Barack Obama,  economics

PORKULUS: A Deal or Not with GOP Senators to Pass the Democrat/Obama Economic Stimulus Bill?

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Deal or No Deal?

Unknown but specualtion is running rampant.

Byron York of National Review says possibly.

Just got off the phone with an influential Republican senator.  I asked how things stood with the stimulus, and he answered instantly, “They’ve cut a deal with three of our guys.  They’re delaying us from offering amendments.  I suspect that as soon as they’ve got it written, they will offer it as an amendment, vote on it, and that will be it.”  He didn’t have details on what the deal might be, but most Republicans seem to suspect it will involve relatively small cuts — and very little change in the price tag of the bill from the House version — that will be touted as a major bipartisan compromise.  My senator suspects — hopes? — that no more than four Republicans will vote for the bill.

Jay Newton-Small over at Time’s Swampland says possibly.

The debate this morning, according to members of the Gang of 18, is about size and scope. The group is meeting in Senate Minority Majority Leader Harry Reid’s office as I type this. Ben Nelson, whom I profiled this morning, and Claire McCaskill both expressed optimism heading into the meeting. As did Reid on the Senate floor this morning, “I’m cautiously optimistic,” he said, though he went on to threaten a weekend “test vote” if an agreement is not hammered out today – a marked retreat from his boast yesterday on the floor that he had the 60 votes and he wouldn’t necessarily wait forever for the Gang of 18 to come to an agreement.

“Composition and size are still sticking points at this point, but I think we’re getting there on both of them,” McCaskill told reporters in front of Reid’s offices.

“The hope is we will still be able to pick up two more Republicans and if we’re able to do that then I think we’ll have sufficient numbers to get a vote,” Nelson told reporters. Nelson said they have some Republican support though they are still short a few votes of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster, meaning they may well have lost some moderate Dems since Democrats control 58 seats.

Maine Senator Susan Collins, who has been the lead Republican negotiator, was less optimistic. “We don’t have a deal,” she barked at press this morning. “We’re still working on it. I can’t talk right now.”

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