If either I, or the country as a whole, wanted McCain's perspective, we would have voted for him. Obama won.

Whoever could have imagined McCain would still act like a repuglican. Here he is dissing broadband expansion as non-stimulative, a program that he once championed (via Think Progress):

It’s an odd critique, considering that rural broadband expansion has long been a high priority for McCain. Though he now claims that it’s not stimulative, in 2005, as the lead sponsor of The Community Broadband Act, McCain cited other countries that provide internet access to their communities to insist, “As a country, we cannot afford to cut off any successful strategy if we want to remain internationally competitive.�

They should ask if he'd support a filibuster of the stimulus package. And why he didn't support Bush's tax cuts when first proposed. Fuck the rich.

Hon Sen McCain was an ubiquitous, nonsense spouting presence on the Sunday talkies before the campaign and there is nothing to suggest that this will change simply since he lost an election; especially as the moderators of these programs continue to be of the same calibre as they were before.

I'm trying to remember if there was a slew of articles detailing John Kerry's opinions/votes in early 2005. I don't remember any. Of course Kerry only got 252 electoral votes, compared to McCain's massive 173 [/snark].

Look,
I think that McCain saying that he won't support the bill in its current form is a bigger deal than you are letting on.
Lets first consider the evidence here. There is no doubt that McCain is a long time GOP senator, but he does have a history of bucking with his own party, something that he's already shown after the Presidential campaign with the Clinton appointments, and closing GITMO.
I think you are using the 2008 presidential campaign as too much of a barometer on how he acts in the Senate, you are mistaken. Like him or not, he does have a "maverick" history in the Senate, and a lot of experts view his campaign as more of an aberration, not a demonstration of his tenure in the Senate.
Also, Obama has clearly been attempting to have some bipartisan support in the bill, so if McCain, who, unlike what you said, does have some influence in the more moderate side of the GOP caucus (Lindsey Graham, Arlen Specter, and Susan Collins all have similar behavior and voting patterns of Obama) isn't supporting the bill, it could mean that this is a party line vote.
Again, be careful of thinking McCain's behavior in the campaign at all mirrors what he does in the Senate, because although McCain might be a mediocre to lousy campaigner, he will go down as one of the more influential Senators in this era.

This is the same John McCain whose idea to save the economy was a "spending freeze". He's a complete economic moron which is one of the biggest reasons he lost. These guys just don't get it and it's beginning to look like they never will.

(Lindsey Graham, Arlen Specter, and Susan Collins all have similar behavior and voting patterns of Obama)- replace Obama with McCain in that sentence...
(Lindsey Graham, Arlen Specter, and Susan Collins all have similar behavior and voting patterns of McCAIN)

Republicans will dance in lock step and vote against anything Obama proposes. They will obstruct whenever and whatever they can. Limbaugh wasn't just blowing hot air. All the cons would love nothing better than to see the Democrats (and the country) fail. They're aiming for 2010 and planning to retake both houses of Congress.

By the way, see Greg Sargent's blog about the group targetting repub Senators.

You write: The news, apparently, can by summarized this way: "Conservative Republican still embraces conservative Republican economic agenda."

I had a similar experience today -- I think. Did I really hear John King on CNN this morning ask if Obama was justified in telling Congressional Republicans, "I won."

James Carville and Ed Rollins were the guests. One of them said, and this is really stunning news, "yes."

My questions: Did I hear this correctly, and, if so, is John King really this stupid?

By the way, I tuned to CNN because the blond lady on MSNBC was even worse. Apparently Obama is going to release a bunch of terrorists from Gitmo and they are going to kill us all. We obviously need to keep these evil-doers locked up forever. And torture them to make sure we know all about their evil deeds and evil plans and evil thoughts.

McCain is also the guy who voted for the TARP, and then the next day, said he would veto it. Let's agree to never associate McCain with honor, consistency or diplomacy.

By the way, I tuned to CNN because the blond lady on MSNBC was even worse.

Alexandra Witt (the blond lady) isn't exactly part of the liberal media, is she?

