Thanks For Stopping By

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Krugman says the Dems -- and the little guy -- got punked in the stimulus deal.  And another bad sign: Reid is only referring to it as "a first step," suggesting he wasn't much involved.  As he told The Times:

“The secretary of the Treasury has understood, the president has understood, the speaker has understood that when it comes over here (to the Senate), we are going to take another look at it.”

Harry, you left the barn door open!

Anyway, I was studying newswire pics of the deal announcement (featuring Pelosi, sandwiched between the House Republican leader and the Republican Treasury Secretary), already thinking they looked overly one-sided, when the story of the deal hit the NYT on-line, led by the pic above.

Hmmm, and double hmmm.

The billion dollar question here is how much the real estate informs the politics.  In other words, if the White House is red and the House and Senate are blue, why is it this bipartisan effort is going down at the House minority leader's office?  Is the message in the geography that, once again, in avoiding a turf battle, the Dems have ceded their own?  And then, as if to highlight the power play, Paulson, oozing with authority and holding down the center, controls a whole hallway, while Boehner gets to hang out next to his title banner and name plate, while Nancy (otherwise know as "anonymous")  lacks any standing of her own.

Stimulus Gone Bad (Krugman/Opinion - NYT)
image from: Bush and House in Accord for $150 Billion Stimulus (NYT)

(image: Brendan Smialowski for The New York Times.  January 25, 2008.  Washington.  nytimes.com)

Comments

[Neal]

A picture of inside players, power and twisted arms.

Krugman should know that this is an election year.

Who does the money go to? It goes to the people who must be wooed and placated.

When have the really poor ever had it easy here? Giving them some money now will not change their attitude or beliefs. They're an old story and have, for the most part, accepted their role.

On the other hand, with the effects of the real estate inflation coming home to roost--falling home prices (no more ATM in every house), foreclosures, job cutbacks (a lot of white-collar jobs have gone, sinking 401k values, no savings, higher gas, higher food prices--the "middle" class and "upper-middle" class are worried and feeling the financial stretch.

While it was OK to let Katrina take away New Orleans, because those people were "not really America", the financial hurricane that is still offshore, must be responded to, and the response MUST be felt by the middle classes. After all, these people are the "heart and soul" of the political process--this holds true for the Democrats, as well as the Republicans. Therefore, the response will be quick--cash in hand--the sign of parental love in modern times.

Both parties speak of an aspirational America, where poverty is a sign of unfitness and possibly even traitorous. If the middle class can be prevented from slipping into this discontented class, all will be well with the existing system.

When the financial hurricane finally comes ashore, the financial devastation of America will be as severe to the middle class as Katrina was to the urban poor, and the fistful of dollars will not protect the middle class.

[MonsieurGonzo]

i know you decided to end it, baby, but c'mon ~ one more time, for old time's sake. c'mon. yeah, that's it, yeah. get down there, on your knees, baby, and... yeah. one more time, uh-huh. >SLAP!< who's your Daddy? yeah! oooh!

[tekel]

ha ha ha ha, MonsieurGonzo, that's perfect.

Athought this bribery-as-economic-stimulus package will put money in the hands of homeowners, it's not going to do a damn thing to change the macroeconomic flaws in the real estate markets. Unfortunately for Nancy and Harry, encouraging the ten to twenty million Americans who are upside-down on their mortgages to simply walk away and let the banks drown in their own CDO shitpile is a political non-starter.

Financial irresponsibility is only OK when you're a multinational corporation. Or a government.

[jtfromBC]

in a predatory economic system
whats in this stimulus package ?
...well there's

savings to the thrifty
scraps for workers
crumbs to the poor
and still no economic right
of return for Katrina refugees
...for starters

[Mad_nVT]

Paulson may be trying to "lower" himself a little, so as to be more at Pelosi's eye level. But in so doing he is showing power/control by being relaxed. And he is plugging the hallway. And still talking down to Pelosi.

Boehner attempts to lord it over Pelosi also, his stance is slightly aggressive.

Two on one, and the males are doing the talking. Pelosi is on the defense, no back-up visible.

End result-- because of general spinelessness and perhaps because of interactions such as this--- once again, the Democrats cave in.

[itwasntme]

This photo makes me cringe. Nancy needs to get a pair of high heels, while Harry just needs to get a pair.