It's business as usual in Washington after all

[Displaced Flames fan]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/...ill/index.html

Despite President Obama's incessant references to eliminating pork from the legislative process while on the stump, he happily signed this bill full of pork into law today.

Starting now, I guess, it will not be business as usual in Washington.

I'm extremely disappointed in what has transpired since Obama took office. Change my ass.

[Thor]

Yeah he's just like Bush.

[Locke]

Whats another Half Trillion Dollars? Give or take a Billion dollars here or there...

Just a drop in the bucket....

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Thor

Yeah he's just like Bush.

Not at all what I said.

[Azure]

Yeah, and exactly what I said throughout the election thread, despite pissing off all the people in love with the guy.

Too bad.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Not at all what I said.

That money is a drop in the bucket like Locke mentioned, holding up the bill and debating further delays important funds to get people working, re-hiring laid off staff and getting things going.

Obama said that its not perfect, but right now urgency is more important than going back and debating those earmarks for another few weeks/months.

Endless debate is Washington is business as usual too.

There might be a number of worthy earmarks in that bill, there might be lots of silly ones, but the cost of delaying this longer is the concern. If Congress could be trusted to debate/resolve the earmarks they like/don't like in quick fashion maybe we could, but sadly they have plenty of hot air to share with the world.

By the way Mccain once mocked a earmark for 3 million to pay for a projector, too bad they didn't inform him it was for a NYC planetarium.. Who needs to inspire and teach our kids Then there was Palin mocking earmarks for fruit fly research in France, which ironically could help lead to discoveries that would help children like her youngest.

But really I haven't seen all these earmarks, so I'm basing this belief that its such a drop in the bucket really why hold up a important bill over it.

[Ice]

I just hope our govornment continues to subsidize lavish Vegas parties for bank employees. It would be such a drag to see everyone have to make the sacrafices in this economy that the average American family does.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Thor

By the way Mccain once mocked a earmark for 3 million to pay for a projector, too bad they didn't inform him it was for a NYC planetarium.

And like I pointed out when someone brought that up in the election thread, the 'federal' government, in the forms of earmarks, should NOT be paying for stuff like that.

I don't give a crap if its a MRI machine. There are proper channels to fund that kind of stuff. Probably so that it does get regulated, and monitored properly, so that politicians can't bleed the country dry year after year.

Obama is simply ignoring that.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Thor

That money is a drop in the bucket like Locke mentioned, holding up the bill and debating further delays important funds to get people working, re-hiring laid off staff and getting things going.

Obama said that its not perfect, but right now urgency is more important than going back and debating those earmarks for another few weeks/months.

Endless debate is Washington is business as usual too.

There might be a number of worthy earmarks in that bill, there might be lots of silly ones, but the cost of delaying this longer is the concern. If Congress could be trusted to debate/resolve the earmarks they like/don't like in quick fashion maybe we could, but sadly they have plenty of hot air to share with the world.

By the way Mccain once mocked a earmark for 3 million to pay for a projector, too bad they didn't inform him it was for a NYC planetarium.. Who needs to inspire and teach our kids Then there was Palin mocking earmarks for fruit fly research in France, which ironically could help lead to discoveries that would help children like her youngest.

But really I haven't seen all these earmarks, so I'm basing this belief that its such a drop in the bucket really why hold up a important bill over it.

This has nothing to do with McCain or Palin or Bush. Nothing. I voted for Obama, happily.

What this is about is Obama's failure to keep campaign promises already. What this is about is the Reid/Pelosi agenda taking priority over Obama's vision of change.

Obama could've vetoed the bill and forced another few days of debate just to make a point. Instead, he caved to Congressional leadership. The Republican Senators who voted for the bill should be ashamed of themselves as well.

Obama needs to stand up and take charge.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Azure

And like I pointed out when someone brought that up in the election thread, the 'federal' government, in the forms of earmarks, should NOT be paying for stuff like that.

I don't give a crap if its a MRI machine. There are proper channels to fund that kind of stuff. Probably so that it does get regulated, and monitored properly, so that politicians can't bleed the country dry year after year.

Obama is simply ignoring that.

Not to mention that at the first sign of Republican opposition, he throws his promise of bipartisanship aside, and uses the Senate majority to smash the bill through the House.

Same old, same old.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

The Republican Senators who voted for the bill should be ashamed of themselves as well.

They are all benefiting from this bill. Every single one has earmarks going to their state.

Politicians can be read like an open book. They're just to stupid to think that we all know just exactly how they are.

Obama needs to stand up and take charge.

Easy to do that during a campaign. Much harder to do it when you're actually POTUS.

Big/nice words don't equal action on the same front.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by peter12

Not to mention that at the first sign of Republican opposition, he throws his promise of bipartisanship aside, and uses the Senate majority to smash the bill through the House.

Same old, same old.

My biggest problem with what he has done is throwing his stance against 'lobbyists' aside, and directly involving them in his administration. Even giving them a cabinet post.

[rubecube]

Really? You actually thought there'd be measurable change? Politics is a business. If the Democrats actually thought Obama was going to flip the system upside down, he'd have never made it to the primaries.

[tussery]

It's unfortunate that this will be my problem until I die even though I never voted for any of the idiots putting me in this position. Good job Capitol Hill selling out every American in the country to protect your personal investments.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Really? You actually thought there'd be measurable change? Politics is a business. If the Democrats actually thought Obama was going to flip the system upside down, he'd have never made it to the primaries.

Yeah, yeah.

You're making babies cry by saying that.

[Weiser Wonder]

You have to have a good relations with Congress if you are the President. Obama understands this, so he'll pass this bill and then set up the guidelines. If he vetoes this bill he is basically saying he's going to war with the Democratic Congress, which is a fast track to Jimmy Carterdom.

[HOZ]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/...ill/index.html

Despite President Obama's incessant references to eliminating pork from the legislative process while on the stump, he happily signed this bill full of pork into law today.

Starting now, I guess, it will not be business as usual in Washington.

I'm extremely disappointed in what has transpired since Obama took office. Change my ass.

He has been horrendous. What a disappointment.

[llama64]

Wow, the executive had to compromise to get a bill passed through. What a tragedy.

Isn't this how the US government is supposed to function? Executive and Legislative must come to common agreement on laws passed, so there is going to be push and pull between both offices.

Obama is President. He is not supreme dictator for life. Congress and the Senate have a large degree of say in the matter as well -- but then, it's easier to blame a single man for the mistakes of a country then it is to blame a collective.

Obama has done fairly well with a bad situation so far. He's also had to deal with a complete pile of garbage that Bush tried to ram down the countries throat in the last couple months of his term.

[tjinaz]

Obama is President. He is not supreme dictator for life. Congress and the Senate have a large degree of say in the matter as well -- but then, it's easier to blame a single man for the mistakes of a country then it is to blame a collective.

Obama has done fairly well with a bad situation so far. He's also had to deal with a complete pile of garbage that Bush tried to ram down the countries throat in the last couple months of his term.

Obama gets a pass because he is not dictator for life but Bush by himself tried to "ram" stuff down the countries throat with the democrats in majority in the legislative arm?

Shouldn't we apply the same standard to both? I mean I know Obama is the messiah and all but, this one is a bit too obvious

[La Flames Fan]

It's amazing how hard Obama is being critiqued. Reading the plethora of news, political and commentary sites it seems he gets no pass.

Bush got off easy compared to what Obama is facing.