1994 4.7 trillion
2000 5.6 trillion

Bush with Republican Congress, debt increase of $2.9 trillion 52%, 8.7%/year
2000 5.6 trillion
2006 8.5 trillion

Bush with Dem Congress, debt increase of 1.5 trillion or 17%, 8.5%/year
2006 8.5 trillion
2008 10 trillion

Ok, so those are actual facts from actual data. What trends do you see?

This is what I see. Bush II with a republican congress grew the debt at 8.7% and with a dem congress, 8.5%...roughly the same. This tells me that we should be examining the guy that signs the bill and not just the one writing them.

[Kenny]

I love the WakeUp.org idea. If you hear of anything getting pulled together, please keep me in mind.

[avacado]

Ok, you obviously think we now have a parliamentary system with no presidents and thus no signing or veto of "legislation so presidents in these years are irrelevant. But that isn’t the case so lets be a little more intellectually honest:

Let’s look at the national debt and changes according to the treasury data http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt.htm"

Excuse me but by decree of the US Constitution the Congress appropriates and spends all money! That's fact!

As for total national debt, that includes more than just public debt/deficit debt. It includes government inter-holdings and robbing Social Security. That can hardly be place on Bush alone.

Here is the historical deficit/surplus and public debt. http://www.cbo.gov/budget/data/historical.shtml

The ONLY Congress to run a surplus was a Republican Congress from 1998 - 2001. That's fact!

If you think the Democrats' $4.3 trillion in 1 year compares to Bush and the Republicans you are nuts!

$700 billion TARP + $900 billion "stimulus" + $1.5 trillion treasury bank bailout + $600 billion current budget deficit fiscal 2009 (Oct - Feb) = $3.7 trillion dollars in the hole! And we haven't even finished budget fiscal 2009 which should add another $600 billion.

In just 1 year, $4.3 trillion in the hole, not including interest, under a Democratic controlled Congress and Obama.

[snippy_about_it]

It goes to Conference Committee where members of both the House and Senate will hammer out a single bill to be voted on by both houses.

Has anyone heard when it may come up out of conference? If we can get close to a date, that would be the time to march on D.C.

[bigheadfred]

BTW, I ordered me one of them there inflatable dolls last week. They asked if I wanted black or white? White, I said. Male or female? Female PLEASE! They asked me if I wanted one that was "Christian" or "Moslem". I said what possible difference could religion make? They said the Moslem one blows itself up.

Time to break open that box :-)

[bvw]

I understand your feelings towards the terrible excuse of a man who left a young woman in his care to drown or worse.

Yet your words were too much for a public forum.

[bvw]

One’s sins demand payment at some time.

[snippy_about_it]

I found the answer to my own question:

Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and budget director Peter Orszag joined a meeting with key senators Tuesday afternoon to discuss the coming negotiations. With all sides of the stimulus talks coming to the table with different priorities, the Capitol Hill discussions could last through Obama's Feb. 16 President's Day deadline.

"Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and maybe Wednesday and Thursday next week may be needed to pass" the package in both chambers, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said.

[Girlene]

LOL.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

[bigheadfred]

LOL

yeah,yeah,yeah. I'm going to order a bunch more. Both male and female. If memory serves me (or if not I'm sure I can find a diagram SOMEWHERE on the web) I can put a bunch together like a Lego set and make meself a ponpoon bridge you could drive a tank across. If the bridge idea don't work, I'm sure it would make a great slip-n-slide for the kids. Win-win.

[stentorian conservative]

The funny thing is, if I can add right, up to 400 million can be used for "Management and Oversight."

Now THAT is funny.

[Gondring]

I am also being sure to let them know that their new health plan had better kill me off soon, since if it doesn’t and I outlive them, I will make it one of my goals to be sure their reputation in history will be anything but positive.

They might be able to backstab our next generation, but at least our next generation will find out all about these creeps when they run searches of the ancient history (way back in the early 21st Century) archives!

[Cboldt]

The Speaker appointed conferees: Obey, Rangel, Waxman, Lewis (CA), and Camp.

[stentorian conservative]

Did anyone see this?

Recovery.gov

[jackmercer]

“Ok, you obviously think we now have a parliamentary system with no presidents and thus no signing or veto of “legislation so presidents in these years are irrelevant. But that isn’t the case so lets be a little more intellectually honest:

Let’s look at the national debt and changes according to the treasury data http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt.htm";
Excuse me but by decree of the US Constitution the Congress appropriates and spends all money! That’s fact!

As for total national debt, that includes more than just public debt/deficit debt. It includes government inter-holdings and robbing Social Security. That can hardly be place on Bush alone.

Here is the historical deficit/surplus and public debt. http://www.cbo.gov/budget/data/historical.shtml

The ONLY Congress to run a surplus was a Republican Congress from 1998 - 2001. That’s fact!

If you think the Democrats’ $4.3 trillion in 1 year compares to Bush and the Republicans you are nuts!

$700 billion TARP + $900 billion “stimulus” + $1.5 trillion treasury bank bailout + $600 billion current budget deficit fiscal 2009 (Oct - Feb) = $3.7 trillion dollars in the hole! And we haven’t even finished budget fiscal 2009 which should add another $600 billion.

In just 1 year, $4.3 trillion in the hole, not including interest, under a Democratic controlled Congress and Obama.”

Now I am getting more concerned here because I’m starting to think that you are unfamiliar with Article I, Section 7 of the US consitution where it says something about all legislation requires the signature of the President to become law.

I am also wondering if you are aware of the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 that lays out the Presidential budget as the starting point in spending negotiations. Or maybe the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 that defines the kick off of the budget process as the submission of the Presidential budget.

Also maybe consider that the President is the only person in the federal government to have a mandate by a majority of the American people and thus has one hell of a bully pulpit in the budget process.

And with the power to sign, veto or let pass by the 10 day omission, the President is equal in power to all of the votes in Congress when it comes to allowing legislation to pass.

Maybe a primer on the budget process of the federal government is in order here. Start with these:

http://usinfo.org/enus/economy/finance/budgetProcess.html

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/getting-the-presidents-signature-on-a-congressiona.html

Or maybe just an 11th grade government textbook.

[bigheadfred]

Now THAT is funny.

We should nominate someone as the official checkbacker. Hmmm....

[Ezekiel]

God help us all.

Economic "stimulus." Building roads, bridges, and... the rails. To where?

[bigheadfred]

I thought you knew? I mean, nevermind...

National Emergency Centers"

[Moose Burger]

“They have to shut down the Internet, first.”

Give them a little chance and they will, under the guise of “net neutrality”.