McCain: I don’t see any GOP votes for the stimulus in the Senate
posted at 1:45 pm on January 30, 2009 by Allahpundit
Too good to check? Maybe, but I don’t think Maverick’s bluffing this time. So craptastic is this crap sandwich that Democrat Ben Nelson felt obliged to warn The One this morning that he can’t count on a straight party-line yes from his own side, hint hint.
And to add insult to injury, he chose Fox News as the network on which to deliver that message. Heart-ache:
“I don’t even know how many Democrats will vote for it, as it stands today,” Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., told FOX News…
“What I’m hoping to do is bring together a bipartisan group of Republicans and Democrats and offer changes that will attract others and improve the bill,” he told FOX News. “People want this to succeed.”…
One item that likely will be discussed is an amendment that would add billions of dollars to infrastructure projects. Nelson is crafting that measure with Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif, both on the Appropriations Committee.
And Nelson doesn’t want to stop there. He wants to pluck out what he says are extraneous projects in the stimulus bill to pay for the amendment. Providing hundreds of millions of dollars for prevention of smoking and sexually-transmitted disease — though they may be worthy causes — does not create jobs. Nelson even is willing to remove popular Pell Grant increases, saving them for annual spending bills later in the year.
I’m sure this is a bluff — the Democrats aren’t going to humiliate Obama with a close vote on his signature legislation — but if they strip enough crap out of the sandwich, the decision to vote against it will be significantly harder for the GOP than it is now. On the other hand, who cares? The bill’s bound to pass anyway, so anything that can be done to de-pork it is all to the good.
Note, by the way, how careful Republicans are being to blame the bill’s failure on the House, on Pelosi, on Rahm Emanuel (“Rahm hates us and lets us know it, and we hate him back”) — anyone but Obama. That’s a testament to The One’s approval ratings, but also evidence of how they’re maneuvering already to run on this in the midterms. Anyway, two clips here, with the stimulus bit in the first; I included the second just because it’s fun hearing Maverick sound constipated in having to defend Rush Limbaugh.
Blowback
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Awesomely awesome! Make it so.
Vashta.Nerada on January 30, 2009 at 1:47 PM
GREAT!!! Go after those democratic votes….If democrats want to win elections in 2010 the only way will to do it is to run away from Obama and the pork express as fast as you can!!!
izoneguy on January 30, 2009 at 1:48 PM
Boy, I guess the honeymoon is over. They tell me it was short, but it felt like years.
Vashta.Nerada on January 30, 2009 at 1:48 PM
Hope McCain also looked in a mirror.
BHO Jonestown on January 30, 2009 at 1:49 PM
Big music going on at my house so I can’t hear but your description fills me with anticipation.
Cindy Munford on January 30, 2009 at 1:50 PM
oh mac……………..*sigh*
Drunk Report on January 30, 2009 at 1:50 PM
I wouldn’t believe McCain telling me that the sky is blue especially how willing he’s been to kiss up to Obama, so forget that
Defector01 on January 30, 2009 at 1:52 PM
Poor McCain. Too Late, my friend. Should have done this last year.
McCain should have just said “Screw that Marxist” :)
faraway on January 30, 2009 at 1:52 PM
Why don’t I believe him? I’m sure he’ll forge some “compromise” that’ll leave conservatives twisting in the wind and the economy in tatters.
hawksruleva on January 30, 2009 at 1:52 PM
This is so tough. If you were the last one to vote for cloture, what would you do?
Vote for cloture and against the bill. The bill passes, you have not compromised your principles, but the country will suffer.
Vote for no cloture and eventually a bill is crafted that you have to compromise 75% of your principles. This bill passes and country suffers a little less, but now when things don’t work, the voting population will probably given the Democrats a do over.
I vote for cloture, no to bill, and hope that my party is given the chance to fix and reverse the mess.
WashJeff on January 30, 2009 at 1:52 PM
That may well be the most stimulating interview Mac has ever given.
*wink*
Y-not on January 30, 2009 at 1:52 PM
McCain thinks that $700 billion is just enough taxpayer money to throw into the hole, but $800 billion is too much.
That’s nuance.
lorien1973 on January 30, 2009 at 1:52 PM
This is a nice feel-good story BUT I’ll believe it when I see it. I trust McCain about as far as Pelosi’s skin is stretched behind her ears.
J.J. Sefton on January 30, 2009 at 1:53 PM
McCain is a two faced RINO douchebag of the first order.
