Florida GOP Governor Crist Endorses Obama Recovery Plan

[RunInRed 19,637]

Florida’s Republican Gov. Charlie Crist appeared with President Barack Obama Tuesday to urge passage of the president’s $838 billion stimulus package.

“Our budget is in balance here in Florida,” said Crist, introducing Obama in Fort Myers. “In fact, we’ve had to cut about $7 billion over the past two years, and we haven’t raised taxes and we’re still in balance. But, to be candid, it’s getting harder every day.”

Passage of the stimulus package was important, Crist said, in order to help support education, infrastructure, and health care in his state. “This is not about partisan politics. It’s about rising above that, helping America, and reigniting our economy,” said Crist.

Crist was one of 19 governors, including four Republicans, to release a joint letter publicly urging Congress to to pass the president’s stimulus package — a move that earned him an appreciative phone call from Obama.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

[autigeremt 7,543]

I don't give a rats behind if "I need money" Crisp goes along with this socialist plan or not. He's trying to keep his state afloat, and that's where this plan is even more WRONG!!!!!!!!! The Federal Government should not loan FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS paid by residents in Colorado to help fund Florida!

It's another way for the PTB to take more control of the states.

Socialism taking over America!

[TitanTiger 22,249]

Florida’s Republican Gov. Charlie Crist appeared with President Barack Obama Tuesday to urge passage of the president’s $838 billion stimulus package.

“Our budget is in balance here in Florida,” said Crist, introducing Obama in Fort Myers. “In fact, we’ve had to cut about $7 billion over the past two years, and we haven’t raised taxes and we’re still in balance. But, to be candid, it’s getting harder every day.”

Passage of the stimulus package was important, Crist said, in order to help support education, infrastructure, and health care in his state. “This is not about partisan politics. It’s about rising above that, helping America, and reigniting our economy,” said Crist.

Crist was one of 19 governors, including four Republicans, to release a joint letter publicly urging Congress to to pass the president’s stimulus package — a move that earned him an appreciative phone call from Obama.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

I've got a great idea then: bust this stimulus bill up into a handful of separate measures. That way we can have a bill that addresses infrastructure and education for instance and pass that. Then have another for green energy and future energy initiatives. Pass that. Then have one for various tax breaks and tax cuts issues.

My bet is that by the time you're finished, all the important stimulus stuff would get passed and the waste and extra pet project stuff would largely get jettisoned because no one would be able to hold the Sword of Damocles over everyone's head by keeping the good stuff hostage with bad stuff.

[autigeremt 7,543]

Sorry, Titan. It makes to much sense, and it would shed light on the power grab that Obama has in mind over the country (aka census, states, voters, etc.)

[CCTAU 3,872]

AS I hear somewhere last night. The pork isn't so much in the package as it is in the fact that when the states get it, it will be pork. The states should not manage federal monies in this manner.

[RunInRed 19,637]

AS I hear somewhere last night. The pork isn't so much in the package as it is in the fact that when the states get it, it will be pork. The states should not manage federal monies in this manner.

Correct, legislators were not allowed to insert specific projects into the bill. However, Governors and local official will be accountable for allocating their share of the pot. Does this mean contracts are likely to go to their buddies? Probably. But it also hopefully means that people will get put back to work on these initiatives.

(BTW, you were watching FNC ---- I heard the commentary as well )

[AURaptor 1,137]

Strike his name off the list .

2012 GOP Presidential Race Hopefuls:

Jindal

Crist

Palin

Romney

Huckabee

[RunInRed 19,637]

Strike his name off the list .

2012 GOP Presidential Race Hopefuls:

Jindal

Crist

Palin

Romney

Huckabee

Actually, Palin supports the package too, Huckabee finds it to be anti-religious (imagine that), and Jindal claims he'll "take the money but would not have voted for it" (gotta love those politicians).

[Tigermike 4,246]

Strike his name off the list .

2012 GOP Presidential Race Hopefuls:

Jindal

Crist

Palin

Romney

Huckabee

Actually, Palin supports the package too, Huckabee finds it to be anti-religious (imagine that), and Jindal claims he'll "take the money but would not have voted for it" (gotta love those politicians).

Got a link for that?

Palin does urge Congress to “consider” whether the stimulus bill is too big and burdens future generations with debt, but unlike some other governors (Sanford, Barbour, Jindal, for example), she does not call for the bill’s defeat or urge her congressional delegation to vote against it. Instead, she goes on to raise her big concern with the bill – it doesn’t give enough money to Alaska:

“Governor Palin discussed troubling elements in the stimulus package including provisions that punish Alaska for forward-funding education, the mass transit funding formula that will limit Alaska opportunities but will pour money into other states, and the “shovel-ready” criteria for projects that northern climates might not be able to accommodate consistently due to the shortened construction season.”

