The whole point of a stimulus bill was to get money into the hands of people that would go out and spend it. Only 19 percent of the people surveyed said they planned on doing that. Forty-five percent said they’d use it to pay bills. Nearly half of those surveyed said getting us out of Iraq would solve our economic problems:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The heck with Congress’ big stimulus bill. The way to get the country out of recession - and most people think we’re in one - is to get the country out of Iraq, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll.
[...]

“Let’s stop paying for this war,” said Hilda Sanchez, 44, of Waterford, Calif. “There are a lot of people who are struggling. We can use the money to pay for medical care and help people who were put out of their homes.”

This makes a lot of sense, especially since:

WASHINGTON (AP) — A classified Pentagon assessment concludes that long battlefield tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with persistent terrorist activity and other threats, have prevented the U.S. military from improving its ability to respond to any new crisis, The Associated Press has learned.

Despite security gains in Iraq, there is still a “significant” risk that the strained U.S. military cannot quickly and fully respond to another outbreak elsewhere in the world, according to the report.

Assumed presidential nominee John McCain, in typical republican fashion, disagrees:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican John McCain plans to run a general election campaign as steadfast protector of the United States in the face of terrorism as well as a crusader against big government. The Democrats, he says, offer neither.
[...]

“That is going to be, I think, a major issue in this campaign,” McCain said Friday in Norfolk, Va. “They want to set a date for withdrawal from Iraq that I believe would have catastrophic consequences.”

Pink Floyd
“Wish You Were Here”

Funny how these “classified” reports are leaked at the most opportune times. It’s reported today that a classified Pentagon assessment concluded that the long battlefield tours in Iraq and Afghanistan have left us unable to respond to any new crisis. It’s all about the persistent terrorist activity. Uh huh….. I think it’s all about Bush asking for $515.4 billion (that’s billion with a B) in defense spending for 2009. And that doesn’t include the cost of the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan This is an over 50% increase in military spending since Bush took office. Maybe if they’d take care of all the defense contractor fraud, this budget wouldn’t be so over the top. Let alone the monies that the Pentagon can’t account for. Anyone remember this comment from Rumsfeld the day before 9/11? “According to some estimates we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions,” Rumsfeld admitted. That’s trillion with a T. Gone….and forgotten.

Like the dipshit says, “It’s clearly a budget. It’s got lots of numbers in it.

Then there’s the domestic budget…….. you know, shit that’s not important……to Bush, anyway.

On the domestic front, the White House will call for trimming discretionary spending within the Department of Health and Human Services by more than $2 billion, to $74.2 billion, according to budget documents.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would lose more than $430 million, including $27 million from its efforts to detect and control infectious diseases, and $28 million from chronic disease prevention and health promotion. A $301 million program that trains 4,700 pediatricians and pediatric specialists at children’s teaching hospitals also would be eliminated, at a time when pediatric specialties, such as rheumatology and pulmonology, face critical shortages.

And America sits back and watches……..

REID FILES 15-DAY EXTENSION FOR FISA

GITMO MAKEOVER

BUSH VOWS TO VETO BUDGET IF ANYTHING ADDED

THE CHECKS IN THE MAIL……IN MAY

IRAN STARTS ON SECOND POWER PLANT

THE CHICKEN DOVES

WATERBOARDERS FOR GOD

SECRET MEMO BLASTS STATE DEPT’S EFFORT IN IRAQ

BUSH, CONGRESS HIT BOTTOM IN NEW POLL

PUTIN VOWS ARMS RACE RESPONSE

EVIDENCE PROVES TWO INNOCENT MEN SENT TO PRISON IN MISSISSIPPI, SYSTEM BROKEN

WEXLER QUESTIONS MUKASEY ON ABUSES OF POWER, IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS

IRAN, US TO HOLD TALKS ON IRAQ

Gee, maybe this will encourage more pharmaceutical reps to be whistleblowers. We can only hope………

Merck agreed yesterday to pay more than $650 million to settle charges that it routinely overbilled the government for its most popular medicines, the arthritis drug Vioxx and the cholesterol drug Zocor, cheating Medicaid out of millions of dollars in discounts over eight years.

They agreed! ha! Gee thanks……

And a true thank you to H. Dean Steinke, the whistelblower.

The Merck settlement culminates an investigation that began in 2000 and is one of the first in a series of cases centering on whether drugmakers used unfair pricing practices to bilk the government. The Justice Department is looking into 630 health-care whistleblower claims.

Steinke, a 51-year-old Michigan native, will receive about $68 million from the settlement as a whistleblower reward. He said he was prompted to go to authorities after his direct supervisor told him: “I don’t care how you do it, but get the damn business,” when he questioned the sales practices. “There comes a time when you just dig in your heels and say, ‘You know what? They’re not going to get away with it,’ ” Steinke said.

Full article at the Washington Post

Well, it’s hard to elaborate as to why you’ve decided to steal your way to the WH.

It may be “Our Country,” but it’s John Mellencamp’s song. When the liberal rocker found out his songs were being played at events for Republican John McCain’s presidential campaign, Mellencamp’s publicist sent a letter that questioned the campaign’s playlist.
[...]

McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers in Washington, D.C., said Thursday that the songs would no longer be played. He declined to elaborate.

Out of work? John McCain and his fellow republicans don’t give a flip. Can’t afford to heat your home this winter? John McCain and his fellow republicans don’t give a flip. They proved as much last night:

Congress Approves Stimulus Package

Payments Added For Disabled Vets And Poor Seniors

Congress gave overwhelming final approval last night to legislation that would send government payments to most American households and grant tax incentives for business investment, sending President Bush a $152 billion stimulus plan for the faltering U.S. economy.
[...]

“We stood our ground. Seniors had been left by the side of the road by the president. We added veterans,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.). “It was time to declare victory and move on to the next stimulus package within only a few weeks.”

Even after striking the final deal, Senate Democrats made it clear that they will let voters know which parts of their package were left on the cutting-room floor by GOP opposition.

“This is substance on the Senate floor, and people should be held accountable, pure and simple,” said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Republicans were equally confident that the showdown will be forgotten as soon as the checks arrive.

That’s the problem… people forget. They got theirs, so why should they worry about anyone else?

There are people, plenty of people, that will be receiving checks that don’t worry about where their next meal is coming from or if they’re going to freeze to death that night. Republicans said “No!” to the unfortunate few that do worry. I sure as hell won’t forget!