Posted on 07/07/2009 4:48:25 PM PDT by yoe
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Tuesday slammed the door on the idea of a second economic stimulus plan, even as President Obama suggested he's leaving the option on the table.
The Nevada senator said Americans are only just beginning to realize the benefits of the Obama administration's first stimulus bill, which passed in mid-February, and he stressed that only 10 percent of the $787 billion package has made it to the states.
"A little less than 90 percent still needs to be put out to the American people, and we're in the process of doing that. It's going to move more quickly now. As far as I'm concerned, there's no showing to me that another stimulus is needed," Reid said emphatically.
Obama, though, has not demonstrated the same certainty that another stimulus will not be needed, as the unemployment rate hovers close to 10 percent.
In an interview with FOX News on Tuesday in Moscow, Obama defended February's stimulus package, saying he knew the scope of the economic crisis would make recovery difficult no matter what.
"I think it's important to understand that we've got a short-term challenge which, no matter how big our stimulus was, was going to be a challenge -- partly because we've got fiscal constraints," Obama said.
The president said the government has spent money as fast as it could as the "economic tsunami" unfolded, admitting that getting cash to the states has been difficult.
"You just can't push that out that quickly, partly, not just because the federal government has to process applications, but also because states and local governments have to gear up to get these projects going," Obama said.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Harry doesn’t want to be associated with another stimulus package because he’s up for re-election in 2010. Harry usually doesn’t win re-election by a great deal. In ‘98, which was a good year for the rats, Ensign nearly knocked him off while he was still in the House.
Throw more cash on the bonfire, quick!
Harry isn’t known for his stiff spine and the jury is still out on this one.
The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits. ~ Albert Einstein (1879-1955)Ain't never been nobody what done spent their way outta debt.
I was at an event Sunday where I saw a buddy who is with a good-sized general contractor. They are trying to bid stimulus work that has just been thrown out there with very incomplete document sets (plans and specifications). Infrastructure projects with important details like pipe wall thickness specifications not nailed down, that sort of thing. When they ask for clarification, they get told to “bid it the best you can with what you’ve got”.
I predict huge cost overruns and little value for all the money we’re throwing around.
Read that again. “The” appears twice as in “the the.” Not sure if that was intentional. Or irony?
I went to a public meeting last week for a stimulus project. The public had some very good questions about the project but the mayor and transportation department officials had very few answers.
The project manager either had not decided, not crossed that bridge yet, or felt certain aspects of the project could not be addressed until later into the project.
This project will add one half of turn lane under a railroad bridge yeilding space for about 10 more cars to sit in traffic during rush hour. There is already one existing turn lane. Total cost is $10.1 million
Complete waste of money.
Harry Reid is in quite a fight for his job. He’s up for re-election and he realizes that the electorate in Nevada is not nearly as socialistic as is he. So he has to “fake it ‘til he makes it.” Few days ago it was the cap & trade talk “the Senate won’t pass it.” Now it’s this stimulus. It’s all lies. Half sentences. The Senate won’t pass it NOW. Wait until after Harry safely retains Harrys’ seat...THEN he’ll pass it.
It’s the abortion principle. Wow. One baby killed in womb and we still suck at life. Now we go for infanticide. That’ll be the ticket: let me kill all those kids and then I’ll be truly free to succeed. And if that does not work, I’ll kill grandpa and get his inheritence money. And then I’ll sell my guns... next thing you know: hey, why don’t we all smoke pot, live on the sidewalk, and claim life is great while giving a big finger to the world.
Yeah, that’s the ticket.
Reid’s probably thinking, “Doesn’t this blankety-blank realise that we’re gonna get killed in the mid-terms if he keeps this up???”
Dont feel so bad.
At the end of the day, we have guns and the moral highground. And we have them surrounded.
>But wait you Cog Sacka...we cant ‘just do nothing!!!!”<
It is always better to have no ideas than false ones; to believe nothing, than to believe what is wrong. ~~~ Thomas Jefferson
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.