The Economic Stimulus Legislation

There has not been a lot of confidence in the congressional delegation, and the president's pragmatism seems to have devolved to a partisan deference to the congressional leadership. He will find that, despite what Emanuel tells him, to be a mistake, already showing up as a waning popular support.

If we can fully embrace pragmatism over partisanship, The People will be much better served. The economic stimulus legislation is a monument to old-school Keynesian economics and monetizing the debt. Nothing new about that except the size of it.

Without a more progressive tax code, and all we have seen is a penchant for regressive tax measures, the middle class will be hammered with the debtor assignment on this colossal debt. If this is intended to be anti-recessionary legislation, we have not seen anything yet!

The speaker of the house says Democrats did not gain a majority to compromise The People's business. That would be meaningful if there was confidence in the ability to recognize what that is. It does not appear to be a confirmation of pragmatism over partisanship that avoids outmoded, Keynesian technical measures. Rather, it appears as typical tax and spend legislation that will leave the least able to pay holding the big bag of debt.

Does anyone really believe the speaker of the house and the congressional delegation is really interested in change We The People need?

What I see is an old-school stimulus program that will be highly inflationary, setting up the realignment toggle switch to the Republican Party. Demand-reduction measures (a highly regressive tax code with a rising rate of interest--Reaganomics) will be used to then control the inflationary trend. We will just be churning the problem.

So much for building a pragmatic coalition for change we need.

You don't have to be a Republican to be part of the neo-conservative coalition.