Blah, blah, blah, spend money we don't have, blah, blah, blah, pay off donors, blah, blah, blah, make country socialist, blah, blah, central planning, blah, blah, never worked before, but this time is different, blah, blah, blah.

I am so sick of the stool metaphor.  I mean it has me hopping on one leg.  I mean if we don't change the rhetoric, we won't have a leg to stand on.  United we Stand, Divided - we fall over.  I am sure there are more; but come on,...

I much prefer the multi-pronged solution, personally.

"Obama said that there will be time to beat him up and a time for politics."
So fall in line Repubs and SHUT UP!
Quit playing politics with people's lives!!

Why not cancel this dtv thing altogether?  I've never gotten a good answer as to why this must happen.  I am ready for it, got the boxes and my antenna work fine (I REFUSE to let my only cable provider rob me every month for channels I don't watch!), but feel for the poorer, uniformed, or elderly people who will be left in the dark come Feb 17.  
Give it another 5 years or so and pretty soon no TV's will be left around that don't get digital signals.

Grass in the mall? They're talking about grass in the mall? Plant corn for all care. Raise pigs! At least the pigs would be at home with the ones in Congress.

This is probably as close as we are going to get to sitting in on one these high fallutin' meetings . . . interesting . . . here's hoping that something actually gets accomplished! :)

i give president obama one thing. he is trying to change how our government works. i think in the next few days he is going to do what he has to. he may want more republican votes, but he is getting to the point where he can't make the economy and americans suffering wait much longer while the gop continues their posturing for economic philosophies that have already failed us tremendously.

the gop philosophy of tax cuts for the wealthy failed us. the continued tax cuts did not inject any capital into the economy to offset the spending for the war and gop spending that has already collapsed our economy. there stance is totally dillusional. it is amazing that now they suddenly are worried about spending when if we don't we are going to suffer on an unimaginable scale.

Whack Rush Limbaugh and that stupid Sean Hannity on their heads, instead of the President.

Obama -

For every dollar of direct spending, we get 1.5 dollars of stimulus
For every dollar of tax cuts, we get 75 cents of stimulus

----------------------

These are numbers pulled out of his butt. He has no clue what he's talking about or what the results will be. It's all academic chalk-board stuff that barely means anything to the real world. This is the same crew that tells us they know how to predict the weather for the next hundred years, but can't tell us if it will rain on Sunday.

Probably the best post ever in First Read.

Love the direct reporting without commentary

The President is the President because after living with the best and brightest the Republicans could offer Americans of voting age decided to make a change.  For the Republicans to now complain that Obama is not being Bi-Partisan because he doesn't enact programs that are to their liking in lieu of the programs he and his team have devised to address the issues is evidence that the Republicans don't quite understand that they are no longer in power.

As Obama said and often says, he doesn't have pride of ownership in any idea.  If there is a good idea,  bring it forth and let's argue the merits and be open to new ideas.  But at the end of the day the buck does stop on the desk of the President and it is his duty to represent the opinions and attitudes...point of view of the people that elected him.  

For a trillion dollars, I don't want an honest effort, I want results! How many jobs Obama? You say 4 million jobs in the next 5 years, but that's what an economy normally produces. Now you're telling us that these trillions you're spending may or may not produce these results? If they don't, maybe you need to rethink exactly what your trying to do, and how you want to do it. A trillion dollars just given to the people would mean about $15000 per family. Why not just give us the money, and we'll figure out what to spend it on? Problably do a better job then you're doing too.

Look at where 25+ years of so called conservatism has gotten us - the 2d Great Depression!  Please Obama, don't listen to the repukes.  They had their chance, and look at how they messed this country up!  Its the Dem's turn at bat, and you need to hit a home run!

Hell place a provision in the new stimulus, that would put a digital tv in every American Home, a tv that is Made in the USA, if their is such a thing anymore. Get on with it already! that would stimulate the economy. As far as grass on the mall,well you may as well look like you know what you're doing! Tax cuts ain't going to do it folks! because the wrong bunch will get'm.

If people haven't prepared for thhe DTV transition, then I say, its their fault if their TV goes dark!

President Obama continues to give a clear, concise message.  He has reached out to Congress and the republicans.  He will get the necessary votes to pass the stimulus package.  Still, the only question is, "Do the republicans 'get it'."  If they don't get it, expect some more increases in the dem fold in 2010.

