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Thursday, October 22, 2009

Blue Dogs Have No Appetite For Another Stimulus Bill

While everyone knew it was just a matter of time before Pelosi and crew started pushing for yet another stimulus package, Blue Dog Democrats otherwise known as moderates or centrists are not all that gung-ho to add to our national deficit by passing another stimulus package, especially those that are facing tough reelections in 2010.

The Hill reports:

The reservoir of Democratic support for legislation to stimulate the economy — while adding to the deficit — is drying up.

Already faced with what many economists are labeling a jobless recovery, Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill are considering passing more measures to lower the nation’s highest unemployment rate in 26 years.

Most of the fixes Democrats are eyeing would add to the budget deficit, which was recently estimated at $1.4 trillion.

But fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats and the Democratic freshman class of 2008 are raising objections. Some members of these two factions reluctantly went along with the $787 billion stimulus package earlier this year, but they are not ready for a sequel.

“I think we have just got to get serious about the deficit,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the president of the class of freshman Democrats. “I would have to really be persuaded of a dire situation and one that’s getting worse, frankly, to have any enthusiasm for a second stimulus.”

Rep. Baron Hill (D-Ind.), a co-chairman of the 52-member Blue Dog Coalition, said he would have to hear a “very compelling” justification for further adding to the deficit, even for the sake of fostering more job growth.

“My constituents, I think, have had it with spending,” Hill said. “And I concur with their sentiments.”


Hill is one of those Democrats facing tough challenges in 2010.

Pelosi, being a tax and spend type Democrat doesn't care one iota about adding to the national deficit on another stimulus plan, hiding behind the guise that it would stimulate or create more jobs to counter the rising unemployment numbers.

Where have we heard that before?

Oh yes, the last $787 billion stimulus package that failed to create the jobs promised.

7 Months After Stimulus 49 of 50 States Have Lost Jobs

The table below compares the White House's February 2009 projection of the number of jobs that would be created by the 2009 stimulus law (through the end of 2010) with the actual change in state payroll employment through September 2009 (the latest figures available). According to the data, 49 States and the District of Columbia have lost jobs since stimulus was enacted. Only North Dakota has seen net job creation following the February 2009 stimulus. While President Obama claimed the result of his stimulus bill would be the creation of 3.5 million jobs, the Nation has already lost a total of 2.7 million – a difference of 6.2 million jobs. To see how stimulus has failed your state, see the table below.


(Click to enlarge)


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