$789 Billion

I think that the chances of your prediction not being true are vanishingly small.We have to figure out how to marginalize the Giant Obstructionist Party further and make the corporate propagandists stop giving their insane rantings so much air time. They are the minority party.

Why can’t Obama close the deal?

Dear god tell me they don’t end up screwing Net Neutrality when they’re done.

To be fair, Silly, the Republicans are working very, very hard on that marginalization issue. GOP Rep. Cantor is posting childishly profane videos against a labor coalition, AFSCME, that dared to criticize him for whipping up support to oppose the economis stimulus plan. And some remarkable pinhead GOP Rep. from Ohio, Steve Austria, was forced by actual facts to recant his statement that FDR caused the Great Depression.Yup, they should be happy that they “Found Their Voice.” I know I sure am.

I should have mentioned that Bob and I (at least, I won’t speak for more than myself and I know Bob’s position) know that this Bill is inadequate. We let the Greedy Old Pricks sabotage the recovery. This will have to be fixed.This is a start. We needed something fast. We will need more.How do we show that what the GOP is doing is just blatant disregard of the welfare of their constituents and their nation? We must marginalize these fuckwit ideologues.

I wonder if the bill details where the money is spent. I know the local pols here in MA are predicting something like $2B for our fair commonealth. Can the distribution be biased in favor of states who’s representatives and senators supported the bill? Or would that just make things worse?

Curly -Thanks for that update.Unfortunately, these things reinforce the beliefs of the choir, the GOP base has been propagandized into believing that all labor unions are the work of the satan.Even in CT, if I spoke favorably about a union and there were republicans present, I would get threatened to be tarred and feathered. Some of these poeple *were in* unions. Truly amazing how well their propaganda works on people not trained for critical thinking.

Janerooski:You probably just don’t understand the internet like the former Chair of the Telecommuncations Committee.Here’s an even better explanation.

Bob, normally I take your predictions as gospel…But wasn’t your original prediction for the stimulus package that the original number was a low-ball figure, and that eventually enough stuff would be added to take it up well over $1 trillion?

I’m in a union and I am shocked at how some of out older members vote against their best interests by voting GOP. If you’re a member of a union, there is absolutly no good reason to vote Republican.

how’s this for an addition to the prediction.when another recovery package is needed, they GOP’ers say…why wasn’t the first one good enough?Can we then say…because of you?

Here we go again, typo to anger quotient.

Silly, yes, it does whip up the base, no denying that. But I truly believe, as of right now, the base is shrinking. To keep it shrinking, the onus will be on the Dems to produce results. Let’s hope they can agree on a collective “voice” and minimize the infighting.

I don’t disagree Curly.I am suggesting that if they are hell bent to run off a cliff, we should help them by giving a big push.

Yet another campaign promise that President Obama delivered on within the first month of his Administration – middle clas tax cuts and investment.

Yet another campaign promise that President Obama delivered on within the first month of his Administration – middle class tax cuts and investment.

To keep it shrinking, the onus will be on the Dems to produce results. Let’s hope they can agree on a collective “voice” and minimize the infighting.

This would be a first. We are our own worst enemy. Herding democrats is worse effort than herding cats. It’s hard to type with crossed fingers.Carl -Don’t seat the typos. I knew what you meant.Language has redundancies. That’s why bzip2 and gzip can compress english text files at (5 – 7):1 typically.

*seat is sweatmust be typo day

I just heard on The NPR that they haven’t yet dotted the eyes and crossed the tees, that Democrats in the House are bitching (rightfully so) about the state funding and school money that got slashed. I don’t think it’s Done Done.On another note, one of my state’s senators was on Rachel the other night and she made an utter dick out of him. Shocker.

Elvis -I beg to differ.He was an utter dick already, Rachel just helped to clarify that.

True.

Building schools is fine. Roads are good. Bridges…yea.Sillygit, I guess you know I’m bully for Obama, but not necessarily bully for this bill. That’s okay. My main concern is that our illustrious politicians will put too little regulation into it (I know, I know, that would be a first, but it can happen!) and the money will be pilfered by special interests or somehow lost (as in “unaccounted for” while it sits in some elected officials offshore US Dollar protection fund).Seriously, politicians know how to make money disappear. It’s like they have a witness/money protection program, where greenbacks go to hide from the people who actually need them.I think I speak for the vast majority of people in the US of A when I say, if that happens with the money for this bill, we’ll be executing congresspeople without trial.Can we count on your support if it comes to that?

Lindsay the Graham was downright laughable after the “agreement”!Zero Cred to the max!I love the guy though! He’s so funny! He can change the tone of his voice to bring a person to tears (Ms. Alito), or “shock-n-awe” ya’ with a simple change in tone!Effing hilarious! And he keeps getting electing!Just like Pat Roberts lying his ass off day after day!Republican’ts are sooooooooooooo funny!

Lindsay is an ’11′ on the hypocrisy meter.

This has created the greatest Conflict of Interest and Values of my young life. Arlen Specter was key to the success of the bill(good, bad, whatever). He “mavericked” his own party. Bitch slapped Laura Ingraham. Talked with Gov. Ed Rendell about how the money for PA would be used for what road projects. Spoke with a PA city major and asked if his city would benefit from the bill. Basically, this Bush Loyalist just woke the fuck up and started doing his fucking job. I had hundreds of people sign a petition for him to sign the New GI Bill and not only did he sign it he co-sponsored it.How do I vote against him?

GI,You vote for the person who most closely agrees with your worldview. Also heavily involved in that decision is determining who does the job, and who is merely a party hack. In the end, ideologies are meaningless if they are only used for political gain. Elected Officials should be judged not by the color of their party, but by the color of their deeds.It’s just that neither party usually scores well when graded on that basis. So, look at the individual, not the party.

GI, let me add to your conflict. They were talking on Hardball last night about how much against his own interests Arlen Specter’s efforts actually were. Mike Schmerkosomething said that in PA most moderate republicans have been driven out of the party, so all that’s left when his primary comes up is conservatives to be mad at him for this. I don’t know if you have open primaries in PA, but if you don’t, then the conflict may not be yours – Specter might be primaried out. OTOH, if he is primaried, and he runs on a moderate republican, support-the-president platform, I would be sorry to see him go…QT

Speaking of cantor and dicks, the Va Beach paper carried an article the other day detailing how the VA congressmen with Rs blew off a meeting with the Governor. Why? They were throwing a hissy fit that Gov Kaine didn’t adequately clear the sked with each of them. Whiny little spoiled children.

PPP -I agree with everything you said. If this money is not used for its intended purposes, then there will be hell to pay.I understand your concern. I am taking the new President at his word.If your fears are realized, you can count on me for support. I’ll even bring rope.

PPP: So you say we should trade the cult of identity for the cult of personality? That’s essentially what “voting the man and not the party” means.Personally, I “vote my interests.” It’s the rational choice.

>>>But wasn’t your original prediction for the stimulus package that the original number was a low-ball figure, and that eventually enough stuff would be added to take it up well over $1 trillion?Yeah, I got that one wrong. I’m allowed.

Sillygit,It’s not the President I’m worried about. He’ll do fine, because I believe he is a man of integrity. It’s Congress and the Senate, where money goes to hide.

Matt,I did not say, “we should trade the cult of identity for the cult of personality”. Nor is that what “voting the man and not the party” means. How is being a member of a political party your identity? And if it is, it shouldn’t be, and you know it.I said this,”You vote for the person who most closely agrees with your worldview.”and this,”Elected Officials should be judged not by the color of their party, but by the color of their deeds.”Which one of those statements disagrees with voting your interests?