Will Obama Learn from his Mistakes with His
Stimulus Plan?
By: David Phillips
February 16, 2009
The
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) would provide immediate assistance to help vulnerable families and prevent millions
of middle-class Americans from falling into poverty. It would also stimulate the economy and create jobs, helping many additional
families avoid poverty
All of the Republicans in the House and all but three
Republicans in the Senate voted “No” on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, but it still passed both Houses
and will be signed into Law by President Barack Obama tomorrow.
The House vote was 246-183, with Republicans unanimous
in opposition to the bill, which includes tax cuts and an estimated $500 billion in federal spending.
The Senate on a vote of 60-38, was exactly the number
needed for passage without a filibuster threat by the GOP, the Bill received the support of only three Republicans in Congress,
moderates Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.
The Republicans in Washington are split between two
camps with regards to President Obama’s Recovery Bill, one wants to do nothing and let the chips fall where they may.
That is to say let companies go out of business and when all is said and done we, the United States, would be stronger for
it regardless of the fact that millions more would be unemployed.
The second camp in the GOP wants nothing but Tax cuts
for corporations and the rich, which they say would create six million jobs, they don’t say how, they just say it. And
It doesn’t matter that that is what we have been doing for eight years under the previous administration and that those
policies are partially responsible for the economic crisis we currently have.
Republicans are a broken record, but their “No”
vote was more about politics than anything else. The GOP is worried about the next election, they are betting that ARRA fails
so they can all go back to their States and Districts and campaign on the fact that the Bill made the economy worse and that
they were right to vote against the ARRA to begin with.
That’s right; Republicans want the economy to
continue on a downward spiral taking you and me down with it. Why, because the GOP wants your vote. They said no, now they
are keeping their fingers crossed and betting against the United States of America.
The Bill is not perfect President Obama himself has
said those words and anyone who believes that a perfect Bill could come out of Washington the way politics are conducted these
days, well, those people are delusional.
President Obama made some big mistakes on this Bill,
let me explain. Obama, since college (could be earlier) has always tried to work with the opposition.
Obama was the first President of the Harvard Law Review
(a Newspaper) in its more than 100 years, it was not just because he was smart, but because Obama "Plays well with others"
and it was the Republicans at the Newspaper who saw this and experienced it that was the deciding factor that made him the
first Black President of the Harvard Law Review.
Obama carried this same attitude of "Playing well with
others" to the Illinois Legislature and then into the US Senate. Well now Obama is trying to do the same thing as President,
and that is where he has made mistakes.
Obama’s mistake was with his expectations of being able to coax the Republican Party into "Playing well with others". Obama now needs to take
his diplomatic skills to the next level, Obama must figure out how to bring the two parties together in the future, Obama
needs to hone is refereeing skills, he must find a way to get both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party to work for
the best interest of our country and not for their own best interests for upcoming elections.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Stimulus
Bill, the Porkulus Bill, whatever you feel like calling it, will be followed up by even BIGGER spending and bailout Bills
in the near future, that’s right, bigger. Obama has already said much more is to come.
ARRA has lots of items in it that Obama did not want,
and many items are missing that Obama wanted, but because Obama wanted to bring the two parties together and work for the
best interests of the United States in a bipartisanship manner, he compromised, even some Democrats in Congress compromised,
but the Republicans stood fast with their ideology of either a Bill with Tax cuts only, or doing nothing at all.
Both Parties have placed their political futures at
risk, the GOP is betting on our economy to continue tanking, and the Democrats obviously are betting that this Bill will help
turn the economy around.
So, will President Obama learn from his mistakes and
expectations when dealing with Congress on future legislation, I hope so.
David Phillips is a Vietnam Era Veteran, a Democratic Party Activist, and David is also the Publisher
and Editor of the online political magazine YodasWorld.org
E-Mail Questions or Comments: oneyoda@aol.com