The Hammer Nails Another One

"Meddling grouches"

Stimulus Watchdog Earl Devaney Doesn't Appreciate Internet Criticism One Bit

BY Mary Katharine Ham

Stimulus watchdog Earl Devaney has taken to his blog to clear up some "misconceptions" about the stimulus bill— "misconceptions" that came to light, oh, about a year ago. No word on why he's using a Pony Express time table to respond to criticism or how that might reflect on his ability to accurately chart where $900 billion dollars is flowing daily into nooks and crannies all over the country. I'll leave that to your judgment for the moment.

I have no problem with the chairman clearing the air on what he thinks was misreading of bad data. The press and people learning to parse government data is as much of a learning process as the government learning to actually deliver accurate data, and Devaney's more than welcome to offer guidance. Although, it'd probably be more helpful if he did it less than a year after the fact.

It'd also be helpful if he kept an unfailingly civil tongue when dealing with critics.

After all, it is the dispersed expertise and power of the Internet (both press and regular citizens) that will push the government to get better at what it's doing. Which is, by the way, something it should already have been doing, since it's our money they're spending.

It doesn't engender confidence when the head of the transparency board uses this tone to start his "clear the air" piece:
Over the past year, the Recovery Board has received its share of gratuitous criticism from some journalists and Internet grouches.

Nonetheless, feel free to read Devaney's points, some of which are legitimate gripes, but most of which are spin-like clarifications and a bit whiny. But we meddling "grouches" have already hurt his feelings once, so the least we can do is listen, huh?

Open Letter to GOP and Conservative Senators - Don't be Sen. Reid's Punk

Don't you find it embarrassing to be Senator Reid's punk?

Senator Mitchell, you are even admitting that you want to be Senator Reid's "special friend."

From RedState:

According to Roll Call, in his speech McConnell intends to outline a “post partisan path” to leadership that “could also provide a rallying cry for old-line Republicans to reassert their authority within the party”
McConnell has been favorably quoting Bob Dole on the need to compromise with the Democrats.

Senator Reid is bragging that some of you are going to be his bitches.

“We’re going to continue to try to encourage the majority here in the Congress to incorporate a number of our ideas,” said Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R) of Kentucky at a briefing on Tuesday. (And if you do enact some of your ideas, this bill will be YOUR FAULT. No matter what the reality is.)

“I’m pleased with the way the Senate has been operating on the floor, pleased that we’re getting amendments offered, laid down, and voted on. And my assumption is that that’s the way we’re going to operate the rest of this Congress,” he added. (See my above about being someone's punk.)

In the end, the outcome in the Senate will likely turn on a few moderate Republican votes. Although moderate GOP ranks were diminished in 2008 elections, they still include Senator Grassley and Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins.

“I’m not sure that we’ve yet achieved the right balance, the right mix between tax relief and spending programs,” said Senator Collins after a Senate GOP meeting with Obama on Tuesday. ( What mix of PORK and DEBT is the right one, Senator?)

“I’m also concerned that some of the provisions in the bill appear to be worthwhile programs but really have nothing to do with creating or preserving jobs or helping to turn the economy around,” she said. ( THEN HOW ARE THEY WORTHWHILE?)

But across the board, Republicans are praising the new president for contributing to a change in tone. (Of course he's changed his tone. You get more flies with sugar.....)

What Democrat spending programs, for which THEY will get the credit do you think will help America? Are you willing to betray your fellow Republicans in the House just so that you won't be called names?

Don't do it.


To help send this message to the GOP Senate, help the Don't Go Movement to send "a pair" to Sen. Mitch McConnell.

Send a thank you to the House Republicans

The House Republicans and 11 Democrats showed some spine today. The House passed Obama's Campaign Promise Fulfillment and Democrat Reelection Bill today.

This plan is not a "stimulus" plan. This is money that the Democrats want to use to enact all their repressed wishes before the public wises up. Have you noticed that the most of the money hits the public just before the 2010 elections? The Democrats could care less about this "emergency" and is using scare tactics to push through the biggest power steal in American history. They know that the economy will right itself, especially within a couple of years. They just want to take advantage of this crisis to accrue power. Like Rahm Emmanuel said, "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste."

Obama knows that he needs to be seen fulfilling his campaign promises or the Democrats will get more heat from the left. His attempts at "bipartisanship" are nothing more than a smoke screen. This is a case of "good cop/bad cop" with Obama being the good little "centrist" cop and the Pelosi/Reid regime being the bad cop. However, the financial meltdown killed the economy and any possibility of higher tax income to pay for his pet projects. And then the bailouts happened.

Remember, the bailout was a Bush idea, and therefore, at best, a necessary evil. Then, Obama and Co. realized that they could hijack the idea and spend that money any way they wanted. There's no pork IN the bill. The ENTIRE BILL IS PORK.

Who cares about Blago. This is corruption.

So, THANK YOU HOUSE REPUBLICANS. And you too, you eleven brave Democrats.