My response to
this Obama editorial
Are there things in the Stimulas package that benefit from being implimented ASAP? Yes there are. Are there things in the package that could benefit from a longer term debate, analysis and adjustment? Yes there are those as well. So why are we being given this "weapons of mass destruction, must act now" rhetoric? What should be done is to divide this gargantuan bill into two workable parts, one that addresses the immediate that can quickly be acted upon without the need to debate the longer term issues of the remainder. Many of these areas have wider bipartisan support and can be pushed though quickly, leaving the rest for a more detailed evaluation. Given the price tag on this monster of a bill, we really cannot afford to have a do over and care needs to be taken and we should not rush through what need not be rushed. We need to take care of the immediate and not throw in partisan wish lists out of fear of not acting quickly enough. Only a division of the bill is likely to achieve this.
The President can play a constructive role and show true leadership by recognizing and dividing the short and longer term necessities and this will allow him to address more bipartisan concerns than writing editorials in the Washington Post trying to hammer in a mantra of "Now is the time", "Now is the time", "Now is the time"....... Sorry, but for much of this package Now is not the time, for some of it, there will never be a time for it. We need clear thinking, time to consider, and the pooling of various information, knowledge and opinions on those parts that aren't of immediate impact which make up a majority of the legislation. We don't need the politics of fear, we had enough of that, we want a change of that, not a continuation under a new banner. Obama's article was entitled "The Action Americans Need", well the real Action American's Need, is a level headed leadership that isn't afraid of a reasoned debate and wont rush to a paniced decision when it need not do so. We need the President to seperate this bill to address both the concern for quick action on some fronts, and the need for wiser and more thought out action on others. We need leadership not a stump speech.
