For the first time, a plurality of voters nationwide oppose the $800-billion-plus plan.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 37% favor the legislation, 43% are opposed, and 20% are not sure.
Two weeks ago, 45% supported the plan. Last week, 42% supported it.
Opposition has grown from 34% two weeks ago to 39% last week and 43% today.
Sixty-four percent (64%) of Democrats still support the plan. That figure is down from 74% a week ago. Just 13% of Republicans and 27% of those not affiliated with either major party agree.
Seventy-two percent (72%) of Republicans oppose the plan along with 50% of unaffiliated voters and 16% of Democrats.
Related survey data shows that half the nation’s voters say the plan that finally emerges from Congress may end up doing more harm than good.
But why would they oppose it when it includes such brilliant ideas intended to stimulate people into spending. Brilliant spending like an “eco park in Florida to the tune of 4.5 million, 500 grand for a dog park in California, six million for three aquatic centers in Louisiana, a skateboard park in San Bernadino, California and my favorite so far, close to one million for a 36 hole “disc golf” park. Yup, frisbee golf.
Senator Tom Coburn hits the nail on the head: (h/t Gateway Pundit)
This bill is about spending money we don’t have on things we don’t need. We got into this mess by spending and investing money that didn’t exist. We won’t get out of this mess by doing more of the same. Yet, that is precisely what we are doing
~~~The bill also contains numerous provisions that are about stimulating long-frustrated ideological agendas rather than the economy. Using an economic crisis to extend government’s reach into health care, for example, is not a way to build bridges between the parties
~~~The fundamental problem with this bill is that it fails to address the root problem, which continues to be toxic assets in the mortgage market. The bill also includes a reckless bailout to states that would effectively nationalize state governments. A state bailout would remove any incentive for states to make hard choices and balance their budgets. This misguided step could fundamentally and permanently alter the relationship between state and local governments.
Obama tried his best to get this rammed through, and is failing. The public is waking up to what a total clusterf&%k this piece of crap is, even though only 11 Democrats stood up on principal and voted against this Theft Act.
See author page
Given the public disdain for these megapork plans, I’d really love to compare the list of Obama’s economic advisors with those whom Cato Institute has petitioned:
President Obama says that “economists from across the political spectrum agree” on the need for massive government spending to stimulate the economy. In fact, many economists disagree. Hundreds of them, including Nobel laureates and other prominent scholars, have signed the statement that appears in the Cato Institute’s ad in the New York Times, Washington Post, and in other national publications.
[http://www.cato.org/]
Will Obama or either side of “the aisle” in Congress pay any attention to the public or Cato’s listed economists? I doubt it, but I have the audacity to hope.
JV
To see Cato’s full-page ad, download the file (as a PDF file), visit Cato at
http://www.cato.org/
and click on
Full-page Ad Rejecting Obama’s Stimulus “Consensus”
between
“Fiscal Reality Central”
and
“Help the Cato Institute defend free markets and limited government”
Cato is a conservative group, the braintrust of the libertarian movement, so it is probably more aligned with Republican principles vs those of Democrats. Therefore, the hard right in the world may not find much else in common with Cato besides conservative fiscal policy. I think the Cato ad is worth reviewing by all.
As always, comments are welcome.
JV
There’s going to be a lot more decline, in APPROVAL ratings, as this thing progresses and folks realize that they have been fed a line of crap by *The One*…
$2,500,000 for a company called Green Environmental Solutions, LL in Canton, Ohio.
Problem is…there is no Green Environmental Solutions in Canton, Ohio. It exists on paper, but that’s it.
Clinton tried a stimulus bill, and he had to split it up. I think this one needs to be hacked to pieces (lots of pork in it), then broken into a tax CUT bill, a true stimulus bill, an infrastructure bill, and a taxpayer assistance bill. Those can pass, this bigass piece of pork ain’t gonna.
Really, does anyone in DC think about this? Do they REALLY believe the American people want to take out a $1.2 TRILLION dollar loan, and the American people want that to go to govt programs, campaign donors, pork spending, and big corporations, OR would the American people be willing to take out a loan for that kinda money…to spend on themselves? Give that money to the people, and you’d see three things happen:
1) consumer spending would skyrocket
2) banks would get liquid again with all the new savings being put in
3) consumer debt, mortgages, and bank debt would get back in check thus buying (literally) enough time to re-regulate as needed.
American people have seen the face of Democratic Party control, and don’t like it.
Slip sliden’ away…
I know we’re all doomed as Speaker Pelosi says 500 million a month are losing jobs.
So, in a couple of weeks, we will all be “Gentlemen of Leisure”.
So are people finally figuring out that this is just a Kick Back Bill to all those that got Obama elected???? $5 Billion to ACORN, $400 million for Condoms, I mean Sex Education and all the rest of the pork in the trough for all the Left Wing Organization.
The only thing this will stimulate is teenagers wanting condoms and ACORN’s voter rolls.
I just called my Senators and asked them to vote “NO” on the “Stimulus” Bill!!
Look up your U.S. Senator, and please call today!
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
@Neo:
I think a big chunk of that is just ghost payroll. Obama will know exactly what to do, get Daley on the line.
This is not Obama’s bill. It is the bill of the Democratic Congress. Obama is using the GOP to give him cover with the Democratic base in fashioning a bill which will garner more widespread support.
