The Obama/Pelosi/Reid Political Spending Plan was approved by Congress and is due to be signed tomorrow. Contrary to what Mr Obama promised the bill had no transparency and no bipartisanship. However, it did have plenty of pork. Worst of all, this bill will not stimulate the economy, but it will gladden the hearts of the liberals.
Transparency is a term to be despised given its mindless overuse. But it was what Obama promised. He did not deliver. I do not think that one member of congress read the entire bill nor did anyone else. It was released after midnight on Thursday. The Bill was certainly not posted on a website for all to see, as promised. I guess it was simply too much of an emergency to approve 2011 spending programs. "If we do not approve these spending programs that will take effect beyond 2010 by next week, the economy will fall into the Greatest Depression."
Mr Obama's definition of bipartisanship appears to be having a 30 minute chat with Republicans and then expect them to go along with 95% of whatever Pelosi and Reid say. "We extended our hand and they just want to do the same ol' stuff of the past eight years. As Democrats, we have very good, fresh ideas from the 1930s on how to wreck an economy."
"This Stimulus Plan has no ear marks nor pet projects nor pork." It has loads of it. It is dripping with the sweet fat that falls from the ribs.
This Bill was designed to "correct the mistakes from the awful Bush years" -- it was not meant to stimulate anything but the liberal base. This was 98% a political bill and 2% economic. However, by sending checks to so many who never paid income taxes, the Democrats figure to have bought sufficient votes to control national politics. Class warfare, baby -- it is as simple and disgusting as that.
President Obama holds a press conference that is not a press conference. He is boring and a bit pedantic. His reply to a crisp 20 second question is a 13 minute weave through bits and pieces of his limited knowledge of the economy that makes re-runs of The Weather Channel appear interesting by comparison. He has thin skin when challenged to address the merits of his Plan on purely economic terms. That's because the Plan has a political, not an economic, rationale. Remember the "spread the wealth" off the cuff comment -- that is the plan.
Team Obama pre-selects questioners, has a seating chart, but apparently Obama can't read it because he calls out: "Where's Chuck? Where are you Chucky? Major? Major? Your turn Major." Good grief! What's next, Michelle Obama asking a question?: "Okay, let's see, who's next? Michelle? Is that you Michelle? Go ahead, ask a question."
Then we have Turbo Tax Tim Geithner and his much awaited presentation of TARP II, or whatever it is called these days. This is the man who members of congress thought we should look beyond his tax-cheating ways because only he had the brain, skills and ideas to save our economy. Well, he had no details other than "details will follow" and the guy came across as if he had only seen the outline for the bank plan for the first time that morning. I'm beginning to think I was wrong -- he did not stiff the IRS maliciously, he really may have been too stupid to properly understand the tax code. We're in worse shape than I thought. As Biden said (when ominously warning of an attack within the first six months of an Obama administration): "Gird your loins."
We now come to the politics of the 2010 Census. Historically under the control of the Secretary of Commerce, Obama wants to have the White House, Rahm Emanuel to be specific, have functional control of this. This would be totally consistent with all the other ploys and tactics contained in the Stimulus Bill with the sole purpose of garnering political power for the coming years. Republican Senator Judd Gregg was nominated for Secretary of Commerce and he correctly un-nominated himself upon seeing the sly tricks up the White House sleeves. Remember that Governor Bill Richardson was originally nominated for this cabinet post but he had "pay for play" scandal issues to deal with. So, who will be Commerce Secretary? "Chuck, where's Chuck? Howard? Where's Howard? Gimme Howard Dean."
Meanwhile, we travel further along the Road to Serfdom.
Change.
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