POL The Suicide Party has now realized the Stim Bill has to be passed NOW! or its dead!

[Troke]

http://corner.nationalreview.com/

Just spoke to a Republican source in the Senate. The good news is, according to the source, "We have the momentum to either stop the bill or at least lay it at Democrats' feet." The source thinks that Reid may have as many as three Republican votes, and while that may be enough to pass it, that's hardly bipartisan cover. The bad news? "We're shooting ourselves in the foot right now by trying to help the Democrats out to improve the bill. It's a Keynesian policy and it's not going to work and just tweaking it around the edges and adding a few good provisons and taking out a few of the bad — the core of this bill takes the country in the wrong direction."

Here's what the source thinks is going on right now: "It certainly seemed that after the Democrats had their kumbaya moment yesterday at their retreat that they must have just said, 'we've taken enough hits, they're killing us out there, this is a public relations nightmare. We'd better lock arms and get this bill passed before Friday. We can't allow to this to hang out any longer and support is going to dwindle.' Reid got his guys in line and decided they're going to power through this. They're going to pass it one way or the other. I'm just looking right now and I have eight [Republican] amendments yesterday that were all rejected yesterday after they came back from their retreat."

If Republicans want to kill the current stimulus package or otherwise make it a more reasonable bill, the key might be finding a way to prevent a vote before the weekend. If they're lucky, support keeps trending down as more detailed questions about the bill continue to be asked.

 

[kozanne]

There are 4 'squishy' RINOS, whose phones are going straight to voice mail or lines are too busy.

I've been calling them, so has RobinY. I hope everyone else is doing the same.

Fox is saying over 200 amendments have been written.....

I don't know that we can stop it, but I want the Dems to own it. After 8 years of bitching, lying and whining, they finally got what they want. They got their piece of pie and, to paraphrase Stephen King, I want them to 'eat EVERY BITE'.

 

[Richard]

I keep asking people and they don't ****ing know, where this money is coming from, and who is going to pay it back and how much interest will be charged and who will benefit from the interest

please answer....anybody

 

[intothatgoodnight]

I keep asking people and they don't ****ing know,

where this money is coming from, and

Federal Reserve "printing presses."

who is going to pay it back and

Supposedly, the U.S. taxpayers.

how much interest will be charged and

Unknown at this time.

who will benefit from the interest

The private owners of the Federal Reserve and their minions.


intothegoodnight

 

[kozanne]

They may vote on this tonight, people. It could be all over by tomorrow morning, except for the forced servitude of the American taxpayer......

Time for a change.

 

[Richard]

I keep asking people and they don't ****ing know,



Federal Reserve "printing presses."



Supposedly, the U.S. taxpayers.



Unknown at this time.



The private owners of the Federal Reserve and their minions.


intothegoodnight

OK fine why should the US taxpayers pay for the stimulus without any benefit, and why should it be made out they are doing us a great big favour by spending our own money on the stimulus

 

[kozanne]

OK fine why should the US taxpayers pay for the stimulus without any benefit, and why should it be made out they are doing us a great big favour by spending our own money on the stimulus

Such a question, so sensible, so....simply clear. Which is why no one on Capitol Hill can answer it....

They want us to swallow this load of crap so that we will re-elect them and condemn ourselves to yet another four years of awol leadership, fiscal irresponsibility on an even grander scale than we are seeing now, and continued forced servitude of the taxpaying public to the third generation.

I say it again, time for a change.

ETA: According to Senator Graham, some of this money isn't even 'earmarked', in other words, the states get funds, some of which they are able to spend however they want......and will we even have a say in the matter?

 

[brokenwings]

I bet everything I own and my dog that they pass it. They seem to make a good show that they are fighting for us, but they are really just playing a game. When are the American people going to have enough??!!

 

[Richard]

Such a question, so sensible, so....simply clear. Which is why no one on Capitol Hill can answer it....

