Cook the Porkulus!
Posted on 02/11/2009 3:29:34 AM PST by Jim Robinson
Nancy Pelosi had heard enough, thank you very much, after two enraged House Democrats rose at Tuesday’s caucus meeting to bitterly denounce the Senate’s take-it-or-leave-it offer on the stimulus.
It wasn’t because Pelosi wasn’t ticked off herself — quite the opposite.
“At a certain point, after a couple of members had expressed themselves, she asked that future speakers not address that issue because it was reminding her how angry she was,” said Rep. Anthony D. Weiner (D-N.Y.), who was in the room.
When Pelosi emerged from behind closed doors a few minutes later to address the press, she wore the broadest possible smile on her face. But her words expressed the grimmest possible resolve, as she girded for a conference committee battle on the stimulus destined to yield, at best, partial victory.
“Usually you go to conference and split the difference between the two houses — that may not be the case here,” Pelosi said. “At these conferences, my experience has been that the White House has a seat at the table — that they weigh in.”
Both Obama and Pelosi are hoping to restore significant stimulus spending eliminated by the Senate, especially $21 billion in school construction and technology grants, $10.3 billion in COBRA insurance and $8.6 billion in new Medicaid coverage for the unemployed.
The Senate passed its $830 billion stimulus bill Tuesday — but it wouldn’t have passed at all without the support of three moderate Republicans and a conservative Democrat who helped the Democratic majority obtain the 60 votes necessary to stop a filibuster.
Majority Leader Harry Reid’s solution has created its own set of problems for the speaker. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) all have publicly insisted that the measure emerge more or less unchanged...
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Is not the definition of an earmark “spending legislation that a member inserts into the bill anonymously”?
The whole thing is one huge bundle of earmarks.
Cook the Porkulus!
This is where I read it. Knew it was somewhere:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/18296.html
“...but it wouldn’t have passed at all without the support of three moderate Republicans and a conservative Democrat who helped the Democratic majority obtain the 60 votes necessary to stop a filibuster.”
They’d better start packing right now. 2010 is on the horizon, bringing Pink Slips for these jerks.
I still think that this crew will be lucky to get anything passed before May. No matter how the MSM tries to blame this on Republicans, the real problem is the many far-left factions among the Democrats.
Buy more popcorn...
Specter E-mail did not work after multiple attempts over the past three days.
Pelosi knows she is safe and will get re-elected, after all she is from San Fran. I really wish we can kick out CA, NY, MA, VT, NJ, RI, and CT out of the Union. Mostly CA.
I have an honest couple of questions, that no matter how I try I cannot figure out. Looking to surround myself with folks smarter than me (its why I hang out on FR) to share comments on these 2 issues ( maybe I am missing something)
Thank you!
I have not heard any discussion on this issue-Small banks who were responsible ARE lending to credit worthy customers. Credit worthy customers are NOT borrowing right now, they want to pay off what they did borrow, hence credit WORTHY. How is loosening the credit market going to fix the financial crisis if no one who can borrow money will right now? Isn’t this just a red herring? Any economy based on consumer spending is bound to have these problems, and throwing money at them will not fix them any more than throwing money at public schools have fixed them and any government that says overspending by buying anything on credit is patriotic is unpatriotic seeing as thats what got us into this mess in the first place , a perpetual need for instant gratification, keeping up with the Joneses, and irresponsible lending/spending (home equity loans to go on vacations, big tv’s etc.)
Also, I would like to know about all the jobs that are being created by this stimulus (porkulous). What they are not telling everyone, is these jobs are NOT permanent jobs. When the road, bridge, building is done, there will be mass layoffs again. This stimulus is only going to delay payment to the piper, not prevent it, only now we will be even further into debt when it happens. Thank you for your answers.
I’m not interested in turf battles among idiots, which is the sum of this squabble. The problem is, the Federal government has way too much power - and that includes these idiots in Congress. Susan Collins got her fifteen minutes of fame by voting for the stimulus bill. The only thing that will improve this Congress is if they are all run out of office and forced to get real jobs.
The only way they will pull their vote if changes are made is if they are assaulted sub rosa by the RNC, and they also each wake up in the morning with horses heads on each of their beds.
Do they need 60 votes after conference? I thought only a majority.
I spent an hour last night trying to find Senate rules on this. The complete Senate rules are hard to find...not on Thomas....maybe buried with some earmarks somewhere.
Please- there is no chance of killing porkulous.
The only “victory” can a principled one, to to make it a wholly democrat-owned piece of legislation. That might be too much, asking that Snowe Collins and Specter respect the principles of the party that helped them get elected.
Specter email returns a “I will not answer this” message unless you are from Pennsylvania.
Thanks Jim
We probably should post a few vanities. Many people think this thing is a done deal and when I inform them it is not they are surprised.
To everyone else, KEEP HAMMERING COLLINS, SNOWE AND SPECTOR. Senator Spector was very surprised after he found out about some of the stealth that is in this especially for the health care segment.
KEEP. THE. PRESSURE. ON!!!!!!!!!
I see no sign of that whatsoever. And FWIW, NO "God-Fearing" Church goer of any color would be a member of "Obama's Base".
Obama's base consists of people who worship Obama, not God.
Thanks for the link. Barry is in full blown re-election mode. He pretty much admits the hope is that the political payoff has some impact in three years to help him keep his job.
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