The Stakeholder
Day 3: More Than a Dozen House Republicans Take Credit for the Economic Recovery Bill They Opposed
UPDATE: Make it 16. The newest inductee to the Republican Hypocrisy Hall of Fame:
Stimulus opponent Lee plans to seek funding for district [Rochester Democrat and Chronicle]:
Rep. Chris Lee was opposed to a $787 billion stimulus package signed by President Barack Obama on Tuesday but said he would now fight for funds included in the bill for his district.
DCCC Press:
It's getting crowded in the House Republicans' Hypocrisy
Hall of Fame - 15 Republicans (and counting) are celebrating the benefits of
President Obama's economic recovery bill in their districts - even though they
voted against it in Washington. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael
Steele was onto something when he said, "You have absolutely no reason - none
- to trust our word or our actions at this point."
"It's no surprise that House Republicans are betting on failure, while President Obama and Democrats are investing in success. House Republicans have no shame - they fight against economic recovery while in Washington and then take credit for it while at home," said Jennifer Crider, Communications Director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "Times are tough and folks are looking for action on the economy, not a bunch of cynical Republicans who say one thing and do another. No wonder recent polls show that Americans overwhelmingly support President Obama and Democrats' efforts to turn the economy around and disapprove of the way Republicans in Congress are handling the economy."
House Republicans Hypocrisy Hall of Fame
House Republicans Voted Against the Economic Recovery Bill in DC, Praise It at Home
- Representative Adam Putnam (FL-12) - "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of millions in state stabilization stimulus cash." [Politico; 2/19/09]
- Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18) - "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of millions in state stabilization stimulus cash." [Politico; 2/19/09]
- Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL-21) - "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of millions in state stabilization stimulus cash." [Politico; 2/19/09]
- Representative Tom Rooney (FL-16) - "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of millions in state stabilization stimulus cash." [Politico; 2/19/09]
- Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25) - "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of millions in state stabilization stimulus cash." [Politico; 2/19/09]
- Representative Ginny
Brown-Waite (FL-05) - "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all
stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking
the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of
millions in state stabilization stimulus cash." [Politico;
2/19/09]
- Representative Cliff Sterns (FL-06) - "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of millions in state stabilization stimulus cash." [Politico; 2/19/09]
- Representative Bill Posey (FL-15) - "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of millions in state stabilization stimulus cash." [Politico; 2/19/09]
- Representative Pete Hoekstra (MI-02) - "If you know of someone thinking of buying first home, now may be the time. Stimulus incentive is very generous! Up to 8k! Check it out." [Representative Pete Hoekstra's Twitter page; 2/18/09]
- Representative Leonard Lance (NJ-07) - "Officials are hoping more federal money will soon be flowing to the Green Brook Flood Control Project. Under the terms of the stimulus plan signed into law Tuesday by President Barack Obama, infrastructure projects that are "shovel-ready" could be the first to be funded with economic recovery money. That's the hope of Rep. Leonard Lance, R-Clinton Township...'This is a classic example of a ‘shovel-ready' project,' Lance said after the tour." [mycentraljersey.com; 2/17/09]
- Representative Greg Walden (OR-02) - "I figure my job is to try and do whatever I can to clear the hurdles and get the projects going and the people back to work using these funds." [Mail Tribune; 2/19/09]
- Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-09) - "Luetkemeyer said the project is considered ‘shovel ready' and that's what the economy needs. President Darrell Krueger and Luetkemeyer discussed the educational benefits of the economic stimulus package." [KTVO-TV, 2/16/09]
- Representative Don Young (AK-AL) - "Alaskan Congressman Don Young won a victory for the Alaska Native contracting program and other Alaska small business owners last night in H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. [Congressman Don Young's Press Release; 2/13/09]
- Representative Ken Calvert (CA-44) - "All of us in the Inland Empire will do what we can to direct as much money as we can." [The Press Enterprise; 2/13/09]
- Representative John Mica (FL-07) - "I applaud President Obama's recognition that high-speed rail should be part of America's future." [Congressman John Mica Press Release; 2/13/09] Mica was also one of "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of millions in state stabilization stimulus cash." [Politico; 2/19/09]
Background
In the past three weeks, House Republicans unanimously voted no on the very economic recovery investments that they are boasting about. [H.R.1, #46, 1/28/09], [H.R. 1, #70, 2/13/09]
AP-GfK Poll - February 12 - February 17, 2009
- A majority of respondents said they strongly or somewhat favor the economic recovery package. [AP-GfK poll, 2/12-2/17/09]
- 59 percent of respondents said they disapprove of the way Republicans in Congress are handling the economy. [AP-GfK poll, 2/12-2/17/09]
While on the FOX News program, Glenn Beck, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said, "...I'm not going to soft pedal this with you. I'm not going to try to blow smoke either. The reality of it is, you are absolutely right. You have absolutely no reason, none, to trust our word or our actions at this point. So, yeah, it's going to be an uphill climb." [FOX News, 2/13/09]
Ya know, if this thing works it doesn’t matter who takes credit for it but I’m sure there are a lot on the right that would love to see it fail. Just so they could say “Told you so.” Its funny to see so many RepubliCANs line up behind President Obama. I wonder what Rush El Tubbo Limbaugh thinks.
