• Barack Obama,  economics

    Poll Watch: 62 % Want Economic Stimulus Bill to Have MORE Tax Cuts and Less Spending

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    The latest Rasmussen poll on the Democrat/Obama Economic Stimulus bill says American voters want MORE tax cuts and less government spending – echoing the GOP.

    With the Senate poised to vote Tuesday on an $827-billion version of the economic recovery plan, 62% of U.S. voters want the plan to include more tax cuts and less government spending.

    Just 14% would like to move in the opposite direction with more government spending and fewer tax cuts, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twenty percent (20%) would be happy to pass it pretty much as is, and five percent (5%) are not sure.

    Republicans and unaffiliated voters overwhelmingly want to see more tax cuts and less government spending. Democrats are more evenly divided: 42% agree with the Republicans, 32% want to pass the plan as is, and 22% would like to see more government spending and fewer tax cuts.

    Most conservative and moderate voters want to see more tax cuts. A plurality of liberals say the plan should be passed pretty much as it is.

    This is not surprising since Americans traditionally support more of their own money to spend the way THEY want.

    Overall, 37% of voters favor the stimulus plan and 43 % are opposed.

    The latest Rasmussen Reports poll – showing that 62% want more tax cuts and less government spending – is similar to a CBS News poll taken last week. That poll found that 62% said that reducing taxes will do more than increased spending to end the recession.


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  • Barack Obama,  economics,  John McCain

    Obama Bait and Switch – PORKULUS: Taxpayers Risk $9.7 Trillion on Economic Bailouts

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    Flap thought Barack Obama ran on “change”- America from the Borrow-and-Spend ways of the Republican Party that has left America $11 Trillion dollars in debt.

    Bait and switch with a $9.7 Trillion government bailout?

    Here is John McCain on yesterday’s Face the Nation on why he and all Republicans except for Senators Specter, Collins and Snowe will or have voted against the Democrat/Obama Economic Stimulus Bill, S.1 or HR. 1.


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  • Barack Obama,  economics,  Socialism,  Socialists

    Chilling Thought of the Day: We Are All Socialists Now

    we-are-all-socialists-now

    The new Newsweek Magazine Cover for the week of February 9, 2009

    The subheading lede: In many ways our economy already resembles a European one. As boomers age and spending grows, we will become even more French.

    So, does the Washington Post and Newsweek know something that Americans do not know?

    We are French?

    The Newsweek writers are conflicted on what conservatives who deplore an ever increasing role of government in the economy are actually saying – channeling Bush. Remember Bill Clinton’s pronuncement that the “era of big government is over?”

    It is but the LEFT wants to try to reimpose it by fear-mongering the current economic crisis and passing a bloated $1 Trillion plus economic Stimulus spending bill.

    As a taxpayers revolt is mounting against the Democrat/Obama Economic Stimulus bill, S.1, the specter of increasing socialism is not a fait de comple.


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  • 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.”

    Stay tuned and watch Flap’s Twitter feed in the right sidebar for up to the minute information or Follow Flap on Twitter here.


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  • Barack Obama,  economics

    PORKULUS: Just Say NO – Melt The Phones

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    Just “Say No” to the Democrat/Obama Economic Stimulus Bill, S.1. Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is now saying he has a two GOP Senators to avoid a filibuster and pass S.1 this afternoon.

    Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters Thursday that he has enough votes to pass a more than $900 billion stimulus bill out of the Senate.

    Reid said he believes at least two Republicans of “good will” would support the Democratic-crafted package.

    “Do we have the votes? I believe we do,” said Reid, who expects a final vote on the package will be held on Thursday.

    It appears the stimulus would attract only a few GOP votes, however, and Senate Democratic leaders distanced themselves from earlier hopes that the economic recovery could draw more Republican support.

    Michelle Malkin has the list of suspected GOP Senators who have gone squishy and might support this pork-laden monster which is a Generational Theft Act.

    • Collins (202) 224-2523
    • Snowe (202) 224-5344
    • Specter (202) 224-4254
    • Voinovich (202) 224-3353 (Says he will not support bill in current form?)

    Call them, melt the phones and tell them to vote NO on S.1.


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  • Barack Obama,  economics

    PORKULUS 50 Outrages: Look What is in the Democrat/Obama Economic Stimulus Bill

    Look what is in the stimulus bill

    National Review has the sad but true poop on PORKULUS – the Democrat/Obama Economic Stimulus bill, S.1.

