Reply #76: OK. [View All]

[phantom power]

Here's what Obama should have done. He should have called a meeting with the entire Dem caucus, and said to them:

"I want each and every Democrat in the Senate to vote 'yes' on this stimulus bill. Your constituents are losing 100 thousand jobs each week. Our economy is in an extremely dangerous deflationary spiral. The Fed has already shot its clip. This bill is already pre-compromised more than it ought to be, right out of the gate. If any of you waste my time by voting 'no' on this bill, I will hold a press conference every day, calling you out, by name, as obstructing this bill, and asking your constituents to put pressure on you to pass it."

To the GOP caucus, he gives pretty much the same speech, except he says that he will call them out publicly if they attempt to filibuster.

Meanwhile, he holds press conferences, publishes op-eds, and maybe buys radio time, to start explaining directly to Americans why this is so important and why the govt is the spender of last resort, especially after the prime rate is already dropped to zero, and why tax-cuts will not do shit to stimulate the economy.

That is what would get him the party discipline to push this past the obstructionist GOP minority.