Republicans signaled Sunday that they would not be daunted by President Obama’s soaring approval ratings, criticizing his proposed $825-billion economic stimulus plan, his strategy for closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and his decision to exempt a top-ranking Pentagon appointee from new ethics rules.
Some of the sharpest criticism came from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the party’s challenger to Obama in the election and the recipient of aggressive outreach as part of the new president’s efforts to forge an image of bipartisanship.
And the senator said he would not support the stimulus plan in its current form, asserting that it should have more tax cuts and less emphasis on projects, such as repairing the National Mall or extending broadband access to rural areas.
McCain’s comments were echoed by House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), who said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he and many of his colleagues could not support the measure in its current form because they “see this as a lot of wasteful Washington spending, padding the bureaucracy and doing nothing to help create jobs and preserve jobs.”
The plan being pushed by Obama and Democratic congressional leaders would add thousands of miles of electronic transmission lines, retool thousands of schools and federal buildings and build infrastructure to promote wind and solar energy. It contains $275 billion in tax cuts — not nearly as much as Republicans want — and would fund a range of programs that GOP officials say are unnecessary or would not stir economic activity quickly enough.
WAIT! Tax cuts? We had 8 years of tax cuts and we are where we are and these guys want to give more cuts. The past ones did not create jobs or create more production or create more industry, but some how it will now. Is that about what they want us to believe? Sorry, guys….I am having a really hard time believe any of their rhetoric. Maybe Boner, oh sorry, my bad, Boehner should break into tears to convince us. I do so love theatrics. (sarcasm intended)