Obama Si
Posted on February 13th, 2009 in Uncategorized | 5 Comments »
In the Wall Street Journal, Karl Rove argues that the Republicans have handled the stimulus bill brilliantly.
Over the past month, House Republicans have used the stimulus bill to redefine their party, present ideas on how to revive the economy, and force congressional Democrats and the president to take ownership of the spending programs soon to be signed into law.
…House Republicans had the wisdom to continue to talk to the Obama White House. This made them look gracious…
…The payoff is that support for the stimulus bill is falling.
This is classic Rove: the man has absolutely no interest in substance. Politics is all for him. Why was it good to oppose the stimulus? Because it energizes the Republican party. Nothing about what is good for the country.
Rove claims that he’s on the side of the people, pointing out that …a recent CBS News poll, for example, shows that 62% of Americans think “reducing taxes” will “do more to get the U.S. out of the current recession” — nearly three times the 22% who prefer “increasing government spending.”
Because average Americans’ economic expertise is always right, right? And polls that ask you to choose between a tax cut and “increasing goverment spending” are gospel.
But as far as politics goes, I think that Rove has it exactly wrong, as he so frequently did during the last eight years. Here’s how the debate over the stimulus plays around the country: Obama wants to help people, Republicans are obstructionist, and would rather score political points than help solve the country’s problems.
As the man in the bodega said the other day, Obama, si.
5 Responses
2/13/2009 10:00 am
I don’t think the Pelosi-Reid-Obama “stimulus” bill is an attempt to help the country, rather I view it as a big bag of presents for Democratic interests. Certainly, the Republicans would have more credibility in opposing this if they gave a crap about spending when they controlled Congress, but that doesn’t make this joke of a bill any better. And I think you’re making a mistake if you confuse Obama’s personal popularity with widespread support for this bill.
2/13/2009 10:59 am
Heard on conservative talk radio: The Democratic approach to the economic crisis is based on two ideas. One, everyone must learn to save more and spend less, and two, we have to get the economy going. So the stimulus bill is kind of like saying to one of the contestants on the biggest loser tv show, “We’re going to teach you not to eat so much, but before we do that, we’re going to feed you a 14-course meal featuring lots of fried food and ice cream.” I must admit, there’s a ring of truth in there. I suppose the answer is that the stimulus bill is aimed primarily (?) at rebuilding infrastructure and providing jobs, not ramping up needless consumer spending — but its hard to say the two aren’t linked.
2/13/2009 5:02 pm
Rove is loathesome.
2/13/2009 5:20 pm
more loathsome than the continued idiocy of puh-lease?
2/13/2009 7:11 pm
puh-lease makes comments that are well thought out, usually backed by the facts and a welcome respite from much of the claptrap that usually clutters the comments section. Just because someone doesn’t subscribe to wholesale liberal dogma doesn’t make them an idiot Anonymous 5:20…though I might use that expression to describe you or at least your closemindedness.