This is the same John McCain whose idea to save the economy was a "spending freeze". He's a complete economic moron
I am curious. Who is an economic genuis?

gregY above is on to something. McCain's opposition is a signal that the GOP is willing to filibuster, which of course they can if they can keep party unity. I think this is political suicide for the GOP, but that hasn't stopped them in the past. This will be a very tough fight in the Senate.

Blame McCain's flipflopping on senile short term memory problems. I suspect that he forgot that he had once championed rural connectivity.

But talking about the whole idea of stimulus, short term stimulus is a loser, a sugar high before the insulin sets in, if that's all you do. It doesn't work unless it builds the basis of continued progress. That's what infrastructure is for, to facilitate progress. Why can these people not focus on more than one thing at a time? Punch the "immediate stimulus" button and everything else turns off. Why???

I love it ....

" ... plan to expand internet access to rural communities."

Hell. They've been promising to do that with TELEPHONES for aeons, collecting fees from everyone to "do" it with, and there are still plenty of us who have NO Land Line servie of any kind! LOL

Clowns.

Do you understand or acknowledge just how bad this stimulus bill is ? Maybe McCain is just antimob and opposes the mob museum it would fund.

Obama has to get control of the House Democrats or they will discredit his administration by 2009.

You can't see that ?

He lost.

McCain is still relevant? I thought the election settled that. Apparently neither Fox or McCain have come to that conclusion. Didn't they get the memo?

...he's one conservative voice in a 41-seat caucus.

A 41-seat caucus is still powerful enough to shut down any legislation; even a single Senator can throw a wrench into the works with a procedural hold. Given the hardcore nature of the Republikanner Beast these days, I'd expect them to invent a "round-robin" pattern for placing procedural holds on everything---one hold clears and another takes its place.

We need the nuclear option---now....

If they expand Internet connectivity to the rural regions of the country those people may become educated. Can't have that. Education turns people into libruls...and atheists.

The corporate media and the Republican Party and John McCain are all wholly-owned subsidiaries of America's Ultra-Rich Ruling Class, Inc.

To expect anything from them but character assassination and vilification of Obama and so-called "conservative" propaganda in furtherance of the corporate oligarchy's ruthless and rapacious class warfare against everyone else, is silly.

Regardless of what McCain says or doesn't say, that House bill is a joke and completely unserious in trying to stimulate the economy. It's nothing but pork. I have no problem with spending money on infrastructure projects because you get a lot of bang for your buck both with jobs and with a tangible asset that can benefit the masses. But with all due respect, saving public sector jobs should not be priority one of this government. And that's exactly what this "stimulus" is about. I really hope other Democrats do not vote for this bloated crap. I believe in stimulus because no one else is spending money right now so the government must do it. But do it wisely. No offense, but Charlie Rangel, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid inspire ZERO confidence that they even understand economics 101. So we should follow their lead? This is one way train to losing in 2010. Mix it up and get more creative.

And why should he? Or for that matter any Republicans? They have never been about helping the middle or lower class. It's all about tax cuts for the rich and powerful.

They've been trumpeting tax cuts during times of balanced budgets (from Clinton), and recessions, now depressions, and times of peace and war. It is the their answer for everything. It doesn't matter if it didn't work for the COUNTRY for Reagan or Bush II. It has made their masters rich and it is what they have been told to do - country be damned.

Obama has already mentioned that he doesn't know if the stimulus package will work. He certainly hopes it will, but he cannot guarantee that the stimulus package will be the answer. In fact Obama anticipates a second and maybe third stimulus package will be needed. And the American worker gets to pay for all of this!!!

Is there NO issue that McCain hasn't been on all three sides of?

I'm sorry to say, but I do hope that the Repubs - as much as I hate it - filibuster any stimulus package that has some of the crap in that House Democrats are thinking about.

We do NOT need to give money to States, Counties and cities, so that they wouldn't have to lay off public servants. I'm sick and tired of hearing about all hell is going to break loose if a police officer, sheriff's deputy, or firefighter will be cut.

Those issues are LOCAL issues, and if the people living in their OWN town, don't see it fit to vote for money to provide for their OWN protection, I don't see any reason why WE as Federal tax payers need to pick up the tab.

Especially since most of those dollars would go to Red States, where they don't like to pay taxes, by having blue States subsidise their backward thinking way of life.

