Pragmatic (i.e. non-ideogical) Republicans, especially governors and mayors, are realizing that their colleagues in Washington are completely irrelevant, having nothing to offer except the same old “cut taxes” mantra and the discredited notions of supply-side, laissez-faire economics.
“I don’t even know the congressional leadership,” Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. told editors and reporters at The Washington Times, shrugging off questions about top congressional Republicans, including House Minority Leader John A. Boehner of Ohio and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. “I have not met them. I don’t listen or read whatever it is they say because it is inconsequential – completely.”
Washington Times, February 24, 2009
Meanwhile, the American people are solidly behind the plan. Eighty-two percent of those who watched President Obama’s address to congress this week said they support the economic plan he outlined, with 17 percent opposing the proposal, according to a CNN poll.

Tax cuts don’t help if you don’t pay taxes because you don’t have a job.

Tax cuts for businesses don’t stimulate investment and hiring if nobody is buying.

Newt Gingrich this week suggested that eliminating the capital gains tax, an idea he has been pushing for years, is the solution to the current economic downturn (which we will soon be calling the Great 21st Century Depression). Come on, Newt, who has any capital gains when our investments are tanking and our home values plummeting?

The Republican party seems to think that tax cuts are the answer to everything. They’ve been criticizing the stimulus package without offering any realistic alternatives or constructive ideas.

Honestly, these people have no new ideas… they just want to criticize and either (1) take credit when things go wrong and/or (2) say “I told you so” if things don’t go well.

Thanks to Keith Olbermann for pointing out what many Missourians already knew – Kit Bond is the “Worst Person in the World” (at least this week).

Like many of his hipocritical Republican colleagues who voted against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, he is now taking credit for bringing home the bacon. In his own words, he criticizes the bailout bill:

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Kit Bond today warned hardworking Americans that passage of the Democrats’ trillion-dollar bill will open the floodgates to massive, irresponsible spending of tax dollars that will do little to jumpstart the economy or create jobs. 
 
“Hold on to your wallets folks because with the passage of this trillion-dollar baby the Democrats will be poised to spend as much as $3 trillion in your tax dollars,” said Bond.  “Taxpayers will be on the hook for spending that will stimulate the debt, stimulate the growth of government, but will do little to stimulate jobs or the economy.”
 
Bond, who voted against the Democrats’ trillion-dollar spending bill earlier this week, voted in opposition to the bill again tonight.  The trillion-dollar bill, passed earlier today by the House, is expected to pass the Senate tonight on an almost strictly party line vote.  The bill will then be sent to the President to be signed into law.

http://bond.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=720f91de-0398-e88c-50a4-0fc64ff11fbb&Region_id=&Issue_id=

Then, back at home in Missouri, he takes credit for getting the money to Missourians:

OZARK, MO – U.S. Senator Kit Bond today held a roundtable with city officials, public housing advocates, and local families in Ozark to highlight the importance of addressing the shortage of affordable housing to help low-income, working families during the current economic crisis.  Last week, Bond was successful in passing a provision to jumpstart the building of affordable housing units in Missouri and across the nation.  Bond is holding similar events in five other cities across the state this week.

Last week, Bond led a bipartisan group of Senators in introducing an amendment to help provide needy families affordable housing.  Bond’s amendment provides $2 billion to fund low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) projects that have been stalled by the financial credit crisis.  As part of the Democrats’ spending bill now signed into law, the Senate unanimously accepted Bond’s provision.

http://bond.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=8b5b69d8-cd65-57de-f77b-369272e6491f&Region_id=&Issue_id=

I’ll be really glad to see the back of Mr. Bond when he retires. Not a moment too soon. We don’t need his pork here.