This winter, five governors of the above states have declared that they will not accept economic stimulus funds aimed at increasing unemployment benefits. They are:
Bobby Jindall, Louisiana, February 20, 2009, unemployment rate 5.1%
Bob Riley, Alabama, February 24, 2009, unemployment rate 7.8%
Haley Barbour, Mississippi, February 25, 2009, unemployment rate 8.7%
Mark Sanford, South Carolina, March 11, 2009, unemployment rate) 10.4%
Rick Perry, Texas, March 12, 2009, unemployment rate 7.1%
The Senate had a major procedural vote on President Obama's economic stimulus bill late this afternoon. A bipartisan supermajority overcame a Republican filibuster by a vote of 61-36. What may have been most interesting in the vote, however, was this:
Not Voting - 2 Cornyn (R-TX) Gregg (R-NH)
We know that Judd Gregg abstained from voting as he awaits confirmation as Commerce Secretary. But where was John Cornyn? Why would Cornyn skip out on arguably the most critical vote of the year thus far? For the prospect of cold, hard cash:
Glenn Thrush says the question from the Senate floor this evening was "where was Cornyn," as the Texas Republican was the only senator to miss the crucial cloture vote on the stimulus package.
The answer: He was at a New York gathering of prominent media conservatives and Wall Street Republican donors called the Monday Meeting, held at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Midtown Manhattan.
Though not a fundraiser, the meeting is a hub of conservative money and buzz, a good place for Cornyn to tap into resources in his role as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
John Cornyn blew off the most important vote of the year to rub elbows with rich New Yorkers who might cut him a check. Those are the priorities of NRSC Chair John Cornyn. So when the NRSC baselessly attacks Democrats for anything they do, any positions they take, any public comments they make, note that NRSC Chair Cornyn doesn't even have the professional courtesy to show up to vote for something as hugely critical as the economic stimulus.
After a colleague at work sent me a link to a Time article on the stimulus and asked my opinion I decided to post up some thoughts on the matter (the site may be slow at times, wrestling with my ASP on that issue). Personally I think the stimulus bill is the right thing to do. The problem is it's opened up a pig-out fest in Congress that seems to be moving it from the original intent and is creating a doctrinal split in Congress that could derail it. As is always the case give Congress a good idea and they'll figure out a way to screw it up. I sometimes wonder if many of those folks really studied economics in college or just slept through it after the binger from the night before. Oh, if you follow the posting to the end I've added a small tidbit about the GAO report on revamping the nation's financial system (deep read but worth it).
Following is the text of a fax I just sent to the office of my Congressman, Michael McCaul:
January 29, 2009
BY FAX: 202-225-5955
Congressman Mike McCaul
United States House of Representatives
131 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC
Dear Congressman McCaul,
As constituents and voters, we are expressing our dissatisfaction with your vote against the economic stimulus package. Making the unanimous Republican vote obviously partisan is the ludicrous proposal by the House Republicans of trying to stimulate the economy with nothing but tax cuts.
Speaking as a business owner and successful investor and as a family who has paid ample local, state and federal taxes, being over-taxed is not the problem. People are losing their jobs. People are losing their investments and their homes. People are losing their capital that in better times might be invested with a certain amount of tax incentive. This is not such a time.
Stop playing partisan games while the country is going down the drain. Your actions and your fellow partisans' actions are outrageous and disgraceful.
Joining me in signing are my wife and son. All of us are registered voters in District 10.
When will the those who really need it get their bailout?
There will be another economic stimulus package in the next few months. President-elect Obama made it clear at his first press conference last week: "If it does not get done in a lame-duck session, it will be the first thing I do as president of the United States." A glance at headlines from the past few days drives the seriousness of the situation home:
