Truth Detector
02-08-2008, 05:03 PM
Instead of posting this in the thread previous to this one on the same topic, I felt it warranted its own review, highlights are mine:
Stimulus Games
February 8, 2008; Page A16
So much for "postpartisan" Beltway harmony. Remocrats and Depublicans were supposed to be making beautiful music together on economic "stimulus," but Senate Democrats apparently didn't get the song sheet. They spent most of this week assailing Republicans for refusing to spend even more than House Democrats want to spend -- solely with a goal of picking up more Senate seats next year.
President Bush and Speaker Nancy Pelosi first agreed on $146 billion in tax rebates, including for people who don't pay income taxes; then Mr. Bush consented to billions more in checks for seniors. But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tried to push a $205 billion bill, loading it up with jobless insurance extensions, home heating subsidies and extra Social Security payments, among other giveaways.
Mr. Reid didn't much care if the package failed. What he really wants is ammunition to use against incumbent GOP Senators in November. Republicans defeated his package by a single vote on Wednesday, and Mr. Reid immediately rejoiced that "Given a chance to act as recession looms, more than 40 Republicans today said 'no' to helping 20 million seniors and 'no' to 250,000 disabled veterans. They said 'no' to those who have lost their jobs and 'no' to small business."
Even Ms. Pelosi rebuked Senate Democrats, but no matter. Mr. Reid isn't running against her, and yesterday he acceded to the House bill having got the GOP votes he can turn into TV attack ads.
Republicans were right to oppose what are better called antistimulus ideas. Study after study shows that extending jobless benefits past the current 26 weeks lengthens the average period that workers remain jobless. The economy has slowed but the national jobless rate is still only 4.9%, which is well below the 30-year average and below what was once called full employment.
As for home heating subsidies, these encourage greater energy use, especially in the Northeast, which depends on oil more than natural gas. This is thus more of a stimulus to foreign oil exporters than to the U.S. economy. Think of it as one more subsidy to add carbon to the atmosphere, notwithstanding the usual global warming grandstanding.
Most cynical is the giveaway to seniors on Social Security who pay no income tax, typically because they aren't working. Mr. Reid dropped in this little handout to please AARP, the tax-and-spend senior lobby, which is obliging with a threat to assail Republicans who opposed it. This is all about stimulating seniors to elect more Senate Democrats, perhaps even creating a filibuster-proof 60-seat majority that would return us to the Great Society heyday of 1965.
We're not sure what Mr. Bush and his White House aides were thinking when they signed onto this stimulus folly. It won't do much for the economy, and now it looks like it might backfire on Republicans politically as well. Bad ideas usually do.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120243245312152389.html[hr]WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- David Sloane, AARP's
Director of Government Relations and Advocacy, issued the following
statement in response to a failed procedural vote in the U.S. Senate that would have allowed consideration of a bipartisan economic stimulus package introduced by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-IA).
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070209/NYF043LOGO )
"We're disappointed by tonight's vote and we expect the Senate to fix this.
"AARP has been vocal in our position that any stimulus package should include a rebate for the approximately 20 million Americans who depend primarily on Social Security. According to a poll we released yesterday, an overwhelming majority of likely voters (90%) agree with us that including older Americans is important.
"AARP members remain very engaged, and we plan on keeping them informed as the debate unfolds. AARP and its members will insist that Congress be responsible for their votes."
[hr]Vote Counts:
YEAs 81
NAYs 16 NOTE: All were Republicans.
