Left In Lowell

The airwaves have been filled with victim Republicans whiiiiining and moooooaning about two things: one, that Obama wasn’t bipartisan (read: bending over) enough! They want to leave you with the impression that they got nothing they wanted from this bill (when in reality, they just don’t understand the meaning of “being in the minority” and “compromise”). And two, that the stimulus bill is chock-full of a million pieces of “pork.”

Of course, they’re lying to you. Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake outlines the actual process whereby this stimulus bill passed in the House. Though she’s writing about how Pelosi is being thrown under the bus by Rahm, it’s relevant for also showcasing just how little the Republicans really should be whining like the little victims that they think they are.

The Obama transition team has been working on the substance of the bill from day one. Their first step was to go to the Association of Mayors, the National Governors’ Associations and other non-congressional groups and say “give us all your shovel-ready projects.” That and other provisions written by the Obama team became the spine of the bill. It went through only three committee markups, and moved through the House at lightening speed in a way that made many House chairs unhappy, with the notable exception of Dave Obey (now also under attack) who helped push it through quickly.

The House bill is notable not only for its size but also because it had no earmarks, which are the lifeblood of House members, the way they show their constituents what they’re doing for them. As one person knowledgable about the writing of the bill says, “if you’re in the House why would you write a bill without earmarks unless you didn’t write the bill?”

So, if the bill went through largely as Obama wanted it, without earmarks, based on the work the Obama people did asking the people on the ground (mayors and governors) and what they can get done, and it included an awful large chunk of tax cuts to try and entice Republicans, how exactly do Republicans justify their whining sessions on TV again? Oh right, Republicans never need to justify anything, just clap really hard and maybe the fairy will come back to life.