Obama's remarks today:
The Swamp: "When it comes to rebuilding our economy, we don't have a moment to spare,'' Obama said in an address staged in the East Room of the White House and carried live by cable television news networks on this day that the House is preparing to cast the first, and most likely successful, vote on the stimulus plan.
"Corporate America will have to accept its own responsibilities to its workers
and the American public,'' said Obama, reiterating a promise that his plan will create or save 3 to 4 million jobs in the next few years. "But these executives also understand that
without wise leadership in Washington, even the best-run businesses can't do as well as they might.
"The vast majority of these jobs will be created in the private sector,'' Obama said. "In the end, the end to our economic troubles lies less in my hands'' than it does in the hands of American workers and the companies that employ them.
"All we can do, those of us here in Washington, is to help create... an environment in which business can prosper,'' Obama said. "That's exactly what I intend to achieve - soon.''
Republicans talk about yesterday's meeting with Obama. House republicans say they weren't consulted at all by House democrats.
It seems to me that republicans don't tend to think creatively or broadly on job creation. For them, it's only about smaller government and tax cuts. I'm sort of on the fence. Republicans have a point in that some of this money is being given to organizations that aren't run very well. If there is no oversight, this stimulus could be disastrous. Obama says each dollar will be accounted for at recovery.gov. Here's some of what the republicans don't like in the bill:
WSJ: We've looked it over, and even we can't quite believe it. There's $1 billion for Amtrak, the federal railroad that hasn't turned a profit in 40 years; $2 billion for child-care subsidies; $50 million for that great engine of job creation, the National Endowment for the Arts; $400 million for global-warming research and another $2.4 billion for carbon-capture demonstration projects. There's even $650 million on top of the billions already doled out to pay for digital TV conversion coupons.
