Griper News: Senate Approves Stimulus

The Senate approved an economic stimulus bill of some $838 billion on Tuesday, clearing the way for negotiations with the House and increasing the prospects that a final piece of legislation can be on President Obama’s desk within days.

The 61-to-37 vote was largely along party lines, as expected, and followed closing arguments with some sharp partisan edges. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, called on Republicans to acknowledge not only that the country is in crisis but “to acknowledge that they actually lost the election.”

Only a few Republicans voted for the bill. They were Senators Arlen Specter, of Pennsylvania, and Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins, both of Maine, whose support was vital when the bill narrowly cleared a procedural hurdle requiring 60 “yes” votes on Monday.

Republicans, true to form, continued bitching about how much the whole thing cost. Expect them not to give a damn about cost when the debate over Iraq withdrawal starts.

“We’re taking an enormous risk — an enormous risk — with other people’s money,” Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, said in urging his Republican colleagues to vote against the measure.

Mr. McConnell said the package was “full of waste” and could only be counted on to increase the nation’s debt.

Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Finance Committee, said the final cost of the bill could exceed $1 trillion, counting interest, and burden future generations of taxpayers.

“Not a pretty fiscal picture,” Mr. Grassley said, “and it’s going to get a lot uglier as a result of this bill.”

The Iraq invasion is going to cost us $3 trillion before all is said and done. As always, Republicans are completely shameless in their hypocrisy.