They want us to swallow this load of crap so that we will re-elect them and condemn ourselves to yet another four years of awol leadership, fiscal irresponsibility on an even grander scale than we are seeing now, and continued forced servitude of the taxpaying public to the third generation.

I say it again, time for a change.

ETA: According to Senator Graham, some of this money isn't even 'earmarked', in other words, the states get funds, some of which they are able to spend however they want......and will we even have a say in the matter?

Someone from Capitol Hill, or their electors, please answer the question, Obama, Pelosi or any Democrat or Republican, anyone, the janitor, economist?

 

[kozanne]

Someone from Capitol Hill, or their electors, please answer the question, Obama, Pelosi or any Democrat or Republican, anyone, the janitor, economist?

There are 200 leading world economists who are so disturbed by the insanity of this plan that they took out a full page ad in some major newspapers to say so.

But never let knowledge get in the way of political ambition. Ever.

 

[Richard]

the truth is that the taxpayer or some unknown persons will have to pay for the bad debts of the banking system before any new money comes into existence, therefore a lot of the stimulus money will go out of existence, i.e will cancel the bad debts without being available to be loaned

for many future years the new debts will be a liability and constant drag to the monetary system for decades, the greatest portion of public spending will be interest on the National Debt payable to holders of Treasury Bonds or whatever you call them in the US
many of these holders of the National Debt will be foreigners thus contributing to the balance of (trade) payments deficit

otherwise money may be created by the central bank, if so cui bono

 

[Satanta]

Anyone know if the Rosetta Stone program works? I want to start stufying Chinese, Arabic and whatever the hell they speak in Inidia plus a few other languages so I can understand what the new owners of this nation are saying.

 

[kozanne]

Anyone know if the Rosetta Stone program works? I want to start stufying Chinese, Arabic and whatever the hell they speak in Inidia plus a few other languages so I can understand what the new owners of this nation are saying.

And your new employers.

 

[nharrold]

I bet everything I own and my dog that they pass it. They seem to make a good show that they are fighting for us, but they are really just playing a game. When are the American people going to have enough??!!

The "American People" are dumber than dogshit.

 

[Richard]

if they are spending the tax payers money on the stimulus that means it is unavailable for spending in any other way, e.g. on normal spending BAU... i.e stimulus...


am i right or am I right

 

[Lilbitsnana]

Someone from Capitol Hill, or their electors, please answer the question, Obama, Pelosi or any Democrat or Republican, anyone, the janitor, economist?

OT alert! I read the above quote wrong. At first glance, I thought it said "Someone from Capital Hill, or their doctors..." And I thought, how can Daffy D answer? He's too busy giving all the Hill people Psych evals.

Ok...back to the subject matter.

 

[Richard]

ETA: According to Senator Graham, some of this money isn't even 'earmarked', in other words, the states get funds, some of which they are able to spend however they want......and will we even have a say in the matter?

I could do with some of this money, why not earmark some of it to me directly, after all I need economic stimulus and would spend it wisely on what i need

tax cuts anyone??

so if they provide tax cuts we don't need an increase to the national debt or do we?

Democrat genius economist to answer please before it's too late.

Cheers

 

[Richard]

OT alert! I read the above quote wrong. At first glance, I thought it said "Someone from Capital Hill, or their doctors..." And I thought, how can Daffy D answer? He's too busy giving all the Hill people Psych evals.

Ok...back to the subject matter.

politicians or economists - do you understand the system or not

i thought as a British person Capitol Hill meant Obama and his advisers

 

[RobinYyes]

OK fine why should the US taxpayers pay for the stimulus without any benefit, and why should it be made out they are doing us a great big favour by spending our own money on the stimulus

Richard, asking why its made out that 'they' are doing us a great big favor is akin to asking monkeys why they throw their own feces.

The bottom line is that the dims were voted in to finish off this country, and if there is anything left the next cycle will be trending to the right for conservatives to pick up the pieces.

