Cramer and Matthews: Where’s the Infrastructure Spending?

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Between Election 2008 and the early moments of the Obama administration, it was assumed a new New Deal was coming complete with massive infrastructure projects. But, now the stimulus package is so full of other things even some of the most unlikely news outlets have noticed.

In an amazing moment of clarity, resembling the end of a Hardy Boys novel after Frank and Joe solved a mystery, CNBC "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer and MSNBC "Hardball" host Chris Matthews questioned the meager infrastructure spending in the stimulus bill that passed in the House of Representatives on Jan. 28 by a 244-188 margin, without a single Republican vote during "Hardball" that night.

Matthews asked Cramer if the stimulus spending included in the House version of the bill would be "enough boost" for the economy.

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"No, not with this economy," Cramer said. "I mean, this is an economy where every single headline of every company is then about how many thousands of people they lay off. I mean, this is the quotient of the number of people being laid off versus the number of people who can benefit from that and the amount. No Chris - not nearly enough. Not even a fraction."

Cramer also brought up the tiny amount of spending on infrastructure projects, which he said would not create enough jobs.

"[L]et's just take the infrastructure number - do you know that it‘s $30 billion for infrastructure for bridges?" Cramer asked. "The ‘Big Dig' cost $22 billion. I mean, on one thing and it only put 5,000 to work. This is small-time think. All the companies I deal with, the steel companies, all the companies involved in manufacturing - they cannot believe how small this is. It's not gonna put a lot of people to work."

Cramer echoed a similar sentiment that the office of Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., echoed - that such a small portion of it was going to infrastructure spending, debunking a myth frequently heard in the media. However, the typically left-of-center Obama sycophant Matthews agreed with Cramer.

"I don't want to get over your head here, but why in the world aren't we doing what they said they were going to do - build bridges, factory jobs, replace the smell of decay with the smell of construction, the cranes out, the trucks out?" Matthews said to Cramer. "Why don't they spend all the money either on tax cuts for people who need the money and/or building stuff? Why is it all going into the cats-and-dogs programs?"

Matthews even noted how congressional Democrats could have used the stimulus to appease the unions, one of their core constituencies, but chose instead to gear the package toward government programs.

"Hey look, if the Democrats are pro-union, they should call up the construction union guys, the trade, the construction trades and say what are you ready to build? We've got the money. Anyway, I don't know why they don't do it. Anyway, put the hard hats on."


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To paraphrase Jurrasic Park

"Do you think you might put some stimulus spending in your stimulus bill?"

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 I am just happy that

 I am just happy that republicans have at least some balls to go against "THE ONE"

Where are the damn FBI files, on these guys?

audits await those who DARE

Kramer gives me a "contact energy"

Cramer always amuses me. Little else on that channel does.

 

Well, no kidding

These two guys remind me of my kids when they were little and inexperienced. When we would do fast food, they would make their meal choices based on the pictures they saw on the drive-thru menu. Then, when they would unwrap their burgers, etc., they would gripe that they didn't look anything like what they viewed earlier. It only took 6 and 7 year olds a couple of times of being disappointed before they came to understand that they were being sold an image and that it had little to do with reality. 

These two grown men look like idiots when they appear to not be able to understand what's going on with the "stimulus package". They are both such ideologues that it still doesn't occur to them that they foolishly bought into what was a frosting covered turd.

Overall, you have to question the liberals understanding of economics, but what they are doing right now, supposedly on the behalf of our economic well-being, has little or nothing to do with solving an economic crisis.  It is all about fulfilling the liberal desires of their hearts, with little regard for what the long term financial ramifications will be.  

No Outrage Though

Interesting how the tone seems to be one of sad disappointment.   Like a kid who was promised a trip to the candy store and  denied.  BUT... when a conservative lawmaker does not meet the expectation of a liberal media member it is more a tone of outrage and disbelief that they should be so out of touch or politcal tonedeaf.  Short comment...All Politicians are just master bull******s.

Welcome to Pelosiville

Philly kid...Chris...did you expect things to change....Nancy told you before...she won...and she'll write the bill...stop calling it a stimulus bill and start calling it what it is...a spending bill. The infrastructure spending doesn't kick in for another 18 months...gee just in time for reelection...what a coincidence...

 

Obama's press secretary already told us yesterday that this bill won't generate a lot of jobs and that they have to put together another bill...listen to Creamer and maybe take a look at the Wall Street Journal (it won't kill you) and see where this money is going... 

 

In all seriousness...can't you just feel the wave of change running down your leg...The reality here is that Reid and Pelosi wrote this bill...not Obama...and he's following their lead...just like Bush did in his first year when the Republican's ran the congress.

 

Some things just never change.

Jeff,

"In an amazing moment of clarity, resembling the end of a Hardy Boys novel after Frank and Joe solved a mystery, CNBC "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer and MSNBC "Hardball" host Chris Matthews questioned..."  

 I shudder to think that Frank and Joe Hardy grew up to be like Chris Matthews and Jim Cramer - their Aunt Gertrude would never allow it! :)

The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.

Pork sandwiches

I bet those union boys are scratching their collective butts and wondering where their bailout is. They were expecting some kind of payback as well for all their backing of Obama and he and the Dems put a paltry 30 billion in for infrastructure. That is a drop in the bucket for what is supposedly needed to fix all the bridges and roads they harped on during the campaign. Sorry boys. Maybe next time around.