Stimulating Legislation

President Obama's stimulus package - I hate that term, it makes legislation sound like a birthday present - passed the House tonight without a single Republican vote. If it works, the Republicans will look awfully silly and President Obama will look heroic - not just for getting behind a successful program, but for having reached out to Republicans when they had the chance to join with him and left them behind when they refused to come along. And the GOP will look like a bunch of fools.

But will it work? The government will be spending $825 billion, and despite the increased social spending and tax breaks, far less money will go to infrastructure spending as originally envisioned. Obama insists that this is merely a down payment on future projects, but it's highly unlikely he'll e able to spend so freely and with such leeway after this, given necessary fiscal restraints.

Meanwhile, even as noted book-banning wolf killer Sarah Palin starts a political action committee to help conservative Republican candidates, Rush Limbaugh actually has congressmen who dare to criticize him apologizing on his show. If you thought Obama's victory in November neutralized the National Front wing of the GOP, think again.