The American economic airplane has lost power and is heading right into trouble waters!!!  WHERE'S SULLEY??

the good ol' outmoded, bankrupt republicans need to see president obama is consulting with them out of strength not weakness! if they are not part of the solution then they are the problem. americans overwhelmingly voted against the last 25 years of trickle down, tax cuts for the wealthy, small damaging government.

Still, the only question is, "Do the republicans 'get it'."  If they don't get it, expect some more increases in the dem fold in 2010
---------------------------------------------------
And who cares?  Obama will have turned this country into a banana republic by then anyway

It may take a while for the Republicans to understand that they've forfeited their right to - convincingly - stand in the way of all suggestions except their own and yell "tax cut, tax cut" as if that cures all ills.  That's what they were doing for the last 8 years while they were driving the truck into the ditch and down the embankment.  How come Boehner didn't say "My God - the spending!!" when asked to fund his President's unnecessary war?   If Obama just keeps proceeding as he's going, eventually the Republicans will learn that the people are fed up and only the ones who step up and work like partners helping to solve problems are going to be re-elected.  Money IS going to be spent - all economists agree that it's necessary right now and Obama's administration and the Dem congress is going to follow that advice.  So instead of running around like a bunch of Chicken Littles, I'd like to hear from the Republicans who have and are willing to share constructive ideas on what might be good ways to spend some of the stimulus money.  (Re-sodding the Mall might be a very good one, in fact -- very labor-intensive work, $ into pockets of consumers and all that)  

Casey in St. Louis - we tried giving the money directly to the people twice in the Bush years and it didn't do squat for the economy (obviously).  People paid off bills or saved it.  Not a bad thing to do but in this situation we need spending...  I'd like to have it myself but we are more likely to spend the money we get in our checks every payday then we are a lump sum.  Makes sense to me.

some of the gop will never get it. just like some of the dillusional, hateful, ignorant and stupid fools that have posted threads here like nelson, virginia, casey lambert, st. louis, dump the stimulus (gigantic butt hole that got bigger as he/she got older), clara, kansas city and blanch blah-blah (a true conservative bafoon)

erica, salinas, ca from the banana republic

Question 2--Roskam asked about grass on the mall vs. $41 million for small business.

It is a job for someone. Remember, blue collar workers. It might sound like a joke to some of you all, but if someone gets you a cup of starbucks, how much do you think they earn per hour? If someone serves your table, how much do you think that earn per hour? Bottom line...Seed for the grass (suplier), person (s) to perform the task (job). People aren't too choosy about blue collar work as long as they can pay their bills.

CASE AND POINT: If America doesn't work, we have no need of investors.

Third q from Stearns is about dTV transition We are ready to go on the transition so why are we delaying? Please reconsider.

DTV: The funding wasn't there to completely support the move...no coupons. Alright you networks...without viewers you don't have a job. Not every consumer can afford cabel and Direct TV...who's going to watch you? In my state Cable suppliers are selling basic cable for $9.95 per month for the "first six months" and after that, the bill goes up. Another way to continue to fleece those that can't afford to pay their utilities in this crisis, especially those that are on fixed incomes. When his little hiney gets a pink slip...then he'll understand the delay.

1. ADVERTISEMENT, networks buy it, CONSUMERS see the avertisement for products, services advertised on "your" networks and take the bait...get it?

We are the consumers, without us you do not have a job...there are a lot of those people that actually purchase goods and services that cannot afford to shop for extra goodies, let alone pay added perks of cable TV.

I hear incessently ad nauseum about the switch to digital. I am opposed to extending the date. If people don't have the message by now when will they get it? A year, 2 years 3....? Surely  there are family and friends, people in the community that could help immigrants and old people to figure this out. If they have not seen the messages on TV they obvously don't watch TV enough to worry about the switch over as it is, as I said, on there ad nauseum.

Obama -

For every dollar of direct spending, we get 1.5 dollars of stimulus
For every dollar of tax cuts, we get 75 cents of stimulus

----------------------

These are numbers pulled out of his butt. He has no clue what he's talking about or what the results will be. It's all academic chalk-board stuff that barely means anything to the real world. This is the same crew that tells us they know how to predict the weather for the next hundred years, but can't tell us if it will rain on Sunday.
Dump the Stimulus (Sent Tuesday, January 27, 2009 1:20 PM)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
why do you think he keeps referring to his "stool?" it's straight out of his butt!!

