Obama, Pelosi to Discuss Scope of Economic Package

[Pirate Smile]

Source: Washington Post

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.

-snip-
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.




Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/31/AR2008123102897.html?hpid=moreheadlines

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[bemildred]

2. It's going to be interesting to see how Obama tries to apply the heat.

The Congress by itself will not do a thing to bail out the people.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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[RCinBrooklyn]

4. Obama can talk to her, but her track record shows she'll do what Bush says - all the time.

[Inuca]

8. That's absurd

Being critical is one thing, but making sweeping and completely ridiculous statements like this is silly. Not to mention that Bush will not say much of anything in 3 weeks.

[Zaidinit]

5. How about we consult the American people on what they need?

I think that'd be the best course of action. I'm having a feeling these meetings are not going to produce what people want, much like the bailout designed by largely the same characters.

[onehandle]

6. I will enjoy watching President Obama and Speaker Pelosi working closely together.

Enjoy watching DUers heads explode over it as well.

Already two deleted posts in this thread.

Heh heh.

[EconomicLiberal]

7. Nancy can improve her reputation with a strong performance in the next two years.

She's always been right on pretty much every issue, and now that her boyfriend will be gone after January 20th, maybe she can get back to doing what helped her become the highest ranking House representative in this country, and that is being a strong and unapologetic liberal.

[Hotler]

9. Nancy is worthless. That is all.

[fascisthunter]

10. Corporate Pelosi will do what's best for...

Wall Street and her cocktail club I'm sure.

Pelosi's legacy=Bush Years

[Better Believe It]

11. Oh No! The Republicans might threaten a filibuster against the package

I guess that means Pelosi and Reid will cave in to the Republicans demands.

The Republicans don't want a huge stimulus. Without it, Obama will be a one term President.

If the Democrats fail to win this one, that would mean Obama is toast.

Let's hope they show some backbone.

So what if Republicans filibuster?

Let them.

What's the problem?

All filibusters end.

[fascisthunter]

12. The "Fear" of a Filibuster is a Cop-Out

I don't believe a fucking word from either Pelosi or Reid.