Despite Political Theater, Some House GOP Now Hinting They Will Support Final Recovery Package
Despite Political Theater, Some House GOP Now Hinting They Will Support Final Recovery Package
Last week, the House passed its version of the economic recovery package, despite unanimous Republican opposition. Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) wrote in an op-ed for Politico that the caucus had a “duty” to reject economic ideas that they believe are unlikely to lead to economic recovery:
We must speak out when we think the president’s party has erred, as when House Democrats added hundreds of billions in unnecessary discretionary spending to the stimulus that will do nothing to create jobs.
Additionally, Cantor claimed that his caucus’s unanimous rejection was a symbol of his party’s unified commitment to “smarter, simpler stimulus.” In reality, it was just carefully orchestrated political theater.
As the Hill reports today, Cantor designed a nuanced opposition strategy that gave centrist House republicans a chance to appear in favor of the Obama recovery package (by first voting in favor of adding discretionary spending to the bill in a failed procedural motion), while still scoring political points with their more conservative Republican leadership (by voting against final passage of the bill):
[Cantor] helped convince about a dozen of his colleagues to reject the Democrats’ bill after appeasing the conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC) and giving some centrists political cover on infrastructure spending, according to Republican lawmakers who requested anonymity. [...]
[C]entrist GOP legislators, along with other Republicans representing districts especially hard hit by the economic downturn, said they needed to be on record backing increased funding for infrastructure programs.
Republican leaders responded, embracing a motion-to-recommit measure investing an additional $36 billion in highways and an additional $24 billion in the Army Corps of Engineers construction, while reducing the overall costs of the bill by nearly $104 billion. Most Republican members…voted for the motion to recommit, which failed 159-270.
And now, several moderate Republican members are “hinting” that they will ultimately “vote for the merged House-Senate legislation.” Among the members who are reportedly likely to ultimately support the stimulus package are Reps. Peter King (R-NY), John McHugh (R-NY), Joseph Cao (R-LA), and Jim Gerlach (R-PA).
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Wel-l-l-l-l, that’s mighty white of them, isn’t it??
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:01 pmI’m not even sure what they mean anymore when they say “will create jobs”. they don’t seem to mean “will actually create jobs”, anyway.
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:04 pmThey’d better get their asses moving…the republicans are appearing as angry old white men who are angry and bitter about everything…not looking to change at all ( I don’t care if they just elected a “Happy Negro as r n c chairman)
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:08 pmPolitics first, Americans last…
i DO love a good piece of repukelican kabuki.
remember the last time they put on a show? they were refusing to leave the halls of congress on break due to “the dire business of our country”. Then two weeks ago, their mouthpiece from florida wanted to move “the business of the people” since there was a florida state game that weekend?
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:10 pmDespite Political Theater, Some House GOP Now Hinting They Will Support Final Recovery Package
– - Cantor: “We have to protect our phoney baloney jobs here, gentlemen! We must do something about this immediately! Immediately! Immediately! Harrumph! Harrumph! Harrumph! I didn’t get a Harrumph outta that guy!”
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:11 pmcaption…
BBBF
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:19 pmSo are these little, useless, phucks now going to stop playing games and grow up? Work for America? Be a real stand up patriot? Country first?
NOT!!!
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:19 pmIs starving their constituents part of newtie pie’s “contract with america”?
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:24 pmSay wha? The republicans hate Americans, so why the hell would they change their minds and vote for President Obama’s social-commie-End-Times-abomination?
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:27 pm*snark at #9 ;-)
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:28 pmDid anyone listen to the last 30 minutes of Rush Limbaugh’s show today? Jason Lewis was filling in for him and Jason got his ass handed to him over and over by the callers. It was beautiful. I guess Rush and his fill-ins can’t fool the public all the time anymore when it comes to the economy and the history of the last 8 years under George Bush!
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:31 pmFear of immediate and real consequences usually does win out over the fear of fantastic possibilities eventually, even in the minds of sociopaths, their enablers, and their defenders. The days are numbered for that 24% and the ditto heads.
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:39 pmLimbaugh will get them if they do.
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:42 pm“Jason Lewis was filling in for him and Jason got his ass handed to him over and over by the callers.”
the screeners must have been on vacation with baggyballs since if baggballs were there, that “type” of call never would have gotten through.
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:44 pmOf course they will as will some Senators. Anyone running for re-election in 2010 has to have that weighing on their minds when they think about supporting this bill or not.
And I really do wish they would stop nattering on about all the spending in the bill that isn’t there to create jobs. This is a “reinvestment in America” act, not a “creating new jobs in America” act and Obama needs to get out there and re-educate people. A lot of that spending they are complaining about will keep more people from losing their jobs which is just as important as creating new jobs.
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:55 pmBozo The Neoclown Says:
Is starving their constituents part of newtie pie’s “contract with america”?
It was never a Contract WITH America, it was always a Contract ON America and that’s why it blew up in their faces. I find it hysterically funny that Steele wants to go back to that kind of posturing by the Republicants. I guess he doesn’t mind the fact that they lost 35% of their seats in the last two elections. I’d be happy to make that figure 50% or higher.
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:57 pmThe republicans should stand on principle and reject any funds coming into their state or district.
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:01 pmAh the Rushpuppetcans.
RIP
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:05 pmSGT Stephen R. Sherman
C CO 1-5 IN (STRYKER)
KIA 3 Feb 2005
Mosul, Iraq
Among the members who are reportedly likely to ultimately support the stimulus package are Reps. Peter King (R-NY), John McHugh (R-NY), Joseph Cao (R-LA), and Jim Gerlach (R-PA).
So House freshman Cao is already threatening to ignore republican leaders? They’d better buy him off with a big public-works investment, damn quick.
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:08 pmI still don’t get why the Dems bends to these people. When there will ever be such a Democrat advantage? Obama should just move on with this plan already, and realize that he can’t work with these clowns.
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:10 pmOh, Oh. Poll numbers are coming in…
The repubs are getting BAD news, I bet.
Magnanimity is an (obvious) excuse.
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:27 pmWhy not put the RepubliCons in prison for complicity with the Criminal Bush and his stated treason and war crimes.
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:27 pmAhhhhh … what a cute pic on this story! Just darling! Cantor with his mentor Newt! How sweet …
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:37 pmOh those Republicans in Congress… they are so predictable and BORING.
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:41 pmGreat idea and it would help the republic party immensely if they helped the Democrats in doing just that! But, they won’t. Put them all in jail.
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:43 pmBozo the NeoClown says: I guess he doesn’t mind the fact that they lost 35% of their seats in the last two elections. I’d be happy to make that figure 50% or higher.
50 is bigger than 35, so Steele should get a bonus or something, right?
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:23 pmRWeSafer Says:
Oh, Oh. Poll numbers are coming in…
The repubs are getting BAD news, I bet.
Yep, that’s the most likely reason. “Opposition isn’t playing well, let’s go out and tell them we didn’t oppose it after we did.”
Such brave, principled souls…
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:52 pm