Enough of it already. Good for McCain to stand up, and I don't even like the guy.

Obama talked about government that worked!!! Not taxpayers throwing more money at government that obviously doesn't work properly. Let each state figure it out for themselves.

Obama should propose to distribute the entire Stimulus Package ($1.3 trillion dollars worth, not just the %885 billion)on a per capita basis. Check how many people are officially living in each individual State. Then give each State their share and let them decide what to do with it on their own: governor, State Senate, State Representatives. That way, regardless of whether it's a Red State or a Blue State, they can spend it on what their ideology feels it should be.

Red States can feel free to cut a check for every knuckle dragger in their state and then by next year go bankrupt and beg Obama for more money. Of course that money would have SERIOUS progressive strings attached to it.

Dee--

Though I doubt Dem leadership -- or the GOP leadership -- has any understanding of Economics 101, I know from your comment that you don't have any basic concept of it.

Stimulus spending is designed to inject money and demand into the system once monetary policy is exhausted. It would be nice to spend on "worth while" projects, but not necessary. In fact, it's better to spend the money quickly without taking too much time to determine whether a project is worthy or not.

I don't know whether it will work, but it's the only game in town right now.

Just like the first bail out. He will add to it prior to voting for it. Ole Mac is no dummy. Arizonans vote this turkey out of office in 2010. Or better yet recall him now.

"Do you understand or acknowledge just how bad this stimulus bill is ?"

Why no, Mike, we don't. Do tell us just how bad it is, won't you? Please feel free to cite actual data, use reason and logic, and use historical examples, all of which have been notably missing from your partisan drivel in the past. Surprise us, Mike. We'll be right here. But we won't be holding our breaths.

"...Like him or not, he does have a "maverick" history in the Senate, and a lot of experts view his campaign as more of an aberration, not a demonstration of his tenure in the Senate..."

That is such nonsense and is coming from a very selective memory. What can be counted on is that McCain seldom knows what the hell he's talking about, voting many times against what he himself proposed. Giving this guy credit as some kind of "maverick" is ridiculous as all his efforts were geared not toward ideology but in getting attention, to advance his personal ambitions.
Tax cuts on the wealthy makes sure the government has no money for programs...5% have as much wealth as 95% of the population because of those tax cuts. The entire country prospered best before those tax cuts and government is not here to only protect the holdings of the ultra rich.

The guiding philosophy should be...if it came out of McCain's mouth ignore it as he is always wrong about everything along with his favorite butt kisser Linsay Graham. He is part of that ultra rich tax cut club so of course he wants it permanent. Maverick my ass

So John McCain thinks John Thain and Bernie Madoff of the rest of their ilk deserve to keep their tax cuts. What a pile of hot steaming crap!

I think the Obama/Pelosi honeymoon is coming to an abrupt end. It is too fresh in our memories how Bush and the neocons used fear of WMD terrorism to win support to attack Iraq. The sight of Obama/Pelosi using economic anxiety and fear of job loss to pass $2 trillion in pork having nothing to do with stimulus is deja vu all over again. If you want to repeat history, you have to wait until a new generation has forgotten the lessons of history.

Oink, oink.

Reading comments here and watching TV talkshows has made me very depressed. Very few understand how stimulus spending is suppose to work. The whole point is pork, it's not money "well spent." The whole point is to spend a lot quickly. And that's not going to happen because people are afraid to do it. So, welcome to the New Depression.

Wow, the wingnut whackjobs are out in force on this particular thread.

Hey morons, money has to go to state/local agencies because they need it the worst hand are more able to QUICKLY identify projects that can be implemented QUICKLY. Or should we just throw more money at corporations and hope they "do the right thing?" Ostensibly, large infrastructure projects will result in people getting hired, and not firing public service jobs will slow down the current descent rate.

At least at the local level, CITIZENS (remember them?) can pressure their state and local elected leaders to put the money to good use. But that would require active participation at the local level and who can do that when your too busy railing against undefined porkbarrel spending (how convenient)?

It is certainly going to be tough for Obama to get economy back on track, which we can make it out by his speech � the journey is long and tough but we will make it�. As an individual you too can participate in giving your views and ideas for economic policies join here and get the ideas and spread them across.