Quote of the day: value vs. fear

"Economic power is exercised by means of a positive, by offering men a reward, an incentive, a payment, a value; political power exercised by means of a negative, by the threat of punishment, injury, imprisonment, destruction. The businessman's tool is values; the bureucrat's tool is fear." ~ Ayn Rand

'Inexcusable and irresponsible'

That's how President Barack Obama describes the 'delay' that is otherwise known as the deliberative process in Congress.

From The Wall Street Journal:

President Barack Obama decried as "inexcusable and irresponsible" the delay of his economic recovery legislation in Congress after a new data revealed that an estimated 3.6 million Americans have lost their jobs since the recession began. His remarks were some of his most direct and pointed in support of the stimulus package, which the Senate could vote on as soon as Friday afternoon. Obama acknowledged the current bill "is not perfect, but a bill is absolutely necessary."

Want to know what's "inexcusable and irresponsible"? Expecting to submit a pork-laden, cater-to-special-interest, non-stimulus, increase-the-debt piece of legislation and then have it voted on prior to the American public learning what's in it.

That's the sole reason for the intense pressure - because the more people learn about what, exactly, this bill will do, the more they disapprove of it. As I wrote this morning:

Americans are banging up on the so-called stimulus package (aka: porkulus). Rasmussen reports in their latest poll that support for the bill continues to fall with only 37% now in favor. Of course, President Obama is trying to scare us into believing that without the bill, we're doomed, so it needs to be passed right away. However, many people are beginning to think that the rush is just so we don't find out what's really in the bill - like insurance exemptions for companies that make boats bigger than 65 feet in length.

As we are all quickly seeing, this bill has more to do with catering to special interests than it does 'creating jobs,' especially because the same people saying we need it also say that government doesn't create jobs.

Or, as Columnist Charles Krauthammer wrote in "Crises, Catastrophe: Are these words of hope?":

"So much for the president who in his inaugural address two weeks earlier declared 'we have chosen hope over fear.' Until, that is, you need fear to pass a bill."