Comments on: Most Senators Are Economic Morons

By: tejanarusa

tejanarusa — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 04:13:29 +0000

I know the thread has moved on, but this just breaks my heart. So many things at my University were built by the WPA, most impressed on me is the wonderful Auditorium, built of our own Indiana limestone (I’m talking about Indiana U Bloomington) in the mid to late ’30’s, and in use, constantly, year-round, ever since.
Permanent benefit, still going strong +/- 70 years later.

That amendment, and the ocnstant refrain of “wasteful spending” just makes me want to tear my hair out.
There, I feel better, even tho’ no one was here to hear me.

By: oregondave

oregondave — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 02:25:11 +0000

these people are either morons or putting their personal political preferences ahead of the country’s good.

Echoing Peterr@6, how about c) Both?

By: galvestonbob

galvestonbob — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:54:24 +0000

I don’t think so. These folks are all millionaires and can earn lots more when they leave office. They have excellent healthcare. Were the laws against teaching slaves to read stupid?

They work for the corporations and the status quo. It’s logical for them to oppose museums, expanded education, freethinking of any kind. They don’t want money for birth control or even to fund plans for flu pandemics (that means big epidemics). When and if a flu pandemic comes, they will say, just as they say of our current economic crisis, “nobody could have known”. They will have to be forced to approve meaningful healthcare reform and reduce military spending. If our insane military spending isn’t reduced, a big economic stimulus will have harmful financial effects- that’s true. Signing a petition or sending an email to these aristocrats won’t get us anywhere.

Think about this song by Ry Cooder,
Now the workingman must be well warned whenever headlines scream, “Your rights must yield, the bombs must fall to save democracy”. The flag they fly, their stew of lies served up at voting time like poison under the gravy on Highway 99.

They often contradict themselves, our lords, but they are not stupid. They have fooled the voters many times before, they expect to continue with their winning hand.

By: JLML

JLML — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:35:36 +0000

Our country is immeasurably enriched by the schools, post offices, train stations, park amenities,communication grids, public art, oral histories and historic building and engineering recording projects, all sponsored by the federal government to provide employment during the Great Depression. What will be the legacy of our era? Commemorative tax breaks?

By: just

just — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:01:29 +0000

It seems to me that the stimulus bill isn’t as forward looking as it could be and doesn’t maximize what could be done in terms of job creation incentives for engaging in productive activity, including creative and cultural activities. But I do agree they’re idiots – and what’s even worse – willful idiots. They fiddle while Rome burns.

By: Hmmm

Hmmm — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:54:11 +0000

All we need is for more R’s to get around to saying in public that it really is all about a battle of the underlying ideas. because then PBO can take them apart both with rationality and with the public’s rejection of that thinking in the last election. And then the R’s will lose. Boehner opened the door to this yesterday with his “90% of a bad idea is still a bad idea” line, and all the D’s should jump on this ASAP.

By: millerdunwoody

millerdunwoody — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:48:04 +0000

“None of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, swimming pool, stadium, community park, museum, theater, art center, and highway beautification project.”

I’m. Just. Speechless. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes I wouldn’t have believed it. It’s not like we want our tax dollars to go toward anything that might make our communities more liveable or anything.

By: Bluetoe2

Bluetoe2 — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:44:46 +0000

If Republicans were advising the captain of the Titanic after colliding with the iceberg they would encourage him to put the ship in reverse and smash into the berg again since it was still in their way.

By: C2H5OH

C2H5OH — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:41:30 +0000

Why do you need any economics expertise in the Senate?

ABC national news just put George Will up opposite Paul Krugman, after all. So basically, they’re saying that a columnist whose only real expertise appears to be in the history and traditions of baseball is the equal of a Nobel prize-winning economist with a history of publications in the field of economics.

And of course Will trotted out the old “the New Deal failed to bring about the end of the Great Depression” BS. Krugman handed him his ass, but I doubt Will even knows it happened, nor did much of the audience.

By: TarheelDem

TarheelDem — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:30:47 +0000

I have a simpler view. They want to sabotage the results even if the bill passes over their objection. They have two things to prove: government spending did not end the Great Depression; conservative Republicans have the one sure cure to the economy — more and deeper tax cuts. Sabotaging the response of the Obama administration is for them a two-fer.