A costly victory
James Forsyth 5:32pm
The stimulus package is now ready to be signed into law by the President. On the one hand, this is a pretty major legislative achievement for Obama within the first month of his administration. On the other, Obama has taken a few knocks in the process and has lost a decent chunk of his reputation for being able to bring the two parties together and for transparency.
In the House, in both votes not a single Republican voted for it. In the Senate, only three Republicans crossed party lines; the post-conference version of the bill only passed the Senate with the minimum 60 votes. In the meantime, Obama saw his Republican nominee for Commerce Secretary withdraw under political pressure. For good or ill, Obama and the Democrats own the stimulus.
Obama’s reputation for transparency was hurt by the whole sausage-making process of getting the bill passed. As Mike Allen notes in his Playbook, ABC’s Jonathan Karl has reported: “hasty changes were HAND-WRITTEN on it before voting. With the stroke of a pen, $100 million becomes $150 million. $850 million becomes $1 billion.” This is hardly likely to persuade taxpayers that their money is being spent with due care and attention.
To be sure, Obama’s own brand remains strong and he still must be regarded as a firm favourite to win re-election. But his fist few weeks in the job with nominees withdrawing amidst tax scandals, partisan trench warfare on the Hill and the economy still in the tank has shown the new president that, to borrow a phrase, presidenting is hard.
Previous
Rhoda Klapp
February 14th, 2009 7:32pm Report this commentGetting a bad law through is not a victory. If they'd taken a couple of weeks to do it right, how would that be worse than this mess.
H.B. Harris
February 14th, 2009 8:19pm Report this commentObama may have won the battle, but the war of life and practical sense can come around and expose the fraud that he and the democrats really are ! Unfortunately the damage at his beginning could cause too much damage and generations to repair and rebuild - if the U.S. hasn't been destroyed form without with a second punch.
The wave of sin is reeling its ugly head - make it a crime to even think differently than them. Freedom of worship in a true GOD and practicing what HIS WORD says, taking away the airways for a second viewpoints instead of ONLY Obama and the democrat's say so - which reminds me of the one of the best TV series that came from England: The Prisoner !
We have eyes to see, ears to hear and a mind to think – but the wave of this movement of evil is trying to take away everything with “DO as I Say… or else”. Obama Nation will not stand long, for when the Judgment comes, it will be discovered that all those who swooned over the false massiah and his devils will be standing on sinking hot quicksand to their eternal reward.
Toad
February 14th, 2009 8:27pm Report this commentIt often not how many you anger but who you anger. The stimulus bill has provisions that are angering people who contributed money to Obama. The bills passage has also polarized the Republican party into a raging fury at Snowe,Collins, and Specter. Moving the control of the Census from the Commerce Department to the White House is just about guarantied to bring a law suit for violation of the Constitution. As what is actually in the Stimulus package becomes more widely known there will be more law suits. Also it is highly doubtful even by the Congressional Budget Offices opinion that the stimulus package will help and will probably hurt. In other words no upturn in 2009.
Juliana
February 14th, 2009 10:51pm Report this commentObama isn`t interested in whether or not he violates the Constitution - he`ll just try to change it to suit himself. And if America doesn`t wake up, he`ll do it.
RMH
February 14th, 2009 11:20pm Report this commentHmmmm
The dead tress press and online communities in the US se this are very good for Obama.
Have you seen the 45 days mandate for spending by states?
Some very clever insertions........
The GOP would rather America goes tits up than do the right thing..........
TGF UKIP
February 15th, 2009 12:05am Report this commentAll of which goes to demonstrate James, why the GOP only has to remain steadfast and ignore the likes of Ambinder and yourself who would desperately and misguidedly like to see it Cameronize itself.
I really do take great heart at how the Republicans have conducted themselves over this "stimulus" and I am certain that nothing else could have happened over the last four months more certain to re-ignite the fire and vigour that were lacking last year.
Just wait until gas goes back towards $4 a gallon, as it will during the course of the next three years, and never will have "Drill, baby, drill" have been more fervently chanted.
Verity
February 15th, 2009 1:57am Report this commentAs I posted on Chicagoboyz, Mark Steyn says that the Obama presidency so far is Jimmy Carter on warp speed.
Juliana - Exactly. Like Tony Blair. It is unbelievable that he managed to dismantle our ancient government and our bill of rights ... because ... no one stopped him.
I honestly do not think we will get our ancient heritage, that served us so well for hundreds of years, as a cohesive people, back. I think the destruction is absolute.
Conservative Cabbie
February 15th, 2009 7:33am Report this commentRMH
"The GOP would rather America goes tits up than do the right thing.........."
Do you consider voting for a bill that you're not even allowed the time to read "the right thing"?
Reg
February 15th, 2009 12:50pm Report this comment"Obama's reputation for transparency...". That's a joke, right? Or was "transparency" a typo for "opacity"?
As for your last paragraph....well! "He still must be regarded as a firm favourite to win re-election" followed immediately by "But his first few weeks in the job...". Eh?
Hal
February 15th, 2009 12:52pm Report this commentUnemployment is rising fast, there are more vacant storefronts all the time, banks are afraid to lend, interest rates are near zero, deflation looms. Productive capacity is going to waste, and people are suffering. Private-sector demand will come back some day, but left to its own devices this could take several years. The solution is for government to create demand by spending. If the things government spends on prove useful, so much the better, but the point is to create demand, and fast. Keynes talked about this 75 years ago, when he said that government could attack the Depression by burying cash in mineshafts and hiring people to dig it up. Jonathan Chait explains this well in the current New Republic:
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=943f400a-335b-4173-90c3-3fa82fd12b8a
As I see it, the main problem with the stimulus bill is that it's not all government spending. The part that consists of tax cuts is money that, as long as the economy looks scary, people will tend to sit on rather than to spend.
Verity
February 16th, 2009 12:23am Report this commentYou know what, James Forsyth? I cannot stand all that little smarty-pants ad agency talk. "Obama's own brand remains strong ...". This is the reason David Cameron is failing to excite the voter. He discusses deeply felt beliefs (which includes beliefs voters think will serve the future, meaning their children) in terms of "brands".
A belief system, such as Conservatism, isn't a "brand". It's core to the being.
rmh
February 16th, 2009 10:24am Report this commentCC - you mean like the Bush bailout/TARP bill and the like?
Did not hear the klaxons calling on that one.....
Biggest tax cut in American history and the tax cutting party voted against it......
Back to top