Brad Sherman, Stimulus, and Jobs

From Naked Emperor News:

During a telephone town hall on Monday, Congressman Brad Sherman, Democrat from California, revealed the Dems' marching orders on the economy.

Audio.

Transcript

BRAD SHERMAN: The other thing I'll point out is we now have a, are working on a..., we're told not to call it another 'stimulus' bill, calling it a 'jobs' bill.

It's pretty much similar, but smaller and there's a lot of discussion as to what it's best to spend the money on. And I've been pushing for aid to state and local governments. First, because my own state is having such severe problems. And second because from a macroeconomic standpoint, we're trying to have jobs now.

And construction projects, for example, they talk about them being shovel ready but even if you're ready to start building a bridge now, a big chunk of that work is going to be done in 2013, 2014.

"Shovel ready" is so deceptive. It really needs to be qualified. "Shovel ready" means ready to start shoveling in 3 or 4 years.

Sherman is clear on his orders not to refer to a second stimulus bill.

God knows, the first was an absolute disaster. Even the out of touch Dems can comprehend that Americans wouldn't be willing to go along with a second one. I can understand why the Dems are steering clear of the term "stimulus," the $787 $862 billion debacle.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Despite federal programs that have pumped hundreds of billions of dollars into homeowner tax credits, automaker bailouts and other measures meant to stimulate the economy, more than two-thirds of economists responding to a nationwide survey say the stimulus so far has failed to create jobs.

..."The vast majority (69%) of respondents reported the fiscal stimulus enacted in February 2009 has had no impact on employment to date," the report says.

The overwhelming majority of economists say that the stimulus bill has had NO impact on employment to date? NONE?

(I'm amazed the Journal Sentinel published that.)

There is no way that Obama is going to point out that little detail in his State of the Union address tonight. He's not going to say the stimulus had zero impact on employment. No doubt, he'll toss out impressive numbers showing all the bill has accomplished.

It will be a Joe Wilson "you lie" moment. I'm sure Obama's speech will be filled with those.

From the Washington Times:

The economic stimulus bill's price tag has risen to $862 billion, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday — a $75 billion jump that's a result in part to the fact that, despite the spending, joblessness has risen and the government is paying out more than expected on unemployment benefits.

The CBO, in a new report, also said spending in fiscal 2010 will push the deficit to more than $1.3 trillion, or nearly the record $1.4 trillion deficit recorded in 2009.

The Dems can call the second doomed to fail stimulus bill a jobs bill instead. They can call it whatever they want.

What's in a name? That which we know is a pile of crap by any other name would still be crap.