Not Voting 3
Alphabetical by Senator Name:
Akaka (D-HI), Yea
Allard (R-CO), Nay
Barrasso (R-WY), Nay
Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Bayh (D-IN), Yea
Biden (D-DE), Yea
Bingaman (D-NM), Yea
Boxer (D-CA), Yea
Brown (D-OH), Yea
Byrd (D-WV), Yea
Cantwell (D-WA), Yea
Cardin (D-MD), Yea
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Casey (D-PA), Yea
Clinton (D-NY), Not Voting
Coburn (R-OK), Nay
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Corker (R-TN), Nay
Craig (R-ID), Nay
Crapo (R-ID), Nay
DeMint (R-SC), Nay
Dodd (D-CT), Yea
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Durbin (D-IL), Yea
Ensign (R-NV), Nay
Enzi (R-WY), Nay
Feingold (D-WI), Yea
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Gregg (R-NH), Nay
Hagel (R-NE), Nay
Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Inhofe (R-OK), Nay
Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Johnson (D-SD), Yea
Kennedy (D-MA), Yea
Kerry (D-MA), Yea
Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Kyl (R-AZ), Nay
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea
Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Levin (D-MI), Yea
Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
Murkowski (R-AK), Nay
Murray (D-WA), Yea
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Not Voting
Obama (D-IL), Not Voting
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Reed (D-RI), Yea
Reid (D-NV), Yea
Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
Salazar (D-CO), Yea
Sanders (I-VT), Yea
Schumer (D-NY), Yea
Sessions (R-AL), Nay
Shelby (R-AL), Nay
Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Tester (D-MT), Yea
Webb (D-VA), Yea
Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Yea
List of Republicans with NO spine (33):
Alexander (R-TN), Yea
Bond (R-MO), Yea
Brownback (R-KS), Yea
Bunning (R-KY), Yea
Burr (R-NC), Yea
Chambliss (R-GA), Yea
Cochran (R-MS), Yea
Coleman (R-MN), Yea
Collins (R-ME), Yea
Cornyn (R-TX), Yea
Dole (R-NC), Yea
Domenici (R-NM), Yea
Graham (R-SC), Yea
Grassley (R-IA), Yea
Hatch (R-UT), Yea
Hutchison (R-TX), Yea
Isakson (R-GA), Yea
Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Martinez (R-FL), Yea
McCain (R-AZ), Yea
McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Roberts (R-KS), Yea
Bennett (R-UT), Yea
Smith (R-OR), Yea
Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Specter (R-PA), Yea
Stevens (R-AK), Yea
Sununu (R-NH), Yea
Wicker (R-MS), Yea
Thune (R-SD), Yea
Vitter (R-LA), Yea
Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Warner (R-VA), Yea
List of Democrats with SPINE: ZERO
Stimulus Games
February 8, 2008; Page A16
So much for "postpartisan" Beltway harmony. Remocrats and Depublicans were supposed to be making beautiful music together on economic "stimulus," but Senate Democrats apparently didn't get the song sheet. They spent most of this week assailing Republicans for refusing to spend even more than House Democrats want to spend -- solely with a goal of picking up more Senate seats next year.
President Bush and Speaker Nancy Pelosi first agreed on $146 billion in tax rebates, including for people who don't pay income taxes; then Mr. Bush consented to billions more in checks for seniors. But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tried to push a $205 billion bill, loading it up with jobless insurance extensions, home heating subsidies and extra Social Security payments, among other giveaways.
Mr. Reid didn't much care if the package failed. What he really wants is ammunition to use against incumbent GOP Senators in November. Republicans defeated his package by a single vote on Wednesday, and Mr. Reid immediately rejoiced that "Given a chance to act as recession looms, more than 40 Republicans today said 'no' to helping 20 million seniors and 'no' to 250,000 disabled veterans. They said 'no' to those who have lost their jobs and 'no' to small business."
Even Ms. Pelosi rebuked Senate Democrats, but no matter. Mr. Reid isn't running against her, and yesterday he acceded to the House bill having got the GOP votes he can turn into TV attack ads.
Republicans were right to oppose what are better called antistimulus ideas. Study after study shows that extending jobless benefits past the current 26 weeks lengthens the average period that workers remain jobless. The economy has slowed but the national jobless rate is still only 4.9%, which is well below the 30-year average and below what was once called full employment.
As for home heating subsidies, these encourage greater energy use, especially in the Northeast, which depends on oil more than natural gas. This is thus more of a stimulus to foreign oil exporters than to the U.S. economy. Think of it as one more subsidy to add carbon to the atmosphere, notwithstanding the usual global warming grandstanding.
