Pelosi, Reid, and Dem Congressional leaders let Obama down with the stimulus bill

[TeamJordan23]

I agree with some of the critics of this stimulus plan. There is not enough stimulus and too much spending on things that are not going to create immediate stimulus job creation. I agree with STD prevention, anti-smoking measures but it would have been far less controversial to just put them in a separate bill where they would easily get passed. Instead, for this bill, put more money into infrastructure and other helpful spending and subsidies that will create jobs.

The bill is going to likely pass along party lines and it is hardly going to be the Bi-Partisan Bill that should have defined Obama's first true victory.

[EFerrari]

1. Getting his policy signed into law, not bi-partisanship, should be the measure of victory, imo.

The Republicans wore our limp opposition as a badge of honor. Obama has denied them the opportunity to use partisanship as a talking point, that is enough.

[Thrill]

2. Putting that shit in there. Gave the Repukes talking points to bash the package

it was a mistake.

[damonm]

6. Nope. Not at all a mistake...

Deliberate. It gave Obama something to take out, so as to appear to be accomodating the Repigs. When Obama "bends over backwards" to accomdate them, and they UNANIMOUSLY vote against anyway, THEY are the bad guys, unwilling to meet halfway.
BRILLIANT political stroke.

[EFerrari]

8. He put "shit" in there that he could take out without losing anything.

He's ahead of them.

[Thrill]

10. I agree. Obama knew some of the stuff he could give. But there are still things in there

like this cigarette program, that have the news stations replaying over and over. That poisons the minds of people. That gives them a reason to run on TV and say look "How is this going to stimulate anything"

I just think the Democrats in Congress, still haven't figured out how to work the media like Repubs have.

[EFerrari]

13. I agree that the Democrats need a mass media seminar yesterday. n/t

[katsy]

3. There is always plenty of critics...

only time will tell whether they are correct in their analysis.

But make no mistake about this: bi-partisanship will not define Obama's victory should he succeed. If Obama succeeds, the gop will go the way of the whigs - as it should be. If he fails - we're pfhucked as a country and as Democrats.

[ProSense]

4. No, Republicans let the country down. This is their choice, no matter what.

Obama was seen trying, and the Repubs decided that despite the urgency, and American suffering, they were going to continue playing their game.

Screw em.

[AllentownJake]

5. BS

The Repiggies wouldn't vote for it if they wrote it themselves as long as Obama is the one signing it.

Wake up...Republicans want Obama to fail so they can have power back.

[Mass]

7. You drink the koolaid easily, repeating GOP talking points.

The point is that the GOP only wanted tax cuts for those who pay income taxes. They repeated that again and again. They were not going to vote for it, whatever was in the bill.

I know you are an Obama supporter, but nobody let Obama down. The GOP showed their true nature. They would not have voted for more infrastructures. They wanted LESS.

[TeamJordan23]

9. Its not GOP talking points, but when I talk to my moderate friends who are struggling to find a job

They don't like to hear about this type of spending. A lot of politics is public perception and public image. I do not have a problem with what the bill is going to spend money on. But I have a problem with the way it played out in the public. It could have been a better PR for Obama and his administration if Pelosi and them avoided these controversies.

[Mass]

14. I disagree. I think the Dems did an asbyssmal job communicating what they did.

for whatever reason. They have left the GOP say whatever they wanted. If this had not been in the bill, they would have twisted something else. They did not want to sign this bill, period.

BTW, these are GOP talking points that your friends hear. This is the point. The GOP has been saying that throughout the last two days. The Dems have not explained why it belonged in the bill (it creates jobs among other things). But, if you think the GOP would not have found something else, you are mistaken. They did not use the S word because of these projects. They used it because it gives money to poor people.

[ProSense]

15. Not everyone is going to agree, but

most Americans know the deal. Dems should start from here and hammer the point home. Do the same thing they did to crush Bush's efforts to privatize Social Security. It will be a lot easier because more people realize the media hasn't been working in their best interests.

[Enrique]

11. do you know your post coincides EXACTLY with the GOP's message?

they have ads where they pretend to be on Obama's side, attacking the dem congress for undermining him.

[AllentownJake]

16. Some of us don't know when they are being played

and haven't understood that the repiggies don't care about America or Americans yet.

[WI_DEM]

12. Some things in the bill are good such as provding more unemployment benefits, food stamps,

and related to energy but I think the bill could use more in terms of job creation. Also, I don't see how the tax cuts will stimulate anything--average is $13 payroll deduction per check. In a year for the average person that is not really a lot. Still, it's better than anything the GOP could come up with.