Graham Hates The Stimulus, But He’ll Take The Money For South Carolina Anyway: I’m Not ‘Crazy’
Graham Hates The Stimulus, But He’ll Take The Money For South Carolina Anyway: I’m Not ‘Crazy’
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has been one of Congress’s most vocal opponents of the economic recovery package. In fact, he and several other Republicans — including John McCain — introduced an alternative bill, which focuses mostly on massive tax breaks for corporations.
Yesterday he went on CNN to explain why he voted against the Senate’s economic recovery package. While many progressives criticized the bill because it slashed vital funding for education and state assistance, Graham is objecting because it has too much state funding:
BLITZER: Doesn’t South Carolina need some help?
GRAHAM: Yes. But there’s only one taxpayer. This is not money we found under a tree in Washington. The money we’re sending back to the states came out of the same wallet that the money going to the states came from. So, yes, South Carolina needs help. I’m all for infrastructure spending. But it’s got to be shovel ready. [...]
I’m not for $75 billion slush fund for states that can be spent on anything they want to spend it on including budget problems because we’ve got our own budget problems and you’re rewarding states who have done very little to trim up their own budget.
However, when Blitzer asked him whether South Carolina should “take the money, Graham replied: “I think that, yes, from my point of view, I — you don’t want to be crazy here. I mean, if there’s going to be money on the table that will help my state, but I’ve got a job to do up here, and that is to try to help people and not damn the next generation.” Watch it:
Infrastructure spending is important; it can create jobs that will help pave the way toward a green economy. But states need more than just infrastructure. At least 44 states are facing budget shortfalls, with education and health care — two of the biggest costs — facing the largest cuts. President Obama and progressive lawmakers have pushed to include funding for these priorities in the economic recovery package. While the “centrist” Senate version drastically much of this spending, it was still far better than the proposal put forth by Graham, et al. As Mark Zandi of Moody’s Economy.com wrote, this type of aid is good stimulus:
Additional federal aid to state governments will fund existing payrolls and programs; thus it will also provide a relatively quick economic boost. States that receive a check from the federal government will quickly pass on the money to workers, vendors, and program beneficiaries.
Graham’s right — it would be “crazy” for South Carolina to not take the money in the economic recovery package. But it’s also crazy for people like Graham — and Govs. Sarah Palin (R-AK), Bobby Jindal (R-LA), and Mark Sanford (R-SC) — to put conservative dogma over the realities in their states.
Transcript:
Senator Graham is joining us now from Capitol Hill.
Senator, thanks very much for coming in.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Thank you.
BLITZER: If someone said to me over the past few weeks, you know what, the president is going to reach out to moderate Republicans, mavericks, I always assumed the two senators from Maine, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, would be onboard. Arlen Specter, he often goes with the Democrats on sensitive issues.
But I always assumed that John McCain, a maverick, and Lindsey Graham, probably, would be there as well. But the two of you came out swinging. You hate this deal. Why?
GRAHAM: Well, number one, it started in the House very poorly. This bill was not written by a bunch of economists focused for creating jobs written by House appropriators with the attitude we won, we write the bill. You couldn’t pick up one Republican in the House and you lost 11 Democrats. You lost more Democrats than you picked up Republicans. That’s not bipartisanship.
John and I had an alternative that was $415 billion that had tax cuts for business, and tax cuts for individuals. It had spending on food stamps and unemployment insurance benefits and infrastructure projects. The compromise between $415 billion that every Republican voted for in the Senate, in 790, whatever the number is, is not a bipartisan compromise.
So we’re disappointed in the process and the substance.
BLITZER: What…
GRAHAM: This bill creates more new government than it does new jobs.
BLITZER: What does it say to you about the new president of the United States?
GRAHAM: I think what happened in the House kind of threw — I think he should have probably written the bill but the House started with a spending bill that was unfocused on creating jobs. Twenty percent of this bill hits the economy in the first year. If it can’t come out within a year, or 18 months, it shouldn’t be in this bill.
There are a lot of programs in this bill that are policy changes, they’re unrelated in creating a job, and I think we’ve lost the focus. We throw in everything but the kitchen sink in this bill and not focus on creating jobs.
BLITZER: He says, he says, the president, don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
GRAHAM: Right.
BLITZER: Isn’t this better than nothing?
GRAHAM: No. This was worse than nothing. This is a trillion dollars over the next 10 years. And when the economy gets better, the interest on this bill is about $400 billion. I think it would have been better to start with housing. It would have been better to start with banking. We’ve taken about $800 billion in the name of stimulus to grow the government, not create jobs, and we’ve done nothing about the underlying problems with housing and banking.
