Because, of course, the thing this country needs is for millionaire Republican Senators to be made happy.

People in the press and those who are our nominal allies in the liberal blogosphere are putting way too much emphasis on the success or failure of each skirmish in the attempt to pass a stimulus bill.

Yes, Mr. Obama needs to pass a bill and he needs to pass a good one. However, critics on both the left and right seem oblivious to any other possible agenda Mr. Obama might have.

Reversing the effects of 20 years of galloping Atwaterism sounds like it would be good for the country. It's going to take a while.

Joe Klein is in agreement with me?? Shit! Maybe I've screwed up my thinking on this one. Honestly, Klein has gotten better lately, but I still have doubts about his political instincts.

But overall, I do think people are blowing all this out of proportion. The main problem is that Obama was caught off-guard by not pushing this publicly enough, and the Dems in Congress just don't understand why it's good for them to take a stand and go public with their support for a popular agenda.

And it doesn't help when liberals imagine that their job is to criticize Obama from the left, rather than pressure Congress to support Obama from the left. This would have worked much better if Congressional Dems had made the same sort of effort as their Republican colleagues. But as long as we get the bill passed, we're good.

Has it only been sixteen days? It feels like the Inauguration was a lifetime ago. When did Clinton get his first bill through Congress? Bush? Anyone?

Hmmm I was thinking the exact same thing.

http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/02/05/stuffing-the-sausage/?apage=2#comment-40756

bryanfromhouston asked a good question in reponse to Joe Klein's article in time:

...reporters like yourself can help this process by asking Republicans chanting their tax cut mantra why, if they know so much about how to manage the economy, have they been holding out on us for so long.

That reminds me of McCain's claim during the campaign that he knew exactly how to get Osama Bin Laden, but he was not going to share it until he was President.

So... How much longer do we need to wait until we see the trickle down theory of all those tax cuts?

Wow, Linsey Graham is a bit agitated. He's complaining Obama is giving too many press conferences, and doing nothing to please him. C'mon Lindsey, I want to see tears! You can do it.

I admit I was one who became really frustrated over the republican dominated message over the last few days.

But I think the progressives and liberals in the blogoshpere were feeling something a little deeper than just frustration over the current stimulus debate.

Taking a step back, a lot of people remarked on the sheer euphoria the nation expressed to Obama's victory. Some even said is messianic. But what I think a of of people failed to understand was that the sheer joy was due not only to Obama's win, but just as much a relief that the Bu$h years were FINALLY over.

What momentum! The republicans had been resoundingly discredited.

Then... a few mis-steps, some unfortunate cabinet picks, and the hijacking of the stimulus debate by the very people Americans had repudiated only weeks before. This led to a knee jerk reaction by many to wonder if in fact we had really made the gains we thought we did.

At any rate, I will calm down now. I am very satisfied with today's developments and Obama using that bully pulpit. I'm hopeful for my daughter's future.

danp C'mon Lindsey, I want to see tears! You can do it.

Would that make him a whiner like he famously proclaimed not too long ago?

I think we are witnessing a prime example, of what
I now will dub 'Obama-Fu'

He has let the republicans dominate the debate on
the stimulus for the last week or so. The republicans have used this time to compete with themselves to see how far out on the wing they can get, to paint themselves into a corner. They misinterpeted Obamas quiet, reasonableness and
attempted compromises as some sort of fear, this
percieved scent of fear drove them to their usual
extremes. But it was not fear , perhaps it was
their own flop sweat.

What Obama has done is that he has organized his oppostion, way out on the fringe, he has let them
by their ridiculous stands, give him PLENTY of
ammuntion, and now his soft talk is getting a touch
of steel in it. Plus the republicans have not
seen what is hidden behind Obama's back. Its a
large stick.

There is about to be a BIG 'BAM' sound. The republicans in a few days are going to be saying
"Huh- oh my head. What happened? , What the
bill PASSED ? "

I think McCain/Palin, Clinton, and Obamas other
opponents over the years have had this experience.

The result of this is
- stimulus bill will pass ( probably the first one of a few )
- American public see a pres who gets what they want DONE
- American public thinks the republicans need to be send to their rooms without supper.

This is Obama-fu. Use your opponents momentum against them, speak softly and politely to them.
If neccesary, use large stick.

This strategy is not without risk, it depends on
the american public being a bit smarter, a bit more analytical than cynics might think they are,
but this same public elected this guy obama, who
- has the middle name Hussein
- is a black guy
- whose dad is a muslim
I think the american public is just plain tired
of being stupid and afraid.

I wonder if the media will ever notice this -
well even if the pundits do their master will
not let them discuss it.

Oh well, Obama FU!

Some commentators and Obama's opponents act as it it's some big deal failure for a Bill to need tweaking to pass Congress! Isn't it the usual thing, to be subject to wrangling over and adjusting to get passed? How many Bills are passed without that, not much I presume.

