February 15, 2009
From the NYTimes.com
They Sure Showed That Obama
By FRANK RICH
AM I crazy, or wasn’t the Obama presidency pronounced dead just days ago? Obama had “all but lost control of the agenda in Washington,” declared Newsweek on Feb. 4 as it wondered whether he might even get a stimulus package through Congress. “Obama Losing Stimulus Message War” was the headline at Politico a day later. At the mostly liberal MSNBC, the morning host, Joe Scarborough, started preparing the final rites. Obama couldn’t possibly eke out a victory because the stimulus package was “a steaming pile of garbage.”
Less than a month into Obama’s term, we don’t (and can’t) know how he’ll fare as president. The compromised stimulus package, while hardly garbage, may well be inadequate. Timothy Geithner’s uninspiring and opaque stab at a bank rescue is at best a place holder and at worst a rearrangement of the deck chairs on the TARP-Titanic, where he served as Hank Paulson’s first mate.
But we do know this much. Just as in the presidential campaign, Obama has once again outwitted the punditocracy and the opposition. The same crowd that said he was a wimpy hope-monger who could never beat Hillary or get white votes was played for fools again.
Read more
The opinions, views, thoughts, and ramblings of editors of PoliticalAffairs.net – and other stuff worth reading or viewing.
Showing posts with label economic stimulus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label economic stimulus. Show all posts
Monday, February 16, 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Economic Stimulus for the Arts
Artists contribute greatly to our society as educators, agents of change and builders of community, yet many live without health insurance and struggle with issues of housing and security. Deep cuts in federal funding for the arts and education have exacerbated difficulties. In the less than a month, Congress will pass a $600 billion stimulus package in order to stimulate the economy and help create jobs. We ask that the arts be included in this package.
Please join us. Sign our petition. Contact your legislators. Help us get the word out.
ONE PERCENT FOR THE ARTS
Programs that paid thousands of artists and writers comprised one of the most creative aspects of the New Deal. Thousands received relatively small outlays of funds for their work, and the nation's artistic heritage was greatly enhanced. The same kind of initiative is needed today.
We call on Congress to recommend that the government spend 1% of the stimulus plan on arts and culture ($6 billion if the final package totals $600 billion), building on the New Deal's Federal Art Project and the Federal Writers Project....
Read the full petition and sign here...
Please join us. Sign our petition. Contact your legislators. Help us get the word out.
ONE PERCENT FOR THE ARTS
Programs that paid thousands of artists and writers comprised one of the most creative aspects of the New Deal. Thousands received relatively small outlays of funds for their work, and the nation's artistic heritage was greatly enhanced. The same kind of initiative is needed today.
We call on Congress to recommend that the government spend 1% of the stimulus plan on arts and culture ($6 billion if the final package totals $600 billion), building on the New Deal's Federal Art Project and the Federal Writers Project....
Read the full petition and sign here...
Thursday, February 7, 2008
John McCain's Missed Vote
He's trying to be the president. He wants us to believe he's decisive, a straight-talker, and a "maverick."
Well, he's not. Despite being in Washington, D.C. on the night of a crucial vote to expand economic aid to working families, seniors, unemployed workers, and veterans, McCain took a pass.
Additionally, the economic stimulus package would have injected large investments into clean energy projects, creating jobs and new possibilities for alternative energy.
McCain stayed home.
In fact he was the only one who stayed home. And like his demand for a 100-year long occupation of Iraq, his failure to vote on this last night shows where he really is in terms of what working families need and want.
According to media accounts, the Senate needed a single vote to stop a Republican filibuster and force an up-or-down vote on passage of an economic stimulus package that included investments for alternative energy.
How many times have we heard McCain use the phrase, "let's have an up-or-down vote."
