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McConnell Folds on Stimulus

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  February 11th, 2009 at 08:08 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Fox News is reporting Senator Mitch McConnell late this afternoon insisted that Republican senators let porkulus go to a vote on the Senate floor without a fight. McConnell apparently reasoned that obstructing the vote would make the GOP look bad and it would be better for the plan to pass and fail than be stopped cold by the GOP. Of course, there would be no guarantee of a successful obstruction given Specter, Snowe, and Collins’ support, but some Senators were frustrated by what they perceived as a McConnell’s insistence that the Republican conference sit on its hands.

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COMMENTS

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  • Kowalski
  • http://www.RedState.com/ETCartman Kenny Solomon

    Fight it tooth and nail, never giving up, with the damn thing going through as is anyway. The media will make “the three” appear as angels on high and every other Republican Senator look like a vicious obstructionist and haters of Americans in need (which the media is going to do to us anyway).

    or

    Step aside…. make the Democrats totally own the thing and it’s results and also COMPLETELY DISAVOW IN PUBLIC the three “pre-rub-lickin’s”.

    The Republican Senators should make a statement TOGETHER in front of the Capitol saying “The People (whoever they are) want this and we can’t stop it anyway,so there you go. Let us know when you’ve had enough and we’ll help take the country back. Meanwhile,we’ll go back inside and try to stop these arses from stripping what little actually remains of YOUR Constitution and Bill Of Rights.”

  • Achance
  • RJD

    It’s time for McConnell to go. He’s given up.

    or

    You pick the fights you can win (this is a defense of McConnell).

    or

    You fight the fights that need fighting – win or lose. A $1 trillion Spending bill seems to be a worthy fight to stand against on principle, even if there’s no way it doesn’t get passed.

  • Mike gamecock DeVine

    Spineless fools all. All you say? Yes, all that voted for McConnell as leader and esp all that don’t oust him NOW!

  • Mike gamecock DeVine

    we could stop it and get a new bill, all the better for the public. This bill permanently grows govt by 20%, up to 400,000 new employees we must pay for forever.

  • Mike gamecock DeVine
  • RJD

    Specter, Snow and Collins. And they are not going to offer themselves up as sacrificial lambs.

    Unless I missed it, McConnell isn’t out and about hammering it home that this bill is the Democrats and the Democrats alone. In fact, can’t say I’m hearing much from any Republican.

  • Achance

    What’s the point in being the poster boys in the Democrat/AFSCME/whatever commercials? They Won! Let them pass their damned bill and we’ll live to fight another day. The battle that costs you all your troops ain’t worth fighting. Ask R. E. Lee at Appamattox.

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    next time we are in control…. it is TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT…. and frankly if Democrats obstruct to the point where nothing gets done and to the point where the Govt shuts down….. heck, that frankly is a WIN!!!

    I’ll take those OLD TIRED POLICIES that this Nation was founded on every time over their (Democrats) wonderful new (Marx, Lenin, Stalin) “Ideas”

  • 10ksnooker

    Steele is the one with the party leverage.

    Next move, Steele should cut off funds for the three RINOs, and Mitch should move to take away their committee seats. Next, oust them from the party.

    They are brain dead anyway.

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    I’m giving him a very short honeymoon as RNC head (as witnessed with/at RS:RNC called…. I hung up)…. while I’m sure he expects that he is very busy with setting up “new direction” at the RNC …. Frankly, he will get more help from us if he would be out and about espousing fighting this 0blahblah Socialist agenda…..

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    I’m already hearing ads attacking us as “obstructionist”… we should have ads explaining that we are PROUD to obstruct Socialism

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    For years, we’ve heard and made the argument that we have to support the left-wing Republicans because when critical close votes came, we’d need them.

    Well, we’ve needed them, and they betrayed us to support the Democrats.

    So I see no use for them. I’m out of arguments to dissuade conservatives from going after them like rabid wolves. I see no reason to stop them.

  • $peciallist
  • Mike gamecock DeVine

    and, Its not, not stopped, until it passes. Quite frankly, its a miracle we held all but 3 repubs in both houses. The real effort should be with a few dems as well as the three, to try and get across the real danger of this bill, i.e. the 20% increase in govt rather than a few outrageous pork items.

    Yes, they will pass the bill and I think we live better to fight other days by being seen as figfhting this day so we can re-earn the trust of coveratives who stayed home the past two elections watching us not fight.

    Its not a matter of “let” them pass it and own it. They own it when they only get 3 votes.