Kiss my ass Maverick!
epluribusunum on January 30, 2009 at 1:53 PM
Didn’t it? Now we wait with bated breath for the divorce.
sherry on January 30, 2009 at 1:54 PM
Say what you will about Sen. McCain and his reach across the aisle (and there is plenty to say) he is pretty tough on pork and this bill is pure pork.
Cindy Munford on January 30, 2009 at 1:55 PM
Senator McCain, if you hold the line on this…..Wow, you have gained back ALOT more respect than I thought possible from me.
But if you cave…and run your Maverick Gang of 14 crap you can kiss it goodbye sir.
portlandon on January 30, 2009 at 1:55 PM
Touche
Vashta.Nerada on January 30, 2009 at 1:55 PM
Getting the pork out is great but, as I said in the thread about Congress voting on it, it would have been great to see Republicans care about extraneous spending when they had control of things. What it comes down to is that this is just a political stunt. We’ll probably benefit from it but that’s all it is. If this pork was being funneled to friends of the Republicans and not the Democrats then they’d pass this thing in a heartbeat.
Benaiah on January 30, 2009 at 1:57 PM
Words, words, words. Means nothing. Show me.
pugwriter on January 30, 2009 at 1:57 PM
Limbaugh is pretty sure this is an attempt to avoid another party-line GOP vote. That’s what it smells like to me.
bilups on January 30, 2009 at 1:57 PM
So it’s true… Aliens have taken over John McCain’s body. That was his mouth moving, but those DEFINATELY aren’t the words we expect from him.
gatorboy on January 30, 2009 at 1:57 PM
I will believe it when I actually see it.
Even then I still might not believe it!
blatantblue on January 30, 2009 at 1:58 PM
Yeah, attempted rape tends to spoil the mood.
Jim Treacher on January 30, 2009 at 1:58 PM
“When a donkey flies, you don’t blame him for not staying up that long.” – Murray Slaughter
capitalist piglet on January 30, 2009 at 1:58 PM
This deserved a “nuke” image in the main index ;)
LimeyGeek on January 30, 2009 at 1:58 PM
Yup! What I’ve been saying for days now and looks like Senate Dems are going to deliver a well deserved smackdown to House Dems who apparently felt like they only were going to have one bill they’d ever be able to sign so they put all kinds of crap into it. Getting rid of the pork, putting in a ton of infrastructure and ensuring the lionshare of taxcuts go to middle/working class Americans makes it really, really hard for the GOP not to support it. AND, makes it an actual good bill. What the hell is wrong with the House. Go Senate Dems!
DeathToMediaHacks on January 30, 2009 at 1:58 PM
Sweet, another McCain thread. Where’s wise_man?
fourstringfuror on January 30, 2009 at 1:59 PM
I want the GOP in the senate to prove us wrong. They are so bipartisan AKA chicken.
We’ll see. If Snowe and Collins votes along the GOP line, then I will believe that pigs fly.
jencab on January 30, 2009 at 1:59 PM
Doing the right thing for the wrong reason is still doing the right thing.
Jim Treacher on January 30, 2009 at 2:00 PM
From the second clip:
“Our conservative?” McAmnesty? OUR!!!!!. You don’t know what conservative is!!!!
Rogue on January 30, 2009 at 2:01 PM
GOSH…on paper he is basically a democrat. But, wow…is there ANY DOUBT we would feel a whole lot safer as a country if he had won? I can’t even think about that. I can’t…wishful thinking does nothing for me. Anyone remember how safe we felt with GW at the helm? *sigh*
Mommypundit on January 30, 2009 at 2:01 PM
Lol. You’re the best.
BadgerHawk on January 30, 2009 at 2:02 PM
It’s about time he found his pair. I thought he’d given them to Obambi last summer.
Way to go McCain!
Laura in Maryland on January 30, 2009 at 2:02 PM
It would be nice just to see Reid’s balls ripped off by a Senate majority that won’t play along.
MadisonConservative on January 30, 2009 at 2:02 PM
The dems are looking at the polls of whom is vulnerable in mid term elections…if too many may lose their seats, then they will back away. If they feel secure, then the few dems will vote no, to keep their elections “hot”, and the rest will pass it.
The bill is insignificant now regarding a economic fix, it is or could be a pathway to losing or winning seats…and that is all the dems care about.
right2bright on January 30, 2009 at 2:02 PM
You know, people have been saying “when monkeys fly out of my ____” – I feel we may be in for some interesting visuals.
Vashta.Nerada on January 30, 2009 at 2:03 PM
DeathToMediaHacks on January 30, 2009 at 2:03 PM
hahaha the GOP continues it’s descent to irrelevancy! the economy is worsening, people are hurting, and the GOP keeps voting to keep them that way! keep undermining a popular new president during a time of great crisis for this nation, I can’t wait till the voters thank you back in 2010…..
