Stimulus Bill Passes

So, the bill has passed.  It isn’t really a surprise that the Stimulus Bill passed.  The Democrats are pretty much unstopable as long as they stick together.  But Obama’s hope for a bipartisan stimulus plan, in the mold of Reagan’s 1981 tax cut plan which had alot of Democratic support, was quashed.  Ultimately Obama’s failure to court Republicans is a function of the Democrat’s success.  They don’t need Republicans to pass legislation, and thus it is difficult for Obama to convince congressional Democrats to substantively compromise when they don’t need to. 

Of course, this failure is also a product of Obama’s inexperience.  Obama allowed the congressional Democrats to craft the stimulus legislation, resulting in a bill in the House crafted by Obey and numerous other Democrats with varying interests unrelated to economic stimulus.  Faced with rebuking his own party, Obama was forced to go on stage and defend and promote the bill, guarateeing Republicans would oppose it en mass.  With more executive experience, Obama may have been prepared to come into this process with his own proposal.  Democrats in Congress would have then been faced with the dilemna that Obama was forced into (even worse, since they would have been bucking a popular and recently elected president of their own party).  That bill could have garnered substantial Republican support. 

As for the ultimate politics of the stimulus, it’s all rather simple.  It doesn’t really matter if the stimulus works or does not work.  If the economy improves in the next year and a half, Obama, the congressional Democrats, and the Stimulus Bill will get the credit.  If it does not, then it could be a bad year for the Dems in 2010.