Obama Plan Oinks, But Just A Little

AP Fact Check: Claim That $800B-Plus Package Is Pork-Free Technically True, But Special Interests Remain

(AP)  At least Route 31 is a road to somewhere.

President Barack Obama had it both ways when he promoted his stimulus plan in Indiana and later at a prime-time news conference. He bragged in Indiana about getting Congress to produce a package with no pork, yet boasted it will do good things for a Hoosier highway and a downtown overpass, just the kind of local projects lawmakers lard into big spending bills.

Mr. Obama's sales pitch on the enormous package he wants Congress to make law has sizzle as well as steak. He's projecting job creation numbers that may be impossible to verify and glossing over some ethical problems that bedeviled his team.

In recent years, the so-called Bridge to Nowhere in Alaska came to symbolize the worst excesses of congressional earmarks, a device that allows a member of Congress to add money for local projects in legislation, practically under the radar.

Nothing so bold, or specific, as that now-discarded bridge project is contained in the stimulus package. That's not to say the package steers clear of waste or parochial interests. Mr. Obama played to such interests Monday, speaking at one point as if he'd come to fill potholes.

A look at some of Mr. Obama's claims in Elkhart, Ind., and the news conference called to make his case to the largest possible audience:

OBAMA: "Not a single pet project," he told the news conference. "Not a single earmark."

THE FACTS: There are no "earmarks," as they are usually defined, inserted by lawmakers in the bill. Still, some of the projects bear the prime characteristics of pork - tailored to benefit specific interests or to have thinly disguised links to local projects.

For example, the latest version contains $2 billion for a clean-coal power plant with specifications matching one in Mattoon, Ill., $10 million for urban canals, $2 billion for manufacturing advanced batteries for hybrid cars, and $255 million for a polar icebreaker and other "priority procurements" by the Coast Guard.

Mr. Obama told his Elkhart audience that Indiana will benefit from work on "roads like U.S. 31 here in Indiana that Hoosiers count on." He added, "And I know that a new overpass downtown would make a big difference for businesses and families right here in Elkhart."

U.S. 31 is a north-south highway serving South Bend, 15 miles from Elkhart in the northern part of the state.

OBAMA: "My bottom line is, are we creating 4 million jobs?" he told the news conference.

He said in Indiana, "The plan that we've put forward will save or create 3 million to 4 million jobs over the next two years."

THE FACTS: Job creation projections are uncertain even in stable times, and some of the economists relied on by Mr. Obama in making his forecast acknowledge a great deal of uncertainty in their numbers.

The president's own economists, in a report prepared last month, stated, "It should be understood that that all of the estimates presented in this memo are subject to significant margins of error."

Beyond that, it's unlikely the nation will ever know how many jobs are saved as a result of the stimulus. While it's clear when jobs are abolished, there's no economic gauge that tracks job preservation.

OBAMA: "They'll be jobs building the wind turbines and solar panels and fuel-efficient cars that will lower our dependence on foreign oil and modernizing our costly health care system that will save us billions of dollars and countless lives."

THE FACTS: The economic stimulus bill would allocate about $20 billion to help hospitals and doctors transition from paper charts to electronic health records for their patients. Research has shown that in some instances, electronic record keeping can eliminate inappropriate services and improve care, but it's not a sure thing by any means. "By itself, the adoption of more health IT is generally not sufficient to produce significant cost savings," the Congressional Budget Office reported last year.

OBAMA: "I've appointed hundreds of people, all of whom are outstanding Americans who are doing a great job. There are a couple who had problems before they came into my administration, in terms of their taxes. ... I made a mistake. ... I don't want to send the signal that there are two sets of rules."

THE FACTS: Two of his appointees, former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle for health and human services secretary and Nancy Killefer as Mr. Obama's chief compliance officer, dropped out after reports they had not paid a portion of their taxes.