The half trillion dollars which already went to Wall Street is a national tragedy. It did nothing, save to bail out the shareholders of mismanaged financial institutions. It allowed Merrill Lynch to remain solvent long enough to transfer $18 billion in bonuses to the incompetent managers which bankrupted Merrill Lynch. It’s money flushed down the drain, achieving nothing other than allowing friends of Paulsen to keep their portfolios reasonably intact, while saddling our children with another half trillion dollars in debt. We taxpayers were taken to the cleaners and fleeced in a more egregious way than we’ve ever been fleeced before.
I also agree that the stimulus is a misguided idea.
I totally agree with Mitch McConnell. The problem is people defaulting on mortgages. That is the root problem. Every cent which is to be spent on correcting this should be spent on correcting the root problem. The idea of having the government secure re-financings and new first mortgages with fixed interest loans made at 4.0 to 4.5% interest to credit-worthy borrowers, and then making the borrowers as responsible for repaying the loans as they are for paying back taxes would solve the problem of the balloon intererest rates following teaser rates for sub-prime borrowers, keep people from walking away from their mortgages, give most homeowners a huge break on annual interest payments, thereby putting more money into their pockets and stabilize the financial sector in a responsible way.
I really mourn the fact that the first $500 billion was lost, as opposed to applying it to doing something which actually would have helped improve things.
– Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach, CA
What crap looks like:
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZDA1MTkzYTc4NjA5MWQxOGNjMzU3YmZiYTJhZDQ5YTY=
— Limit salaries, that will stop the appeal for crap sandwiches from the government.
— The public also seems to be wising up to spending billions of bank bailouts.
— I think they already fogured out the Democrats cra plan to give home loans to people who couldn’t repay, and the endless the house prices are always going up, right?
— The next big government sponsored bubble, cap and trade. Will this be one government sponsored bubble too far?
One thing that is VERY interesting is the near real-time results/effects of the Democratic President and Congress’ actions. They coughed out this 647pg beast, and within hours of being posted on the web….people already had substantive articles detailing how and why it was a crap sandwich. Within 100hrs of going on the web, it was in jeopardy. Within 300hrs, it couldn’t pass. Via a different window, we can actually see in real time whether or not the market reacts positively or negatively to an initiative. Clearly, if this bill was good for business (ie jobs) then business would’ve boomed on Wall Street via speculators aiming to grab goodies at low prices. Instead, the real-time market indicators show plummets within minutes of giving a speech, presenting a bill, or voting on it.
The clue phone is ringing BIGTIME, and no one on Capitol Hill w a D next to their name wants to even look at it.
I think the speed and rapid reaction is an indicator of things to come-not just economic either.
Baby boomers stealing the future prosperity from thier grandchildren. Not a pretty picture.
Obama needs to crash bad. This porkulus bill must be stopped, DOA. In two weeks, Obama has done more than the Japs at Pearl harbor, the Terrorsists on 9/11 and the German Army during the Bulge. what’s more, he’s either a complete idiot, or he’s doing it on purpose. IMPEACH NOW!
TIME!!! The rose if off the bloom and the honeymoon is over.
Ahhhh sweet prince. Twas a wonderful campaign and a glorious coronation, but once you opened your mouth on the white house steps it’s been a downhill slide.
Just throw another hundred billion on it and go ahead and confirm Panetta, idiots.
Unhappy voters jam Capitol Hill phone lines
WASHINGTON (CNN) — The recent debate over the nearly $900 billion economic stimulus plan and revelations of tax problems by three Obama administration appointees have voters angrily jamming phone lines on Capitol Hill to air their frustrations to their elected representatives.
Voters are calling several congressional offices, complaining about stimulus negotations.
Their reactions are putting pressure on Congress and benefiting watchdog groups on both sides of the political aisle.
Capitol operators tell CNN Radio that phone lines have been jammed for the past two weeks, sometimes prompting busy signals.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/04/voter.anger/index.html
How’s that GOP cover working out?
Stop This Madness Before It’s Too Late
Just as the actual programs and figures of the largest “stimulus” (taxpayer spending) bill in U.S. history is getting revealed to the general public, President Obama and the Senate Democrats are stepping up their rhetoric that this legislation MUST BE PASSED within the next few days. According to the New York Times, Majority Leader Harry Reid is insisting that the bill come to a vote as early as today, (Thursday)
If this legislation passes in its current form and is sent back to the House (so Pelosi and her cohorts can pork it up again), Obama may be signing the package by the middle of next week, and this nation will be stuck with one of the worst economic spending legislation’s ever created by our government.
Now is the time for our responsible leadership in the Republican Party to stand firm and say NO to this “hurry up and get f**ked” attitude being pushed by the President and his party of big welfare spenders. This legislation is far too critical to the future of this country’s economic stability for decades to pass it for the convenience of expediency. Call your representatives and let them know NOW that we are not in a hurry to put an end to national fiscal responsibility.
@Rovin:
OK Rovin, I will call them, haven’t had any experience with our brand new Senator Burris, both Obama and Durbin never paid attention on past issues, no returned e-mail, people manning the phones were rude. But, the thought that being part of jamming their switchboards is pleasant.
Missy,
Burris might be more receptive to your call than my two idiots, Babs Boxer and Feinstein. Feinstein actually used to be fairly strong on fiscal disipline and national security, but today she’s more interested in advancing the liberal ideology. But I too will make the calls. This bill in its current form MUST BE DEFEATED!!!!!
Both offices were pleasant this time, were only interested in getting my zip and a brief opinion. Before I had a chance to e-mail Durbin I immediately got a “thank you, Senator Burris will consider your comment” e-mail, nothing like that from Durbin.
>>…and a brief opinion….>> = “Kill the Bill”
Think that would be brief enough??