 

[Richard]

Richard, asking why its made out that 'they' are doing us a great big favor is akin to asking monkeys why they throw their own feces.

The bottom line is that the dims were voted in to finish off this country, and if there is anything left the next cycle will be trending to the right for conservatives to pick up the pieces.

yep agreed but unfortunately the monetary system is the same under the republican or democrats

methinks there is a case for monetary reform

 

[Rex Jackson]

SIMPLE. VOTE AGAINST IT. ITS SUICUDE.

 

[SassyinAZ]

There are 4 'squishy' RINOS, whose phones are going straight to voice mail or lines are too busy.

I've been calling them, so has RobinY. I hope everyone else is doing the same.

Fox is saying over 200 amendments have been written.....

I don't know that we can stop it, but I want the Dems to own it. After 8 years of bitching, lying and whining, they finally got what they want. They got their piece of pie and, to paraphrase Stephen King, I want them to 'eat EVERY BITE'.

Who are the squishies, koz? I just got home but I can burn some phone lines.

 

[Mark Armstrong]

Anyone know if the Rosetta Stone program works? I want to start stufying Chinese, Arabic and whatever the hell they speak in Inidia plus a few other languages so I can understand what the new owners of this nation are saying.

You could save yourself a few bucks and try out the free language lessons on YouTube:

Chinese Language Lessons

Arabic Language Lessons

With India, you are in a bit of luck as English is India's subsidiary official language. That's why so many jobs have been outsourced to India. However, if you want to learn India's primary official language:

Hindi Language Lessons

 

[maric]

SIMPLE. VOTE AGAINST IT. ITS SUICUDE.

It seems to me the loonies in DC don't care about anything but their selfish selves.

 

[kozanne]

Who are the squishies, koz? I just got home but I can burn some phone lines.

Collins (202) 224-2523
Snowe (202) 224-5344
Voinovich (202) 224-3353
Specter (202) 224-4254

 

[maric]

DH just got thru to Spectors number. He kept hitting redial, its the only way.

 

[Lilbitsnana]

i thought as a British person Capitol Hill meant Obama and his advisers

Capitol Hill = Congress (House and Senate)

Capitol Hill District is a planned neighborhood consisting of several historical/governmental landmarks, the Capitol Building and homes.

 

[SassyinAZ]

ty ty

Here's more for Collins: http://collins.senate.gov/public/co...orCollins.Phone&CFID=5121329&CFTOKEN=90889595

Phone:

Washington, D.C. Office (202) 224-2523

Augusta Office (207) 622-8414
Bangor Office (207) 945-0417
Biddeford Office (207) 283-1101
Caribou Office (207) 493-7873
Lewiston Office (207) 784-6969
Portland Office (207) 780-3575

 

[kozanne]

DH just got thru to Spectors number. He kept hitting redial, its the only way.

Yeah, I'm finding out the lines on 3 of them are constant busy, the other one rolls directly to voice mail, which says it's full.....

Good on you and DH for persistence!

 

[Troke]

Those four are 'moderate' Republicans.

When the crunch comes, they always vote Demo.

 

[kozanne]

Those four are 'moderate' Republicans.

When the crunch comes, they always vote Demo.

They are squishees. And not the kind Apu sells at the Kwik-e-Mart.

 

[SassyinAZ]

Collins: http://collins.senate.gov/public/co...rCollins.Email&CFID=31278970&CFTOKEN=44699849

Snowe: http://snowe.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactSenatorSnowe.Email

Voinovich: http://voinovich.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

Specter: http://specter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121

 

[Navydad]

I keep calling and WILL get through....i hope.

 

[Jean B]

So what happens if it doesn't get through? 0bama blames them for dragging their feet creating the soon to be Depression? With or without the bill I might add.

 

[thinkingplus]

Yes, the lines for Indiana senators are busy also.....but managed to send an email to Lugar.