Mr. Obama previously acknowledged he "screwed up" in making it seem to Americans that there is one set of tax compliance rules for VIPs and another set for everyone else. Yet his choice for treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, achieved the post despite having belatedly paid $34,000 to the IRS, an agency Geithner now oversees.

That could leave the perception that there is one set of rules for Geithner and another set for everyone else.

OBAMA: "We also inherited the most profound economic emergency since the Great Depression."

THE FACTS: This could turn out to be the case. But as bad as the economic numbers are, the unemployment figures have not reached the levels of the early 1980s, let alone the 1930s - yet. A total of 598,000 payroll jobs vanished in January - the most in nearly 35 years - and the unemployment rate jumped to 7.6 from 7.2 percent the month before. The most recent high was 7.8 percent in June 1992.

And the jobless rate was 10.8 percent in November and December 1982. Unemployment in the Great Depression ranged for several years from 25 percent to close to 30 percent.

[bill3980]

well just like old times the pols have screwed us again. people had better wake up and start looking at other alternatives for their representatives. who we have in washington now think they are gods.

[margreta-2009]

THE PRESIDENT MADE HIMSELF VERY CLEAR,WHEN HE SAID YES WE CAN CHANGE,,,,,,WE VOTED HIM IN OFFICE, WE VOTED THE SENATORS, AND CONGRESS IN OFFICE, WITHOUT THE PEOPLE NO ONE WOULD BE IN OFFICE.........THINK ABOUT THE AMERICA PEOPLE,WHAT IF THE SENATORS AND CONGRESS WALKED A MILE IN THE PEOPLE''S SHOES, NO JOB, OR LOSING JOB, NO HOME,OR LOSS HOME,NO FOOD TO BUY,NO MONEY TO BUY FOOD......COME ON PEOPLE IN WASHINGTON D.C. DON''T BE HYPOCRITES, WE SAID YES WE CAN,THE PRESIDENT SAID IT WOULDN''T BE EASY BUT TOGETHER WE CAN HAVE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE THE AMERICA DREAM, HAVE A EXCELLENT JOB, A BEAUTIFUL HOME, A NICE AUTOMOBILE,ABLE TO SAVE A LITTLE MONEY, GIVE SOME MONEY, TITHE SOME MONEY, AND BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER...WAKE UP CONGRESS, WAKE UP SENATORS IF YOU ARE TRULY FOR THE PEOPLE,THAN BE FOR THE PEOPLE,THE UNITED STATES IS A RICH COUNTRY,AND EVERYONE HERE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LIVE THE AMERICA DREAM,,,,,,,,MR.PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, YOU ARE A GOOD MAN, I BELIEVE YOU ARE A GOOD PRESIDENT,AND AN EXCELLENT LEADER, GOD BLESS IN JESUS NAME.

[bailey241]

the latest version contains $2 billion for a clean-coal power plant with specifications matching one in Mattoon, Ill., $10 million for urban canals, $2 billion for manufacturing advanced batteries for hybrid cars, and $255 million for a polar icebreaker and other "priority procurements" by the Coast Guard.
this is the lastest nit pick from the republicans who request 42% worth of tax cuts and did not vote for the stimulis, they only want to do what newt/ rove direct them to do...it shows what a bunch of out of touch a-holes they are. so afraid of progress they rather take us back to dark ages than see obama succeed.
we are paying for a war that cost trillions of dollars.. remember BUSH put us in this mess.. a/p is angry due to they cannot write the narrative any more on obama. read for yourself.

[antonio_28]

"Plan oinks, but just a little"? The whole plan oinks! A pork plan that creates very few jobs? A trillion that will be borrowed from China? We are the fools who will be paying for this oinker for decades with new taxes!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Mihann

I bet your stupid azz didn''t compalin about the still growing price tag on the Iraq War, right? You are just against this because your type do not want to see Obama or the country successful. If you supported this stupid war, shut your stupid mouth. This is an investment into America (not Bush and friends pockets like the Iraq War)

[mihann]

"Plan oinks, but just a little"? The whole plan oinks! A pork plan that creates very few jobs? A trillion that will be borrowed from China? We are the fools who will be paying for this oinker for decades with new taxes!