Noneya on January 30, 2009 at 2:04 PM
………. nice just to see Reid’s balls ripped off ……he does not have them, SanFranNan does…
t on January 30, 2009 at 2:04 PM
His balls dried up and blew away in a puff of fungus during the dust bowl.
LimeyGeek on January 30, 2009 at 2:04 PM
What the Democrats are doing is unacceptable. It’s a “stimulus” that isn’t a stimulus at all, instead it’s filled with pork and left wing special interest money.
We need a stimulus, but it should be significantly trimmed down and free of any pork or special interest favors. Plus, the majority of it should be spent THIS YEAR.
therightwinger on January 30, 2009 at 2:05 PM
I can’t wait either. Watching a democrat bloodbath will be awesome.
Vashta.Nerada on January 30, 2009 at 2:05 PM
Obama will have to veto this bill anyway….
What? you can’t believe what he says? No way. Politicians always tell the truth – especially democrats.
Corsair on January 30, 2009 at 2:05 PM
I’ve never been to that Beast site. Gotta love John Batchelor. I loved his nightly radio show.
Awesome!
toliver on January 30, 2009 at 2:05 PM
Yay!
More good news from the pork bill.
lorien1973 on January 30, 2009 at 2:06 PM
This is not the type of triangulation Obama wants to believe in. The idea was to position him in between Pelosi/Reid and the “Limbaugh Republicans”, where the moderates like McCain would give Barack credibility for claiming he’s the one working to be bi-partisan.
If McCain sticks to his statement, and other GOPers in the Senate like Graham don’t defect, the Republicans eliminate the “good cop/bad cop” option and force Obama to either go against the congressional Democrats’ plans on his own or be lumped in with Harry and Nancy on the spending bill (for good or bad — if the Democrats really believe this stimulus package is so wonderful, they should be happy to take 100 percent of the credit).
jon1979 on January 30, 2009 at 2:06 PM
Allah, thanks for that link to John Batchelor’s piece on Rahm Emanuel. Totally awesome – everyone should read it, if they haven’t already, to get the backstory on this thing. Oh boy would I dearly love to see Rahm get clocked in his first big fight as CoS.
Missy on January 30, 2009 at 2:07 PM
McCain ‘disappointed’ WH didn’t consult GOP on stimulus
AP (headline)
Credit where and when it’s due.
artist on January 30, 2009 at 2:07 PM
Boy, I guess the honeymoon is over.
Vashta.Nerada on January 30, 2009 at 1:48 PM
The honeymoon may be over but the screwin’ sure isn’t.
Bishop on January 30, 2009 at 2:08 PM
FIFY
Corsair on January 30, 2009 at 2:08 PM
It shouldn’t be. It’s a bad bill, period. That’s why they should vote against it. They have nothing to gain by voting for it. If it succeeds, dems and Obama will get the credit; if it fails, the repubs will get the blame. If repubs vote against it, and it succeeds, dems will also get credit.
Voting against the plan is the only shot repubs have at benefiting. That way, when the stimulus stimulates nothing, every republican can say that this is the dems crap sandwich to eat.
But that’s wishful thinking. This nothing more than a ruse. They load it up with a few obvious things that they know will be “negotiated” out, then they can pass the stimulus in the spirit of bipartisanship. The table is set.
xblade on January 30, 2009 at 2:10 PM
McCain not jumping out with the “Gang of” to give the Dems “bi partisanship”?
THUD
That was the sound of me passing out.
wildcat84 on January 30, 2009 at 2:10 PM
those of us who have lived w/ Maverick for the last couple decades aren’t going to be holding our breath.
don’t be surprised when the Rockefeller RINOs sing and support the “2010 Voter Buyoff Act”. they just need some time to manuver and get their own crap in the sandwich.
AZ_Redneck on January 30, 2009 at 2:10 PM
Ah Allah-this is why it is so hard to do everything in black & white.
My short years of wisdom tell me with every other passing year that compromise is sometimes one’s only recourse. It is either that or be killed.
*Sigh*
But I still pray these guys still vote no. They need to vote no for our confidence in them as leaders in the GOP.
Badger40 on January 30, 2009 at 2:10 PM
I can’t wait till the voters thank you back in 2010…..
Noneya on January 30, 2009 at 2:04 PM
Won’t it be fabulous? Unemployed people crowding the voting booths, the words “should have listened to the Republicans back in 2009″ floating across their minds.