What Republicans know is that they got blanketed in this last election. They also don't want to work with Obama anymore than they KNOW HOW to govern. Their economic theories are BS and haven't worked in 30 years. Everytime a Republican leaves office, the country's in recession and a Democrat has to clean up his mess. Obama has already cut some of the stuff the House Dems put in the bill but Republican 'biparisanship' comes from the old Bush Dictionary, "my way or the highway". So in order not to be totally imasculated by the Dems, the Repubs will vote against the bill regardless of the compromises. Let's see how the American people treat these great Republican 'statesmen'. I say throw them out and get them working on the street on 'shovel ready' projects...that's if they know HOW to work.

I think I have a way for car dealers to sell more cars and for people needing a car yet who are unable to get the credit to purchase a car to get a car. Tell me what you think.

Every Dealer should hold raffles. Each Dealer could raffle off two or more cars a week (tax free). Raffle ticketts would cost $3.00 apiece (an cost example) and people would not be limited on the number of raffle tickets they could buy. Raffle off different styles of cars each week. Based on the number and dollar amount of raffle tickets sold  each week would determine the number of cars that could be won each week. This would work especially well in larger populated areas. People who cannot afford the total price of a new car would be willing to spend $20 a week or more on raffle tickets to win a new car. Some might even spend more. If during any one week too few tickets are sold for a Dealer to make up the sale price of a car carry over the raffle into the next week.

The result. Auto makers sell more cars. Dealers sell more cars and make their marginal profit. Those unable to get credit during this crunch to purchase a car might win a car at the cost of a few raffle tickets.

Good idea of bad?

Following Republican party programs has led us into a ditch. If they can't come up with some new ideas other than the old tired and discredited nostrums they should have the common decency to shut up and let somebody rescue us from this Republican-induced nightmare.

>>>I will be judged by the legacy I have left behind.
==========
And therein lies the fundamental difference between Obama and Bush.  Obama is aware of his legacy early on in his tenure as president.  Bush is totally oblivious to his even after 8 years.

Day 7 of 100
http://jawillie.blog.com

Hey Dump - You need to read up on your economics, these are published numbers http://www.econ.berkeley.edu/~cromer/RomerDraft307.pdf
But go ahead, and continue to demonstrate your ignorance.

This man is such an "Upgrade" from the previous person in the White House.  He has my total and complete support.  I am more impressed every day.  We are so lucky to have him there, just when we need him the most.

The GOP & their FreakyDeaky Economic's have plunged the greatest country on Earth, close to 3rd world status, & they still can't come up with ONE Worthy idea beyond Tax Cut's for the wealthy & wealthier. President Obama need's to just tell them,"You're the reason why America & the World is in this shape to begin with, so just STFU & let the Adults straighten out this mess".  Only then will the GOP begin to understand ( if at all) Real American's no longer beleive in FreakyDeaky Economic's !

"spoke to many economists who told him almost uniformly that they needed to get a stim bill up and running asap to avoid huge unemployment"

I think he needs to talk to more economists - how about at the Chicago School of Economics - you know the one with all the nobel prize winners?

To all the dim bulbs saying we should all just listen to our fearless leader without complaint or comment - You are right, why not simply rename the countrty after Obama?  I already have a name pick out - Obamanation.

"Nobody is more worried about the deficit and the debt than me. I will be judged by the legacy I have left behind.
------------------------------------------------
Bottom line:  my legacy is the only thing that matters.  

"Has no interest in increasing government just to increase the size of government" ??  What kind of double-speak is this?? I, for one, think government is the problem.  We don't need bigger government!!!

Thank you for the dialogue behind closed doors. This is excellent reporting. Please continue this kind of post whenever possible.

Sorry - Wanted to reach Morning Joe but couldn't.  I have one question to the "panel" as well as the invited guests - On this morning's show - "WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO YOUR MANNERS?  YOU SEEM TO HAVE FORGOTTEN THE 'PRESIDENT' when speaking about our NEW PRESIDENT!!!  REALLY, who can actually call him by his first name now???  

Thirty years of Republican economics has nearly destroyed our economy and yet all they have is more of the same!  The GOP is out of power because they failed, but they're too stubborn to see the light.  You won't lead OR follow, get out of the way!

Ericka from Salinas, CA......what did you mean by Obama will turn this country into a BANANA Republic?! That sounds EXTREMELY offensive to people of color. So I suggest you shut your mouth of ignorant remarks and get it together missie.

As to the Mall - the sod growers will make money, the sod layers will make money. They will grow more sod and lay more sod and ear more money.  I think the concept is too simple for some people.

