Rep. Walt Minnick from Idaho: one of the eleven Democrats from the bipartisan opposition to the Democratic debt bill – which would be bad enough, right? – but he’s also ripped apart the monstrosity you guys came up with and turned it into something that might actually work. Via Hot Air:
Blue Dog nips Obama with a better stimulus idea
While President Barack Obama goes on the road to shore up slipping popular support for the $1 trillion stimulus porkfest that he ordered up from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Walt Minnick, a freshman Democrat from Idaho, is pushing a better idea: The Strategic Targeted American Recovery and Transition Act (START).
Minnick is a member of the Blue Dog caucus of occasionally conservative Democcrats. His START plan is a $170 billion “bare bones” pure stimulus approach that would put $100 billion immediately into the pockets of low- and middle-income Americans, then use the other $70 billion for basic infrastructure projects that create jobs. START requires that all funds not spent by 2010 be returned to the Treasury. START also stops stimulus spending when the nation’s Gross Domestic Product increases in two of three previous quarters, and all START payments are required to be posted on a public website.
Can’t have that, of course; so why don’t you spend some bread and primary the dirty little traitor? Can’t have the moderates thinking that they can tell you who is who and what was what, after all. After all, surely you can afford to lose one seat, if that’s what it takes to make sure that moderates learn their proper place in your party. What is it, somewhere around a ninety seat difference?
Yeah, you can indulge yourself. You deserve to indulge yourself, in fact. It is necessary for you to indulge yourself.
Moe Lane
PS: Unless, of course, you don’t actually have the ability to do anything about Rep. Minnick…
Crossposted at Moe Lane.
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
KnightsofMalta
Dan Spencer
Dan McLaughlin
There's more on Minnick here
Brian Faughnan (Diary) Tuesday, February 10th at 11:24AM EST (link)Including a video of him explaining how Democratic leaders have put together a wasteful bill that does nothing much to help the economy:
http://www.redstate.com/brianfaughnan/2009/02/06/democrat-congressman-stimulus-is-more-than-80-waste/
Damn ... a Democrat who is more Republican than the entire RMSP!
Martin Knight (Diary) Tuesday, February 10th at 11:40AM EST (link)My gob is smacked.
55555 Martin....nt
Attack Mode (Diary) Tuesday, February 10th at 11:42AM EST (link)“Land of the Free and Home of da Whopper” Peter Griffin…Family Guy
conform and celebrate diversity….or else!!!
Steel-Belted Radial Right Winger
“I’ll create 5 million jobs from out of unicorn farts and pixie dust” Justatron paraphrasing Obamessiah…yes I love it that much.
Can we trade him for McLooser?
gekster (Diary) Tuesday, February 10th at 11:59AM EST (link)They say Republicans are for the rich, Democrats are for the poor.
If they need more voters,
then they have to make more of who they are for.
We are there in the various Tea Party groups, leaderless, but not rudderless.
We steer always toward the Constitutional principles this nation was founded upon.
Erick Brockway
Ok folks, 2012 is here. Get involved
He's an exemption to the modern-day general rule.
Rod_Patrick (Diary) Tuesday, February 10th at 11:54AM EST (link)His position reminds of the original Liberal Conservative principles in the Democratic Party as described in old political history books. In 18th and 19th Century America, many Democrats were still considered as highly pro-America and fiscally conservative like the rest of the Republicans. Walth Minnick is a such traditional Democrat.
With the advancement of socialism inside the Democratic Party in the 20th Century, Democrats (sadly, some Rs too) have eventually forgotten the concept of fiscal conservatism.
H.R. 861
sdan (Diary) Tuesday, February 10th at 12:09PM EST (link)That’s Minnick’s bill number. You can check it out on the House of Representatives web site. It doesn’t take a year to read either. It seems to be a better bill then the other democrats are offering. I don’t think it will see the light of day as it doesn’t seem to be paying anyone off but who knows. It also a provision for business to get credit for hiring unemployed veterans and at risk kids. it also includes the e-verify clause.
Funny Thing About The Blue Dogs
Swamp_Yankee (Diary) Tuesday, February 10th at 12:26PM EST (link)…. they ususally ran as anti-war, economic populists, but were still socially conservative. If the Dem leadership has problems with them on economic issues, just wait till they start appointing liberal judges and dealing with issues like guns, gays and abortion.
Man, this marriage is not going to last long.
Don't Put Your Faith In "Conservative" Democrats
Spartan4Life (Diary) Tuesday, February 10th at 12:41PM EST (link)I’ve seen this movie.
They talk a good game for the folks back home but at the end of the day are totally ineffective. If a vote actually gets close the libs will come in and twist their arms and get them to vote the way they want them to.
We should be looking to get these seats back not give them credit for what they say they are for.
My dad used to say, “Don’t tell me. Show me.”
In the meantime, I'm all for bipartisanship
Praying (Diary) Tuesday, February 10th at 12:29PM EST (link)I would vote for this guys plan. If one buys the premise that the country really needs a stimulus, then by all means, lets do it THIS way! It is real, direct, temporary, targeted, and I think most of the GOP and most Americans would support it. I don’t like spending money we don’t have – but it we have to spend it, I’m all for a program that in all honesty will do more for $800. I mean even better if he comes over to the GOP, but if it’s a crisis we need to fix…
No!!!11!1!!1!1! The Bilderbergers are coming
Exactly, the GOP should make a bandwagon out of this (n/t)
Finrod (Diary) Tuesday, February 10th at 1:21PM EST (link).
Let’s get down to brass tacks here. How much for the ape?
Amen...a 10K-bandwith-bandwagon!
bsquared Tuesday, February 10th at 1:50PM EST (link)nt
Oathkeeper Observing…
Republicans should meet
robmikpet (Diary) Tuesday, February 10th at 3:11PM EST (link)With the blue dogs craft a bill and vote and at least have that plan actually bipartisan, beat them at their own game.
Any Republican congressman reading ADD DEFENSE SPENDING TO THE STIMULAS!!