The Anchoress
“Pass this or we may never recover?”
No, Obama doesn’t actually say, “or else,” but – as with the first bailout – I feel like I’m being told not to ask questions, not to look too closely, just sign on with something huge and be quiet because “it’s for my own good.”
I have never liked that feeling.
And if nothing is done, this recession might linger for years. Our economy will lose 5 million more jobs. Unemployment will approach double digits. Our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not be able to reverse.
Well, that may be true, if “nothing is done.” But it does not necessarily follow that this bloated pork-non-stimulus spending bill is the thing that must be done, or that no other alternatives need be considered, no questions be asked. I’m sorry, it just doesn’t feel “transparent”. This is “working with the opposition?”
NRO gives you a look at some of what is in the “stimulus” bill. I frankly have no problem with $50 Million for the NEA – artists need to live, too, and in the grand scheme of things, $50 million is nothing – but much of the rest of it seems more like “spending” than “stimulating.” What is the rush to spend? Why can’t the spending be done in, say, 6 months?
I agree with Ed Morrissey that Obama’s editorial says a lot of nothing and indulges in fear-mongering. And excuse me, but with all due respect to the President, if feels a little like he’s carrying Mrs. Pelosi’s water for her. This does not leave me feeling encouraged.
My first question: Where is the Bush-is-playing-on our-fears -press on this? Over the last few years, I’ve read a lot of people objecting to moves the Bush administration made, and to their rhetoric, which they claimed was “using fear, instilling fear in order to pass their legislation.”
I heard a lot of people in the media pretend contrition at “not asking enough questions in the many-months-long, UN-visits-included ‘rush to war.'”
Well where are their questions in this “rush to more”?
I really don’t want to have to watch the country become disoriented and disordered, nationalized away from her ideals and traditions and then – when we’re in double-digit inflation, double-digit unemployment and facing “mandatory voluntary service” programs that actually begin to affect their ivory towers and their privileged children – have to listen to the press weeping and chest-beating because “enough questions were not asked…”
Although, I rather doubt that the press will ever turn on this president, since they created him. Rather, they’ll probably tell us this is all “part of the healing…” rather like salutary pus. We’re supposedly in “crisis” and the press is still in constant gush-mode, asking nothing terribly important, focusing on potatoes and puppies, and misidentifying (and caricaturing) the “real” enemy. And of course, trying to get the president’s autograph, like fanboys and fangirls.
This is a valid point; perhaps while we’re calling the Senate and Congress (and local congressional offices) daily to give our opinions on this bill, we should be contacting the news programs on the networks and the cables. We should be calling the editorial boards of the newspapers and saying, “do your damn jobs, please. Ask some damned relevant questions, or if this things pass, and things get worse, we’re going to blame you for your sheep-like, unquestioning complicity.”
Some “guardians.” Rather than questioning the president, the press is advising him on “how to sell it.”
Most news organizations are making their telephone numbers difficult to find, but scout around, and see if you can call, rather than email. I’ll see what I can dig up, too. Be polite. No one listens to a rude hothead. But ask them why they’re not questioning this stimulus bill, an remind them that if they didn’t “ask enough questions” going into Iraq, you’d think they’d have learned to, by now.
Slightly O/T: What does it mean when a president decides to bypass his own nominee for Commerce? I’m feeling all Jimmy-Carter-micro-managing here. It’s not a good feeling. Glenn Reynolds writes:
If [Obama] were a Republican, this would be a case of crude partisan politics overriding the chain of command.
Another Slightly O/T: Can you imagine how they’d be howling about Rangel if only he had an R after his name?
CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, FOX,NY Times
UPDATE: Apparently fear and charm are a potent combination and some unsurprising GOP senators fell for it. Ah, well. Got phones? Kim Priestap emails that Sen. Collins’ office is not answering.
The CBO says: this monster is going to hurt us in the longrun. You think?
Unions belie their purpose: No protection for workers
Reid says he’s got the votes.
Charlotte Observer: This is not the “change” we were looking for.
Amba: Bets Obama wishes he was merely running for the office instead of running the show.
James Taranto is laughing but he doesn’t sound like it’s a healthy sort of laugh
Snuggie Stimulus: We should all have one, since only the president keeps his heat turned way up!
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In