Updated: Daschle Withdraws; Didn't these guys have to fill out an application?

[dmek25]

that's called succumbing to party pressure, my friend

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by dmek25

that's called succumbing to party pressure, my friend

No its called realizing that you do not have one thing in common with the person who is going to be your boss. If anything why would the Rep. not like to have a person with some power on his staff?

[12thMan]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure he knew from the get-go what he was getting into. Besides, Gregg threw his name in the hat, no one was exactly chasing him down.

[Trample the Elderly]

I don't understand why someone would accept to head a department he tried to eliminate? That would be like Reagan on the department of education. Politics as usual.

[dmek25]

so he had no idea what he was getting into? come on, even you don't believe that. im sure they had a long talk about policy, and what direction the president wanted to go. he got caught up in Obama's popularity, and, after the fact, got a few phone calls telling him it wasn't cool to work with a democrat. some things in Washington will never change

[dmek25]

nothing like saying F... you to the people that need it GOP governors consider turning down stimulus money

[Miller101]

Originally Posted by dmek25

nothing like saying F... you to the people that need it GOP governors consider turning down stimulus money

And one of those Governors runs a state that has the third highest unemployment rate in the country....................What a FREAKIN IDIOT!!! How the heck can you even question free money when your state is all screwed up like that? I mean, when Bush gave me $700 I took it! Even though he was Republican, I happily took that money then went up to Atlantic City and had some fun!

How can you even question free money. Especially, when you NEED IT!!! I just don't get it.

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by Miller101

And one of those Governors runs a state that has the third highest unemployment rate in the country....................What a FREAKIN IDIOT!!! How the heck can you even question free money when your state is all screwed up like that? I mean, when Bush gave me $700 I took it! Even though he was Republican, I happily took that money then went up to Atlantic City and had some fun!

How can you even question free money. Especially, when you NEED IT!!! I just don't get it.

Maybe because it isn't free. Would you have taken that 700, if it came with a requirement that you vote Republican for the next 4 elections? Would you have taken it if it had said that by taking it you approved of the Iraq war? What about if it was simply that you had to repay it + 50% compound interest?
The "stimulus" bill comes with many such proviso's.

[saden1]

Originally Posted by CRedskinsRule

Maybe because it isn't free. Would you have taken that 700, if it came with a requirement that you vote Republican for the next 4 elections? Would you have taken it if it had said that by taking it you approved of the Iraq war? What about if it was simply that you had to repay it + 50% compound interest?
The "stimulus" bill comes with many such proviso's.

You took the stage, you got to do the presentation....the floor is all yours.

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by saden1

You took the stage, you got to do the presentation....the floor is all yours.

Right after Lunch

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by saden1

You took the stage, you got to do the presentation....the floor is all yours.

so, i finally got to lunch, then got back and he** broke loose here at work. Finally settled down, and i decided I didn't want to respond purely with anecdotal stuff so i looked up the text and started reading, wow, dry...

so to the point:

Originally Posted by me

Maybe because it isn't free. ...
The "stimulus" bill comes with many such proviso's.

Originally Posted by Saden1

You took the stage, you got to do the presentation....the floor is all yours.

here is one: (at this point i am not debating the validity of the proviso, just that the money comes with stipulations;provisos;etc)

SEC. 1110. USE OF AMERICAN IRON AND STEEL.

(a) IN GENERAL.—None of the funds appropriated

or otherwise made available by this Act may be used for a project for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public building or public work unless all of the iron and steel used in the project is produced in the United States.
(b) EXCEPTIONS.—Subsection (a) shall not apply in
any case in which the head of the Federal department or agency involved finds that—

(1) applying subsection (a) would be inconsistent with the public interest; (2) iron and steel are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities and of a satisfactory quality; or (3) inclusion of iron and steel produced in the United States will increase the cost of the overall project by more than 25 percent.
(c) WRITTEN JUSTIFICATION FOR WAIVER.—If the head of a Federal department or agency determines that it is necessary to waive the application of subsection (a)
based on a finding under subsection (b), the head of the department or agency shall publish in the Federal Register a detailed written justification as to why the provision is being waived.
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the terms ‘‘public
building’’ and ‘‘public work’’ have the meanings given such terms in section 1 of the Buy American Act (41 U.S.C. 8 10c) and include airports, bridges, canals, dams, dikes, pipelines, railroads, multiline mass transit systems, roads, tunnels, harbors, and piers.

another:

SEC. 1114. REQUIRED PARTICIPATION IN E-VERIFY PROGRAM.

