As anticipated, the usual suspects of RINO (Republican In Name Only) Senators Collins, Snowe, and Specter are at the center of efforts by the Democrat Senate leadership to raise the needed support for the Obama “stimulus” bill to a filibuster proof 60 votes. They are demanding cuts that collectively will amount to less than 10% of a nearly $1 trillion pork bill, thus giving away the store and showing once more the inability of the Republicans in the Senate to keep a unified resolve against even the worst of Democrat largesse.
Even the resolve that we have seen thus far would not have occurred, but for the rise of a grassroots cry against excessive, “more of the same” indebtedness. President Obama now is in the position of having to sound like a shrill prophet of doom, as he keeps warning of “catastrophe” if the Congress does not add another $1trillion of pork to a ballooning debt. Rather than be the ringleader of hope, he is coming across as just another demagogue of a time worn, Democrat gospel of “tax and spend,” which is why he is now seeing an end to his political honeymoon and a continuing fall in his approval ratings. His promise to lead a “transformational” Administration is giving way to the perception of feckless abandon, as word spreads that he handed Speaker Pelosi the leadership role in crafting the pork bill in the first place, and his staff comes across as clueless in how they vetted his appointees and managed the “stimulus” legislation.
Before we Republicans should crow, we should remember the often shown propensity of Republicans to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory. If any more than these few “usual suspects” of RINO Senators end up voting for the pork bill in the end, then even feckless Obama will be able to add the veneer of “bi-partisanship” to his wasted spending spree. It is in how the Republicans in the Senate respond to the last minute wrangling over this bill that we may discern whether they intend to rise to the level of becoming the serious voice of opposition to the Obama agenda, or whether they intend to slink into business as usual.
Obama’s Massive Recovery Plan Teeters in the Senate, by Andrew Taylor
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's massive economic recovery package teetered in the Senate Friday after hours of backroom meetings failed to produce an agreement that could attract crucial GOP votes. Meetings continued through late afternoon between Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and key Republican moderates Susan Collins of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.
Both hoped to pare back nonessential spending items in the measure, while a third moderate, Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, worked with Democrats to trim the bill's $340 billion in tax cuts by perhaps $25 billion.
Reid suggested in a conference call with Nevada reporters that he has two GOP backers for the bill but needs at least one more because neither wants to be the crucial 60th vote if all 58 members of the Democratic caucus support Obama.
Obama kept the heat on, using his presidential megaphone — and the latest dire jobless numbers — to challenge lawmakers to act swiftly.
Democratic leaders called a late-afternoon meeting of their members to discuss the latest proposal being floated by a bipartisan group of moderate senators.
Obama sharpened his rhetoric in challenging the GOP to back the measure, arguing that last November voters rejected "partisan posturing" and "the same tried and failed approaches."
Reid reflected the fierce sense of urgency among Democrats and the White House amid the party's fear that Republicans were turning public opinion against the costly bill.
"The world is waiting to see what we're going to do in the next 24 hours," Reid said on the Senate floor, citing the bleaker economic picture.
The small group of moderates were negotiating in hopes of cutting up to $100 billion from Obama's plan. The latest version had ballooned to $937 billion on the Senate floor, with further add-ons possible during a long day of votes Friday.
Susan Collins, R-Maine — a central figure in talks over cutting back the measure's spending items — said she was less optimistic of the chances of reaching an agreement with Reid than she was earlier in the day.
Obama made his case anew at the White House.
"These numbers demand action," said Obama, who plans to campaign for the bill in Indiana and Florida next week. "It is inexcusable and irresponsible for any of us to get bogged down in distraction, delay or politics as usual while millions of Americans are being put out of work."
The efforts came as new government figures showed recession-battered employers eliminated 598,000 jobs in January, the most since the end of 1974. The unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent.
Obama said he hoped lawmakers would react to "the single worst month of job loss in 35 years."
"I hope they share my sense of urgency and draw the same unmistakable conclusion: The situation could not be more serious," Obama said Friday. He pledged to work with lawmakers to refine the measure but said that "broadly speaking, the package is the right size."
Earlier, Reid commended the work of the centrist lawmakers and said progress has been made since Thursday night. He said a vote on the Senate bill by Friday evening was possible.
Collins Friday morning circulated a roster proposing $88 billion worth of net cuts from the measure. She proposed eliminating money in the bill for K-12 education while boosting funding for Pentagon operations, facilities and procurement by $13 billion.
The universe of potential GOP votes seemed to shrink to just three: Collins, Snowe and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. Democrats wield a 58-41 majority, meaning they need at least two Republicans to achieve the 60 votes needed to advance the bill past procedural hurdles.
A complication is the health of Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who hasn't returned to the Senate since suffering a seizure on Inauguration Day.
Reid said he is working on securing support from Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and had lobbied Thad Cochran, R-Miss., as well.
Collins has been working with Ben Nelson, D-Neb. Both met separately with Reid on Friday.
Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said the GOP is ready to support a bill, "but we will not support an aimless spending spree that masquerades as a stimulus."
He added: "Putting another $1 trillion on the nation's credit card isn't something we should do lightly. We need to get a stimulus. But more importantly, we need to get it right."
Obama pleaded with House Democrats on Thursday night to reject delaying tactics and political gamesmanship and work with the Senate to get a bill. In the campaign-like speech, the president also ridiculed Republican criticism of the legislation.
"We can't embrace the losing formula that says only tax cuts will work for every problem we face, that ignores critical challenges like our addiction to foreign oil, or the soaring cost of health care, or falling schools and crumbling bridges and roads and levees," Obama said at a Democratic retreat in Williamsburg, Va.
If a compromise on trimming the bill can't be reached — or if it won't fly with Democratic loyalists — the alternative for Reid is to try to ram the measure through with just a few GOP supporters. He expressed confidence he has the 60 votes needed to press it through if need be.
