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Recognizing Those Who Stood Tall Against the Bush-Kennedy "Stimulus" (Welfare) Plan
UPDATE: Thanks to FR Friends Michelle Malkin and Doug Bandow for linking to this post.
Once we get past California's Presidential Primary, we'll be able to devote a lot more attention to the goings on in Washington, D.C.
That said, we did want to take a moment to pass along a hearty THANK YOU to four California Republicans and one California Democrat for voting against the so called Bush-Pelosi "Stimulus" Package in Congress.
For FR readers, you need not look past the main element of this package to scratch your head and wonder how so many Republicans could vote for it.
The center piece of this package is a huge "tax rebate" to Americans -- it's like $600 for a single individual, $1200 for a couple, and an additonal $300 per child. Without getting into the question of how a bit "bonus check" for Americans is going to substantively "stimulate" the economy, you have to appreciate these two important points:
1) MILLIONS of Americans WHO DO NOT PAY FEDERAL TAXES are getting this "rebate" -- which, in our book, makes this BILLIONS of dollars in welfare payments.
2) MILLIONS OF Americans WHO PAY "TOO MUCH" IN FEDERAL TAXES get... ZIP. No "rebate" at all -- which makes this an old fashioned government redistribution of wealth.
Given the BILLIONS of dollars of welfare in this bill, there isn't enough "sugar" elsewhere in this package to make this into lemonade.
So a big thank you to Republican Congressmen John Campbell, Duncan Hunter, Dana Rohrabacher, and Ed Royce for standing tall. The other GOPers in the delegation can all pop some Tums, knowing that they shelved basic GOP principles to accamodate the desires of a lame-duck President to work a "deal" with the Democrats in Congress.
Oh, an honorable mention goes to Democrat Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez. I am sure that she had her own reasons for being one of the 35 "NO" votes on this bad bill, but we thank her none-the-less.
Below is the lonely floor speech of Congressman John Campbell against this bill. It's about 3 minutes long and worth a watch...