Sen. McCaskill Admits That Spending Should Not Be In A Stimulus; Dems Will Spend "Compromise" Cuts Eventually

"I do think that there was some spending in the bill that was makeup for a starvation diet under the Bush administration, some important priorities of our party; frankly, of the American people. And the question is does it belong in the stimulus bill or does it belong in the appropriations bill? I think some of the money that we cut in the compromise to get the votes that we, that we have was, in fact, spending that more appropriately should go in a, an appropriations bill."
--Sen. Claire McCaskill on NBC's Meet The Press 2/8/09


Perhaps, the Senator can explain why the rest of the Congress Ruins America w/ Pork (CRAP)-ulus is actually stimulus and not meant for an appropriations bill.

This is the whole problem here, people. Very little of the CRAPulus should be something shoved down our throats in a matter of two weeks.

"Makeup for a starvation diet under the Bush administration" sounds like a direct admission that this is, in fact, nothing more than a 40 Year Liberal Wish List.


This is disgusting. I hope Collins, Snowe and Specter see what's going on and change there minds. Probably not. Sellouts.


NBC transcript of the show. (Too much to list here, but Barney Frank was priceless in his fear-mongering and Republican Rep. Mike Pence was brilliant in calling out Barney's bluff.)

McCaskill also leaves open the option that the $100 Billion or whatever that is part of the "Great Compromise" will actually be spent later anyway.

We've been had.

MR. GREGORY: But, Senator, you said about the House bill that in fact they did bloat it up with some spending, and they provided ammunition to Republicans to shoot this thing down and take over some of the political argument. Is that still what you believe?

SEN. McCASKILL: I, I, I do think that there was some spending in the bill that was makeup for a starvation diet under the Bush administration, some important priorities of our party; frankly, of the American people. And the question is does it belong in the stimulus bill or does it belong in the appropriations bill? I think some of the money that we cut in the compromise to get the votes that we, that we have was, in fact, spending that more appropriately should go in a, an appropriations bill.

MR. GREGORY: Should more be cut?

REP. PENCE: (Unintelligible)

MR. GREGORY: Should more be cut in the conference, do you believe? More spending be cut?

SEN. McCASKILL: I think we've got a good mix right now. It's 60-40; 40 percent tax cuts, 60 percent spending, give or take 1 or 2 percentage points. And by the way, our bill is 90 percent the same as the House. The 10 percent difference was some of the cuts that we made in some of the things that could be put in an omnibus appropriations bill or an appropriations bill.