Earlier Governor Palin sent a letter to her congressional delegation in which she similarly complained, not about the spending in the stimulus bill per se, but about the formulas for distributing the funds, which she believes short changes her state (as if Alaska were not already a wholly-owned subsidiary of the federal government.) She also wants the bill to include five specific projects (we used to call those “earmarks.”)

So, I’ll stand (somewhat) corrected. Governor Palin didn’t lobby for the bill. She just lobbied for her share of the pork.

http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/02/03/...giant-stimulus/

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a former member of the House, said he would accept the stimulus money but would have voted against the bill if he were still in Congress. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, said he was not sure whether he would accept the approximately $3 billion his state would be in line for.

“Yes, we need some help and we appreciate the help,“ Barbour said in an interview. “But I don’t know about the details and the strings attached to tell you if I’ll take all of it or not.“

http://www.nbc13.com/vtm/news/local/articl...ulus_bill/57281

[SouthLink02 8]

Jindal should be thankful Gustav came along because before it his first few weeks/months was an absolute laughingstock that saw him have Republicans hating his guts, Democrats laughing, and Independents asking WTF he was doing.

[arnaldoabru 11]

Strike his name off the list .

2012 GOP Presidential Race Hopefuls:

Jindal

Crist

Palin

Romney

Huckabee

Actually, Palin supports the package too, Huckabee finds it to be anti-religious (imagine that), and Jindal claims he'll "take the money but would not have voted for it" (gotta love those politicians).

Got a link for that?

Palin does urge Congress to “consider” whether the stimulus bill is too big and burdens future generations with debt, but unlike some other governors (Sanford, Barbour, Jindal, for example), she does not call for the bill’s defeat or urge her congressional delegation to vote against it. Instead, she goes on to raise her big concern with the bill – it doesn’t give enough money to Alaska:

“Governor Palin discussed troubling elements in the stimulus package including provisions that punish Alaska for forward-funding education, the mass transit funding formula that will limit Alaska opportunities but will pour money into other states, and the “shovel-ready” criteria for projects that northern climates might not be able to accommodate consistently due to the shortened construction season.”

Earlier Governor Palin sent a letter to her congressional delegation in which she similarly complained, not about the spending in the stimulus bill per se, but about the formulas for distributing the funds, which she believes short changes her state (as if Alaska were not already a wholly-owned subsidiary of the federal government.) She also wants the bill to include five specific projects (we used to call those “earmarks.”)

So, I’ll stand (somewhat) corrected. Governor Palin didn’t lobby for the bill. She just lobbied for her share of the pork.

http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/02/03/...giant-stimulus/

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a former member of the House, said he would accept the stimulus money but would have voted against the bill if he were still in Congress. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, said he was not sure whether he would accept the approximately $3 billion his state would be in line for.

“Yes, we need some help and we appreciate the help,“ Barbour said in an interview. “But I don’t know about the details and the strings attached to tell you if I’ll take all of it or not.“

http://www.nbc13.com/vtm/news/local/articl...ulus_bill/57281

Betcha Haley takes the money.

[Tigermike 4,246]

Jindal should be thankful Gustav came along because before it his first few weeks/months was an absolute laughingstock that saw him have Republicans hating his guts, Democrats laughing, and Independents asking WTF he was doing.

Speaking of laughing.

Administration Officials Met With Laughter At Bailout Briefing

Administration officials were greeted with sarcasm and laughter Monday night when they briefed lawmakers and congressional staff on Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner's new financial-sector bailout project, according to people who were in the room.

The laughter was at its height when Obama officials explained that the White House planned to guarantee a wide swath of toxic assets -- which they referred to as "legacy assets" -- but wouldn't be asking Congress for money. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), a bailout opponent in the fall, asked the officials to give Congress the total dollar figure for which they were on the hook. The officials said that they couldn't provide a number, a response met by chuckling that was bipartisan, but tilted toward the GOP side. By guaranteeing the assets, Geithner hopes he can persuade the private sector to purchase a portion of them.

Congress may be able to do little more than laugh. The Federal Reserve, in extreme situations, is allowed to intervene in the financial markets in dramatic ways. The Fed jumped into the markets long before the $700 billion bailout passed through Congress by guaranteeing toxic assets held by CitiGroup and Bank of America.

The White House still has roughly $350 billion in Congress-appropriated TARP funds to use, and the officials told the group Monday night that it planned to use $50 billion for foreclosure mitigation and further amounts to shore up bank balance sheets.

The officials also said that a review of the bank's books would be undertaken to determine whether they could handle an even more severe economic downturn.

People briefed on the meeting also said that the White House proposed expanding the Temporary Asset Lending Facility (TALF) by up to one trillion dollars in order to shore up the market for credit card and auto loans. It would be a joint project of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Treasury's TARP funds.

Yeah that's right I'm linking to HUFFPO It's hope and change, Dude! Hope and change.