I Don't Get It

A Democrat wins the presidency. Democrats take control of both houses of congress.

The economy is a disaster.

Classical Keynesian economics says when in recession, deficit spending by the government will help. People aren't spending cause they aren't working or they are afraid of losing their jobs. Companies aren't spending cause they can't get any credit and no one is buying, etc. So the government must spend.

Now it would seem to be that there is bad spending, good spending and great spending. Bad would be buying stuff from overseas, good would be any spending in the US (and the longer the dollars stay here the better) and great spending would create jobs, end energy independence, fix infrastructure, cure cancer and help one be a better lover, etc.

Spending and tax cuts are sort of the same thing.

Spending: the government goes out and buys something.

Tax cuts: the governement cuts your taxes then with the money you didn't send to the government you buy something.

Maybe you are smarter than the government. Or maybe you buy an expensive Swiss watch.

Who knows?

The Democrats were elected by people that tend to think that government (by and for the people) can come up with great ideas to make everything run well so they end to lean towards government spending.

The Republicans were elected by people that tend to think tax cuts are good because they put more money into the hands of private citizens that can use the money to innovate and create jobs etc.

The powerful Democrats put together an economic stimulus bill and every Democratic legislator with any brains at all will try and put all the spending he wants for his state and/or district into that bill cause it is going to pass.

The Republicans are against the bill because they want more tax cutting and less "pork"

The initial bill passes the house with EVERY SINGLE REPUBLICAN VOTING AGAINST IT!

The news media seizes upon this as a sign that the "Obama Mystique" is dead, that bipartisanship can't work, that this is somehow amazing or newsworthy.

I don't get it.

Ask yourself these questions:

Did the bill pass? Well, yes.

Did the Democrats vote in a way that would tend to please their constituents (or should I say their constituents that voted for them?) YES

Did the Republicans vote in a way that would tend to please their constituents (or should I say their constituents that voted for them?) YES

If it works will anyone remember the Republicans voted against it? No.

If it fails will anyone remember the Republicans voted against it? Yes. And if no one remembers the Republicans will remind them.

Isn't this Dog Bites Man?

Why exactly is this news?

Because Obama had congressmen over for drinks and asked them to vote for it promising to be their bff...and they didn't vote for it?

A bunch of people did exactly what one would expect and it's news?

I know people will say, "But the Obama administration promised bipartisanship."

Yes, but isn't bipartisinship when people from both parties put aside their differences to pass legislation that is needed for the good of the country?

THE BILL PASSED!

I mean if some Republicans had been needed to pass the legislation and they had voted against it that would have been news.

But the bill passed. The Dems and Repubs can tell their supporters they did what they were supposed to do.

So why is the news media acting as if this is so unusual?

I don't get it.