Don't Worry, We're Panicking
Ed Morrissey at HotAir:
What happens when over a hundred billion dollars in borrowed cash gets plunged into infrastructure spending and it fails to kick-start the economy? According to this administration, spend another $50 billion on the same failed policy. Barack Obama will unveil his new economic stimulus plan in Wisconsin today, while Russ Feingold looks for a place to hide [.]
True, the election-season timing here is making the administration look especially foolish, as Politico's Jim VandeHei pointed out on Face the Nation:
Does the White House understand this?” asked guest host Harry Smith. “Do you feel any sense of panic or concern” on the part of the administration? ”They get it. There's panic. There’s concern,” VandeHei said. “The reality for this administration stinks, politically and practically, when it comes to the economy. You’re not going to be able to change that 9.6-percent unemployment figure. You can’t get anything from Congress in the next couple of months.”
Now, Jim VandeHei isn't exactly a White House spokesman. On the other hand, who got Obama into this predicament in the first place? Congressional Democrats scrambling to escape the wrath of November can run all they like from Obama. The President, meanwhile, is stuck with himself -- and the embarrasing contradictions of his economic policy.
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Jul '10
Re: Don't Worry, We're Panicking
He's calling it a "roads, railways and runways" bill.
That sums up the Democrats' strategy quite nicely: everything must be formulated so that it can be messaged to idiots.
Alliteration works quite nicely. So does the appeal to voters' heartstrings. Something like this:
HR1215: The Making Sure that nothing like the tragedy that befell little MaryAnn Pedosky ever Happens Again Act
Who could possibly object to that? A trifling $3.2 billion dollars to retro-fit trash compactors, paid for by a tax on Cheez Doodles.
And a nice little bauble for the Plumber's Union.
May '10
Re: Don't Worry, We're Panicking
What strikes me about this new stimulus is that he's proposing it at a time when I thought the old stimulus would be most active. Not that I expected them to stop conjuring new ways to spend, but where are all the old stimulus projects to buy votes? Surely, they didn't believe the signs saying "Democrats gave you this" would be enough. It's a little scary, actually. If so much stimulus money didn't go into predictable appeals to voters, what did it go into?
That said, the bigger question now is how many Democrats are true believers, have given up hope for reelection, or are somehow under the thumb of Pelosi and her kind. So many conservatives were sure Obamacare wouldn't be passed because it was obviously political suicide. The Democrats might do a lot more damage, to the country and to themselves, before November. Don't assume reelection is the top priority.
Afterall, they'll lose this year, but will they continue to lose once Americans get used to their new situation? If Obamacare goes into effect, it could easily become like Social Security, politically speaking, ten years from now.
May '10
Re: Don't Worry, We're Panicking
First, nothing embarrasses politicians in general, and Democrats in particular.
Second, liberalism is nothing but contradictions.
Freedom of choice and single payer.
Good jobs now and bleed the rich.
Hearts and minds and judicial fiat.
No death penalty and partial birth abortion.
We need to be friends with the world and no free trade.
Jun '10
Re: Don't Worry, We're Panicking
EJHill
First, nothing embarrasses politicians in general, and Democrats in particular.
Second, liberalism is nothing but contradictions.
Freedom of choice and single payer.
Good jobs now and bleed the rich.
Hearts and minds and judicial fiat.
No death penalty and partial birth abortion.
We need to be friends with the world and no free trade. · Sep 6 at 12:46pm
You lack the necessary cognitive dissidence, my friend, to understand the nuance involved in these complexities. Words have meaning, you see, and in this case they have precisely the meaning you as an individual assign them. Ups is down, slavery is freedom, less is more, and a can of Campbell's soup becomes a priceless piece of art. Get with the program before people start calling you a racist.
Edited on Sep 6, 2010 at 2:06pmMay '10
Re: Don't Worry, We're Panicking
Ja, und arbeit macht frei. And that which divides binds (aka Diversity is Strength)
Edited on Sep 6, 2010 at 2:17pmMay '10
Re: Don't Worry, We're Panicking
But I think it's all cynical. The President knows perfectly well that he can't get a bill passed. So he's going to make the Republicans vote it down so they can be the party of "no" heading into the election. But my question is whether there isn't some part of the electorate that wants their government to DO something. And might not this cynical, political ploy, in fact, work?