Media reports suggest Senate Republicans have become a key focus of stimulus talks, an acknowledgement that they appear to hold the balance of power in that chamber despite having only 41 seats to the Democrats' 58. The Washington Post reports on the front page that Senate Democratic leaders "conceded yesterday that they do not have the votes to pass the stimulus bill as currently written and said that to gain bipartisan support, they will seek to cut provisions that would not provide an immediate boost to the economy." Moderate Republicans are "trying to trim the bill by as much as $200 billion."
The Hill reports President Obama is "lobbying Republican senators personally on his economic stimulus package, which failed to attract a single GOP vote in the House." Obama has "scheduled one-on-one meetings at the White House with a handful of GOP centrists" such as Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe, and Susan Collins.
And according to CNS Evening News:
The CBS Evening News reported, "All sides "now agree the President's stimulus bill won't survive its original form, passed last week by House Democrats. A bill that, depending on how you see it, would create three million jobs, or serve to fulfill a long wish list of a Democratic social agenda."
Gotta love all the prior "bipartisan" rhetoric. And as politicians bickers over pork spending the economy keeps getting pummeled - the projected GDP decline of -3% to -6% this year will not go away if people close their eyes. As communist as it is, the stimulus does need to pass in some form otherwise one way Greyhound tickets to Mexico will soon trade on par with gold.
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3 comments:
NO the stimulus doesn't need to pass! We're in too much debt as is.
What does need to be done is to ditch the TARP 2 plans and let the banks fail. Nothing will push Wall Street to reform better than that!
It will clear away bad debt, uncertainly and enable new healthy banks to rise from the ashes of the old.
What does need to be done is to decouple Wall Street from Washington because as it stands now, Congress and the Prez are more concerned about the interests of the wealthy elite than anything else.
What does need to be done is term limits on Congress and public fincianing of elections. We need to break the cycle of entrenchment in Washington.
What does need to be done is end crony capitalism and toothless regulation of the financial industry.
Finally, what needs to be done is to end our disasterous wars, close military bases around the world and cut the Penagon budget in half.
Lets cut out Foreign Aid and such items too.
We don't need vision, we need accountability, thrift and perseverance.
Man, I wish I was optimistic enough to believe that stuff would happen... Obama won't do it, but maybe someone who runs against him will. It would probably be a democrat, but will Obama be unpopular enough by 2012 to be beaten in a primary? I kind of doubt it, unfortunately.
Then again, these are strange times.
The ARRA/Stimulus is part of our reality now. Most of the funding will flow to federa/state/local government contracts as well as grant money. Those with the clear advantage will be companies who have been in front of the client (govt) for the past 6-24++ months pitching their products/services. Those also with the advantage are the vetted (GSA Schedule) contract holders. New comers to the B2G game can still win by parterning with these companies until they have clearly established their own government relationships.
B2G is a long-term investment for any company, regardless of industry.
Jennifer Schaus
Jennifer Schaus & Associates
Washington, DC
http://www.JenniferSchaus.com
JSchaus@JenniferSchaus.com
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Guest Blog on Stimulus:
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