The Respectfully Republican Conversation

He and Pelosi are meeting for that huge spending spree their getting ready to do.  So, they need to do ENOUGH...like..almost one trillion dollars!  Surely this is what you're talking about.

Obama, Pelosi to Discuss Scope of Economic Package

By Michael D. Shear
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 1, 2009; A02

President-elect Barack Obama will meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Monday as Congress prepares to reconvene and debate a massive recovery plan for the nation's struggling economy, according to Democratic sources.

The face-to-face meeting between two of the nation's top Democrats will be one of the president-elect's first acts after relocating his family to a hotel in Washington over the weekend.

Sources said Obama and Pelosi will discuss the scope and timing of the economic recovery package, which Obama has said will be his first priority upon being sworn into office. Pelosi has said her goal is to have the legislation on the new president's desk and ready to be signed on Jan. 20.

But that schedule appears increasingly likely to slip, as Republicans and conservative Democrats are raising concerns about the impact on the federal deficit of spending hundreds of billions on an array of projects with little vetting by Congress. Lawmakers now expect a spending package of between $675 billion and $775 billion.

And a top congressional aide said yesterday that Democratic leaders in the House are still waiting for a detailed proposal to be delivered by Obama's economic advisers before lawmakers can begin the process of turning it into legislation.

Even so, congressional Democrats are anxious to get the process started so that a vote can take place in the House as early as the week of Jan. 12. Pelosi announced yesterday that the first hearing on the plan will take place Wednesday.

In a letter to Democratic House members, she wrote that the hearing will focus on "the need to act with deliberate speed to safeguard as many as three million jobs by making needed investments in infrastructure, alternative energy, science and other emerging sectors and providing middle-class tax cuts to help make work pay."

Among those scheduled to testify at a series of hearings involving several committees are Mark Zandi of Moodys.com, Harvard University professor and former labor secretary Robert Reich, Harvard economist Martin Feldstein, MIT professor Maria T. Zuber and others.

Even if the House votes before Obama's inauguration, passage in the Senate is likely to be more contentious and take longer than in the other chamber. With an ongoing recount in Minnesota's Senate race and the process for replacing Obama in the chamber still uncertain, Democrats can be assured of holding only 57 seats during January, three votes shy of a veto-proof majority.

Obama aides said the president-elect and his team will help make an all-out push to convince Americans that the government must spend almost $1 trillion to create jobs, provide cash for spending and shore up the finances of the state governments.

Obama aides and congressional sources have said the package under development is likely to contain three broad categories: infrastructure investment, tax breaks and direct aid to states.

Congressional aides said all the specifics of the infrastructure spending are unlikely to be spelled out in the legislation. Instead, the goal will be to provide formulas that allow states to choose projects that fit a series of broad principles laid out by the president-elect and Congress.

The tax cuts being discussed are focused on reductions in payroll taxes, a top congressional aide said. Once adopted, workers would see more money in their paychecks every week, leading -- officials hope -- to increased consumer spending.

The aid to states is likely to come in the form of payments that could help meet the growing costs of Medicaid spending.

In a Washington Post-ABC News poll last month, 65 percent of those surveyed said they support new federal spending of as much as $700 billion on construction projects and other programs to try to stimulate the economy. In the same poll, 69 percent of those who supported the plan (47 percent of all adults) said they would still back the spending even if it increased the size of the federal deficit.

Polling analyst Jennifer Agiesta contributed to this report.

Shirley,

 "American Carol" is available on Netflix and your local Blockbuster

Moody, are you PMSing? 

ShirleyHughes wrote:

Herbie, you're brain is pretty quick.  I re-read the statement and see what you mean.  Of course it's almost 2:30 AM here.  I need to get to bed.  I need a life!

Shirley

If you were speaking to me TOO, I sort of got if after reading it again.  Don't forget....I'M S-L-O-W!

To tell you the truth I forgot about Palin and how horrible they treat/ed her.  I'm on Arimidex. LOL  Excuses! (for me).  And, I'm an old lady. 

No matter how he may misspeak, SNL will not be doing any skits about Biden...the segments aren't long enough to fit one of his sentances in.

Im too busy "coping a tude" to know if I'm PMSing or not.

Of course my post was directed to you and it was directed to Rock.  And you know why?  Because I can.........

And because you both can take it, and not really care what I think. 

AND because I felt sorry for spouse and he needs me to take up for him...................LMAO

I am so excited!  I found my TWO FAVORITE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD!

Maybe they will call it a gas fee so they can say they are not raising taxes!

Moody, girl, go work out and relieve some stress...  yes, that's the ticket, then we really won't like you when we find out you have rock hard abs!!!

Moody,,

 I am going to shop today as well. I found this woman who is selling European designs from her home at rather reasonable prices especially now that the dollar is higher. So I am going with a few of my friends. I hope she has some cute stuff at reasonable prices since my husband was laid off few months ago. I'll report later.

A few years ago I went to another lady's house and she was selling clothes by a designer who later on was sold at Nordstrom and other department stores. I got a few very cute pieces dirt cheap from her samples and I always get compliments on them.

Vivre,

 The designer clothes I bougth before were from a young American designer that was a friend of a friend. Today the designs are actually directly from Israel and are sold by an Israeli lady, so I think it's safe to say it will not benefit terrorists

Vivre, I think that ijl is saying that the clothes are from up and coming designers who are not yet targets for knockoffs, but will be soon.  I think that implies that she is another of the skinny ladies on this thread since those kinds of designs don't normally come in larger sizes, and evidently one with great taste as well.

I don't think I'll ever be one of them, but I would like to get past this weight loss plateau I seemed to run into in November.  I can't believe that it's January and we still have Christmas cookies in the house!  I think I need to send whatever's left back to school with DD, and maybe then I can jumpstart things again. 

Now I am really angry with Bush. Have you read that he pardoned a cayote who helped smuggling illegal immigrants but did not pardon border patrol agents Ignacio Compean and Jose Compean who were only doing their job by shooting a person trying to cross the border illegally. They actually only shot him in behind so he was not really seriously hurt. 

I spent the day playing golf.  I smoked a cigar, told non PC jokes and drank a couple of beers.  Other than admiring the tight buns on the the guy rolling the greens I felt almost back to my chauvinistic self.  So what the heck is going on with the positive Prozac thread.  Do they feel that they have the wit, intelligence and knowledge to pick a fight with Ladies such as Rock, Shirley, and ijl.  They have become toxic.  I guess I should not generalize on all of them, but these multi personalities that do not have the courage to put their name to their insults are the ones I am referring to.

Moody thank you for defending me.  I've always wanted a twiggie on steroids as a personal bodyguard.

Presidential pardons are a bane to justice. I don't care dems or reps they should be abolished. Just mho.

You're kidding me! IOU's for refunds?  OMG, then the first thing they should do is refuse to pay for the State Assemblymen and State Senators who refuse to balance our budget.  And don't pay Arnold.  He's like the CEO of this "company" called California.  No reason he can't work for $1.  In fact, govenors and presidents make so much money AFTER they leave office, they should not get paid anyway since everyone will buy their books!!!!

MKE -- I'm with you about the pardons.  I think Ford giving Nixon a pardon was a travesty.

Harley, I have seen you're pic and you are beautiful.

I've seen Shirley's pics too and she thinks she is not beautiful but I sure do!  I also think she has the most beautiful family, especially Cowboy!