House passes Obama stimulus plan
Without a single Republican vote, President Obama won House approval on Wednesday for an $819 billion economic recovery plan as Congressional Democrats sought to temper their own differences over the enormous package of tax cuts and spending.
All but 11 Democrats voted for the plan, and 177 Republicans voted against it. The 244-to-188 vote came a day after Mr. Obama traveled to Capitol Hill to seek Republican backing, if not for the package then on other issues to come.
Despite giving into Republicans on a some things, not one in the house voted for it. I doubt the concessions where aimed at them though, the Democrats have a strong majority there. It's getting it through the Senate that is a challenge, and where any deals with Republicans where aimed.
The Republicans did put forth some counter proposals, but they where partisan stupidity at their worst. One was a stimulus package of nothing but tax cuts, and other increases spending on infrastructure at the expense of campaign promises that Obama made.
The Republicans in the house seem to have settled into a pure opposition mode. They have no constructive suggestions and don't have the power to do anything of significance anyway. So they are simply opposing anything put in front of them by the Democrats.
As for the proposal itself, I think it has too many tax cuts and not enough infrastructure building in it. But the core is something the US needs to moderate the depression we are dropping into.
Jay