Mcjoan says “Maybe it’s time for Obama to have a come to Jesus meeting with a few members of the Dem caucus, Ben Nelson being at the top of that list.” I endorse that.

I also think Congress and the Washington press corps should listen to Nancy Pelosi:

Pelosi — speaking to reporters on the second day of her retreat with House Democrats at a swank Williamsburg, Va., golf resort — was clearly annoyed with Senate attempts to slash up to $100 billion in spending from the $819 billion package the House passed last week.

At the same time, she urged the need for speed in passing the package — and stopped short of saying that she’d insist on her demands during upcoming conference negotiations with the Senate.

“Washington seems consumed in the process argument of bipartisanship, when the rest of the country says they need this bill,” the California Democrat said, seeming to sweep aside the Obama administration initial desire to have broad GOP support for the plan.

The Obama Administration’s desire is to get the damn bill passed asap, and if it can be done with no Republican votes at all, then so be it. Unfortunately, the Senate will require some Republican votes to pass.

Brad Dayspring, a spokesman for House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.), said: “Her comment really makes one wonder whether she understands the concerns of not only the majority of struggling Americans seeking tax relief and job creation, but many members from her own party.”

Are the majority of struggling Americans seeking “tax relief” right now? I don’t think so. “Tax relief” actually is pretty far down the list, except for right-wingers, who need to learn they are a bleeping minority.

There’s much clucking in media about how Pelosi and other Dems are being “partisan” for not standing around smiling and passive while the minority party ensures that the American economy remains bleeped up long enough for Republicans to take some seats back in 2010. Again, the beltway crowd sill seems to think that “bipartisan” means allowing the GOP to have the last word, even after they’ve lost an election.

We are reminded that John McCain is brain dead:

Day after day, McCain has been on the Senate floor criticizing Obama’s package with the core Republican message. “This bill has become nothing more than a massive spending bill,” he has said. “To portray it as stimulus flies in the face of reality.” He has called the legislation an “unnecessary, wasteful bill.”

I saw a clip of that on television last night, and it left me babbling at the walls. Dear Senator Idiot: Do you not understand that “spending” is the bleeping point of the bill? Do you not understand that the crisis requires getting more money into circulation as fast as possible, and only the government can do that? Do you have any brain at all?

I swear, if John McCain had popped out of the wall I think I would have thrown a lamp at him.

Anyway, it looks as if the Senate has agreed on a watered-down version of the stimulus bill. I think Congress should pass whatever it can pass as quickly as possible, but when Obama finally signs it into law I want him to go on television and explain to the American people that the bill as passed was watered down by Republicans and will be less effective than the bill he wanted. Credit where credit is due.