    VARIOUS LEFT-WINGERY:

    1. $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts

    2. $380 million in the Senate bill for the Women, Infants and Children program

    3. $300 million for grants to combat violence against women

    4. $2 billion for federal child care block grants

    5. $6 billion for university building projects

    6. $15 billion for boosting Pell Grant college scholarships

    7. $4 billion for job-training programs, including $1.2 billion to provide “youth” summer jobs for people up to the age of 24

    8. $1 billion for community development block grants

    9. $4.2 billion for “neighborhood stabilization activities”

    10. $650 million for digital TV coupons, including $90 million to educate “vulnerable populations”

    POORLY DESIGNED TAX RELIEF:

    11. $15 billion for business-loss carry-backs

    12. $145 billion for “Making Work Pay” tax credits

    13. $83 billion for the earned income credit

    STIMULUS FOR THE GOVERNMENT:

    14. $150 million for the Smithsonian

    15. $34 million to renovate the Department of Commerce headquarters

    16. $500 million for improvement projects for National Institutes of Health facilities

    17. $44 million for repairs to Department of Agriculture headquarters

    18. $350 million for Agriculture Department computers

    19. $88 million to help move the Public Health Service into a new building next year

    20. $448 million for constructing a new Homeland Security Department headquarters

    21. $600 million to convert federal auto fleet to hybrids

    22. $450 million for National Aeronautics and Space Administration

    23. $600 million for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    24. $1 billion for the Census Bureau

    INCOME TRANSFERS:

    25. $89 billion for Medicaid

    26. $30 billion for COBRA insurance extension

    27. $36 billion for expanded unemployment benefits

    28. $20 billion for food stamps

    PURE PORK:

    29. $4.5 billion for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

    30. $850 million for Amtrak

    31. $87 million for a polar icebreaking ship

    32. $1.7 billion for the National Park System

    33. $55 million for Historic Preservation Fund

    34. $7.6 billion for “rural community advancement programs”

    35. $150 million for agricultural commodity purchases

    36. $150 million for “producers of livestock, honeybees, and farm-raised fish”

    RENEWABLE WASTE:

    37. $2 billion for renewable energy research

    38. $2 billion for a “clean-coal” power plant in Illinois

    39. $6.2 billion shall be for the Weatherization Assistance Program

    40. $3.5 billion shall be for energy efficiency and conservation block grants

    41. $3.4 billion shall be for the State Energy Program

    42. $200 million shall be for state and local electric-transport projects

    43. $300 million shall be for energy-efficient appliance rebate programs

    44. $400 million for hybrid cars for state and local governments

    45. $1 billion for the manufacturing of advanced batteries

    46. $1.5 billion for green technology loan guarantees

    47. $8 billion for innovative technology loan guarantee program

    48. $2.4 billion for carbon-capture demonstration projects

    49. $4.5 billion for electricity grid

    REWARDING STATE IRRESPONSIBILITY:

    50. $79 billion for State Fiscal Stabilization Fund

    Think this is enough of an outrage?

    The entire bill should be scraped and reconstructed with items that actually WILL stimulate the economy.

    How about a payroll tax cut to start?


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  • Barack Obama,  economics

    Poll Watch: Support for Democrat/Obama Economic Stimulus Erodes to 37 Per Cent – Plurality Now Opposes

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    The latest poll on HR.1 or S.1, the Democrat/Obama economic stimulus bill says a pluarlity of American voters now oppose the bill.

    Support for the economic recovery plan working its way through Congress has fallen again this week. For the first time, a plurality of voters nationwide oppose the $800-billion-plus plan.

    The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 37% favor the legislation, 43% are opposed, and 20% are not sure.

    Two weeks ago, 45% supported the plan. Last week, 42% supported it.

    Opposition has grown from 34% two weeks ago to 39% last week and 43% today.

    Despite the declining support, 78 per cent of those polled believe the economic stimulus bill will become law within President Obama’s first 100 days in office. This includes 36 per cent that say it is very likely the bill will beome law.

    The Democrats and Obama have the votes to pass the bill. They only need two GOP votes in the U.S. Senate to avoid a filibuster. But, the Democrats want more – they want political cover from the GOP.

    And, they probalby won’t get it.

    The House Republicans voted unanaimously against the bill and Flap doubts there will be little support from Republican Senators. There will be enough to avoid a filibuster but not the political cover that Obama desires.

    So, what does this mean?

    The Democrats and the president will get their PORKULUS or pork-laden stimulus bill with no GOP support. When the law fails to stimulate the economy and job losses continue, the GOP will beat Obama and the Democrats over the head with their poorly planned law.


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  • Barack Obama,  economics

    Poll Watch: 37 Per Cent of Americans Say Major Changes Needed for Obama Economic Stimulus Bill

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    This poll will certainly not help the passage of S. 1 as it is now written – all 736 pages of it.

    Flap wonders why President Obama who is clamouring for quick passage of an economic stimulus bill cannot demand a “CLEAN BILL” from Democrat Congressional leaders?

    How about stripping out the pork-barrel spending, adding a payroll tax cut and immediately jump start the job market with business tax cuts?

    Sounds too simple, doesn’t it?


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