Following the news on the stimulus package, the enthusiasm I had after Barack Obama was elected and sworn in has declined precipitously.  I thought that part of the reason that Obama was elected is that America wanted an intelligent person in charge of the country.  However, the Republicans and the national news media (who still book about a third more GOPers on news and talk shows, despite the 2008 election results) don't want intelligent discourse.

Instead, all I see, hear, and read is a procession of stultifying ignorance.  For example, today Senator John McCain was on the Senate floor critiquing provisions of the bill.  McCain expressed scorn for a $50 million grant to the National Endowment for the Arts.  He said he didn't understand how this would create jobs.

Geez, John, I dunno...maybe by giving money to artists, who aren't exactly rolling in dough, who will create artistic works while also buying consumer goods that will help other sectors of the economy.  You see, if an artist can make a living making art, she's not unemployed and competing with the millions of other Americans who, thanks to your party's policies, are now looking for work.  If anyone might realize this, it should be you (and Senator Byrd), since you were around when FDR did the same thing and it worked.

You can find dozens upon dozens of examples of this shit-for-brains thinking on the GOP side of the aisle.  I'm not saying that every provision in the bill is perfect.  But most of the attacks are directed towards things that will create jobs. 

Yet they want tax breaks.  Because that worked so well the last eight years.  It's depressingn to read about the $100 billion+ cuts made by so-called "moderates" which tilt towards those who are better off, instead of the poor and lower class, who will do a much better job of helping our economy get better.

The Republicans pretty much only think in terms of politics as opposed to solutions.  And the Democrats are going to allow them to damage the best likely solution to the biggest crisis of my generation.