Obama-Fu
Love it! He's got some strong medicine grasshoppa.

I'd love to see a graphic artist put together some animation like that: Obama, decked out kung-fu style, mentally and physically dismantling the feeble minded republicans!

Well, I've been a bit whiny about the few big bad trees myself, and why they were put in this important BIG bill. And also maybe it could have been done in a couple of smaller bills.

After thinking about this, and watching how it shakes out in the Senate and the cable news carnival, it seems to me it needed to be just the way it was.

First, because wingnuts require to have some big ugly tree to cut down for their sense of power, which exists entirely with one senate seat, but a big loud lying megaphone. And to satisfy the appetite some, of their meat eating base.

And second, for just basic bartering 101 by starting out big, with Obama and dems fostering the image of being reasonable and willing to compromise. You cut out the big (though replaceable at a later date) trees and everybody gets a win, and your still left with a huge and seismic shift in spending and policy priorities, regardless of potential and hopeful stimulus to an ailing economy.

Would that make him a whiner - bruno

Oh, yeah. Though it was Phil Gramm that called us a nation of whiners. I know, I know. They all look alike to me, too.

Also, as reflection on the Republicans: they are bitching about socialism etc., but in their latest mailings their study group proposes e.g.
1. Keep cap gains rate at 15%, which is a subsidy for speculators who (typically) do nothing productive, while working people pay more both as base rate and from FICA.
2. Raise the Child Tax Credit from $1,000 to $5,000, which is yet another subsidy from those with fewer to those with more children (if that isn't "welfare" God only knows what is, and not even restricted to the needy.)

tyrannogenius

citizen_pain said:
But I think the progressives and liberals in the blogoshpere were feeling something a little deeper than just frustration over the current stimulus debate.

There is also the fact that after we liberals have been betrayed over and over by a long line of Democratic "leaders" that we expect to be disappointed again.

It's easy to miss the forest for the trees--especially when you are younger and not as experienced.

And it's like low hanging fruit--very tempting to nibble at (or swallow whole) whatever is easily put under your nose without first stepping back to see if it makes sense or is worth the indulgence.

Some commentators and Obama's opponents act as it it's some big deal failure for a Bill to need tweaking to pass Congress

Under Republican rules, it was done in the middle of the night (sometimes literally after midnight), and changes and ammendments did not need to be disclosed.

Tom Delay was notorious for forcing legislation without any input from Democrats.

Obama wants transparency, and all of a sudden the changes are out in the open. WOW Obama is a loser because he doesn't get 100% of what he wanted.

That reminds me of McCain's claim during the campaign that he knew exactly how to get Osama Bin Laden, but he was not going to share it until he was President.

Which in turn reminded me of Richard M. Nixon's claim to have a "secret plan" to end the war in Vietnam.

Joe Kline says

“Obama comes to office needing to do three things--stimulate the economy, rebuild the infrastructure after thirty years of neglect, and reform (and refund) necessary government services�.

Look up that part of the Congressional record which is not too bad…

http://frwebgate1.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=873366156076+15+3+0&WAISaction=retrieve

“Senator Ensign is here, who is the author of an amendment that would provide 4 to 4.5 percent mortgages for up to 40 million Americans so they could buy new homes or refinance their homes�. Hey folks, that is not bad better yet how about everyone gets that facility. Let’s kick that up to one hundred million Americans those that already own homes and have good jobs let’s prime the economic pump. Or maybe that would be successful and the Republicans would be very envious of such success and continue to follow the Limbaugh law.

For me, the health care stuff has not even hit the convoluted mainstream media yet, and that should really turn the stock market into totally a lower index we could never think happen.

Oh incidentally if one reads about the senate report about tax abused and tax havens Americans have lost trillions of dollars in Joe Kline’s period of the last thirty years, in tax money from secret accounts and tax havens. There are a boat load of Madoff’s out there.

Klein was one of the first big-name members of the media to recognize that there is a new ass to be kissed. A shameless 180 turn, but fine with me.

Obama is the preeminent newsmaker on the planet, and he thus has enormous sway.

Whether pulling his punches during the last two weeks was wise, unwise, or simply lucky remains to be discovered. If I were president, I would have battered, bloodied and spat upon Bush and the Republican Party.

On balance, I think it's good that I am not president.

This is a copy of H620 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE

Don’t listen to those freakazoids radio and television journalist you will go nuts take some time out and read this especial that part of Broad band communications. This is one effort that Obama should be proud of. Especially after picking up the Internet hook up after Clinton hooking up the education system was revolutionary.

Part of whats in HR620

http://frwebgate1.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/PDFgate.cgi?WAISdocID=873366156076+9+2+0&WAISaction=retrieve

Broadband: Initiatives to promote the deployment of high-speed broadband infrastructure in un-served and underserved areas will help ensure that high-speed Internet service is available everywhere in America. Benefits will be felt immediately in business, education and healthcare.

