Spending Other People's Money

Worried about the stimulus package? Don't be! Make it bigger. After all, financial crises like these only come around once every 30 years or so, and you really can't waste an opportunity to get extra funding for your super duper projects, boondoggles, and constituents.

Well, that seems to be the thinking by Democrats, who want to cram all sorts of spending into a bill that's ostensibly about helping the economy. Except much of what they want to do either won't stimulte the economy (see: contraceptive spending) or won't happen for years (see CBO estimates).

If Democrats were honest, which they aren't, they'd admit that all this talk about pouring tons of money into green energy technologies and bridge projects is mainly about repaying Democrat constituencies and trying to cement their hold on government as opposed to helping anyone. That's why so many dislike tax cuts that could actually create jobs as opposed to giveaways that keep people unemployed as long as possible. And in the spirit of bipartisanship and civility, Democrats reject virtually every amendment Republicans offer that would actually stimulate the economy.

So, let's stop the lying here. This isn't a stimulus package. It's just the same ol', same ol' pork barrel politics that Democrats have always played so well.