GOP: Releasing TARP Funds "Irresponsible"

By: Michelle Levi
Topics: Economy

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) told CBS News' Bob Schieffer that he thinks President-elect Barack Obama is sincere in his request to work with House and Senate Republicans on economic recovery plans. However, on Face The Nation this morning, Boehner asserted that taxes will not be a part of this new economic package.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has said otherwise.

(CBS)

"Clearly the most important part is allowing American families and small business to keep more of what they earn," he said, adding that these savings would be reinvested in the economy and that no one would have to wait for a check from the government to arrive.

Pelosi has warned that she would keep the House of Representatives in session through the February recess should a conclusion not be reached in economic recovery legislation. Earlier this week, Boehner said, he thought that deadline was reasonable.

But today he admitted to Schieffer than he is not convinced a "responsible" allocation of federal money can be completed that quickly.

Boehner also said that he did not think the remaining TARP funds (approximately $350 billion) should be released. "Until there is a demonstrated need and a plan to address those needs," he said, "it would be irresponsible to release those funds."

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by lochlan-2009 January 12, 2009 5:08 PM EST: So the Republicans were spending like a woman with her husbands credit card, these last eight years, and the Democrats are going to be cutting taxes. Something seems a little twisted here.; Reply to this comment


by mytoosense January 12, 2009 1:21 PM EST: George Bush:

"It''s My $350 Billion, I begged the American people for it, It''s Mine, Mine, Mine and I''m not going to allow Obama to do something useful with it, I''m going to give it to my Rich friends with no strings attached while I still can.

Uncle *****, is it lunch time yet?"; Reply to this comment


by quickly101 January 12, 2009 12:47 PM EST: Don''t you just love the republicans? Anything not for the fat cats and their opposed to it.; Reply to this comment


by djconklin January 12, 2009 12:33 PM EST: "It a day late and dollar short for the repugs to play conservative now. These guys have spent close to 10 trillion over the past 8 years."

Actually, we were $1 trillion in debt before Reagan''s voodoo economics took center stage in our thinking. And some of the $9 trillion was under Clinton.

"19 more republican senate seats on the ballot in 2010."

You got that right! The good old boys don''t seem to learn.; Reply to this comment


by spiritwalk January 12, 2009 12:21 PM EST: In 2008 Hilary Clinton was defeated by being subjected to blogs about how she was totally incapable of dealing with foreign policy and then, when appointed to be Secretary of Defense was reversed bloged to be shown she was the best person to deal with foreign policy.
Posted by spiritwalk
................
Correction, I meant Hilary as Secreatry of STATE! Sorry! I was thinking ahead about saying how well the blogs worked to make keeping Robert Gates at Defense seem to fit in with the idea of "change"; Reply to this comment


by spiritwalk January 12, 2009 11:55 AM EST: Only fools will follow fools .....both parties are full of both.
Posted by tincup356
----------------------------

I think that history will come to show that is not true. There are some incredibly intelligent people in the political parties.
I think the late Republican strategist Lee Atwater will be remembered by history of one of the most significant thinkers in American politics.
Atwater maintained that it was folly to actually present and debate political issues. He said that campaigns should focus on quick and changing personal attacks on points that were hard to disprove, would appeal to base instincts and reduce the process to one of confusion and false impressions. And, remember, he came up with this idea before the coming of the blogosphere, which turned out to be the perfect medium for transmitting the confusion and false impressions.
In 2004 Navy veteran John Kerry was subjected to the %u201Cswift-boat%u201D blogs and he ended up being perceived as having ducked out on his military service obligation.
In 2008 Hilary Clinton was defeated by being subjected to blogs about how she was totally incapable of dealing with foreign policy and then, when appointed to be Secretary of Defense was reversed bloged to be shown she was the best person to deal with foreign policy.
To develop a system to be able to manipulate public opinion and literally hand the process of manipulation over the public is the work of a genius.; Reply to this comment


by tincup356 January 12, 2009 11:11 AM EST: Only fools will follow fools .....both parties are full of both.; Reply to this comment


by spiritwalk January 12, 2009 10:32 AM EST: Why do people with a 6th grade education try to post on here. GO BACK TO SCHOOL SPARKY... LEARN TO READ!! The poster didn''''t say OBAMA was going to be TRANSPARENT MORON! They said "Obama is calling for Transparency"! God were do these losers come from.
Posted by irmcvet971

-----------------------------
transparency: the state or quality of being transparent

I wasn''t saying anything about Obama, I was merely commenting on the changing of the definition of the word. It was not in anyway a comment on Obama but merely on our changing perceptions of what we mean with the words we use.
By the time I got to 6th grade I learned that the first thing is to read and think about what was being said from a critical thinking process and apply the concept of ascertaining the facts presented and not adding factors not stated within the context of what is written.
Second, I learned that in a critical debating response not to resort to insult and name calling as that was a reflection of my response being from a position of emotional ejaculation and not a thoughtful evaluation of the points presented and a intelligent presentation of a lucid counterpoint.
I assume therefore, if I had of gone on to the 7th grade I would have learned as you did, to take a merely cursory look at what was presented and respond in a aggressive and insulting manner in order to gain a sense of illusory power and sense of self-worth.
I will take you example in the future and speak before thinking.; Reply to this comment


by sleepyric January 12, 2009 10:32 AM EST: Now the GOP switches from spend, spend, spend for Bush, to playing the role of conservatives. It''s all political theatre. Boehner is just playing politics trying to save his stinking party. They don''t care about this country, all they care about is their precious GOP and it''s image. I don''t believe a word any republican says.; Reply to this comment


by irmcvet971 January 12, 2009 9:57 AM EST: Let''''s see . . .

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ to Big Biz -- GOOD!

$0000000000000000 to the individual -- BAAAAAAD!

It''''s the same ol'''' Rethuglican Song -- the same one they''''ve been singing since they came into existence, revised in the 1920s before the Crash of ''''29, and brought back to life in the 1950s, and again during St. Ronnie''''s regime in the 80s.

It''''s never worked, and will never work b/c it''''s based on a flawed premise.

The rich only "trickle down" debt, nothing more.

Posted by imprisonrove at 05:50 AM : Jan 12, 2009

Yep!! Sounds like you have the REPUBLICAN LIE down pretty good there!!; Reply to this comment