Yesterday I watched the Republican House leadership explain their opposition to the stimulus plan. Included in the press conference was Wisconsin’s own Congressman Paul Ryan. After stepping up to the mic he showed us that he could rhyme, when he said that the Republican Party was “not an opposition party, but a proposition party.” He said this even though he knew full well that every single member of his party was planning on voting as a bloc against the stimulus package. That kind of behavior is almost the very definition of an opposition (and obstructionist) party. Ryan may as well have stood in front of the press and recited his favorite nursery rhyme, because it would have been just about as factual as the tall tale that he tried to tell.
Paul Ryan’s blind support of failed Bush policies have been bad enough for this economy, but his antics now only compound the severity of our problems. Like the nation as a whole, Ryan’s home state and his constituents are suffering tremendous economic hardship. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that this economic stimulus bill could “pump billions of dollars into Wisconsin’s economy through funding for highway and water projects, food stamps and unemployment benefits and education and law enforcement grants, among other things.” If Ryan and his partisanship-first approach is successful, these billions will never get to his constituents or at least will be unnecessarily delayed. That is an expensive proposition and it makes Ryan’s opposition and obstruction all the more abhorrent.
It would be humorous if it wasn’t so tragic that Ryan and Company are partially objecting to the stimulus plan because of it increasing the deficit. He can’t be serious can he? After eight years of being the living definition of a rubber stamp for George Bush? Apparently someone has to remind him about what they inherited in 2000, what they have done with it, and what they have now passed on to President Obama. Suddenly he cares about deficit spending now that a Democrat is president? Again his ever shifting values are the very definition of hyper-partisan, obstructionist, and opposition. Paul Ryan can tell as many nursery rhymes as he likes, but the realities of our situation require honesty, swift action and adult supervision.
Paul Ryan’s blind support of failed Bush policies have been bad enough for this economy, but his antics now only compound the severity of our problems. Like the nation as a whole, Ryan’s home state and his constituents are suffering tremendous economic hardship. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that this economic stimulus bill could “pump billions of dollars into Wisconsin’s economy through funding for highway and water projects, food stamps and unemployment benefits and education and law enforcement grants, among other things.” If Ryan and his partisanship-first approach is successful, these billions will never get to his constituents or at least will be unnecessarily delayed. That is an expensive proposition and it makes Ryan’s opposition and obstruction all the more abhorrent.
It would be humorous if it wasn’t so tragic that Ryan and Company are partially objecting to the stimulus plan because of it increasing the deficit. He can’t be serious can he? After eight years of being the living definition of a rubber stamp for George Bush? Apparently someone has to remind him about what they inherited in 2000, what they have done with it, and what they have now passed on to President Obama. Suddenly he cares about deficit spending now that a Democrat is president? Again his ever shifting values are the very definition of hyper-partisan, obstructionist, and opposition. Paul Ryan can tell as many nursery rhymes as he likes, but the realities of our situation require honesty, swift action and adult supervision.
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7 comments:
Less than 5% of the package would have any stimulating effect.
We actually need a stimulus package, not a liberal agenda called a stimulus package.
So how does spending $355 million on STD education and prevention stimulate the economy?
This stimulus bill is filled with pork, and like most governmental programs, the pols will take their cut and little will get to those who need it.
Take the pork out of the bill, and maybe you might get some support.
"It would be humorous if it wasn’t so tragic that Ryan and Company are partially objecting to the stimulus plan because of it increasing the deficit. He can’t be serious can he? After eight years of being the living definition of a rubber stamp for George Bush? Apparently someone has to remind him about what they inherited in 2000, what they have done with it, and what they have now passed on to President Obama. Suddenly he cares about deficit spending now that a Democrat is president?It would be humorous if it wasn’t so tragic that Ryan and Company are partially objecting to the stimulus plan because of it increasing the deficit. He can’t be serious can he? After eight years of being the living definition of a rubber stamp for George Bush? Apparently someone has to remind him about what they inherited in 2000, what they have done with it, and what they have now passed on to President Obama. Suddenly he cares about deficit spending now that a Democrat is president?"
So we can assume by that statement that you agree with the deficit spending policies of George W. Bush, and that Democrats who complained about it at the time were wrong? And if not, then why is it not just as partisan to support this massive spending bill, just because a Democrat is now President?
For the record, I have been against this type of spending no matter who was in office.
less than 5%??? where did you pull that figure from? Nevermind, I think that I already know.
what is the right wing obsession with the std thing? it was taken out before the vote was even taken. move on already.
Do you really think that spending $564 million on Wisconsin roads and bridges will not create jobs and stimulate the economy here?
What about spending $317 million on the renovation of Wisconsin schools? That would actually create jobs and save you property tax dollars.
There are so many examples like these, even if the entire package isn't perfect.
Congrats on your consistency Nick…However, I think it is different now because we are on the verge of a full-scale depression. That was not the case when Bush, Ryan and friends were running up the deficit.
Cory:
THe latest news I saw was the STD "obsession" is still in the package. This is but one example of the pork that has NOTHING to do with stimulus and everything to do with throwing money around to special interest groups. Even if taken out, it shows that this isn't a stimulus package, it's a spending package.
I have NO PROBLEM with spending money where it is needed, but the "few million here, few million there" hurts the overall package. How can you justify that ALL the money will provide the intended outcome?
Yes, the bill is NOT perfect. It's loaded with pork...pork that's not needed (except to bring some pet project home).
The STD thing is bigger than you think because the adolescent rate of STI's (proper term) is growing rapidly even though teen pregnancy is at a modest decline. The anticipation is that all these rates will rise in the face of depressing economic predictions because adolescents won't have anything else to do.
If you are a parent you will understand this concern.
It in inconceivable to me that Rep Ryan misrepresents the facts about STDs when one of his own constituents has a start-up company working to stem the tide of rising STD rates in adolescents. He obviously is not working to hard to increase the economics in his own community.
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