You’re throwing good money after bad until you fix the banking problem and the housing problem. So I think it had been better to do nothing on stimulus, start with banking and housing where you have a real chance to jump start the economy, then do stimulus.
BLITZER: Listen to what the president said about what this will do. Listen to this.
GRAHAM: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Governments are sealing — seeing more people filing unemployment claims, signing up for Medicaid, requesting government services. And all the while, people are spending less, earning less, and paying less in taxes. So across the country, states need help. And with my plan, help is what they will get.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Doesn’t South Carolina need some help?
GRAHAM: Yes. But there’s only one taxpayer. This is not money we found under a tree in Washington. The money we’re sending back to the states came out of the same wallet that the money going to the states came from. So, yes, South Carolina needs help. I’m all for infrastructure spending. But it’s got to be shovel ready.
I’m for helping people sign up for Medicaid. There’s $90 billion in the bill. All you need to do is get people eligible for Medicaid in terms of new enrollees is $11 billion. I’m not for $75 billion slush fund for states that can be spent on anything they want to spend it on including budget problems because we’ve got our own budget problems and you’re rewarding states who have done very little to trim up their own budget –
BLITZER: South — yes.
GRAHAM: — and punish states that have done things at home.
BLITZER: South Carolina will get money out of this bill.
GRAHAM: Yes.
BLITZER: Should South Carolina take the money?
GRAHAM: I think that, yes, from my point of view, I — you don’t want to be crazy here. I mean, if there’s going to be money on the table that will help my state, but I’ve got a job to do up here, and that is to try to help people and not damn the next generation. We had a $415 billion package to help people who have lost their jobs, that cut taxes, that create new jobs. We’ve got a spending bill, not a job creation bill. And we’re being all things to all people.
We’ve dug a hole for the next generation of young Americans they can’t get out of. Total cost of this bill is over $1 trillion and it’s not going to create jobs as much as it does throw government and when you send the money to South Carolina, that’s not going to create a job for the national economy. It’s going to help a bunch of politicians balance their books and not create jobs in South Carolina.
BLITZER: One final question. We’re almost out of time, Senator.
GRAHAM: Yes.
BLITZER: Where do you see yourself cooperating with President Obama down the road? On which issues — because in the past you’ve worked with Democrats on comprehensive immigration reform.
GRAHAM: Yes.
BLITZER: On CAFE and finance reform. Where do you see…
GRAHAM: I — I can give you…
BLITZER: What issues will you be his partner?
GRAHAM: Social Security. We can’t do it without bipartisanship. And this bill is not bipartisanship. If this becomes the new definition of bipartisanship, we’ve lost our way. But he’s going to need help from Republicans on Social Security and closing Guantanamo Bay, what to do with the detainees.
I think we can move them back into the United States as long as we’re smart about it. He’s going to need help on earmark reform, budget reform. He’s going to need help on banking and housing. And I want to help him. I want him to succeed but this bill started in the House, it became a monstrosity of a spending bill. It has lost its focus in terms of creating jobs and I can’t help him here and I’m sorry. But this is a bad deal to the American taxpayer.
BLITZER: Lindsey Graham is a Republican senator from South Carolina.
Senator, thanks for coming in. GRAHAM: Thank you.
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that’ll buy a lot of rugs and other home furnishings lindsey…..better book your shopping junket to Iraq
February 12th, 2009 at 2:02 pmOther than the team of 14 that prevented the GOPers from implementing the “nukular option” with respect to filibusters some years back, name me one, just one, bill that was truly bipartisan when the GOPers were in charge of congress.
And I don’t count bills that were shoved down throats based on lies and fear-mongering.
PEACE
February 12th, 2009 at 2:06 pmI think Graham’s comments about taking the money should be made into an ad to be played in all the areas where repugs voted against the stimulus. Wake up america, the GOP “LIE MACHINE” is in full tilt.
February 12th, 2009 at 2:08 pmAh yes, four lips Lindsey…
February 12th, 2009 at 2:09 pmAnd when it is a success in his state, he will claim credit for it’s passage.
February 12th, 2009 at 2:13 pmBLITZER: Isn’t this better than nothing?
GRAHAM: No. This was worse than nothing.
Hey Lindsey, show us your principles by refusing the money or sending it to the nearest blue state.
February 12th, 2009 at 2:17 pmAnd of course, $800 billion in new debt is in no way damning the next generation. Uh huh.
February 12th, 2009 at 2:24 pmWhiner Lindsey Graham is a joke and will hopefully be voted out in the next cycle. A Bush nuthugger to the end. Slightly o/t but I was watching one of the kiddie channels with my kids last week. They were watching a show called “Lazytown”. It has a few actual people mixed with kind of “puppet” characters that all make up the citizenry of Lazytown. There is a puppet character who, even though it’s a foreign made show (Snandinavian?), looks strikingly like Senator Graham. His name ironically enough is Stingy. He has poor social skills and is a bit of a fop. Here’s a picture, tell me if you agree:
http://img168.echo.cx/img168/9408/stingy16ts.jpg
February 12th, 2009 at 2:24 pmA Patriot Acting, that pic is hilarious! Especially with his nose up in the air, a sneer on his face, hugging the “pork” to his side!
