No Sir, I Don’t Like It

Posted on 02/11/2009 at 11:05 pm by Bob Cesca

This isn’t good:

The House-Senate compromise, however, cuts funds for extended health care coverage for the unemployed; cuts $30 billion in aid to state governments to prevent reductions in social services to the poor and out-of-work; and also cuts a special “Making Work Pay” tax holiday from $500 to $400 for an individual, and from $1,000 to $800 for a couple, for low-to-middle-income workers still hanging on to their jobs.

Is this seriously price tag for getting just three Republican votes? Now, I don’t know what the whip count looks like for each chamber on the compromise bill, but based on previous votes I simply can’t wrap my head around how awful it is that in order to get the bill out of conference and, ostensibly, to get Snowe, Collins and Specter to cross the aisle came at the expense of screwing many, many Americans.

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  • http://www.osborneink.com Matt Osborne

    What cost bipartisanship?There’s no way to get the rest of his agenda through the Senate when “bipartisanship” comes at this price tag. But I’m betting he’s a fast learner.

  • http://www.osborneink.com Matt Osborne

    What cost bipartisanship?There’s no way to get the rest of his agenda through the Senate when “bipartisanship” comes at this price tag. But I’m betting he’s a fast learner.

  • JG

    I think this will change–60 votes is a BBQ construction under a Dem President. Bush got everything he wanted (excpept SS reform, THANKFULLY) with fewer votes. The right wing overplayed their hand this time–bad move.

  • http://nanotyrnns.blogspot.com/ Nanotyrannus

    JG – Bush got everything he wanted because the Republicans voted as a block and then the Blue Dogs crossed the aisle and helped push things through. That equation now spells doom for most of the legislation we need passed. The Republicans will obstruct, the Blue Dogs will ‘bipartisanate’ and vital legislation will be killed.My concern is that these items may never see the light of day in any upcoming legislation. If it can’t be argued that we need those items now, at this moment of greatest need, how will they end up getting passed at a later time?

  • SillyGit

    It’s time to start a Republican re-education program. I’ll bring the 2x4s.

  • http://tipandwag.blogspot.com/ Jay Kamins

    This seems to be an overall win for Obama. He can get that money to people or projects in other ways if he wants. I think his goal was about 800 Billion, and he got it. We’re all fixated and worrying about tiny details, but we don’t need to be. That’s what Rachel Maddow and Paul Krugman are for. I think this isn’t optimal, but it’s good. It’s just one part of the puzzle.

  • http://nanotyrnns.blogspot.com/ Nanotyrannus

    I see your point Jay but these particular provisions were absolutely needed and the Republicans and Blue Dogs will be no more enthusiastic about them 3 or 6 months from now. The aid to state governments was particularly necessary because they are laying off workers, or paying with IOU’s, and cutting state programs right now. That part of the recovery package would have went to work right away, not months down the road, and would have provided relief to severely cash-strapped state governments.I’m hoping for a little more arm twisting. Maybe Obama will suddenly say “You know what? I gave you a chance-” and then hammer those provisions back into the recovery plan.

  • http://manifestpolitics.com manifest
  • J M Ashby

    I think at the moment this is an issue of chosing your battles and playing your cards right.Just because those things didn’t get passed right now doesn’t mean they cant stick them in another bill next month or even next week when republicans are no longer grandstanding.

  • ceu

    Scarborough et al are now calling it a welfare bill and ripping it apart…something about $30 mil for mice in Pelosi’s districts.

  • prcleburne

    Obama has been in office for less that a month, and he gets an 800 billion recovery package containing most of what he wants passed. This is a remarkable achievement.