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. . . while prepping to lambaste President Obama tonight. Cross-posted at Left in Alabama.
NOTE: The punch line's in the footnote at Diary's end.
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Tonight President Obama will address a Joint Session of Congress, and the Nation, regarding our Nation's economic situation and the newly-minted American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (fka: "Economic Stimulus Package"). Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal will give the GOP Response to President Obama's speech.
We all know that Governor Jindal will criticize and throw political stones at President Obama. Coming together to help forge a united way forward during these shaky times is simply not in the Republicans' game plan. However, it would be a little refreshing to see Bobby Jindal and his Party decide on a political philosophy and position with regard to economic recovery before continuing on with their public, political tantrums.
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The Louisiana Governor says he laments that too little of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act is devoted to infrastructure development. But the $111 Billion that is focused on building and maintaining roads, bridges, rails and other construction is incredibly close to Florida Republican Sen. Mel Martinez' and his Republican allies' previously proposed $114 Billion for infrastructure. Add-in the Recovery & Reinvestment Act's $43 Billion set aside for energy development and you've got $154 Billion -- somewhat larger than the particular Senate Republican plan that went nowhere. Is Governor Jindal going to lecture Republicans on not wanting to invest more on infrastructure and energy development?
Republican Senator John McCain offered-up an alternative Stimulus Package to the tune of $421 Billion that focused almost entirely on tax cuts, not infrastructure development. All the Senate Republicans voted for it. Will Governor Jindal criticize Senator McCain and all the Senate Republicans?
Our own Republican Governor Bob Riley has nothing but disdain for Federal investment in infrastructure. Instead, he called for a stimulus bill that would provide "targeted tax cuts" and Federal assistance to lower states' Medicaid costs as "the best ways (sic) to immediately boost the economy and help states meet their budgets in a difficult time." Perhaps our Republican Governor is right, but if he is then he's at loggerheads with Governor Jindal(1). So what does Bobby Jindal have to say about Bob Riley?
The bottom line is that the Republican Party remains in disarray following its trouncing three months ago in the 2008 General Election. It has little idea about what it wants (besides a return to power) or how it wants to get there. So, before criticizing President Obama and Capitol Hill Democrats, it seems that Gov. Jindal and the Republican Party need to figure out where they stand and what they stand for. Right now they're all over the map.
BenGoshi
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(1) Bobby Jindal on Meet the Press, Sunday, February 22, 2009, argues with himself:
"I think the president had a chance, if he had worked with the Republicans--instead of allowing Speaker Pelosi to write this bill, if he had worked with the Republicans to say, 'Let's really invest in infrastructure, let's do targeted temporary spending, let's do some tax cuts, let's get the economy moving. I don't think we're going to solve our economic challenges through government spending."
Uh, never mind, Gov. Jindal, that to "really invest in infrastructure" means "government spending".
Oh, and how is "targeted temporary spending" not "government spending"?