    And if you think that we gain any advantage or are less likely to be vilified as non-caring bigots by not fighting the last battle, then I don’t know where you have been for the last 40 years, unless it was without TV!

    smile

  • JHancock

    but won’t it hurt us more if we roll over?? If too many Rep Senators and congressmen put their name on these ball of crap bills, then the Dems won’t end up taking the fall and will claim the stimulus failed because of half-hearted Republican commitment. Instead of the country realizing that Socalism is almost always a bad idea, they will suck on the Democrat teet even harder, until they are poisoned by it!

  • Mike gamecock DeVine
  • Mike gamecock DeVine

    then what good are they?

  • Mark Malcolm
  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    that was “Player”

    and to RINOs everywhere I say… please officially leave and never come back

  • Tbone

    What is the difference between destroying this Country economically and destroying it physically?

    Every politician, both Democrat and Republican, who vote for this bill are American Traitors worthy only of hanging. McConnell, not willing to fight is actually worse. A coward and a traitor.

    We are being sold out by the lowest form of American Scum, the modern politician.

  • $peciallist

    “and reached number one early in January. It spent three weeks at the top — more than seven months on the charts. During that time, over two million copies were sold.

    This infuriated some critics, who felt that the boys’ style was a “blatant carbon” of several other groups. However, reviewers couldn’t seem to agree as to the source of their familiar sound. Various writers claimed that “Baby Come Back” was an imitation of Hall and Oates’ “She’s Gone,” while others insisted the band copied Foreigner, the Bee Gees, Steely Dan, the Eagles, Journey, and even Andy Gibb.

    “Just call it rock ‘n’ soul,” said Ron Moss. “We pull from the best of both worlds.”

  • Chekote

    They have the votes to break the filibuster. So let it go and focus on getting rid of Specter, Snowe and Collins. I called the RNC and told them not to fund their campaigns. Tomorrow, I will call McConnell and suggest that he encourages those 3 to leave the party.

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    still have the 45rpm packed away… with a several thousand of its cousins

  • $peciallist

    np

  • EagleWatcher

    Let me speak in fluent cliche – With Republicans like these who needs Democrats?

    Get ready for 8 years of Obama, brothers and sisters.

  • rbdwiggins

    and your signature on the bill, you own the failing economy of your party’s creation, and subsequently, a failed presidency.

    Congratulations Senators Collins, Snowe and Specter. You have enabled the failed presidency of Barack Obama, but significantly more important than even that, you have proven beyond a shadow of doubt, there is no such thing as a “moderate” Republican.

  • theadmiral

    …just another example of our two party system; the inside-the-Beltway party and the rest of us poor schmucks.

    I agree with Mike in that where is the outrage from McConnell and the GOP leadership at the Turncoats for hosing us. Spector, Snowe and Collins should be excommunicated from the party caucus. And why aren’t the GOP on TV and the radio 24-7 exposing the 140 pages devoted to the new Health Information Technology czar…….18% of the bill devoted to a fascist health care provision sneaked into the bill with little or no fanfare. I really think if the American people knew that this bill would fundamentally change health care in this country, they would do something about it. Some of the health care IT czar language is right out of the movie Gattica.

  • http://www.scottbomb.com scottbomb

    Because when it does fail, the Republicans can say, “see, we told you so!” Their record of fighting it will give them credibility.

    By doing nothing, they simply repeat their actions that allowed the Democrats to get us into this mess in the first place: DOING NOTHING. Giving up every time someone tried to do something about loose credit in the housing market is a good example. Back then, had they showed some backbone, they may have been able to nip this in the bud while they DID control Congress & the White House. Ditto Social Security reform. But no, the just CAVE like they always do. This is why I blame them just as much as I blame the Democrats, because they’re COWARDS!

  • JustLeaveMeAlone

    The media is painting it as Republicans being obstructionist, unpatriotic, and Simon Legree-ish.

    This, too, shall pass … but it would sure be nice to see our “leadership” (koff) do something besides say “yes, sir!”.

  • JustLeaveMeAlone

    The 30-second spots are already out, calling out the Republican party.

    (Maybe no one told these peeps they won. Or maybe they just like campaigning so much, they can’t stop. Or maybe they have lots big bux that are burning holes in their deep pockets.)

  • JustLeaveMeAlone

    with nary a word of protest from the RNC, that I’ve heard.

    If our congressional leadership (Senate especially) won’t lead, then where is the guy who just won the Chair?

  • JustLeaveMeAlone

    hearing Harry Reid praise Collins, Specter, and Snowe for the patriotism? I had to mute the TV when Collins was speaking, lest my head explode. Then Specter tottered out and I stood about 15 seconds of his outright lies and nonsense before I had to leave the room.

