COMMENTARY | Bloomberg is reporting that President Obama will propose in his speech to a joint session of Congress a $300 billion dollar package that will include infrastructure spending, tax credits, and aid to the states as his jobs program.
The White House is not using the “s” word, but it does not take much intelligence to see the proposal as “son of stimulus” or perhaps “stimulus light,” the latter only by comparison to the $900 billion stimulus package that was passed in 2009.
The proposal is also a perfect example of the famous definition of insanity, which is to attempt to do the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. The previous stimulus package resulted in anemic at best economic growth and an unemployment rate that is stubbornly above 9 percent. What a repeat of the stimulus gambit is supposed to do is something the president and his people have yet to explain.
In any event, the proposal has no chance of passing Congress. The Republican House will not consider it. The Democratic Senate will not likely get 60 votes necessary to pass it. It is even possible the Senate will not even garner a majority in favor of Obama’s proposal.
Congressional Republicans are so disdainful of the president’s stimulus proposal they are declining to give a response to Obama’s speech. Partly this is out of respect for the beginning of football season. The other reason is more fundamental.
Besides giving the State of the Union, other presidents have addressed Congress for only the gravest of reasons — to declare war or to send men to the Moon. But using Congress as a prop for what amounts to a campaign speech to present a political document that has no chance of passage cheapens the majesty of a joint session.
Obama no doubt hopes he can take the certain rejection of his jobs proposal and go to the electorate and run a Truman-like campaign against a “do-nothing Congress.” The problem is Obama is no Harry Truman and Tom Dewey is not running next year. 1948 was a convergence of unique circumstances and personalities that is not likely to be repeated. Obama will just seem to be ineffective and petty, making his defeat all the more likely.
Source: Obama Said to Seek $300 Billion Jobs Package, Albert Hunt, Bloomberg, Sept 7, 2011