Not shocked that Harkin is “shocked”
January 29, 2009 6 Comments
As indicated in the article below Harkin is “shocked” that nary a Republican would vote for the economic stimulus bill, gag, actually the Pelosi (and Harkin, etc.) SPENDING BILL!
I, the taxpayer, am not shocked that Harkin is shocked. This is Harkin being the Harkin that Iowa voters continue to send back to D.C. “I ‘spose” that Harkin thinks the folks back in one of his vacation spots (Iowa) don’t know a pork filled, pull-the-wool-over-the-voters-eyes spending spree when we see one. In the article Harkin sugar coats and brings up the positive ways the money will be spent. No mention about the pork and the debt heaped upon generations.
In thinking that readers of IDA will want to know how “shocked” Harkin really is, I share the Radio Iowa article.
Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, a Democrat, says he’s shocked the $800-billion economic stimulus bill passed the U.S. House without a single Republican vote. Harkin says it’s surprising with all the people being laid off and conservative economists saying the government needs to do more, not less.
“I ‘spose someone can always say ‘well I found something wrong with the bill’, but I think there’s a heck of a lot more good in it than bad,” Harkin says. Harkin says he hopes the bill picks up more Republican support in the Senate. Republicans raised concerns that millions of dollars are in the bill that won’t do anything to help stimulate the economy.
Harkin says he’s looked at those complaints and thinks “they are off base.” Harkin says the stimulus bill is not just about creating jobs right now, as he says a big part of the bill is “laying the groundwork for solid recovery and transforming our economy and we have to keep that in mind.” Harkin says the measures that change the economy are important.
“So that when we start coming out of this recession or depression, or whatever it is we are in, that we’re going to have a stronger basis, and that could mean a lot of things,” Harkin says. He says it means healthier people, so we’re more productive, smarter kids using higher technology in the classroom, community colleges having better equipment to retrain people for the new jobs of the future. Harkin says the vote on the stimulus bill is a repeat of what happened before.
Harkin says it reminds him of 1993 when every Republican voted against President Clinton’s economic plan, saying the sky was going to fall and it would lead to massive unemployment. Harkin says the country was instead able to pay down the national debt and recover. Harkin says the Senate stimulus bill had bipartisan support when it passed out of the appropriations committee, and he hopes the final bill will see that support.
Senator Charles Grassley has called the Stimulus Bill a “gravy train.” This causes me to remember that Harkin is in love with pork and if the bill passes, he will have gravy on the menu as well!
Which “conservative economists” are saying anything about having the government do more? Harkin is obviously enlightened and reasonable enough to make economic decisions, as we all know, but I’m just curious as to who these “conservative economists” are. About 200 economists signed a letter against the original bailout, and yet Harkin goes on about how so many are on board for socialism. Terrific. The nuts have taken over the nuthouse.
And we will all suffer from the nuts in the nuthouse.
I don’t even like real nuts, let alone the ones who work (?) in DC!
The GOP needs to field a strong candidate against him if he doesn’t decide to retire after this term (which I think will be unlikely).
I see that more executives got away with huge bonus’s of government bailout money and all the annointed one Obama can say is ” Shameful” ? He should be demanding they pay back every red cent they took but no! He likes his fat cat buddies getting richer they helped contribute to this clown getting elected and Im totally ashamed of the Iowans who voted Tom Harkin back in i hope you are all getting what you voted for a mountain of debt that your grandchildren wont be able to pay off in their lifetime who arent even born yet. Remember this when your all in the poor house who helped put you all there Tom Harkin Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid and company. How many trillions do we have to go into debt? Spending trillions of money we dont have isnt gonna get us out of debt. Lets tighten some belts in Washington, congress start by taking some pay cuts of your own.
Great points, Woodrow.
I have decided when people complain about the economy, I am going to ask them if they voted for Harkin. If they say yes, I will say I rest my case. Come to think of it, I will ask if they voted for Culver, as well!
Tightening the belt does not seem to be a concept Obama took to the White House.
Harkin has his political machine. Did you see the vote results from the last election? This is after he supported the first bailout which had less support than Obama’s welfare bill.