Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., discussed the political and economic value of President Obama’s latest spending proposal with Candy Crowley during a State of the Union interview that included Durbin attacking Republicans for wanting to “do nothing” and then admitting immediately after that Democrats would not do anything about Obama’s jobs plan before “next month.”
When asked why Americans should expect this new stimulus to succeed after the 2009 stimulus failed, Durbin dodged the question except to say that “we’ve got to do something positive,” but then pointed out the political vulnerability of the Republican position while attacking them for criticizing more stimulus:
Of course, that answer dodges the premise of Crowley’s question and Republican opposition, which is that Democrats can hardly argue that more stimulus counts as “something positive” for the economy.
Crowley asked Durbin if, given his comment about Boehner, “that is the point of this proposal, is to paint the Republicans as, again, as people who will protect the wealthy at any cost,” but Durbin denied that assessment. “No, I’ll tell you what [the point] is, Durbin said. “The president said at the outset that his plan to move the economy forward would be paid for . . . [and it’s] a plan to put America back to work.”
Nevertheless, Durbin does not “plan to put America back to work” until after Senate recess. “When will [the Senate] actually begin to act on [the jobs plan]?” Crowley asked. “I think that’s more realistic it would be next month,” Durbin replied. Despite the intended month-long hiatus from advancing that jobs plan, Durbin still attacked Republicans for inactivity. “What’s the Republican alternative? Do nothing and protect the millionaires,” Durbin said.
Durbin also noted that he doesn’t think anyone should “pick out one person and say that’s the reason the economy’s bad.” It remains to be seen if Democrats will carry that message into the 2012 presidential campaign regarding President Obama’s performance, or if the comment will be restricted to the idea of Obama firing members of his economic team, which Durbin was rejecting in his answer.