Bishop on January 30, 2009 at 2:11 PM
Who the Hell cares what Juan McLame has to say about anything!
Maybe he can go on the WhoreAldo Rivera show full time and have like 3 people watching!
Both are (Toilet paper)!
dhunter on January 30, 2009 at 2:12 PM
The bill passed the house, how have the republicans stopped any “relief” from going to those that are hurting – like ultra rich bankers, union workers making 75.00/hr(with benies) and those that
tried tocheated the system(FMFM)Corsair on January 30, 2009 at 2:13 PM
Yeah, cuz in 2010, voters will blame the party out of power when the economy sucks and they are staring a 1.5 trillion deficit.
lorien1973 on January 30, 2009 at 2:13 PM
Obama must sign whatever stimulus bill is placed on his desk. To do otherwise will make him seem, at best, obstructionist, and, at worst, indecisive — as in “I want this, but I want the couch two feet closer to the wall — no, one foot, uh, make the couch a chair…”.
If there were a straight party-line vote on the stimulus in the Senate, then the Republicans would be irrelevant, but, as it is now, there are enough Democrats who have heartache over the extra 800 billion dollars of social engineering to stall the thing. Obama has nothing to do with this process — it’s been, from the start, totally in the hands of Pelosi, and now it moves to Reid in the Senate. If the Democratic leadership refuses to horse-trade with the Republicans, there will be no stimulus bill, and if they do, it may stick in Mr. Obama’s craw, but he will sign the bill.
And, interestingly, it’s all happening on Mr. Obama’s watch, as a result of policies which Mr. Obama was instrumental in implementing. In the minds of many of us, the “stimulus bill” as it stands will do anything but. For the Republicans and fiscally responsible Democrats in this situation, inaction is just as powerful as action.
unclesmrgol on January 30, 2009 at 2:14 PM
Is McCain actually going to do something conservative for once? Jeez…the world really is changing.
t.ferg on January 30, 2009 at 2:16 PM
Well, Senator “(Toilet paper)” “Juan McLame” is 1/100th of the Senate, and his vote counts as if it came from 3 million of the rest of us… Which means that, in power terms, I care what he says, as obviously does Allahpundit. You’ve been outvoted in this matter, methinks.
unclesmrgol on January 30, 2009 at 2:18 PM
t.ferg on January 30, 2009 at 2:16 PM
Not a chance he’s just startin to polish up his bi-partisan creds and really stick it to us.
Don’t underestimate this tools ability to make a horrible bill worse, then hang it around the neck of the GOP!
Bi-partisanly of course!
dhunter on January 30, 2009 at 2:19 PM
unclesmrgol on January 30, 2009 at 2:18 PM
Sir, I challenge you to a dual! I am most definitly not a damn senator and them is fightin words!
dhunter on January 30, 2009 at 2:22 PM
Our calls and e-mails are working ???
I doubt it, our guys are STILL gutless whimps…
Mark Garnett on January 30, 2009 at 2:23 PM
True.
Jim Treacher on January 30, 2009 at 2:24 PM
Who bin their right mind COULD vote for such a complete and utter boondogle. It’s insane. They could pay for the parts that actualy qualify as stimulous slated for 2009 out of TARP I. The rest should be broken into separate bills and debated on their merrits. Section Eight Pelosi. In any other country there would be firing squads for crap like this bill.
BrideOfRove on January 30, 2009 at 2:25 PM
HAHA. So now you’re against this POS????????????
What happened to a week ago when you said the GOP was lying about the CBO report that the majority of spending projects wont come until 2011?
Welcome to “those who don’t know the Democrats are more wasteful than the Republicans”.
Population: You
Chuck Schick on January 30, 2009 at 2:25 PM
This is all a monumental screwup by President Emanuel.
After the election, I thought for sure that the White House would propose its own econimic recovery bill. I’m really floored that they didn’t. What the hell did they expect when they left it in the hand of Nancy Pelosi? Of course it is going to be a festival of pork and liberal campaign paybacks, and very little actual stimulus.
rockmom on January 30, 2009 at 2:25 PM
Sigh. Typo hell. This always happens when my brain explodes. I just can’t believe this is even happening.
BrideOfRove on January 30, 2009 at 2:26 PM
I wonder if the GOP finding its spine is causing the Messiah to dangle Commerce Sec. in front of Sen. Judd Gregg?
