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DO-NOTHING REPUBLICANS

Almost as much as Al Qaeda

And the Taliban

These are the enemies of

The common man.

The stimulus package is sorely needed right now. It has been proven that Republican tax cuts do nothing to help the economy. I am still waiting for my "trickle" from the Bush tax cut. It's time to stand up and say, "It's our turn now!"

Is it the end of the day yet?

Relief from the AMT is not a break for the "upper middle class." A $250,000 income in NY equals $100,000 in Houston. People in this bracket are paying their bills, but they are not "upper" anything. I realize that many people are poorer, but if a family income of $250,000 puts you in the company of the rich, then my neighbors must be hiding their Rolls Royces and Mercedes, because I sure don't see any of those in my working-professional neighborhood in Westchester County.

Clarke (my Congressperson from Crown Heights) is such a hack. I have yet to hear her offer one opinion or insight in this or any other interview. Brooklyn, my Brooklyn...

"At the end of the day"... the Democratic Rep. Yvette Clark's talking points sound no better than the Republican's. I heard nothing of substance from her at all, nothing to inspire confidence.

Within the last week, there was an article in the NY Times that analyzed a recent Japanese recession. I would like to hear a discussion (I listen to The Takeaway and Brian Lehrer, and sometimes Leonard Lopate) on lessons learned from that recession or any other recession that might provide us important lessons. Thank you.

Jean

I think we must start considering the potential state of affairs at the end of the day.

Part II of the stimulus needs to be passing healthcare!

I am at the point where I wish the Democrats would let a really solid, Krugman/Stiglitz-recommended bill, fail in the Senate. Let the Republicans be branded with "why didn't you give my daddy/mommy a job, Senator? why didn't you let them get health care?" a year from now.

The Republican motto:
Don't just do something; stand there!

Those who want to wait and debate, haven't lost their job yet. GET OFF OF MY BACK!!!

I think the democrats should point out the continued spending and tax cuts in the early to mid 00's by the republicans did not produce any kind of surplus that we saw in the 90's.. Voodoo economics does not work!

Is there anything in this bill to encourage the return of American manufacturing jobs?

Listening to Yvette Clark is painful. She clearly hasn't thought through the issues. Those who disagree with her are obstructionist, against "unity," and don't believe in the innovation of America. "At the end of the day," as she would say, there comes another cliche.

hjs has found the rub. If one's goal is to balance the budget, why not make people pay for what they buy, i.e. pay taxes?

In a recession, it's best not to raise taxes, but if you wanted to, raising taxes on m/billionaires will probably not do as much damage as on people making under $500,000. Would anyone like to treat us to a war and a stimulus package?

It's incredible to keep hearing about "targeted" stimulus without ever hearing about the actual targets. We just had 8 years of spending ourselves into a big hole with an unnecessary war and tax-cuts for the upper class. More of the same is all I've heard proposed by Republican apparatchiks.
Free-markets and lack of health care programs have led to massive lay-offs in many industries. The repeal of the Multifiber Arrangement in 2003 which prevented the dumping of cheap fabric and clothing on the US market has directly led to 50% of the textile and apparel workers in the US to lose
their jobs and mills.
Health insurance costs have forced millions more into temporary, no benefit jobs.
I'd rather see the government "waste" money on improving the human condition than throwing it at the bubble economies of Wall Street and the Real Estate/Banking industry. These have been subsidized(Corporate Socialism) for far too long.

Ditto to eCAHNomics: Republicans should be challenged to answer the question of the size of the debt without a stimulus package. I trust that the American electorate is not being misled by fossilized thoughts of the obstructionist Republican congressmen.

If the Congressman’s position is that spending isn’t simulative and only tax cuts is, not a single dime of stimulus spending should go to New Jersey, especially his district regardless of how his constituents feel or how desperately they may need it. Then let’s see how long he remains in office voting his convictions.
Tax cuts will be saved and very few people will buy into these tax incentives because someone worrying whether they will have a job, be able to educate their children, and have healthcare in a month or three, will not be buying houses and cars. There is no stimulus in tax cuts.
And as for Republicans new found fear of deficit spending…. Where was that fear when Republicans committed to huge upper-class and business tax cuts (loopholes), executive bailouts, elective war, and any number of legislative moves ago?
On the “buy American” provisions, anything other than voluntarily buying (sometimes inferior and overpriced) American products is protectionism. The same way Asian countries dump steel in the States, America dumps agricultural products worldwide. Protectionism now will severely affect the American agricultural industry.

I find it extraordinary that any public rep--especially a Republican one, albeit a freshman--is talking about concerns for our children's debt. Have they somehow missed what's happening NOW? Tens of thousands more unemployed each week? People without health care? Food pantry lines exploding? It's such a luxury to talk about the far-off future, when these people and programs need funds NOW!!!!!

