Obama 'Reaches Out' On 'Stimulus' Bill

President Obama deserves an academy award for this line . . .

“I’ve done extraordinary outreach to Republicans because they have some good ideas and I want to make sure those ideas are incorporated,” Obama said.

He is talking about the so-called economic stimulus plan that passed the House and goes to the Senate tomorrow. This is the very same bill that Nancy Pelosi made sure that Republicans would have no input on.

The House vote showed bi-partisan support for not supporting the bill. It included all the Republicans and 11 Democrats. Obama doesn’t need Republicans to pass this Democrat-created bill.  What he needs to pass this bill is Democrats.

link: Obama to meet Congressional leaders again on stimulus

The Good Guys Win In Iraq

Good news for Prime Minister al-Maliki and the people of Iraq. They won over the terrorists, the militias, and those who would want Iraq to return to some sort of autonomous Shiite enclave in Iraq led by the Supreme Council. Much to the disappointment of Mookie alSadr and Iran.

Some forecasts point to widespread losses for the party across the main Shiite provinces. The blows could include embarrassing stumbles in the key city of Basra and the spiritual center of Najaf – hailed as the future capital in the Supreme Council’s dreams for an autonomous Shiite enclave.

link: Iraqi election hints of troubles for Shiite giant | Maliki and Secular Parties Show Big Gains in Iraq

NYT, More Than Just Economic Stimulus

Isn’t it odd that the media is not talking about what is in this so-called $825 billion economic stimulus plan? You know why. It’s because the bill contains way more pork than economic stimulus. Breaking another of his campaign promises to cut pork out of every bill he signs, the New York Times is making a feign attempt of real journalism by pointing out Obama’s real plan. But only after it already passed in the House.

As President Obama and Congress barrel toward the latest emergency program to resuscitate the American economy, one question is looming over their search for a cure: Can the government fashion a fast and efficient economic stimulus while also seizing the moment to remake America?

For now, Mr. Obama and his aides are insisting they can accomplish both goals, following their mantra of using the urgency of the economic crisis to accomplish larger – and long-delayed – reforms that never garnered sufficient votes in ordinary times.

What’s this ‘remake America’ crap? It’s simple, and it also explains why all the pork is in the bill, including support for his wacko base in the name of ACORN, which was already rejected last year when the Obama campaign first suggested the $700 billion ‘stimulus’ package.

Pushing this bill through Congress is Obama’s attempt of following Rahm Emanual’s advice. What he calls ‘rule one.’

“Rule one: Never allow a crisis to go to waste,” Mr. Emanuel said in an interview on Sunday. “They are opportunities to do big things.”

Key point in the Times’ article regarding the plan is their analysis that much of the pork in the bill contains ‘reforms that never garnered sufficient votes in ordinary times.’ This is exactly what Rahm Emanual means in not letting our current economic crisis to ‘go to waste.’

The AP calls the stimulus plan as a ‘bill to fuel Obama’s priorities.’ It ‘makes quick work possible.’ They don’t have the courage to say that the plan is not an economic stimulus plan.

Says al-AP Jan 18, 2009:

The economic crisis that will dominate Barack Obama’s first 100 days as president, and beyond, will give him a rare chance to enact big portions of his agenda that otherwise might have languished for months or years.

Not since Franklin D. Roosevelt has a new president been poised to pack so many ambitious, costly – and, under more normal circumstances, highly contentious – projects into one fast-moving bill.

Touting this plan as an ‘economic stimulus’ is fraudulent on its face. It represents more a big government stimulus than an economic one. Write your senators and tell them not to approve this plan as it is currently written. Remove the pork and instead, put the Democrats’ wish list for America into separate bills and let Congress vote on them individually. Make them live up to their claim of openness and transparency.

link: NYT, A Stimulus Plan With Dual Goals: Reform and Recovery | Stimulus bill to fuel Obama’s priorities | Contact Your Senators

Obama Praises Iraqis On Elections

No criticism from here on this. Election day in Iraq goes peacefully in the first election under total Iraqi control.  This is part of ‘the plan’ you know.  President Obama rightly praises the Iraqi people. What? He forgot to mention  his troops and their families and Gen. Betraeus, all of whom also made this day in Iraq possible. Whether it was a tactical omission (so as not to offend Iraqis his base) or one born of inexperience remains to be seen. If we don’t soon see some praise for our troops for this then we will know which it was.

Obama said . . .

“Millions of Iraqi citizens from every ethnic and religious group went peacefully to the polls across the country to choose new provincial councils,” Obama said in a statement released by the White House. “It is important that the councils get seated, select new governors and begin work on behalf of the Iraqi people who elected them.”

Obama also noted that the U.S. provided technical assistance to the Iraqi electoral commission, as did the U.N. and other international groups.

Gen. David Petraeus . . .

who heads the U.S. Central Command, praised the Iraqi government for its efforts in making the elections “an event of which all Iraqis should be proud and an effort the world should applaud.”

Not only should the world (I’d settle for the UN) applaud Iraq’s election day, but a free Iraq will serve as an example of what a free people can do for themselves and their economy. Also part of the plan.

link: Obama praises Iraqis on provincial elections