The CBO is a non-partisan agency set up soley to evaluate the veracity and risk-assesment of economic expenditures. When the CBO says it will fail, they said so based upon sound economic evaluation. That Obama et al did not care what they said, SHOULD indicate ‘something’ to you. That it fails to even make you inquire, research, or consider is actually quite appalling. IF you shoudl ever hsake the narcotized fuzz out of your brain,you might come to realize that there was not a single moment of hesitancy in light of this news because: “it has very little to do with ‘saving you’, it has everything to do with taking control
Why do you think that in the midst of all this “doomsday” hyperbole, they had the presence of mind to decide they wanted to take over the Census Bureau. Unfortunately, you shake your fist at those that try to save you, while you follow like mindless sheep to the slaughter house.
This story AGAIN!?!?!?!!!
NOTE TO MANAGER OF THE BLOG CREATOR:
Hire somebody new. This guy only comes up with a new story idea about twice a week. He just rewords his articles from one day to the next. If we are lucky, with one or two new facts. I would be surprised if this was the way you expected the blogs to go.
THX,
Active reader looking for new content.
It is unbelievable to me that the democrats are appalled that Rush Limbaugh hopes Obama fails. For 8 years all we heard from the democrats and the media was how everything Bush wanted to do was going to fail, is failing, had failed and democrats actually celebrating when something went wrong. It’s disgusting to see the hypocrisy of the Democrat Party who have done nothing but run our country into the ground. I don’t care what party a politician is from they only care about two things, getting re-elected and gaining more power, and if they could do away with having to be re-elected they would because it interferes with obtaining more power. The Democrat grab for control of the census bureau, the stimulus and bail-out bill take overs of our financial industries, the strings attached to the states to use the stimulus money are nothing more than the Democrat party trying to make it so they don’t have to worry about being re-elected by the citizens anymore, after all according to them, the government is the only answer, we are too stupid to take care of ourselves. Unbelievable! Democrats will never get another vote or support from me on any thing again.
#1. Rush did not say he hopes Obama fails. So that is more KBG-style propoganda from our new Fascist leadership. What he DID say that IF Obama is going to turn our Country into some Socialistic monstrousty, then he hopes he fails. He also said that if he is going to Govern for the People and for the preservation of America, he is behind him. But since it is abundantely clear we have someone at the helm that is hell-bent on ruining this country, I hope to God he fails as well.
Alan Keyes vs Obama, and several other plaintiffs also hope he fails. God know how many lawsuits have been filed to date.
There are also now 14 States that have filed for Soveriegnity, half of them Blue states. Go figure. Entire States want NOTHING to do with his un-Constitutional usurping of the Law. He is in fact driving this country into a Civil War…although with the 800 civilian internment and labor camps he is building, he is already well aware and well prepared for this. I say, let the Tea Party begin!
I agree with spinpolitico 100%. Taking quotes out of context and presenting them how you see fit (pro obama socialism) does not make it FACT or in any way accurate. I also agree that if Obama plans on adding more government, doing so by use of fear, inhibiting freedoms in the Constitution, and converting this country to socialism, I hope he fails as well. As far as “they fight against economic recovery while in Washington” that is also false.
Bush tax cuts:
-Capital gains tax revenues doubled following the 2003 tax cut
-GDP grew at an annual rate of just 1.7 percent in the six quarters before the 2003 tax cuts. In the six quarters following the tax cuts, the growth rate was 4.1 percent.
-Non-residential fixed investment declined for 13 consecutive quarters before the 2003 tax cuts. Since then, it has expanded for 13 consecutive quarters.
-The S&P;500 dropped 18 percent in the six quarters before the 2003 tax cuts but increased by 32 percent over the next six quarters. Dividend payouts increased as well.
-The economy lost 267,000 jobs in the six quarters before the 2003 tax cuts. In the next six quarters, it added 307,000 jobs, followed by 5 million jobs in the next seven quarters.
-The economy lost 267,000 jobs in the six quarters before the 2003 tax cuts. In the next six quarters, it added 307,000 jobs, followed by 5 million jobs in the next seven quarters.
The last point democrats need to realize is raising tax rates is not the best way to raise revenue.
Tax revenues correlate with economic growth, not tax rates
-Scott
Scott,
You have hit upon a vital point. You concluded by saying: “The last point democrats need to realize is raising tax rates is not the best way to raise revenue. “
The sad truth here is that they aren’t really concerned with raising revenue, this is all about seizing control. If was truly all about revenue, the Democrats would be the biggest tax cut advocates.
There are two ways to make it in this world… you can either be a producer or you can steal from those who produce. I once thought our government “of the people, by the people and for the people” was tasked with keeping the criminals from stealing from the producers. The government has become the criminal. We are lost.
Well, as they say: Conservatives work. Liberals pass legislation telling them how to work, and what to do with the production.
“The biggest problem with Socialism is soon enough you run out of other people’s money” — Margaret Thatcher