[mihann]

"Plan oinks, but just a little"? The whole plan oinks! A pork plan that creates very few jobs? A trillion that will be borrowed from China? We are the fools who will be paying for this oinker for decades with new taxes!

[antonio_28]

Time to eliminate the middle man and take the fatcat republicans out of the equation - the taxpayers of this country can''''''''''''''''t afford to contimue with GOP policies that allow the wealthy to skim off the top before any money trickles down to the places that it''''''''''''''''s really needed.

Posted by Strangeworld

The best post I read today. I personally wish that we could load up all neocons and send them directly to GITMO, or somewhere else beside US soil. I suggest GITMO because I know of no other country that would like to have their kind in their midst (unless Hell was a country and not an underworld - they would be right at home there)..LOL

[antonio_28]

If you are a conservative and you supported Bush''s illegal, wasteful war in Iraq which is rapidly growing to a trillon dollars, how on earth can you be against re-investing in America? You nutty loons make no sense. You have so much selfishness and greed, that you would rather sleep in a cave than to see people get help. I am inclined to hate your kind but I rather pray for you. Poor, pathetic souls!

[spiritwalk]

Obama..Says NO PORK..I guess if it smells like pork,tastes like pork,and Oinks...
Posted by sirmarion
......................

This article is either an indication of how much things have changed since the election or how serious things have gotten.

If an article with a title like this had of appeared during the election CBS would have been lambasted for making an ethic slur about a black man giving up his pork. (remember "lip stick on a pig")

But, nobody is playing the race card now, just the color card. The color is green and everybody is scared that they won''t have any.

Now if the people would just get tough and go after the politicians trying to divide up the pork and make them show us the beef we might get somewhere.

[tmittelstaed]

"...Could someone explain to me how Obama''''s plan is different from Bush''''s. All I see are politicians suposedly pouring tons of money into the economy (while tons of it mysteriously dissappear on the way)in the hope of kickstarting investor spending again..."

Simple. Obamas plan pours money into infrastructure projects that benefit Democrats. Bush''s plan poured money into infrastructure that mostly benefited Republicans.

Bush''s plan failed because the Republicans that got the money (the banks) ended up sticking it in the vault and sitting on it, or using it to pay for things (defaulted houses) that the money had already been spent on 2-4 years ago.

A stimulus plan only works if the money is spent the year it''s received. Hopefully that will happen with Obama''s. WHAT the money is spent on isn''t as important as merely spending it, quickly.

"...Sounds like trickle down (or p*** on them) economics to me...."

Trickle down works like this, you give tax cuts to rich people to make them even richer, in the hope that they will spend more of their money. There''s of course no guarantee they simply won''t sit on their money. It doesn''t work in a recession because in a recession nobody is making money, everyone is declaring losses, and you don''t pay taxes on losses, so a tax cut when your already not paying taxes makes no difference.

[sirmarion-2009]

Obama..Says NO PORK..I guess if it smells like pork,tastes like pork,and Oinks...Than its chicken? Billions in wasteful spending,Bailouts for States that mis-managed their budgets,no oversight on money to States..Free Medical,Free Tution,Free Education and Free legal advice for illegals and their kids,Social programs paid for by Tax payers for NON-Americans.

[inketolstoy]

hope all these hypocrites criticizing the Reinvestment Plan were against the Illegal Wars and the Corporate Welfare Bank Bailout.

Says the hypocrit agians illegal wars and corporate welfare bank bailout who is for the reinvestment plan.

[noloyalisti]

I hope all these hypocrites criticizing the Reinvestment Plan were against the Illegal Wars and the Corporate Welfare Bank Bailout.