    Arrrrrrrrrrrrgh.

  • gardenstateeric

    I don’t understand that sentiment. You’d be better off effectively targeting the Democrats who loudly proclaim to be fiscally responsible at every turn. Can’t the howling waste that will be emanating off this law for years to come be used to unseat the Dorgans and Nelsons of the world? I don’t see why you’d be upset at three Republican, as understandable as that is, over 58 Democrats who are locks to vote for this garbage.

  • gardenstateeric

    The flaw is in not advocating a simple alternative plan. Can they still do so? IF we’re stuck with an $800 bln stink bomb, it would be better to propose something like $400 bln in temp. and perm, tax cuts, $100 bln in assistance to those hit by the crisis and $300 bln in actual infrastructure. Let the other side publicly squirm when it has to defend a dog’s breakfast as its preferred alternative. As it is, he doesn’t have the votes to stop this freight train — it would just have been nice to advocate for a clean, simple alternative that wasn’t a trough for lobbyists and favored constituencies In other words, this bill had to be big maybe but it didn’t have to suck nearly so much.

  • jencab

    McConnell is a clown and spineless fool.

    He is making senate republicans look like a joke. Time to get a new republican leader for the senate.

  • HOOS30

    You guys are crazy. You want McConnell to fight tooth and nail to stop this bill KNOWING that the Dems have the votes to break a filibuster?

    Do you want the GOP to be out of power for a generation? They would look like fools and STILL lose the fight.

    Better to live to fight another day.

  • randy streu

    Most Americans HATE that bill. They don’t want it passed. The GOP members who fight this thing won’t look like fools; they’ll look like heroes.

    Perhaps it’s time to clean off those Obama–colored glasses and start looking at an unfiltered reality.

  • http://conservative-and-proud.blogspot.com/ eschristian

    I heard Rush say something today and if I were not driving I would have stood up and gave a standing ovation – he said go ahead democrats/liberals and when conservatives take over we are going to use the power they have created to investigate them, make it all transparent, fund our conservative groups, etc… That was my favorite thing I have ever heard Rush say (and he says something awesome everyday but this topped it all). I was so happy to hear somebody as mad as I am, as mad as all of you are, somebody that gets it, somebody ready to fight, somebody with a spine.

    Thanks Rush.

    and

    McConnell, Snowe, Collins, Specter – we are getting ready to get all the RINO’s out of government – we the people are tired of it!!!

  • http://conservative-and-proud.blogspot.com/ eschristian

    that was one more thing he said we could do with the power that the liberals are creating.

  • smagar

    1) The Dems need to own this bill, totally. We need to cement in the minds of the American people that we stood in opposition.

    2) To rally our base. If our side looks as if it’s going all Bob Michel, then our troops will stay home. Sometimes, you fight a losing battle with all of your guts, so that your side will keep its spirit and keep steeled for the next fight—of which there will be many. Health care, EFCA, FOCA….the list is sadly endless.

    3) To not cede the PR field to the Democrats. Schumer and Reid and Pelosi and Obama are more than willing to lie about Republicans all day long. The MSM, which wants Democrats to succeed, will challenge them weakly if at all. Our side needs to get out in front and make our case known. If we do not object, loudly and forcefully, the Dems and MSM will portray us as going along with Obama. The MSM has shown no meaningful interest in telling our side of the story fully and fairly—so we have to make our own mark on the public’s perception of these events,and our party’s performance in them.

  • red4ever

    Don’t fight it. Let it be all Dem. But don’t go out and say “this bill is bad. dems are bad.” Instead, we need to get the Cantor Bill publicized. That shoudl be our ad.

    If the Dems blame us for being obstructionist, fighting back just gives them more to point at. We can’t just be the party of the not-Dems. We have to present a viable alternative by showing WHY our ideas are better. Show them what a GOOD stimulus bill would look like.

    This way we present ourselves in a positive light. Plus, it gives the people a genuine choice.

  • Illinicon

    The Machevillian angle would be you know the stimulus is not going to work and Obama has staked his presidency on it working, so let your enemy take himself out. However, given McConnell track record I am sure he is afraid of the media and is going along to get along.

  • The_Rebel

    When the Republicans captured Congress in 1994, they held a ceremony in honor of Rush, naming him ?an honorary member of Congress? and ?the Majority Maker?.

    Rush told the 73 Republican freshmen at that ceremony about the press corps, that ?you will never ever be their friends. They don?t want to be your friends?This is not the time to get moderate. This is not the time to start trying to be liked.? He told them that if they stayed ?rock-ribbed, devoted, in almost a militant way to your principles, you will continue to be sent back here until you?re term-limited out.? He also advised: ?Say what you believe, with passion and bravado, and you?re going to offend half the people who hear it,? but that is the mark of effectiveness.

