This much is clear after last night's vote. House Democrats will live or die by the stimulus. President Obama's hopes for a spirit of bipartisanship sank the moment Republican leaders got their hands on the bill's fine print. The American people seem to be catching the new wave of skepticism about the liberals' plan. According to the latest Rasmussen poll, only forty-two percent of the nation's likely voters now support the President's plan. Perhaps they, like the GOP, are paying more attention to the fallout for the nation's families. Human Events says the $1.1 trillion pork-and-payoff bill will cost every American household $10,000--with just 5% dedicated to infrastructure. As families carefully spend their dollars, the presses are running around the clock to print more money for government agencies who abuse what they already have.We're also learning of some disturbing connections between House liberals and the beneficiaries of the stimulus. Newspapers revealed that the bill's architect, Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.), had a vested interest in the massive $2 billion earmark for national parks (triple what the Senate Appropriations Committee approved). His son, Craig Obey, happens to be the chief lobbyist for the National Park Service. House Democrats also want to reward the National Science Foundation with a lavish $1.4 billion check at the same time its employees are under investigation for viewing and emailing porn on the taxpayers' dime ("for significant portions of their workdays, and over period of months or even years," according to Politico). Most Americans would agree that this isn't the kind of stimulus Congress should be funding.
We also learned that your money will help ingratiate Obama to his new Hollywood friends by providing a $246 million tax break for film investors. We commend the Democrats who stood against the party pressure and voted with conservatives and the GOP to protect the taxpayers. They include: Reps. Bobby Bright (Ala.), Parker Griffith (Ala.), Allen Boyd (Fla.), Walt Minnick (Idaho), Brad Ellsworth (Ind.), Frank Kratovil (Md.), Collin Peterson (Minn.), Gene Taylor (Miss.), Heath Shuler (N.C.), Paul Kanjorski (Pa.), and Jim Cooper (Tenn.).