 

[blueridge]

Regardless of one's ideas on the corn-fed 'stimulus' spending bill - an ominous question is yet to be answered:

Who Will Buy? - all the debt that's being created as we pour trillion after trillion of debt-back currency & other US 'paper' onto the world money markets?

Who will buy? - think about it...the world slowly sinks into depression, and somehow we're arrogant enough to believe that someone "out there" will buy all that debt we issue forth?

Something's drastically wrong with this picture.

The second deadly question is what happens if/when very little of this debt-paper is bought by 'others'?

 

[SassyinAZ]

Down to 2 Rinos -- Spector and Snowe, call some more (bolded) and email (previously linked)! Collins is now on the fence!

Senate switchboard: All circuits are busy; Update: Stop the cave-in. Call the GOP’s Queasy Quartet

By Michelle Malkin • February 6, 2009 09:22 AM Scroll for updates…The Friday night cave-in is about to begin…Collins (202) 224-2523 Snowe (202) 224-5344 Voinovich (202) 224-3353 Specter (202) 224-4254…If you make just one call, make it Specter’s office. I’m told that he is the ringleader making this happen…Give him hell…

...

Bipartisan negotiators are close to an agreement to cut more than $100 billion from the Senate’s economic stimulus bill, but a handful of Republicans are still holding out for assurances that the spending that remains in the package will be temporary.

Just before noon on Friday, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) emerged from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) office and said the key to announcing any deal will be persuading four Senate Republican negotiators to sign onto the amendment. The Republicans who Democrats are trying to strike an accord with include moderate Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Olympia Snowe (Maine), George Voinovich (Ohio), and Arlen Specter (Pa.). Collins has served as the lead GOP negotiator.

Nelson said that the bulk of the work on the amendment has been completed and that the proposal they will offer would trim more than $100 billion from the more than $920 billion measure.

Nelson said the group is trying to craft language ensuring that any increased spending to states or on federal programs would not become permanent.

The amendment calling for massive cuts to the more than $900 billion bill has become crucial to the measure’s ultimate passage, given that many Democrats and several Republicans have said they cannot support the bill without a cut to the price. Democrats need 60 votes to overcome procedural hurdles and pass the bill, meaning they will need the support of all 58 Members of the Democratic Conference and at least two Republicans.

Though Democrats are uneasy with the hefty cuts to education and other programs in the negotiators’ amendment, it appears they are likely to vote for the proposal in order to get the bill into conference with the House, where adjustments can be made.

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said he expects Democrats will “vote for the amendment with the understanding that it’s moving the process along.”

Earlier Friday, Reid prodded bipartisan negotiators to finish work quickly on the amendment so that the Senate could complete work on the measure later in the day.

“We’re nearing the time when negotiations must be completed and action must begin,” Reid said on the floor Friday morning. “So I urge my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, to dedicate this day to responsibly passing this legislation and sending it to the president.”

He added that he hoped to have the bipartisan amendment ready to vote on between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

“We’re going to be able to work something out. I feel very comfortable that we can do that,” he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090206/ap_on_go_co/congress_stimulus/print

Obama's massive recovery plan teeters in Senate
By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer Andrew Taylor, Associated Press Writer 6 mins ago

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's massive economic recovery package teetered in the Senate Friday after hours of backroom meetings failed to produce an agreement that could attract crucial GOP votes.

Meetings continued through late afternoon between Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and key Republican moderates Susan Collins of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

Both hoped to pare back nonessential spending items in the measure, while a third moderate, Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, worked with Democrats to trim the bill's $340 billion in tax cuts by perhaps $25 billion.

Reid suggested in a conference call with Nevada reporters that he has two GOP backers for the bill but needs at least one more because neither wants to be the crucial 60th vote if all 58 members of the Democratic caucus support Obama.

Obama kept the heat on, using his presidential megaphone — and the latest dire jobless numbers — to challenge lawmakers to act swiftly.