[spiritwalk]

I''''m still flabberghasted that a Democratic majority in the Senate was compelled to make major upper class welfare changes to this stimilus bill....
And WHAT REASON ON EARTH would a SINGLE REPLUBLICAN in the House.....
Posted by samael2014
..........................
Let''s try a basebal analogy.

The Republicans are the Yankees players and the Democrats are the Red Sox players. The stimulus package is steroid testing.

On the field they compete to see who gets to the World Series (the White House).

But, when the s@#t goes down they are all united in trying to keep anyone from having to actually pi## in the cup. If one goes down they all go down and the extra little shot in the arm (pork and payoffs) goes away.

[inketolstoy]

Obama Plan Oinks, But Just A Little

America, sure it sounds like a pig, and maybe smells like a pig, but trust me American when I tell you it isn''t a pig.

[inketolstoy]

Time to eliminate the middle man and take the fatcat republicans out of the equation - the taxpayers of this country can''''''''t afford to contimue with GOP policies that allow the wealthy to skim off the top before any money trickles down to the places that it''''''''s really needed.

Posted by Strangeworld

Could someone explain to me how Obama''s plan is different from Bush''s. All I see are politicians suposedly pouring tons of money into the economy (while tons of it mysteriously dissappear on the way)in the hope of kickstarting investor spending again. Sounds like trickle down (or p*** on them) economics to me.

[spiritwalk]

BTW - china doesn''''''''t employ child labor as much as India and SEA countires. China has bowed to US pressure and has enforced child labor laws. thats what a strong economic tie can do that a weak one can''''''''t.

Posted by jimmyc1955 at 02:40 PM : Feb 10, 2009

I don''''t believe your statement.

Cite your soruces.

Posted by HSinCO
---------------------------------

Use common sense. China has a one child per couple policy, India has an out of control birth rate.
If China''s birth rate is at a rate of about 1:1 and India is a rate of 5:1, which country will have the largest pool of child labor?
Chinese businesses are internally controlled, US companies are going to India find labor. Do you think Nike really expects to find adults to sew up its soccer balls. They go there to get kids to sew them for a penny a piece.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but when your kid is out working up a sweat kicking around a soccer ball it is with a ball that was made with the sweat of a kid in India.
And nobody is going to be taking the kid in India out for smoothies when he is finished for the day.

[spiritwalk]

''''You wanted fast an conveinent and you got it. The loss of the other things was the sacrifice you didn''''''''t know you would have to make. Sorry.''''

I wanted fast for the things I didn''''t care about. And slow for the things I did.
Posted by arthur117

------------------------------
Your mistake was thinking that business is about giving the customer what they want.

Business is about providing what the most customers will accept at the highest price they will pay.

In business its is called the lowest common denominator, in politics and advertising it is called mass appeal, in education it is called dumbing down.

If educations continues to do the job it is intended to do you will be dumbed down to the point where you will accept what the give you, at a price it isn''t worth and you won''t have to go out and vote, the polls will decide who gets elected.

Some of us think the plan has already succeeded.

[hsinco-2009]

Citizens of Elkhart, Ind. why did you waste your time listening to Hussein spew more lies to you and your state. There is no money in his so-called stimulus plan to help you or anyone else in America. It is all money to pay back ACORN and God knows who else that bought the White House for him. That is why they are calling it "pork barrel spending". It is payback time and they are pressing him big time. He acts like everyone that has lost their job works in construction. His only interest is creating (which will not happen) construction jobs. Where does that leave other people in different job classifications.

Posted by seriousinusa at 03:05 PM : Feb 10, 2009

You are full of *****!

[hsinco-2009]

BTW - china doesn''''t employ child labor as much as India and SEA countires. China has bowed to US pressure and has enforced child labor laws. thats what a strong economic tie can do that a weak one can''''t.

Posted by jimmyc1955 at 02:40 PM : Feb 10, 2009

I don''t believe your statement.

Cite your soruces.