Good for Mr. Obama attempting to be diplomatic. If I were in Congress, I still don't know if I would vote for it, but Mr. Obama is making a very open gesture. If the Democrats don't allow any changes to the stimulus, he should still try to reach out the the Republicans. Mr. Obama may remember when the Republicans controlled both houses and Rove-Cheney-Delay pushed everything through with little input from Democrats. Obama does not want to make that same mistake with his party, I think, and it will make him a better leader... The Republicans are doing the right thing in keeping the President accountable for the first time in eight years. We Republicans have good ideas on fundamental tax reform, entitlements reform, and can also pinpoint spending excesses in the stimulus bill. These are important issues with no clear ideological answer and thus Mr. Obama should keep an open mind.

Hurray for Debra in Austin. I suggest you start by dumping Cornyn and Hutchinson.

I try to be hopeful, and it will take time to prove this president can deliver, but "pork is out" has turned back in to "pork is in" and a tax cheat now heads the IRS. The new stim package is all talk and no DETAIL - I WANT DETAIL. His policies for the auto industries are a joke - they cant afford ANY of it. Please, someone give me ONE THING that is not a  superficial "glamour fix" so I can renew hope.

Obama has tried asking the Republicans to approve this stimulus package so that it will be bipartisan but knowing the republicans they will not agree with him for they are always thinking of their rich clients so they will insist on tax cuts for the rich and nothing for the poor. They are not thinking about their country but their pockets and the lobbyist.raquel

Now this makes sense....give each working family $500,000-$1,000,000.00 dollars.  Everyone could pay off all their debt and the banks would have tons of money.  Also, people would be spending an enormous amount of money investing in the stock-markets, home improvements, traveling etc.
I think this is definitely the answer!!!

OMG! - - raffle off cars to help the auto industry.  About as clueless as Obama is on the auto industry.  And while you're at it, turn everyone into gamblers.  Better put some money in the stimulus package for Gambler Adicts Anonymous.

We Republicans have good ideas on fundamental tax reform, entitlements reform, and can also pinpoint spending excesses in the stimulus bill.
                            Joe C.
******************************************************
Then where the hell were you for the last 8 years???????????????????????????? Keeping an open mind about BUSH?

Remember, we wouldn't need to spend 800 billion dollars if Bush wasn't president, I didn't vote for him and I am proud to say it. Free trade Republicans caused this crisis without oversight.

Since the majority of iresponsibile Americans went to the polls to elected a crook that cheated his way into office, we responsible Americans, along with the winners that suported Bush and his policies, our children, grand childern and great grand children will be left with this debt. We must allow our President the opportunity to get this #$%@ fixed.

We didn't get into it on yesterday and it certinally will take more than today to fix it. We have a responsibility of our own. We must not live above our means and teach our children not to do so as well.

I can't tell you how many young married couples that I know that purchased mortages over 250,000 dollars, owned two new cars. The credit bureaus are to blame as well, they encouraged it by selling our names to prospected preditors, my cat got an offer in the mail for a credit card. The automakers produced gas guzzlers, advertisement glamorized it, consumers bought them, Busch, Cheney and friends oil companies profited from the record high gas prices and just before he left office "SURPRISE", we need 700 billion dollars (the memo that he held on his desk for a month before he sent Treasury Sec. Poulson to the hill with a one page memo) or our economy will crash. The banks got the money, then President elect Obama asked congress to not pass the bill without oversight, do not issue them a blank check...the rest is history, that money is in a swiss bank account, we got fleeced.

Of course there will be things that we won't like or understand, but just remember, Bush and company didn't even give us an opportunity to even know what he was doing and sadly, we didn't ask or demand.

What ever happened to "starter home". We have to be held accountable for poor judgement and it doesn't come cheap. Transunion, Equifax and Experian have readjusted credit scores and 600 is a bad score, those that had good credit are no longer considered to be a good risk, they preyed on the public too and they need oversight and accountability as well.

Think of all the young and old that have been devastated by greed. Seniors are still being encourged to use the "reverse mortgage" program for extra money. If they take advantage of the program, what a lot of them don't understand is when/if they die with a balance, who ever the executor of the estate is will have to assume the debt, or the bank will own the property. I am ashamed and whatever I can do as a citizen to help correct this mess I am willing to do so and so should we all.

If one fall....we all fall, let him do his job

Anita

we need to be in on more of these meetings...keep up the good work!

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