The President of the United States insults our intelligence. The Washington Post reports:
President Obama today announced "unprecedented restrictions" aimed at
deterring lobbyists from influencing projects under a massive economic
stimulus plan and vowed that recovery efforts will not become "an
excuse for waste and abuse."
Pledging to create "a new culture of accountability" with the $787
billion stimulus package, Obama told a gathering of state lawmakers
that his administration "will do everything in our power" to prevent
taxpayer dollars from slipping through the cracks and being diverted
from projects that create jobs. To set an example, he said, he rejected
a recent proposal to use funds under the stimulus plan, officially
called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to modernize old
electrical and heating systems in the East Wing of the White House.
"This is a much-needed project; it is long overdue, and I hope
Congress funds it in the future," Obama told the National Conference of
State Legislatures in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to
the White House. "But because this request does not meet the high
standards I have set — because it will not create many jobs or advance
our recovery — it will not be funded under the Recovery Act."
Do you get it? We don't have to worry. Everything in his power! And the Prez isn't even using this opportunity to get his house worked on. (Boy it was different back in Chicago, wasn't it?).
But how exactly is this bit of infrastructure spending different from what's in the spending package? Why will those project create lots of jobs but this one won't?