According to the Sierra Club, the missed vote McCain short-changed working families with included a $5.7 billion investment in the following:
1-year extension of the Production Tax Credit--$3 billion Solar, fuel cell, and micro turbine investment credits--$130 million Clean Renewable Energy Bonds--$400 million High-efficiency appliance credits--$323 million Energy efficiency credits for new homes--$61 million Energy efficiency credits for home retrofits--$1.5 billion Energy efficiency credits for commercial buildings--$153 million
When 99 other Senators showed up to vote, John McCain was hiding. Is that what a straight-talker does? A "maverick"?
Well, he's not. Despite being in Washington, D.C. on the night of a crucial vote to expand economic aid to working families, seniors, unemployed workers, and veterans, McCain took a pass.
Additionally, the economic stimulus package would have injected large investments into clean energy projects, creating jobs and new possibilities for alternative energy.
McCain stayed home.
In fact he was the only one who stayed home. And like his demand for a 100-year long occupation of Iraq, his failure to vote on this last night shows where he really is in terms of what working families need and want.
According to media accounts, the Senate needed a single vote to stop a Republican filibuster and force an up-or-down vote on passage of an economic stimulus package that included investments for alternative energy.
How many times have we heard McCain use the phrase, "let's have an up-or-down vote."
According to the Sierra Club, the missed vote McCain short-changed working families with included a $5.7 billion investment in the following:
When 99 other Senators showed up to vote, John McCain was hiding. Is that what a straight-talker does? A "maverick"?
John McCain Ignores Economic Stimulus Vote
In his whirlwind campaign in economically-strapped Michigan in January, Republican presidential front runner John McCain tried to generate interest in his campaign by talking to Michigan voters about jobs and the economy.
His recent actions in failing to be present for a vote on an economic stimulus package suggest that he really doesn't care about the economy or working families that much.
According to the Associated Press, McCain missed yesterday's vote in the Senate on an economic stimulus package that would have provided direct economic relief to working families, expanding the recipients of the rebates to include millions of seniors and disabled veterans excluded in the White House proposal.
The bill included aid to low income families facing rising home heating costs and an extension of unemployment benefits for the long-termed unemployed, currently estimated at 1.4 million workers.
Republican Senators led by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) filibustered the economic stimulus package.
Eight Republicans facing tough reelection battles this year joined with 48 Democrats and two independents to end the filibuster and force a vote on passage of the bill, totaling 58. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was forced to switch his vote before the voting closed in order to maintain control of the bill by Senate rules.
John McCain reportedly had promised to make the Senate vote on the package, but failed to appear.
He could have been the deciding vote to end the filibuster and force an up-or-down vote on the package which probably would have passed and speeded up economic relief to millions of working families.
In a moment when working families needed someone to stand with them and fight with them for relief, McCain opted not to decide. He chose to play politics in order to please the right-wing extremists in his party.
He's no "maverick." He's just another Republican politician sticking it to working people.
His recent actions in failing to be present for a vote on an economic stimulus package suggest that he really doesn't care about the economy or working families that much.
According to the Associated Press, McCain missed yesterday's vote in the Senate on an economic stimulus package that would have provided direct economic relief to working families, expanding the recipients of the rebates to include millions of seniors and disabled veterans excluded in the White House proposal.
The bill included aid to low income families facing rising home heating costs and an extension of unemployment benefits for the long-termed unemployed, currently estimated at 1.4 million workers.
Republican Senators led by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) filibustered the economic stimulus package.
Eight Republicans facing tough reelection battles this year joined with 48 Democrats and two independents to end the filibuster and force a vote on passage of the bill, totaling 58. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was forced to switch his vote before the voting closed in order to maintain control of the bill by Senate rules.
John McCain reportedly had promised to make the Senate vote on the package, but failed to appear.
He could have been the deciding vote to end the filibuster and force an up-or-down vote on the package which probably would have passed and speeded up economic relief to millions of working families.
In a moment when working families needed someone to stand with them and fight with them for relief, McCain opted not to decide. He chose to play politics in order to please the right-wing extremists in his party.
He's no "maverick." He's just another Republican politician sticking it to working people.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)