Generational Theft Act/Porkapalooza Bill Passes House

Well, it's official. Earlier this evening, the House passed the Generational Theft Act/Porkapalooza bill, 244-188.

The first step in dooming the American economy...check!

There is a silver lining, however: not a single Republican voted for it.

This is a tremendously good sign for the resurgence of the Republican party as the party of smaller government and fiscal responsibility. Michelle Malkin says it well:

This crap sandwich is all yours, Dems.

Own it. Embrace it. Swallow it. The House version of the $1.1 trillion Generational Theft Act of 2009 is all the Democrats’ doing now.

[And...]

I’ve been doing a lot of B.O. (Barack Obama/Bend Over) Republican-bashing the past few weeks. Watching the Republicans crumble on the Geithner and Holder nominations, swoon over The One’s congeniality, and display indecision over the stimulus hasn’t been easy on the stomach or the head.

But credit must be given where it is due. Today was a very good day for conservatism — and a good day for the party whose logo I’ve had to run upside-down for too long.

Thank you, GOP.

It’s a sad state of affairs when I can tally the number of notably good days for the Republican Party on one hand over the past two years: the defeat of shamnesty, the (temporary) prevention of massive S-CHIP expansion, last summer’s Drill, Baby, Drill revolt on the House floor. Fortunately, the GOP held the line this evening in a remarkable, powerful way. They may have lost the vote, but they sent a lasting message. They took a stand for principle and posterity. They reclaimed their brand as the party of small government, low taxes, and fiscal responsibility. They restored their damaged credibility.

And guess what? It didn’t take a lot of fancy new slogans or flashy, high-tech tools or slick, high-priced strategists. They simply united and said “NO.” They slammed their foot on the brakes in a Congress full of reckless, panicky drivers. They peeled off 11 Democrats in the process. They forced the Obamedia to cover the excessive pork and dubious stimulative value of this monstrosity. They made conservative values count.

There’s no mystery in how best to rebuild the party and energize the base: Talk like conservatives. Walk like conservatives. Vote like conservatives.

Senate Republicans, take note. Don’t squander this opportunity for redemption. Make no apologies for principled obstructionism. Counter the inevitable liberal overreaching with plain facts and free-market alternatives.

Stop licking boots. Start kicking ass.

Amen! Stop licking boots and start kicking ass. Bingo. There it is...short and simple and oh, so sweet!

So what happens now? Well, basically, there are a couple more steps before this beast becomes reality. First, a similar 'stimulus' bill will have to be debated and voted upon in the Senate. If it passes there, it will go into committee with various House and Senate members who will haggle the House and Senate versions into a single cohesive piece of legislation that will be sent to Obama to sign. After he signs it, it becomes law, and America gets screwed.

So, there are two things on the agenda at this moment. First, call your Republican House reps and thank them gratuitously for holding the line against this piece of crap. We hassle them when they screw up, so we need to praise them when they do it right. Let them hear from you one more time.

Second, begin work on your Senators. Things may be a bit more interesting there, as the Dems lack the 60 votes to ram the bill through regardless of what Reps do. It only takes 51 votes to pass a bill, but it takes 60 votes to invoke cloture, which is basically a rule that says the Senate is ready to vote on the bill (yeah, it's kind of silly, but that's how it works). If you've ever seen Spaceballs, do you recall how Colonel Sanders always issues orders to prepare for something before doing the thing?

"Prepare to fire!"
"Preparing to fire."
"Fire!"
"Firing."

It's like that in the Senate - they have to vote to decide if they're ready to vote on a bill. That's why the 60-vote mark is so critical - if the Dems can't get cloture, the bill dies in the Senate because a vote cannot take place. There are 4-5 Reps, however, who we call RINOs (Republican in name only), meaning they normally vote with the Democrats. If Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is unable to marshall unanimity like Boehner did in the House, America gets screwed. If the GOP holds the line unanimously, we could escape by the skin of our teeth. And, don't forget, there were 11 House Democrats who opposed this beast, so there may be one or two in the Senate who will, too. There's a chance, though it is admittedly slim.

So, it is all the more important to hammer your Senators (Rep or Dem) with your opinions about this non-stimulus 'stimulus'. Always be polite and courteous, but also be confident and forceful. Point out specific examples of things that have nothing to do with the economy. Suggest things that have worked every time they've been tried throughout history, like real tax cuts. And keep calling or e-mailing them daily from now until the vote.

I'll keep you posted on when that happens, but it sounds like it'll be in a week or two.

For today...good work! A crucial step was taken by the Republican party today, reclaiming its moral high ground as the party of fiscal responsibility and smaller government. This is what Reagan did, and this is what the GOP did in 1994, and it worked brilliantly both times. If this crap sandwich goes as badly as we fear, there will be no one to blame but the Democrats, and even the media won't be able to hide that fact.

Well done, and keep up the good work!

There's my two cents.