Contrary to the conventional wisdom espoused by Republicans and the media, Americans want to see the stimulus bill passed.
The Senate is poised to vote on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Tuesday, according to tomorrow’s Wall Street Journal. It appears the Democrats have moved three moderate Republicans — Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), Sen. Olympia Snow (R-ME), and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) — to support the $827 billion stimulus bill, which would give the bill the 60 “yes” votes needed to push it through the Senate quickly.
Last week, Republicans claimed that the majority of Americans disapprove of the stimulus bill, and the media backed them up by misreading polling data to generate misleading and pro-GOP headlines. (CNN: Polls show support for stimulus has slipped; CBS Poll: Support For Stimulus Falls.)
The cream of the rotten crop goes to the Washington Times, whose commentary by Donald Lambro reads: “Public resistance to the Democrats’ big-spending economic-stimulus bill has risen sharply as Americans continue to learn, and dislike, what they see in it.”
The Republicans have won the media spin war (a task made easy by media coverage drastically skewed in the GOP’s favor), but there’s little evidence to suggest it matters.
It’s true that the public wants to see changes in the stimulus bill, but the media has taken this to mean Americans disapprove of the bill. That is not the case.
A new study conducted by Democratic polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner of 1,200 likely voters in 40 competitive House districts shows:
64 percent support President Barack Obama’s stimulus plan while 27 percent oppose it. Meanwhile, 57 percent said a recovery package is needed now while 38 percent expressed concern that the country can’t afford it.
…
When asked whether they would be more or less likely to support an incumbent if they voted for the stimulus, 27 percent of respondents to Greenberg’s poll said more likely, 15 percent said less likely and 53 percent said it would make no difference.
Former Clinton pollster Geoff Garin told the Politico: “Whatever the Republicans think they are doing, and whatever progress they think they are making in this battle, the public opinion data suggests they will lose the larger war here.”
As for changes the Senate should make to the bill: cut any and all spending unrelated to stimulating our economy. Scrap education funding, even. Why? Because this represents the Democrats’ best chance to create jobs and fix our nation’s crumbling infrastructure. They should max out on infrastructure spending and keep the tax cuts already in the bill.
Why keep the tax cuts? They’re popular. Furthermore, if economists are correct that infrastructure spending is significantly more effective than tax cuts in stimulating the economy, then Democrats will have the results to offer as proof of the success of their economic agenda and the failure of Republican ideology to address just about any of our nation’s problems.
Once the stimulus bill is passed, introduce legislation to fix our failing education system. Improving education is a popular idea in its own right, so there’s no needs for Democrats to bury education funding in a bill intended to create jobs.
A recent statewide poll conducted in Alabama put education at the top of its citizens’ priority list, ahead of jobs and the economy. Revamping our education system appeals to Republicans, as well as Democrats.
Let the Republicans try to block an education bill on the grounds that it’s unnecessary or too costly. They will get walloped.
Cross-posted at The New Argument