Thanks for the laugh!
PEACE
February 12th, 2009 at 2:28 pmThe emphasis on State government trimming their own spending points out the importance the political/economic theory invented by grover norquist plays in graham’s worldview.
“Starve the Beast!”
After decades where State budgets became dependent upon Federal dollars to fund projects and programs, the right wing wants to cut off the flow of Federal dollars by granting tax cuts to corporations and wealthy individuals.
In the meantime, norquist’s vow of taxation celebacy leaves State legislatures incapable of raising taxes to replace the funds that are being cut by the Federal government under the previous Federal/State formulas.
California’s deficit currently exceeds $42 billion. The republicans in the state legislature are playing some weird obstructionist game that has the republican governor threatening to lay off state employees.
Since Ronald Regan served as the presidential puppet, the republicans have destroyed Iraq, the United States Army, the National Guard of each and every State, Wall Street, the large commercial banks, the U.S. Treasury, Social Security, the industrial base that created the U.S. middle class, public education, and the most advanced health care system in the world.
The game’s been rigged to deliver the available wealth into the fewest possible hands.
How long is it going to be until Congress passes a law that fines every politician every time they open their mouths and start ranting about the benefits of tax cuts. They don’t work.
There are statutes on the books that make it illegal for government employees and officials to propaganize the American People.
February 12th, 2009 at 2:28 pmPoor Lindsey Graham. God bless her.
February 12th, 2009 at 2:28 pmCrap. Liberace Graham is a whiny melodramatic drama queen.
February 12th, 2009 at 2:32 pmGraham is nothing more than a scorned drag queen in the middle of menopause
February 12th, 2009 at 2:35 pmIsn’t this a “pay me now, or pay me later” kind of deal.
If we don’t fix the infrastructure for future generations, then who has to deal with the breakdowns in the future?
February 12th, 2009 at 2:37 pmSo typically Republican. Why the hell are they even IN the government when they don’t believe in it?
That’s what gets me.
February 12th, 2009 at 2:41 pm*
TP – check out my post from this morning’s FAST thread…
makes one wonder how things are in other states…
jobs and budget cuts might disqualify illinois from these funds…
February 12th, 2009 at 2:46 pmFrankly, considering the deteriorating infrastructure across the nation and specifically in SC, there are more than enough “shovel ready” projects just waiting for funding. And this is just considering the infrastructure of labor for traditional brick and mortar infrastructure.
Lets not even get on to what Info Technology and education infrastructure needs there are. For example, other nations are leaving us in the dust on ubiquitous networking from cell phone to what we’re calling Internet 2.
February 12th, 2009 at 2:51 pmConsidering that almost all of these wingers come from welfare states that pull far more government cash in than they pay in taxes, their willingness to take the money is as unsurprising as their hypocritical assault on government spending. See how many bridges and freeways end up getting named after winger congressmen who voted against the bill.
February 12th, 2009 at 3:02 pmLindsey Graham is an obstructionist, who clearly doesn’t care that his state has one of the highest unemployment numbers in the nation. Why don’t the citizens of his state throw the bum out?
February 12th, 2009 at 3:04 pmNow what if every Law Maker who voted against the bill didn’t get any money for their State? If it were one for one agaisnt then the State got half. Graham isn’t thinking about the people of his State he’s more interested in destroying President Obama at any cost.
February 12th, 2009 at 3:08 pm“The money we’re sending back to the states came out of the same wallet that the money going to the states came from.”
Not true, Senator Grahan. The money is coming out of the wallets of taxpayers in blue states like NJ, NY, CT, CA and going into the coffers of welfare states like SC, AR, MS, AL and other GOP strongholds.
http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/show/266.html
February 12th, 2009 at 3:11 pm“Caribou Barbie”, and “The Exorcist” have no choice. When you are being groomed for Presidential runs, you have to stay loyal to the base (whatever that is now). Sanford I have no clue what the heck he could be thinking. Hey, even Christ in FL got off of his high horse for a day to realize that his state needed more aide.
February 12th, 2009 at 3:26 pmBut if it comes down to it in a primary (if he does run) That hug he gave the President will be a distant memory..
Lindsey Graham is one of the biggest whinners I have ever heard. Typical republican, bytch about the money being spent but he’ll take it. I say that if you voted aginst the stimulus bill then you’re speaking for the people of your state and or district. Therefore, your state or district gets NO STIMULUS MONEY PERIOD END OF STORY. If their is a split in the senate voting in your state, your state gets half.
