McCain asks supporters to oppose stimulus bill
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/02/03/art.getty.mccain.head.jpg caption="The former Republican presidential nominee tapped into his campaign lists Tuesday, asking supporters to sign a petition in protest of the economic stimulus package."](CNN) –- Sen. John McCain enlists the help of online supporters through his political action committee, Country First. The former Republican presidential nominee tapped into his campaign lists Tuesday, asking supporters to sign a petition in protest of the economic stimulus package.
“I cannot and do not support the package on the table from the Democrats and the Obama Administration. Our country does not need just another spending bill, particularly not one that will load future generations with the burden of massive debt. We need a short term stimulus bill that will directly help people, create jobs, and provide a jolt to our economy,” McCain says in the e-mail. “I hope you will join me in saying no to this stimulus package as it currently exists by signing this petition.”
The Arizona senator’s request follows a similar message sent by President Obama to his online followers Monday. The president called on supporters to host gatherings or house parties to help push for the stimulus package.
McCain and nine other Senate Republicans met in Sen. Mel Martinez’s office Tuesday to discuss an alternative to the Democratic plan. The former Republican presidential candidate said the group is trying to improve the stimulus package to enable job growth.
My god. We're supposed to be beyond this partisan bickering. Didn't he learn ANYTHING in the recent past campaign that he LOST? Obama won and the Dems won because the American people, electorally and popularly, voted for change.
To all the politicians, Dems, Repubs, Indep, whatever you are. GET IT TOGETHER!!!!!
Translation of the GOP's blabber: "We don't want anything to be slow, steady, well thought out and a long-term solution...we want to get more Repubclians elected in 2010 so we need short-term, money-in-the-pocket vote-buying stimulus...who cares if it deflates in 4 years and leaves us back where we started? We'll just blame Obama at that point even though it's our fault."
And we should listen to the man who said he doesn't really know much about economics? The man who wanted Phil Gramm who could be argued as being one of the main, if not the main person responsible for our current economic problems to be the Sec. Tres.?
Go back to college and get an economics degree, John, and I might listen to you . . . maybe.
Now the Republicans have an idea for a stimulus? Where was it during the last eight years? How is ten billion dollars a day and billions more unaccounted for in Iraq. The Republicans will do everything in their power to sabotage Obama. McCain and the rest of the GOP can go to hell!
Sorry I didn't vote for McCain. Frankly I'm quite dissapointed with the 'change' that I thought would come to Washington. We now have an Attorney general that was directly involved in the pardoning of a criminal, we have a tax cheat heading the IRS – please don't tell me it's an honest mistake (you and I know better) and the 'ethics' proclamation from Obama apparently does not apply to everybody. The good news is that the tax cheating threshold is apparently about 34K not 100K.
Thank you, Senator McCain. I just signed the petition.
John McCain is trying to get back into good graces with his republican so called buddies. McCain is a sore loser and he has made up in his old and outdated mind he is not going to support Obama even if the stimulus package was different. It looks like Obama is going to have to play hardball or he won't be get anything done. Mr. President, the republicans ARE NOT interested in bipartisanship and besides Rush Limbaugh have already given them their marching orders. Obama may have lost this battle, but you can betcha he will win the war!
The money that this bill puts towards things like the National Endowment for the Arts is a drop in the barrel in the grand scheme of things....we do not need a SHORT TERM FIX...the current stimulus bill undoubtedly creates jobs immediately through such items as infrastructure funding and jobs for the long term such as funding rural broadband, digitizing health care records which also saves on health care cost, and redoing the electric grid...these are short and long term solutions that give jobs to a variety of people in a variety of fields....why the hell would I want 20-40 extra bucks a month in my paycheck when I probably will not even have a job by then...short term jolt, what fools!
McCain if we wanted your ideas, support, or help don't you think we would have voted for you instead of Obama? You and your Republicans are playing games with the lives of the Ameircan people, I don't know how you or the rest of you GOP members can sleep at night knowing that by playing your games people are losing their homes, jobs, and some are even killing their families and committing suisside............all because your last President got us into this crappy mess and now the rest of you are not willing to work with the new President to try to get us out of the mess that your GOP party got us into,.
JUST LIKE WHEN JOHN WENT BACK TO WASHGINTON TO FIX THINGS
I am so sick and tired of liberal lemmings calling republicans names simply because they are not rubber stamping bad legislation.
I voted for Obama, yet I have HUGE reservations about this stimulus package, especially in the light of how the 350 Billion vanished without a trace or no accountability.
This pressure tactic and sales pitch ("we have got to sign the bill and dispose of 1 trillion dollars today" mentality) is wearing thin on me.
@ Janice,
The Republicans did submit an alternative package,,, it was turned down by every single democrat.
Repubs need to take ONE Intro to Macroeconomics course and then talk – just one. Oh and please remind me what party controlled the Presidency for 20 out of 28 years?
Didn't he know that he lost the election?
How can his plan be adopted? He is not working with the Administration for the sake of people.
Only stupid people with shallow thoughts will sign the petition.
We need a stimulus package urgently. Obama's plan is still better than no plan or Mc Cain's.
neither he nor his republican cronies can offer anything , work in a bi partisan fashion , sit in their offices and go before the media and complain and complain and obstruct. we the american people are suffering, people are losing jobs everyday for mistakes both the democrats and republicans made. stop blaming obama for the failure of the bank stimulus package and help the workers you claim to represent. I am so sick of republicans like mccain , boehner , cantor, demint and mcconnell. i am sick of democrats like pelosi, and reid. retire them all so we can have the change we so deserve.
I signed the petition because it's a huge spending bill that will not help stimulate the economy.
McCain continues to be an aimless political "maverick," willing to take any stance, regardless of its potential harm to the country. His
deliberate opposition to the so-called stimulus package is another overreach on his part, as his economic understanding, or lack thereof, was totally revealed in his "me-too" political campaign. He and his former running mate, Sarah Palin, are using any forum to keep themselves in the public eye hoping for another rematch in 2012.
Sorry, folks. By that time they'll both be long forgotton, just another weird footnote to history.
Put ur solutions out there on the floor...if the bill has some things in it you don't like propose an alternative. Losing the election does not mean you must play crybaby and oppose out of spite or to get in good grace with Rush...get on the floor and propose something!
So this is the guy that wanted to be President and lead, where to off a cliff? This is leadership, our country needs leadership not petty in fighting. President Obama and his advisors put this together with some of the most intelligent people in regards to economics both macro and micro. Sounds bites about this is just more politics as usual for the republicans who obvioulsy do not have a plan or the global economy would not be in the mess it is in!
Can somebody please send John back to the home and sedate him?
the bill stinks made by democrats who never pay taxes , full of foolsih pork and stupid ideas
John McCain should realize that he lost the election and support the ELECTED president in moving this country forward!
SORE LOOSER!
Nine others! My goodness, at this rate, they'll be ready for a filibuster any moment!
(snorts)
It's probably these nine who are holding ALL progress back.
While I agree that the bill needs to be reviewed and agreed upon (not unanimously, but it'd be nice to add some Repubs), IT SHOULD NOT BE DELAYED OUT OF SPITE AND CHILDISH GAMES.