Zip, Zilch, Zero Republicans vote for the Economic Stifle-us bill (UPDATED)

And 11 Democrats join in the bipartisan screw-you to Obama:

The Democratic-controlled House approved $819 billion in spending increases and tax cuts at the heart of President Barack Obama's economic recovery program Wednesday evening, despite Republicans' charges that the bill is wasteful.

"We don't have a moment to spare," Obama declared earlier Wednesday at the White House as Democrats hastened to do his bidding.

A mere eight days after Inauguration Day, Speaker Nancy Pelosi heralded a new era. "The ship of state is difficult to turn," said the California Democrat. "But that is what we must do. That is what President Obama called us to do in his inaugural address."

The stimulus package passed by a vote of 244-188. Eleven Democrats voted against the measure, while no Republicans supported it.

Sadly, at this juncture, the Senate is likely to pass this pig.

And when I say pig, I do mean pig:

There's $1 billion for Amtrak, the federal railroad that hasn't turned a profit in 40 years; $2 billion for child-care subsidies; $50 million for that great engine of job creation, the National Endowment for the Arts; $400 million for global-warming research and another $2.4 billion for carbon-capture demonstration projects. There's even $650 million on top of the billions already doled out to pay for digital TV conversion coupons.

In selling the plan, President Obama has said this bill will make "dramatic investments to revive our flagging economy." Well, you be the judge. Some $30 billion, or less than 5% of the spending in the bill, is for fixing bridges or other highway projects. There's another $40 billion for broadband and electric grid development, airports and clean water projects that are arguably worthwhile priorities.

Add the roughly $20 billion for business tax cuts, and by our estimate only $90 billion out of $825 billion, or about 12 cents of every $1, is for something that can plausibly be considered a growth stimulus. And even many of these projects aren't likely to help the economy immediately. As Peter Orszag, the President's new budget director, told Congress a year ago, "even those [public works] that are 'on the shelf' generally cannot be undertaken quickly enough to provide timely stimulus to the economy."

I remind each of you... when you hear hope and change...

Think smoke and mirrors.

The hard left agenda is being enacted. 

We may never recover.

UPDATE: Wow... an Instalanche... awesome... thanks Glenn... it's been awhile...

Comments

[Arizona]

The blame for this falls squarely on all those "conservatives" who demanded ideological purity ... blind to the fact that even among their closest friends no such purity of consistency existed.

[Gapeseed]

I blame Mike Huckabee and his followers. Running a vanity campaign he could not win, Huckabee's actions essentially constituted a premeditated takedown of Romney. Romney would have certainly been a better candidate in this economic climate than McCain. His command of policy rivals Bill Clinton's and certainly exceeds Obama's, while he would have been far less likely to run back to Washington and broker a TARP deal that could well have cost the Republican ticket the election.

[Toolman]

The whole problem lies with both parties.Nothing will happen to help
those in need until we have something besides the Dems.and Repubs.These to parties are actually one and the same.I am hoping the Obama Adm. will be a start to a true party of the people for the people and by the people.I will not hold my breath.
I laugh as they do their horse and pony
show for C-Span.It is truly sad that they are so vain they think everyone is as
stupid as they think we are.I guess
as long as the revolution is still just
an idea and not a reaility they may be
right.I don't think people will take
much more though.The republicans didn't
have a problem giving billions of dollars to the very crooks that
caused the crisis in the first place.
Now that the democrats want to
shell out a few billion to their
buddies all of sudden the
repubs want to be responsible.
They want to make good choices now.
It is all a big game and the longer
it takes the people to fight back
the worse off they are going to be.
If I am not mistaken the Bush bunch
was involved in the savings and loan
crisis a few years ago or more like
decades ago.The point is Bush family
got away with it then and they will again.
It is truly time for the people to do
exactly what our constitution tells us
To start over. Thats right we have to
throw every member of the government
out and rebuild it with real people.
They have turned the privilege of
serving their community in to life
long careers.We have gone full circle
to the point where we are no longer
represented.Our vote is no longer
truly ours.They decide who they will
represent we don't decide who will
represent us.
I say lets give the Obama Admin. a
chance If that doesn't work.We must
take our country back in a non violent
manner.

[Mommynator]

Give the Obama administration a chance to do what? Rob us in the form of oppressive taxes to spend as they see fit on nonsense and stupidity?

You must be joking.

[Butch]

The toolman is right, we are all about done with the bull. Time to take some action as a reaction.We are becoming like sheep herded under the guise of "help". I will cling to my guns,morals and religion till I die.

[rrr]

"The blame for this falls squarely on all those "conservatives" who demanded ideological purity ... blind to the fact that even among their closest friends no such purity of consistency existed."

Yea, because McCain would've NEVER considered such a bill. We'll see when the Senate gets it. The smart money says McCain votes for it. But you'll find another way to deconstruct reality then.

[Neo]

The republicans didn't have a problem giving billions of dollars to the very crooks that caused the crisis in the first place.

You aren't referring to TARP are you ?

I know that many people didn't know that both chambers of the Congress were under Democratic control for the last 2 years, but to blame the Republicans for TARP (when they supplied fewer votes that the Democrats), gives full vindication to them shunning bipartisanship and giving no votes to this "cr.p sandwich".

[Fred Harder]

Just what planet do you idiots hail from. We've suffered through 30 years of your nonsense - supply-side economics, neo-conservative imperialism, government is the problem, the black helicopters are coming - ENOUGH - Please go away!!!

[Richard G. Combs]

Although you publish a trackback link, you don't seem to accept trackbacks. So I've linked to an alternate source.

[Dick]

Republicans don't support this because of many things, but one of them is, when the shit hits the fan, the anti Bush illness idiots can't start crying again.

[Oscar's Wild]

Fred Harder - We're from Planet Earth. You should come visit us someday - after your rash clears, of course...

[Craig]

They're right to oppose it. There's so much garbage in it. Amtrak, NEA grants, global warming research? All garbage. I don't know how anyone can think that giving money to any of those is going to produce a worthwhile return on the investment.

Kudos to everyone who voted no.

[Freedomfighter]

I'm so glad that the right made a stand here. The libs are going to choke on all this pork.
http://www.conservativecadre.com

[bridey]

If this turkey goes through, we have the biggest government power grab since the New Deal. No wonder the lefties love it. It's got nothing to do with the economy at all, at all.