Most cynical is the giveaway to seniors on Social Security who pay no income tax, typically because they aren't working. Mr. Reid dropped in this little handout to please AARP, the tax-and-spend senior lobby, which is obliging with a threat to assail Republicans who opposed it. This is all about stimulating seniors to elect more Senate Democrats, perhaps even creating a filibuster-proof 60-seat majority that would return us to the Great Society heyday of 1965.
We're not sure what Mr. Bush and his White House aides were thinking when they signed onto this stimulus folly. It won't do much for the economy, and now it looks like it might backfire on Republicans politically as well. Bad ideas usually do.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120243245312152389.html[hr]WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- David Sloane, AARP's
Director of Government Relations and Advocacy, issued the following
statement in response to a failed procedural vote in the U.S. Senate that would have allowed consideration of a bipartisan economic stimulus package introduced by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-IA).
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070209/NYF043LOGO )
"We're disappointed by tonight's vote and we expect the Senate to fix this.
"AARP has been vocal in our position that any stimulus package should include a rebate for the approximately 20 million Americans who depend primarily on Social Security. According to a poll we released yesterday, an overwhelming majority of likely voters (90%) agree with us that including older Americans is important.
"AARP members remain very engaged, and we plan on keeping them informed as the debate unfolds. AARP and its members will insist that Congress be responsible for their votes."
[hr]Vote Counts:
YEAs 81
NAYs 16 NOTE: All were Republicans.
Not Voting 3
Alphabetical by Senator Name:
Akaka (D-HI), Yea
Allard (R-CO), Nay
Barrasso (R-WY), Nay
Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Bayh (D-IN), Yea
Biden (D-DE), Yea
Bingaman (D-NM), Yea
Boxer (D-CA), Yea
Brown (D-OH), Yea
Byrd (D-WV), Yea
Cantwell (D-WA), Yea
Cardin (D-MD), Yea
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Casey (D-PA), Yea
Clinton (D-NY), Not Voting
Coburn (R-OK), Nay
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Corker (R-TN), Nay
Craig (R-ID), Nay
Crapo (R-ID), Nay
DeMint (R-SC), Nay
Dodd (D-CT), Yea
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Durbin (D-IL), Yea
Ensign (R-NV), Nay
Enzi (R-WY), Nay
Feingold (D-WI), Yea
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Gregg (R-NH), Nay
Hagel (R-NE), Nay
Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Inhofe (R-OK), Nay
Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Johnson (D-SD), Yea
Kennedy (D-MA), Yea
Kerry (D-MA), Yea
Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Kyl (R-AZ), Nay
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea
Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Levin (D-MI), Yea
Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
Murkowski (R-AK), Nay
Murray (D-WA), Yea
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Not Voting
Obama (D-IL), Not Voting
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Reed (D-RI), Yea
Reid (D-NV), Yea
Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
Salazar (D-CO), Yea
Sanders (I-VT), Yea
Schumer (D-NY), Yea
Sessions (R-AL), Nay
Shelby (R-AL), Nay
Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Tester (D-MT), Yea
Webb (D-VA), Yea
Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Yea
List of Republicans with NO spine (33):
Alexander (R-TN), Yea
Bond (R-MO), Yea
Brownback (R-KS), Yea
Bunning (R-KY), Yea
Burr (R-NC), Yea
Chambliss (R-GA), Yea
Cochran (R-MS), Yea
Coleman (R-MN), Yea
Collins (R-ME), Yea
Cornyn (R-TX), Yea
Dole (R-NC), Yea
Domenici (R-NM), Yea
Graham (R-SC), Yea
Grassley (R-IA), Yea
Hatch (R-UT), Yea
Hutchison (R-TX), Yea
Isakson (R-GA), Yea
Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Martinez (R-FL), Yea
McCain (R-AZ), Yea
McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Roberts (R-KS), Yea
Bennett (R-UT), Yea
Smith (R-OR), Yea
Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Specter (R-PA), Yea
Stevens (R-AK), Yea
Sununu (R-NH), Yea
Wicker (R-MS), Yea
Thune (R-SD), Yea
Vitter (R-LA), Yea
Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Warner (R-VA), Yea
List of Democrats with SPINE: ZERO