Gregg has to stay for a filibuster to work- he can’t be this stupid with a Democrat NH Gov. can he?
jjshaka on January 30, 2009 at 2:27 PM
FIFY
rockmom on January 30, 2009 at 2:28 PM
And there is your strategy for the next 18 months, into the midterms, if the RNC and GOP have the brains and balls.
I offer this to McConnell and Boehner, free of charge:
Jaibones on January 30, 2009 at 2:28 PM
jjshaka on January 30, 2009 at 2:27 PM
He’s a Senate Republican man answer your own question?
YES!
dhunter on January 30, 2009 at 2:29 PM
Heh. Good one, Mom.
Jaibones on January 30, 2009 at 2:29 PM
As has been well established that CBO “report” was only a partial assessment of the stimulus, nothing I said about that issue was false. The pork in this bill is relatively insubstantial, the real waste of money are the tax cuts for business (never been once proven to increase employment). But by cutting the pork out, this bill becomes a lot more popular and harder for the GOP to gripe about. And it becomes smaller, everyone wins. Unless you’re a bitter conservatve partisan.
DeathToMediaHacks on January 30, 2009 at 2:30 PM
The party of no jobs but yes to bank socialism with bonuses included.
The whig party.
Good luck with that.
getalife on January 30, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Oh, this would be so nice.
WisCon on January 30, 2009 at 2:31 PM
Whoa? No one has a job now?
Chuck Schick on January 30, 2009 at 2:31 PM
On “things conservative,” you can always tell when Maverick is lying.
His lips are moving.
wccawa on January 30, 2009 at 2:31 PM
I’ve heard the Gang of 14, is going to intervene in any attempt to kill this bill. Hmmm…doesn’t that include McCain and Graham? Looks to me like more of the same … snatch defeat from the jaws of victory like they did with the judge confirmation process. If McCain actually stands against whatever bill (other than tax cuts) comes out, then I’ll believe it, but until then….
Christian Conservative on January 30, 2009 at 2:31 PM
McCain is running for reelection for his Senate seat right?
You think this is about Conservative Principles?
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/11/mccain-to-run-f.html
Dr Evil on January 30, 2009 at 2:32 PM
Heh. You’re right on your game, douchebag. Can’t tell a Republican from a Dimmocrat. Want to bet how many of Harry’s little liberal dickeaters vote for this “crap”, as you call it?
Jaibones on January 30, 2009 at 2:32 PM
The democrat socialists don’t WANT economic stimulus. They actually would be quite happy with perpetual recession: that they can escape blame for, which is why they are so desperate to get Republicans on board despite not needing even one of them to get this passed.
There IS no downside for the Republicans for opposing this, especially given that it will NOT work. On the other hand, there is no upside AT ALL for them for voting for it.
We all know that the Obamedia will spin any success as a miracle personally crafted by the Obamessiah. If the porkulus bill is passed, and (as expected) fails to do anything except bloat the defecit, the blame would be “bipartisan”.
What the GOP needs to do is to be able to run AGAINST Democrat failure to turn the economy around in 2010, with better ideas of their own. They won’t be able to do this if they jump aboard the Pelosi-Reid-Obama fail train.
wildcat84 on January 30, 2009 at 2:32 PM
I don’t say this often, but good for you McCain.
cs89 on January 30, 2009 at 2:33 PM
You liberal nitwits really need to get your story straight.
Jaibones on January 30, 2009 at 2:33 PM
well as if doing nothing and playing politics while the President is trying to save our economy isn’t enough, they also are refusing to provide women with equal pay and refuse to delay the digital tv transition (because poor people have so much money to blow on a converter box right now). Just goes to prove you guys really are a bunch of heartless bastards with ZERO fresh ideas….
Noneya on January 30, 2009 at 2:34 PM
If that’s the case then it can be blocked.
Harpoon on January 30, 2009 at 2:34 PM
Mac, they are just like the North Vietnamese. Don’t let them break you!
Mr. Joe on January 30, 2009 at 2:36 PM
FILIBUSTER!
Mr. Joe on January 30, 2009 at 2:36 PM
Running up a 2 trillion dollar deficit is what you geniuses call a “fresh idea”?
Chuck Schick on January 30, 2009 at 2:37 PM
Women shouldn’t be provided equal pay.
They should earn it for themselves.
And they do.
LimeyGeek on January 30, 2009 at 2:39 PM
No shit. How, again, is this thing destined to pass? There may only be 41 Repubs, but the Dems are short a seat or three right now.
strictnein on January 30, 2009 at 2:40 PM
If those poor people can’t watch TV maybe they’ll get off their arses and work harder.
Clever plan.
LimeyGeek on January 30, 2009 at 2:40 PM
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