Democratic leaders called a late-afternoon meeting of their members to discuss the latest proposal being floated by a bipartisan group of moderate senators.

Obama sharpened his rhetoric in challenging the GOP to back the measure, arguing that last November voters rejected "partisan posturing" and "the same tried and failed approaches."

Reid reflected the fierce sense of urgency among Democrats and the White House amid the party's fear that Republicans were turning public opinion against the costly bill.

"The world is waiting to see what we're going to do in the next 24 hours," Reid said on the Senate floor, citing the bleaker economic picture.

The small group of moderates were negotiating in hopes of cutting up to $100 billion from Obama's plan. The latest version had ballooned to $937 billion on the Senate floor, with further add-ons possible during a long day of votes Friday.

Susan Collins, R-Maine — a central figure in talks over cutting back the measure's spending items — said she was less optimistic of the chances of reaching an agreement with Reid than she was earlier in the day.

Obama made his case anew at the White House.

"These numbers demand action," said Obama, who plans to campaign for the bill in Indiana and Florida next week. "It is inexcusable and irresponsible for any of us to get bogged down in distraction, delay or politics as usual while millions of Americans are being put out of work."

The efforts came as new government figures showed recession-battered employers eliminated 598,000 jobs in January, the most since the end of 1974. The unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent.

Obama said he hoped lawmakers would react to "the single worst month of job loss in 35 years."

"I hope they share my sense of urgency and draw the same unmistakable conclusion: The situation could not be more serious," Obama said Friday. He pledged to work with lawmakers to refine the measure but said that "broadly speaking, the package is the right size."

Earlier, Reid commended the work of the centrist lawmakers and said progress has been made since Thursday night. He said a vote on the Senate bill by Friday evening was possible.

Collins Friday morning circulated a roster proposing $88 billion worth of net cuts from the measure. She proposed eliminating money in the bill for K-12 education while boosting funding for Pentagon operations, facilities and procurement by $13 billion.

The universe of potential GOP votes seemed to shrink to just three: Collins, Snowe and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. Democrats wield a 58-41 majority, meaning they need at least two Republicans to achieve the 60 votes needed to advance the bill past procedural hurdles.

A complication is the health of Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who hasn't returned to the Senate since suffering a seizure on Inauguration Day.

Reid said he is working on securing support from Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and had lobbied Thad Cochran, R-Miss., as well.

Collins has been working with Ben Nelson, D-Neb. Both met separately with Reid on Friday.

Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said the GOP is ready to support a bill, "but we will not support an aimless spending spree that masquerades as a stimulus."

He added: "Putting another $1 trillion on the nation's credit card isn't something we should do lightly. We need to get a stimulus. But more importantly, we need to get it right."

Obama pleaded with House Democrats on Thursday night to reject delaying tactics and political gamesmanship and work with the Senate to get a bill. In the campaign-like speech, the president also ridiculed Republican criticism of the legislation.

"We can't embrace the losing formula that says only tax cuts will work for every problem we face, that ignores critical challenges like our addiction to foreign oil, or the soaring cost of health care, or falling schools and crumbling bridges and roads and levees," Obama said at a Democratic retreat in Williamsburg, Va.

If a compromise on trimming the bill can't be reached — or if it won't fly with Democratic loyalists — the alternative for Reid is to try to ram the measure through with just a few GOP supporters. He expressed confidence he has the 60 votes needed to press it through if need be.

http://www.redstate.com/jeff_emanuel/2009/02/06/and-then-there-were-two/

And Then There Were Two?

Posted by Jeff Emanuel (Profile)

Friday, February 6th at 3:38PM EST

Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) just said in a radio interview that only two “Republican” Senators are still actively attempting to provide the Democrats “bipartisan” cover for their nearly $1,000,000,000,000.00 borrow-and-spend bill.

