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Watching the recent Academy Awards, I was struck by a great movie idea for 2009: Dumb and Dumber, The Sequel. In this film, the focus would be on those many Republican governors, mainly from the South plus Alaska, who are so busy stating publicly that they have serious doubts about taking funds in the Obama economic stimulus bill for their states. These governors, linked by the common thread of ambitions for the national 2012 elections, claim that there are "strings" on those stimulus finds which are unacceptable to them.
It's hard to believe that these governors oppose better schools, improved health care, re-constructing our crumbling infrastructure, green jobs to save their environments, and similar major uses of funds in the stimulus package. While they may quibble over the National Endowment for the Arts getting a measly few dollars from that package, surely that is no reason to posture and prance around what is left of the Republican stage. Indeed, some Republican governors, such as those in Florida and California, have praised the spending portions of that legislation as vitally needed in their states. Gov. Schwarznegger even offered to take any leftover funds rejected by his shortsighted colleagues.
Yes, there is the tired litany chanted by some Republicans, particularly their failed 2008 Presidential candidate, that tax cuts would be preferable, ignoring the fact that a substantial portion of the stimulus package consists of tax reductions. Of course, the Obama tax reductions are not those of George W. Bush or Ronald Reagan, mainly benefitting the wealthy. In truth, the problem with using tax cuts as a stimulus is that wise people pay off bills and other obligations with them rather than spending them, so the stimulative effect is limited. While Republicans allege that small businesses experiencing lower taxes will then create jobs, that is only an assumption. If the necessary demand for their goods and services is lacking, as is the case at present, those tax cuts will have little stimulative effect.
But the real issue here is not the message but the messenger. The total lack of Republican support for the stimulus package in the House, and the very limited support (two Republicans from Maine, one from Pennsylvania) in the Senate -- even after all of the Obama outreach to them -- makes clear that there is nothing our new President could have done to satisfy many Republicans. They prefer to be naysayers for the sake of saying nay. They see the situation as win-win for them: if the stimulus package fails, they can claim, "we told you so." If it succeeds, they will claim it was their input which led to its success (the same input which they claim was rejected.)
Yes, it's a sad day for America, when most Republicans (the Governors of Florida and California excepted) would rather see the Democrats fail even if it means a worsening and major depression for our nation. But, it makes for a great movie plot: Dumb and Dumber, The Sequel. For all of the rest of us, who prefer a different scenario, I suggest another movie for 2009: New Sheriff in Town. Lots of luck, Sheriff Obama; you'll surely need it.