For something to turn the page in history and remove a dependence on fuel necessary to drive the post office America should completely convert the Post Office to the Internet. Offer coupons to get basic computers for everyone. And yes there could be free mail…

Ahh, Steve, but CLinton had never been inside the Beltway. Obama has for the last four years. He should have known better about "kumbaya."

I must give Joe Klein his due for honestly and brutally assessing one very substantive aspect of his journalistic shortcomings during the previous decade. That's what age and experience will do for you, if you but give it the opportunity.

So Sophomoric Horsefly, what's your batting average at getting bills through Congress, hmmm?

Why don't you just come out of the closet and admit you're a Republican? Because frankly you've been playing the concerned troll roll for a few years now and now I'm beginning to wonder.

American public see a pres who gets what they want DONE

Don't forget, Obama's deadline to have the bill done is 2/16, a week from this coming Monday. If he makes that deadline, who's going to remember the early wrangling?

"16 days"

well he had some lead time as well

I don't buy this Joe Klein crap at all. Clinton was a modestly successful president. He basically governed as a moderate Republican. He failed on his signature issue, health care. He lost Congress, big time, in 1994. And, yes, I think his initial blunders had a lot to do with the modest success of the rest of his administration.

Obama is in a tougher situation. He is walking into the middle of a very bad crisis. And he has blundered as well. He's already caving into the GOP. Didn't we have higher expectations, especially when we control both the executive and legislative branches?

If progressives don't put the pressure on Obama, he'll just be another Clinton, a moderate Republican.

If progressives don't put the pressure on Obama, he'll just be another Clinton, a moderate Republican

G - While I agreed with most of what you wrote, this makes no sense. What good would pressure on Obama do? He's trying to make this work. The problem is with Congress and that they're not doing their part of the job. That's where the pressure needs to be. We need to force Congressional Democrats to support Obama and even pull him to the left. Obama needs our support, not more critics.

Congressional Dems are too scared to go on TV and support our agenda. We need them to be more scared not to. That's where we'll do the most good.

You've missed the key point.

In 1993 the US economy was in recovery.

In 2009 the world economy is looking at its worst year since the 1970s, and maybe since the Depression. The risk is of a continuing downward spiral.

It's like saying Reagan gets 8/10 on Granada, and Kennedy gets 7/10 on The Cuban Missile Crisis.

One was a squabble re an unstable Carribean Regime, one was nearly World War III.

The dangers to the economy of a watering down of the Stimulus Bill are far, far greater than the dangers to Clinton's economic programme.

To repeat: Obama knows what he is doing. He has a long term plan to further marginalize a GOP that is caught in the throes of extremism. His plan is to show Republicans the long term political pricefor that extremism by reaching out to Republicans. When they are rejected, as they were the last week, he may look weak in the short term. If, as on this stimulus package, he accepts $100 billion in cuts offered by Republican Senators Collins and Snow he will be attacked by his own supporters for caving to the other side. But he will have earned the credibility to get that $100 billion back -- plus more -- later.

But Obama also understands the political strategy of the GOP. It is to become complete obstructionists. Republicans are the new Sunnis. They are the insurrectionists, as Republican Senator Sessions says. They have lost power and they have no intention of taking that lying down or working with the new regime. They represent not the country but an ideological party rooted predominately in the Southern region, and their behavior shows it.

Republican response to the last two elections is to double down on their own extremism, not to adjust in any way. That is a reflection of a party that is little more than a regional faction. To justify their own bitter partisanship they must have an equal and opposite partisanship on the other side. That's what all the attacks against Pelosi are about. Obama does not intend to let Republicans add his name to the list and so is working to establish his own bipartisan credentials with the majority of the public willing to listen to reason.

Ideological Republicans in Congress who have no intention of working with Democrats are like members of the right wing media at FOX who go on and on about the liberal media bias in order to justify their own right wing propaganda. It takes one to know one and extremists need a mirror image of themselves to justify their bad behavior. Obama will take a few hits in the short term to deny them that. His own reasonableness will stand in stark contrast to the irresponsible intransigeance of his opponents.

Totally disappointed in the Repugs -- they sound and are acting like spiteful, angry teenagers. Get over yourselves, grow up, and do your jobs. There stonewalling and public cries are not helping us, the people who they supposedly work for, at all.

Obama does not have to "give" them anything they like. If the item was good it would have been in there -- and if it was good why wasn't it in there for the past 8 years - or at least in the last bailout proposal. Obama must cleanup after all the mess the Repugs & Bushie left him.

Again - grow up and do your job Repugs.

Eight years of proven failures for the GOP...

Sixteen days of untried Keynesian experimentation....

Sounds equitable.
Time to give trickle-down another eight years.

Is anybody buying this outside of conservative "think" tanks and pwned dead tree editors?