Here’s an exchange from Obama’s interview on CBS the other night:
Couric: Sen. Mitch McConnell said over the weekend that surely you’re privately embarrassed by some of the product that came out of the house version and let me just mention some of the spending in this package: $6.2 billion for home weatherization, $100 million for children to learn green construction, $50 million for port modernization water and wastewater infrastructure needs in Guam, $50 million for the NEA, the National Endowment for the Arts. Even if some of these are a legitimate use of taxpayer dollars, Mr. President, why are they included in this bill designed to jumpstart the economy and create jobs right now?
Obama: Lets take that example. I’m stunned that Mitch McConnell use this as an example.
Couric: We actually got these examples, so you can’t necessarily blame him
Question: Which would be worse, that Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell thought those were hi-larious examples of non-job-creating uses of public money ... or that a major news organization like CBS thought so?
Discuss.
Obama’s answer beneath the fold:
Obama: Well, let’s think about it. We’re going to weatherize homes, that immediately puts people back to work and we’re going to train people who are out of work, including young people, to do the weatherization. As a consequence of weatherization, our energy bills go down and we reduce our dependence on foreign oil. What would be a more effective stimulus package than that? I mean, you’re getting a threefer. Not only are you immediately putting people back to work but you’re also saving families on your energy bills and you’re laying the groundwork for long term energy independence. That’s exactly the kind of program that we should be funding.
Now, I think a more legitimate criticism that some people have leveled is while not all this money is going to be spending out right away. We’re trying to balance the need for quick spending with the need for laying the groundwork for long term economic growth. And in some cases, some of the major energy plans or projects we have, some of the infrastructure projects that we have that are out there it may take three or four years to get all the money spent as opposed to the first year or two. now 75 percent of the money is spent in the first two years, 25 percent will be spent a little bit after that, that’s where there are areas that we could potentially improve it and if Mitch McConnell or Harry Reid or anybody has a better idea of how to do it I’m happy to accept those ideas.
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Comments
View as Flat
rycarson Posted 10:00 am
05 Feb 2009
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ids Posted 12:32 pm
05 Feb 2009
The watchdog group named the recently named U.S. transportation secretary and Peoria native it's "Porker of the Month," a dubious distinction. The group contends that "in his new position, Secretary LaHood will preside over the distribution of tens of billions of tax dollars for transportation projects in the stimulus package that is moving forward in Congress."
The organization blasted LaHood for being an earmarks czar while serving on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and powerful Appropriations Committee. It predicted LaHood will direct millions into the O'Hare Modernization Program, calling it a money-waster.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=268626
Christopher Kelly, who pleaded guilty last month in a federal tax case, was indicted today in connection with alleged kickback schemes involving his roofing company and O'Hare International Airport.
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/02/kelly-blagojev ...
It goes on and on.
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egbooth Posted 1:11 pm
05 Feb 2009
If we can't convince the Jon Stewart's of the world on this basic issue, then what?
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Ted Clayton Posted 1:14 pm
05 Feb 2009
Although depicted as 'America's Little Cutie', Couric often comes across to me as an especially ill-mannered Chihuahua.
"Yip yip yip!" Watch your heels, there, Mr. President!
And the kicker is, Couric could have 'played it straight' with this material - that some of the items in the Stimulus are going to get the eyes rolling - but no, she has to act like the used car salesman you wouldn't buy scrap from.
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Delay And Deny Posted 4:41 pm
05 Feb 2009
Find me one, ONE, unemployed Wall Street banker who wants to weatherize homes, and I'll give him $10 myself.
Obama The Vapor President ?!?
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Pangolin Posted 6:27 pm
05 Feb 2009
Compared to the across the board failure of Republican economic policies a program of home weatherization is frankly, conservative. It's a proven jobs builder and creates long-term economic value that liberates money from imports for uses in the larger economy.
Only a total pinhead could find fault with this. Even the NEA grants at least get some visible value from taxpayer monies. How much of the TARP money or Iraq war funds have been "lost"; hundreds of billions at a minimum. Katie's crickets on THOSE issues isnt' she.
Put the Carbon Back
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amazingdrx Posted 12:50 am
06 Feb 2009
Put peanut butter on their gums, watch their lips move, and insert dialogue using a voice actor. Mass media and corporo-politics is just that simple.
Numbskulls like this give Obama a chance to shine. Good for them.
Rahm-bo's failure to keep democrats in line behind the stimulus bill and find progressive republicans to beat a filibuster, that's the important flub here.
Obama is the good cop, Rahm is supposed to be the bad cop. Rahm kept democrats from appearing on Colbert, but when it comes to actual legislative maneuvering he is falling down on the job. Evidently Rahm is no Rove.
Remember when we were told that replacing all the federal prosecutors is routine with a change of administration, that was how media justified the political hit teams Rove tried to install and control in the federal prosecution power structure.
Now we are told the Obama team does not want to replace prosecutors and play politics, thus leaving Monica Goodling's Rove directed choices in power.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin
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amazingdrx Posted 12:58 am
06 Feb 2009
She will depend on the kindness of strangers of course, enquiring minds need to know about her latest litter and fund her next record breaking attempt.
And Michael Phelps got caught on camera using a bong. Weedies, breakfast of champions? Wake, bake, and swim like hell? Yep.
Kellogs dropped his endorsement deal.
Contrast and compare with the Couric Obama interview.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin
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Ted Clayton Posted 1:23 am
06 Feb 2009
...
"Contrast and compare with the Couric Obama interview."
What contrast? ;-)
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ids Posted 1:29 am
06 Feb 2009
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Pompey Road Posted 8:52 am
10 Feb 2009
Mitch needs to explain how come he is not even backing a fellow republican "Bunning" from Ky. People are ready to break from the old just tax relief for the rich formula and help Obama work the problem.
The eons of time and nature was good to us down here. It was not until we become civilized that destroying our habitat become fathomable or fashionable.
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