Americans are probably wondering why the rebate checks we’ve been talking about now for almost a month are still being debated on the floor of the Senate, and we owe them an answer. Two weeks ago they saw what looked like a bipartisan agreement between Democrats and Republicans in Congress and the White House over the details of a deal.
Speaker Pelosi and Leader Boehner, to their great credit, resisted the temptation to add pet projects that they knew would only slow the package down — and rob it of its simulative effect. This package had to be targeted and it had to be timely, or it wouldn’t work at all.
Here was a rare situation when both parties agreed to put politics and individual interests aside and come together for the good of the people. But then the stimulus bullet train turned into a rickety stage coach here in the Senate.
Senate Democrats couldn’t do what House Democrats had done. They couldn’t resist — just once — a chance to play politics. These are precisely the kind of shenanigans Americans had been hoping we could get past this year.
I don’t think Americans care one bit whether this bill has a Republican or a Democratic stamp on it. They are completely fed up with political gotcha. Americans want — and deserve — results.