MaggieMae
Reality bits
- Apr 3, 2009
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To become a GOP nominee for President is Mitch Daniels, Governor of Indiana. At least at this point, he has some solid ideas sans all the rhetorical BS coming from GOP leadership for the past year and a half. Daniels doesn't appear the type to kowtow to one conservative "movement" over another. He seems to simply want to solve the problems by getting things done and is smart enough to realize that takes compromise. Imagine that.
A Republican Stimulus That Just Might Work - Newsweek
A Republican Stimulus That Just Might Work - Newsweek
Meanwhile, the administration is primed for something not far from what Daniels has laid out: It supports allowing businesses to write off capital investment, it has proposed a line-item veto similar to the impoundment procedure Daniels envisions, and its called for a freeze in the federal governments discretionary spending. As for the payroll-tax holiday? Jason Furman, deputy director of the National Economic Council, says the White House would be open to it. The president is willing to do whatever it takes to accelerate the pace of job growth and income creation, he told me. The only thing that its hard to imagine the administration supporting is Danielss idea for a temporary pause in enforcing environmental regulations.
Whats harder to imagine is Boehner and the House Republicans joining with the administration to offer a major new stimulus package. Theres a good chance that John Boehner will be Speaker of the House when Congress reconvenes in 2011, but hell have gotten there by directing his flock to oppose most everything over the past two years. Thats left him and his party with precious little they can actually support once burdened with the responsibility of actually governing.
Daniels sees his proposal as requiring something from both sides. Republicans have to accept the responsibility to step forward constructively, and Democrats have to accept that weve been headed in the wrong direction with the expansion of government, he says. That sounds like a lot less compromise from the Democrats than the Republicans. Shouldnt constructive engagement be expected from our politicians?