Did you see how many Republicans voted for President Obama's stimulus package in the House yesterday?
None. Seriously, not a single one.(1)
Americans voted overwhelmingly for change in November. We voted for an end to the partisan bickering and political games that are destroying our politics. And President Obama bent over backwards to get House Republicans to craft a bipartisan bill, to no avail.
As the bill moves to the Senate, we need bipartisan support, or the stimulus won't pass. Senate Republicans need to know they have a clear choice: support a stimulus package that will put millions of Americans back to work, or continue to play the games that got us into this mess.
President Obama spent hours meeting with Republican leaders personally. He made painful compromises to win them over.(2)
But Republicans refused to play ball. They're insisting on a plan that doesn't invest a cent in green jobs or health care or education. They just want more tax cuts for the rich and for corporations, even though that's part of what got us into this mess.(3)
GOP leaders will get their way—unless we can convince a few Republican senators who are on the fence.
Sources:
1. "House Passes Stimulus Plan Despite G.O.P. Opposition," The New York Times, January 28, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/us/politics/29obama.html
"Final Vote Results for Roll Call 46," Office of the Clerk, House of Representatives, January 28, 2009
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll046.xml
2. "Obama Tries to Bolster Republican Support For Stimulus," NewsHour, January 27, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51121&id=15461-10287307-lOo8nwx&t=5
3. "Factbox: U.S. House Republican alternative stimulus proposal," Reuters, January 28, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51123&id=15461-10287307-lOo8nwx&t=6
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