None of the funds made available in this Act may

be used to enter into a contract with an entity that does not participate in the E-verify program described in section 401(b) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1324a note).

and finally

STATE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICE OPERATIONS

For an additional amount for ‘‘State Unemployment
Insurance and Employment Service Operations’’ for grants to the States in accordance with section 6 of the Wagner-Peyser Act, $500,000,000, which may be expended from the Employment Security Administration Account in the Unemployment Trust Fund, and which shall be available for obligation on the date of enactment of this Act: Provided, That such funds shall remain available to the States through September 30, 2010: Provided further, That, with respect to such funds, section 6(b)(1) of such Act shall be applied by substituting ‘‘one-third’’ for ‘‘two thirds’’ in subparagraph (A), with the remaining one-third

I will be the first to admit that all three of these examples may or may not be good in and of themselves. I tried to read all 647 pages, but realized -it ain't happening tonight (or possibly ever). Not to mention that alot of the requirements I did see in the text forced you to go to another federal regulation to see what requirement they were adding to the money. eg the last one refers to the Wagner-Peyser Act whatever that is. (i am sure it is humane and compassionate regulation)

I hope that this shows the money wasn't freely given, it did have strings attached.

And as Firstdown pointed out, every cent of this is borrowed money against future tax income, none is budgeted for. (and yes the republican overspent too thats a separate argument and I would love to see accountability all around)

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by Miller101

And one of those Governors runs a state that has the third highest unemployment rate in the country....................What a FREAKIN IDIOT!!! How the heck can you even question free money when your state is all screwed up like that? I mean, when Bush gave me $700 I took it! Even though he was Republican, I happily took that money then went up to Atlantic City and had some fun!

How can you even question free money. Especially, when you NEED IT!!! I just don't get it.

FREE MONEY please explain how this is FREE money. I guess we can all stop paying federal taxes because they have all this FREE money. One day when you have a grandson paying hugh taxes you can explain to him about the good old days when we had all this free money.

[Miller101]

Originally Posted by firstdown

FREE MONEY please explain how this is FREE money. I guess we can all stop paying federal taxes because they have all this FREE money. One day when you have a grandson paying hugh taxes you can explain to him about the good old days when we had all this free money.

Your right.........I'm sorry, I was trying to compare the money that Bush gave me to the money that each state and some cities are getting. And you're right; I can't. I can compare it to Bush's stimulus, but I can't compare it to Obama's. Things have changed. There are no more blank checks being cut anymore. The Federal Government won't be handing out billions of dollars in bonuses to the top execs that caused this problem. The Federal Government isn't going to be buying luxury planes for companies anymore. And of course, they sure as heck won't be paying millions of dollars for massages, waxing, pedicures, and golf.................................By attaching these strings, Obama and his administration are making sure that this money is spent wisely. Okay, Okay, more wisely then in the past. I don't think thats a bad thing. In fact, its what should have been done in the first place.

[saden1]

It's so dumb it ain't even funny. Fortunately there are provisions in the stimulus bill that says something to the effect of "governors must explicitly reject or accept aid money...if the governor reject the money the State house and senate can override the rejection and take the money anyways."

The truly sad part is that when primary time rolls rejecting the money will get them conservative street creds and thus get them the presidential nods over people who accepted the money, at least that's the thinking anyways. I'm no soothsayer but one thing I'm pretty sure of is that President Obama will knock them out once again.


South Carolina Wasssup!

[firstdown]

Well in my area years ago we accepted Federal money to build several interstates but the stipulated that we had to have HOV lanes to get the money. Now its actually costing our area a great deal of money to maintain these HOV lanes that no one is using. If we had rejsected the federal money it would have saved the state money in the long run but hey it was free money. Nothing is free and if there is a long list of stipulations I hope our governer would do the same but as a Dem I know there is no way he would do that.