Consider this alternative: give a tax refund in the form of vouchers that must be spent in a limited time period, say one month. Once they are transferred, start the clock again, with the recipient having to spend it in a month, etc, etc, etc, for the next two years. The money would get out fast, and get spent, since the alternatives would be use it or lose it.

Cheney said deficits don't matter.
lance says he fears the deficit but wants to cut taxes, what a scam artist!

Will you please ask this or any tax-cutting obsessed elected official to discuss the current situation in California which is going bankrupt due to an inability to generate income from taxes over the past 20 years. Future generations are less likely to suffer from a debt burden than from financially starved federal government that can't do anything for its citizens -- other than go to war which we always have the money to fund.

I am continously amazed at the apparent lack of economic and business understanding exhibited by our congressional members. The Honorable Leonard Lance was clearly out of his element in discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the economic stimulus package, its impact on the state of New Jersey (let alone the country), or the financial decisions ordinary citizens are constrained to make in these difficult economic times. The Republican talking points are superficial, stale, and, quite, frankly, insulting! It is time for the electorate to let Congress know that they are there to manage the people's business!

"YOU TRIED AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED. NOW LET US TRY. MEANTIME STOP PRETENDING SUDDENLY TO BE CONSERVATIVES. FOR SHAME."

Why haven't Democrats simply said this to the suddenly vocal Republicans who laid down for so many years and promoted Bush's inane policies?

I'm one of Lance's constituents, and I'm all for Obama's plan. I'm tired of the Republican plans; clearly they didn't work. Lance should follow the will of the country and support our popular president.

The best argument he can make against aid to states is that the aid should go extend beyond the time frame defined in this bill, and therefore he will vote against the it even for the time frame in this bill.

No, that doesn't make sense. But that's the GOP talking point. No economic rationale. No policy rationale. Really, no rational rationale.

******************

As for the buy-American provisions -- which may or may not not be a good idea -- they are not tariffs or trade barriers. Instead, It's quite like minority set-aside programs. And, it's also quite like the insistence that powerful congressman & senators can make that big weapons systems get manufactured -- at least in part -- in their districts/states.

The problem with bi-partisan compromise is that it gives eachs party enough cover to blame the other if and when a plan doesn't work. I am an Obama supporter, and I wish he had stuck to his guns and not accepted the Republican dilution of the plan. Then, the Democrats would have been placing an "all in" bet on its policies.

Far more valuable to housing prices and the NJ market is the Hudson tunnel to NYC, if it eliminates transfers in Newark!

Homes just in the (Raritan Valley Line) town we currently live in, alone, would jump in value as a result -- since the commute to the city would immediately go from over an hour each way (thanks to delays and uncoordinated service) to 30-40 minutes -- closer than Park Slope to midtown. THERE'S wise government spending!

It's not protectionism. You get to choose which country you buy from when you go to the car dealership*. Why shouldn't the gov't have the same privelege when its spends its money?

* choices: Canada or Mexico

"Free" trade. Ha. If he studies history he must have avoided The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein.

Brian,

When you hear "temporary, targeted and timely," can't you call the interviewee (no matter who) on the Republican "talking points"?

I do believe we need a stimulus--the economy is a disaster. However, I don't trust anyone who says the sky is falling and we must do it this second, without discussion or debate. That's how we got into Iraq, TARP, and other disasters. This is a lot of money, and it will have to be repaid. We need thoughtful conversation, not a rush to judgment.

I do believe we need a stimulus--the economy is a disaster. However, I don't trust anyone who says the sky is falling and we must do it this second, without discussion or debate. That's how we got into Iraq, TARP, and other disasters. This is a lot of money, and it will have to be repaid. We need thoughtful conversation, not a rush to judgment.

I just want to thank Brian for the questions he asked during this interview. Thanks Brian. We need more journalists like you.

If the feds are going to attempt to replace free market mechanisms -- like housing prices plummeting down after skyrocketing up -- then a 15k tax incentive is too small to be a real stimulus, expensive as it is.

If a 2000 house costing $250K now is on the market for 750K, after a few flips, then 15k changes nothing.

50k tax credit minimum or 15 percent of the home value might approach replacing the market mechanism of adjusting the housing market.

AMT -- while that needed reform (or righting) it could have been fixed outside a special stimulus package.

Ask your guest what he thinks the federal debt will be if there is no stimulus bill and the economy goes into depression.

why do states like NJ and NY get so little back from the federal government per federal tax dollar sent to DC.
http://www.taxfoundation.org/UserFiles/Image/Blog/ftsbs-large.jpg
isn't in the national interest to invest in the northeast?
isn't it the job of our congresspeople to give us a better return for our investment?