I guess we'll have to wait and see, but in his quest to govern all aspects of the republic with a consensus approach will only tend to water down the impact that is really necessary to turn this thing around. I hope he realizes that the very congressional leaders he is desperately trying to bring into the fold so much that he may be willing to jeopardize the success of saving this boat will be the first ones to hurl rotten tomatoes at him if he fails. I'd like to think he's smarter than that. I hope he is...

The quickly-passed TARP provides the reason for a prudent amount of debate regarding Obama's recovery plan. Other than assuring bonuses for some bankers and allowing banks to pay dividends TARP has largely been a failure. Lending has not been freed up, short term commercial paper still goes begging.
Yes, it's necessary to do something. No, it's not necessary to do just any thing.
Some on the right will gleefully assert that Democrats' opposition to parts of Obama's plan is a sign of his weakness. They're the ones who have already forgotten what happened when a Congress moved in lockstep with the president.

The media will always look for the circular firing squad angle, when it comes to Dems. If I thought the Dems had a Macchiavellian streak, I might think this row was created to let the Dems control the debate over the ineffectiveness of tax cuts.

For example, how does a $3000 incentive for new hires actually convince anyone to hire? It doesn't. But it's also a no lose situation, since no hiring means no cost to taxpayers. But since it is associated with a large budget number, it gives Dems the opportunity to replace this straw man with something better, rather than have the media focus on whether the Dems are simply steamrolling the Reps, who only want more tax cuts.

The media are irrelevant. The Village has lost whatever control it once had over the public's perceptions. So let them chatter while the new President and his former colleagues get on with the process of governing.

It's unfortunate these elected officials didn't "do their jobs" for the past eight years.

"Maybe the Republicans will pull their heads out of their collective asses and decide that in the wake of the DOW dropping 80,000 points and massive unemployment and five quarters of negative growth there is something more important than capital gains tax cuts, Elian Gonzalez, Terri Schiavo, and the fairness doctrine, and join in the debate and act for once in good faith and with the best interests of the country in mind."

Or more likely they will continue their descent into their slime pit of racism and bigotry by releasing an Easter music CD with a host of new songs about magic negroes.

If senators hoped to alter the Obama rescue plan out of pettiness or spite, with some ideological axe to grind, or out of a desire to protect their personal, parochial concerns, this might start to look like a circular firing squad.

I wished the pundits could see this but they are always looking for drama because drama sells. Its as old as soap operas!!

I agree with this article.

The media so lacks journalistic skills these days that they can't report on original thoughts without making them out to be "contentious."

Harkin and Conrad have ideas! Wow! And they are not pork or poison pills, but solid suggestions for debate!

That should be applauded after eight years of failure by the GOP and America's media... all robots enabling The Worst President Ever.

Let's applaud Harkin and Conrad for thinking, rather than goad them into silence for being "out-of-step" with their own political party.

It's time to report true debate for what it is -- the art of persuading someone who does NOT agree with you to agree with you.

Poison Pills? Pork?
Yeah, let's hear all about them!

But let's report on debate with the proper dignity. It's worthy of our great democracy, in the manner of admirable and honorable statesmen like Daniel Webster, Paul Revere, Patrick Henry and Thomas Paine.

I think people are a little nervous because of the avowed "kick the leftists in the teeth" policies we had to deal with from the Clinton administration, but if the effect is to pull the debate to the left and not just to figure out a way to symbolically marginalize people to the left of Alan Greenspan, I think it's great.

But that's where the knee-jerk reaction is coming from, and it'll take at least a few months of governing for people to start to relax a little.

An old saying about governing comes to mind: anyone who likes sausage or respects the law should never watch either being made.

Translation: governance is a messy business no matter does it. I fail to see why people could expect things to be any different under Obama + the new Congress.

-Z

The media are irrelevant. The Village has lost whatever control it once had over the public's perceptions.

Goodness. I appreciate your sunny positivity, but fear you may be prematurely announcing our ETA in the Emerald City.

For example, how does a $3000 incentive for new hires actually convince anyone to hire? It doesn't. But it's also a no lose situation, since no hiring means no cost to taxpayers. But since it is associated with a large budget number, it gives Dems the opportunity to replace this straw man with something better, rather than have the media focus on whether the Dems are simply steamrolling the Reps, who only want more tax cuts.

I'm rather hoping that they're challenging the tax cuts to get the fact out there that giving individuals 500 dollars each is not going to stimulate the economy and will take a huge bite out of the amount we can spend on actual job creation.

It's a very big bill indeed. I hope this discussion and debate about various elements is vigorous and settled pretty quickly.

Isn't it terrific to see government working instead of just bickering and politicking?

Has there ever been a study, peer review and all, that shows that tax cuts stimulate anything?

Excuse us for being paranoid and unsupportive of senate dems...they have such a dismal track record that without republicans to make them cower they don't know how to act.

Get it passed and then come back to it...let it work and then correct it. Dems should unite behind Obama because one thing is for sure...republicans are more concerned with making sure Obama and the dems fail than with the good of the country. It's their history...anti democratic...anti liberal...anti labor. Now is the time for action...not catering to those who wrecked America.