Based on what I’ve been hearing from around the Hill, and Roll Call’s report that Sen. Collins (R-ME) was having misgivings about betraying her party and constituents, those two are (definitely) Arlen Specter (PA) and (most likely) Olympia Snowe (ME).

In the radio interview, Burr said nobody knows if the vote, initially planned for 7pm, will actually happen tonight (translation: despite his typically hotheaded rhetoric, Harry Reid lacks the votes to give himself “bipartisan” cover and therefore to make this bill’s passage politically worthwhile), and that ” out of every 10 calls coming in about the [so-called] stimulus, 9.9 of them are against the bill.”

Keep calling Senators Specter, Snowe, and Collins at 202-224-3121. Tell them that if this trillion dollar borrow-and-spend-on-pork plan is going to pass, it needs to do so as a Democrat-only measure.

The Democrats campaigned on a platform of unadulterated liberalism, which they pledged to implement if they gained enough seats in both houses to do so. They have the votes to pass this and other policies that are doomed to fail once implemented; the Republicans’ job is simply to propose principled alternatives, and to make Democrats own their own proposals on a party-line basis.

Call Senators Specter, Snowe, and Collins at 202-224-3121. Tell them not to help the Democrats drag this country’s economy into the gutter.

 

[SassyinAZ]

Collins, Susan M. (R-ME)
DC Phone: (202) 224-2523 Fax: (202) 224-2693
Bangor Phone: (207) 945-0417 Fax: (207) 990-4604
Augusta Phone: (207) 622-8414 Fax: (207) 622-5884
Biddeford Phone: (207) 283-1101 Fax: (207) 283-4054
Lewiston Phone: (207) 784-6969 Fax: (207) 782-6475
Caribou Phone: (207) 493-7873 Fax: (207) 493-7810
Portland Phone: (207) 780-3575 Fax: (207) 828-0380
http://collins.senate.gov/public/co...rCollins.Email&CFID=31278970&CFTOKEN=44699849

Snowe, Olympia J. (R-ME)
DC Phone: (202) 224-5344 Fax: (202) 224-1946
Portland Phone: (207) 874-0883 Fax: (207) 874-7631
Auburn Phone: (207) 786-2451 Fax: (207) 782-1438
Augusta Phone: (207) 622-8292 Fax: (207) 622-7295
Bangor Phone: (207) 945-0432 Fax: (207) 941-9525
Biddeford Phone: (207) 282-4144 Fax: (207) 284-2358
Presque Isle Ph: (207) 764-5124 Fax: (207) 764-6420
http://snowe.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactSenatorSnowe.Email

Specter, Arlen (R-PA)
DC Phone: (202) 224-4254 Fax: (202) 228-1229
Philadelphia Ph: (215) 597-7200 Fax: (215) 597-0406
Erie Phone: (814) 453-3010 Fax: (814) 455-9925
Allentown Ph: (610) 434-1444 Fax: (610) 434-1844
Wilkes Barre Ph: (570) 826-6265 Fax: (570) 826-6266
Harrisburg Ph: (717) 782-3951 Fax: (717) 782-4920
Pittsburgh Ph: (412) 644-3400 Fax: (412) 644-4871
Scranton Ph: (570) 346-2006 Fax: (570) 346-8499
http://specter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

 

[SassyinAZ]

Damn, Collins must have caved.

http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/

February 6th, 2009
Stimulus agreement reached, sources say
Posted: 05:46 PM ET

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Democratic and Republican Senate negotiators have reached a tentative agreement for a $780 billion stimulus package, according to two Democratic sources and a GOP negotiator.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has taken the list of cuts to the nearly $900 billion Senate bill to fellow Democrats, the sources said.

The Senate plans to reconvene at 6:30 p.m. ET.

 

[kozanne]

Fox saying votes later tonight. Saying only two or three Republican votes needed.

Well, just take note of which RINO's voted. Midterms are coming.