I’ve learned that it’s important to speak to people in their own language. And earlier today, as you’ve seen, I noted Sen. Thune’s explanation of the problems with the president’s Stimulus Bill judged on the basis of how high the number of dollars would be if you stacked them on top of each other. (Thune pegs the dollar number at $1 trillion by adding the estimated interest on the borrowed dollars over time.)
So what we’ve done here is do an apples to apples comparison of current unemployment numbers to the stimulus spending number using the Thune Stacking Formula as a basis of comparison. Here we have dollars stacked on top of each other versus current number of unemployed Americans stacked on top of each other.
Honestly, I’m not sure I yet understand the logic of stacking as a point of comparison. But this is my effort to reach out and work in a bipartisan framework.
Late Update: This post inspired by an email from TPM Reader JD.
One of our longtime conservative faves, Barbara Comstock, is taking what seems like a step down to run for the Virginia House of Delegates. We recount some of her career highlights, from the anti-Clinton glory days to the Scooter Libby legal defense fund.
Coleman tries to use the Bush v. Gore decision to wrangle his way back into the senate. Doesn’t work.
With everything else that’s going on, I’m sure glad we’re building this moronic border fence.
It occurred to me while reading Politico’s interview with Dick Cheney, that the GOP’s plan to regain political viability in the short term rests on two disaster scenarios: the failure of the financial rescue efforts (stimulus, TARP, and other bailouts) to stave off complete economic collapse and a new mass casualty terrorist attack — both of which they are positioning themselves to blame Obama for.
Without one of those two, they have to figure it’s going to be a long time wandering in the political wilderness. Now think about the curdling effect, the blight on the soul that comes with rooting for such disasters to befall your country. The rot is now eating at the party’s very core.
The GOP races Joe the Plumber to Capitol Hill for private advice on how to save themselves. That and the day’s other news in the TPMDC Morning Roundup.