    The brouhaha that erupted recently between Rush and Obama enabled Rush to remind Congressional Republicans what he told them 14 years ago. I have a feeling that most of them are paying attention. We just have to weed out the few that aren’t.

  • http://conservative-and-proud.blogspot.com/ eschristian

    n/t

  • http://impudent.blognation.us/blog kyle8

    We NEED the rinos, lets not upset them, lets not turn over the apple cart, we have to support them.

    Now we see the truth, supporting them didn’t allow us to accomplish what we needed to do when we had power, and it didn’t allow us to keep power.

    Ditch em, ditch em all, lets be conservative and rise or fall on that banner and none other.

  • The_Rebel

    If Lincoln Chafee of RI didn’t lose in 2006, he, today, would be voting with the 3 traitors. So, instead, we have a RI democrat voting for this crap sandwich. The end result is still the same. Only now, we have one more democrat to blame, one less republican, and a smaller so-called “bi-partisan” coalition (3 turncoats instead of 4).

  • rbdwiggins

    We, I’ll take the liberty to speak for many conservatives of like-mind, want Obama, Pelosi and Reid ( Other People’s Resources™) to leave no doubt in the public’s mind… They own this debt bill. They passed it over fierce opposition from congressional Republicans and in spite of increasing skepticism and dwindling public support.

    The Obama administration is clueless. The markets know that for certain now, and they reacted as such…

    The proscribed cure, sworn enemy of Democrats and leftists everywhere, is really the only effective stimulus with a proven record of economic growth, increased revenues and job creation. But, they’ll never embrace free-market capitalism.

    When this spending bill fails to produce private sector jobs as promised, and it will, the American electorate will realize that they’ve been had.

    I like the electoral prospects following the awakening.

  • $peciallist
  • GregInFla

    I heard him complaining on Monday or Tuesday that there should be public hearings on the healthcare provisions and other items in the bill. Well, wake up Arlen! YOU voted for cloture to END discussion. What a numbnut!! PA folks vote for him and Murtha. Such a beautiful state, and they have these two.

  • dsmurf

    and not a word or sign of partisanship that would launch a verbal broadside or at least more shots across the bow of the two trillion USD+ deficits that this incures.
    If gold stays above $900 then say hello inflation, no wonder the One brought Volcker in.

  • http://impudent.blognation.us/blog kyle8

    weak.

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    as the MSM keeps focus on Senate and the 3 RINOs ….

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens
  • Martin Knight

    I’m pretty certain I said something like this …

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    foxnews: House Passes $819B Stimulus

    ThinkProgress: Who are the 11 Democrats that voted against the Stimulus and Why?

    Politico: The [11] Dems that bucked Obama

    Boston Globe: Jim Cooper of Tennessee, one of 11 Democrats to vote against the stimulus

    And now the 3 RINOs land up getting such a great deal… It has come out of committee under 800Billion…. by reducing all the TAX REDUCTION/REBATE related items…. Great job you 3 Stooges (Collins, SnowJob, Spectacle)

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    sure plenty of others had the same thoughts on other threads here also…. was good to have it moved to RedHot and keep the thought fresh in others minds….

    Also…. our Reps should be on all of our Speed Dials …. we should be calling them all (at least) once a week from now until 2010 Elections (sorry, no link back to when I said that ;-) lol) …. and … that I expect the same level of (or lack thereof) of up-front BiPartisan cooperation we got next time we’re in charge (here, hopefully to the point of Govt shut-down) …. so there ;-) lol

  • 6eorge Jetson

    (244 – 188) / 2 = 28,

    Just my layman’s two cents, but it seems to me that there have got to be at least 28 districts presently represented by a House Democrat that are against the porkulus. Time to put the pressure on those congressmen. Make those House Dems that thought they had cover in numbers (before the House vote) own their votes.

    The outcome will be either

    a) a conservative Republican pick up in 2010, or

    b) an immediate pick-up of a Blue Dog Democrat house vote for the conservative side

    If I were a Blue Dog, I would prefer having less congressional commitee clout over losing the next election.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens
  • GregInFla

    Word I heard today was that the Senate may vote first. All we need to do is switch over a handful of Blue Dog Senators (one is in Idaho) to block it there. That’s our best bet.

  • 6eorge Jetson

    (Or 11 w/o Kennedy.) The likelihood of getting 28 out of 244 in the House is far greater, IMO.