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Audacity of Truth
Spinsational:
"We were so busy just getting stuff done and dealing with the immediate crises that were in front of us that I think we lost some of that sense of speaking directly to the American people about what their core values are and why we have to make sure those institutions are matching up with those values."
-Obama, explaining recent Democrat losses, 1/20/10
Velvet Lair- The sexiness of winning the battle of good versus evil January 26, 2010
- Ever wonder why? January 12, 2010
- The decision to bench Peyton Manning: Right or wrong? December 28, 2009
- Is my dad turning into a metrosexual? November 24, 2009
- My “Things To Do For Christmas” list November 23, 2009
Senate Republicans stand up against pork in stimulus bill
WASHINGTON – Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked Democrats from adding $25 billion for highways, mass transit, and water projects to President Barack Obama’s economic recovery program.
Already unhappy over the size of the measure, Republicans insisted additional infrastructure projects be paid for with cuts elsewhere in the bill.
But the Democratic amendment garnered 58 votes, just shy of the supermajority needed under Senate budget rules, and many more efforts to increase the measure’s size are sure to follow.
“We can’t add to the size of this bill,” said Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla. “The amount is just inconceivable to most people.”
At issue was a plan by Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., to increase the highway funding in the bill to $40 billion, which reflected complaints from lawmakers in both parties that Obama’s plan doesn’t do enough to relieve a backlog of unfinished projects. The duo also wanted to increase mass transit programs by $5 billion boost and water projects by $7 billion.
“Our highways are jammed. People go to work in gridlock,” Feinstein said Tuesday.
Just two Republicans supported the move, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Christopher Bond of Missouri. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Judd Gregg, R-N.H., named Tuesday morning to become Commerce secretary, did not vote.
What other pork is shoved into this bill that hasn’t been taken out? Senator Tom Coburn’s got the list posted on his website, along with a list of amendments he’d like to add to the stimulus bill.
Good to see that some in the Senate GOP are still looking out for the American taxpayer. Even Mac’s speaking out against it.
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Is that the same Diane Feinstein that funnelled highway projects to her hubby?? Ya have to wonder if this extra funding was going to go directly to Di’s husband??? – Lorica
Expect the calls for Kennedy’s resignation to begin on the left.
Since our friends at The News Organization That Cannot Be Quoted™ didn’t do the math, the increase in “highway” spending was $13 billion, from $27 billion.
I can’t understand how the infrastructure spending has very much at all to do with stimulus. Looking at it, it seems that the majority of folks who have been laid off have been from white collar jobs, such as Macy’s, Sprint/Nextell, ATT, ESPN, Time Warner, etc. Are they supposed to pick up a shovel and build a bridge? While I am all for repairing the infrastructure, it won’t stimulate anything, except the pockets of the contracters and such who donated to Democrats.
Already good things are coming from the Obama presidency: Republicans have discovered fiscal responsibility again. Better late than never, I guess.
Go Tom.
And I’m surprised Di-Fi didn’t funnel the money directly to her husband’s friends in China.