Yesterday the New York Times wrote Stimulus Talks Set to Continue After Centrists Push Cuts. "A bipartisan group of senators worked furiously in backroom negotiations on Thursday to cut the cost of the more than $920 billion economic stimulus plan. Senate Democratic leaders said they would await the outcome of those talks before calling for a final vote on the measure, perhaps on Friday."
"Members of the bipartisan group, led by Senators Ben Nelson, Democrat of Nebraska, and Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, said they wanted to trim provisions that would not quickly create jobs or encourage spending by consumers and businesses. They spent much of the day scrutinizing the 736-page bill and wrangling over what to cut."
They describe a few of the cuts and go on to say...
"President Obama, while once again urging Congress to act swiftly, avoided taking sides by saying that a package of about $800 billion was in the ballpark of what he believed the economy needed. “The scale and scope of this plan is right,” Mr. Obama said in a speech to House Democrats who were on a retreat in Williamsburg, Va."
Is it just me or isn't it good that Senators actually read a 736 page $920 billion bill before they vote for it? I like the sound of a bipartisan group going over instead of just saying $800 billion is in the ballpark of what we think we need. Then again, I'm saying that without knowing the details myself, so I'm going by ballpark ideas too. :)
David Brooks writes more on this in The Gang System, saying the left is losing to the middle.
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