February 12th, 2009 at 3:35 pmI don’t understand Lindsey, if this bill is so bad, in fact listening to you, maybe the worst thing for the country ever, shouldn’t you insist that SC not take any money so it doesn’t destroy jobs? I mean it couldn’t actually maintain or even create some jobs could it? Isn’t that what you’re implying? Or am I just wrong?
February 12th, 2009 at 3:44 pmSure, these Republicans will take the handout. They are all talk and no action. If Graham and rest are SO opposed to this bill, then they should forfeit the money and they can tell their constituents that are without jobs, that they stool by their principles.
February 12th, 2009 at 3:55 pmOff camera Joe Lieberman was giving Lindsey hand signals on what to say. Graham is a Lieberman groupie and therefore receives large campaign contributions from the New York Israeli First crowd.
He reluctantly would take money for his home state, but let Iraq need a couple hundered billion every six months and…no problimo!
February 12th, 2009 at 3:57 pmMrBrown says:“Caribou Barbie”, and “The Exorcist” have no choice. When you are being groomed for Presidential runs, you have to stay loyal to the base (whatever that is now).
Yup! Unfortunately for the Wasillabilly and Anchorbaby Jindal, if their states’ economies go to complete sh*t under their watch, they won’t have any story to sell to the “base” or anyone else.
February 12th, 2009 at 4:11 pmRemember, Shrubby was able to claim all kinds of good results while he was gubner of Texas. Folks didn’t find out until after he was elected president that it was a bunch of crap.
Wouldn’t it have been fun to put a provision in the stim bill that would have denied any funds to a state whose congressional delegation’s majority voted against it? I’m pretty sick and tired of yahoos in red states taking handouts from blue states while ridiculing them for being “big spending socialists.”
February 12th, 2009 at 4:28 pmStrat, too funny…
From now on, when I see Little Lindsey throwin’a hissy fit on the peoples’ floor, I’m just gonna’ cry out:
“Poor Lindsey… Bless her little pea’pickin’ heart…ayh jus’ feel so sorry for her going through all those menopausal hot flash emotions in front of all those men. Maybe Nancy Pelosi will take her on as a project and get her some better looking, more colorful suits, make her feel better about herself…poor little thang…”
February 12th, 2009 at 5:40 pmMassive tax breaks for corporations! These RepubliCon A$$wipes need to rot in jail for their crimes and their complicity to the crimes of Bush and Cheney.
February 12th, 2009 at 7:03 pmGraham’s taking the money, even if he votes against the bill.
Another clear example of conservatism being nothing but a scam. A true conservative would stand on his principles, and refuse to take such ill-considered booty. But Graham would rather get money to plug state-spending holes, while criticizing the recipents as wasteful.
So bent, he must brush his teeth with a corkscrew…
February 12th, 2009 at 7:48 pmI’m old enough to remember when almost all conservatives and both Senators from South Carolina claimed to believe in federalism. When their opposition to big government was specifically opposition to running things from Washington.
Now Sen. Graham seems to have decided that a core conservative principal is that all decisions should be made in Washington and state governments should be kept on a short leash.
I always assumed that “States Rights” really meant “White Power” and I guess that after Bush Vs Gore the pretense that anyone really believes in federalism was dropped (or was it US supreme court tells the Seattle school board who should go to what school ?).
Still the hypocrisy is striking. Graham is older than I am. Was he arguing that Washington has to tell state governments what to do as a matter of principle 40 years ago ?
February 12th, 2009 at 8:06 pmThese republicans are hillarious and don’t even realize it. Comedy at its best and they don’t even realize they are the punchline. Ask them to send more money to Iraq and they will all jump on the band wagon so quickly causing the thing to collapse.
February 12th, 2009 at 8:58 pmI’m tired of Southern Senators who just say No while their states get all (more than their share) of the $$$$. If he voted no, S.C. $$$$ should go elsewhere, say Michigan for example.
February 12th, 2009 at 11:01 pmYou know when Lindsey has argued tax cuts for the Bush Adm. He tells people they can refuse to take the tax cuts if they wish.
I think if the Govenor of South Carolina takes the needed funds. He should tell the media and his state that the state receives this stimulus money in spite of being a republican state that voted against Obama and in spite of the republicans efforts to block it and only give to Wall Street.
And a Very Special NO Thanks to Carolina’s Lindsey Graham for his efforts to collapse the South Carolinian economy as wel as the country’s.
Lets here it for Senator Lindsey !!!!!!!!
February 13th, 2009 at 2:25 amWe got the money in spite of him and republicans, Hurrah !!