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Stimulus Bill Filled With Waste, Fraud, Say John McCain and Tom Coburn

1 year ago
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Republican Sens. John McCain and Tom Coburn trashed the Obama administration's $862-billion stimulus bill on Tuesday, saying it plunged future generations into unmanageable debt and was filled with waste and fraud.

With the August recess just a few days away, the two senators took a last-minute swing at Obama by releasing "Summertime Blues: 100 Stimulus Projects that Give Taxpayers the Blues."

"There's going to be $50 billion in fraud from this bill," Coburn (R-Okla.) said. "We highlight things that we think are stupid and inappropriate."

Both lawmakers stressed that the purpose of the bill -- and the idea championed by Democrats -- was that stimulus money would keep Americans employed. That, in their view, has not been the case.

"The American people are disappointed, but many us are not surprised," McCain (R-Ariz.) said. "[These projects] are unworthy in that they don't create jobs. The stimulus package was supposed to create jobs. Unemployment was going to be 8 percent -- that's what the president said when they sold this debt to the American people."

Some of the projects labeled as waste by McCain and Coburn include:

-- $308 million for a joint-venture BP power plant that won't start construction for another 16 months;
-- $90,000 to build a sidewalk that leads to a ditch;
-- $145,000 to test the effects of cocaine on monkeys;
-- $3.8 million for a "streetscaping" project that has reduced traffic and caused a business to fire two employees;
-- $16 million to help Boeing to clean up an environmental mess it created in 2007;
-- $200,000 to help Siberian communities lobby Russian policy makers;
-- $1.8 million for a road project that is threatening a pastor's home.

Jared Bernstein, Vice President Joe Biden's top economic adviser, responded to the report in White House blog post. "Instead of trying to help create the conditions for stronger growth, to help build on the momentum of the Recovery Act, McCain and Coburn spend their valuable time cooking up phony critiques."

Despite Bernstein's criticism and the inevitable White House report attempting to discredit this report, Coburn is adamant that Americans were sold a bill of goods.

"When we steal from generations that follow us, we should [not] being doing it in a way that isn't the most efficient and most effective way," Coburn said. "Do [these projects] meet the common sense test? Many of them don't."

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38 Comments

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foxsnooze

After Coburn and McCain finish nit-picking, maybe they can convince their GOP colleagues to quit wasting our time with their "say no to everything" strategy to re-gain the White House. They are supposed to be working together with the other side of the aisle, to move us forward, not to stall everything.

December 20 2010 at 10:33 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
andrc657

Apparently they only found 1/4 of 1% in questionable stimulus spending. Let us not make the perfect the enemy of the good.

August 04 2010 at 10:31 AM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
jjhrams

old john Mclame has lost all credibility with me..what a sore looser he is!

August 03 2010 at 7:49 PM Report abuse -9 rate up rate down Reply
msgusarmyret77

Charlie Crist was kicked out ot the Republican Party because he had the guts to thank Pres. Obama for all the jobs the stimulus bill created or saved in Florida. The Republicans go to ribbon cuttings at jobs that were created by the stimulus bill and take credit for those projects but deny the stimulus was where the money came from.

August 03 2010 at 7:26 PM Report abuse -2 rate up rate down Reply
JIM

It only billions, dont worry about it.

August 03 2010 at 7:22 PM Report abuse +4 rate up rate down Reply
Kenneth

Now all America can understand the Democrats game plan. All the democrats that keep talking about the party of NO. Now I can understand you wanted them to vote yes on their bill without getting some of that bribe a Dem. for a vote pork. I am sue the American people would love to see the full list. Not to mention Obama promised that he would not sign any bill into law that contained pork. Shocking I guess he lied who would ever expect that.

August 03 2010 at 7:10 PM Report abuse +7 rate up rate down Reply
smitty

Funny how they will trash the bill, then brag for the money that goes to their state that creates jobs. Patting themselves on the back with annoucements and taking credit for it. This is their way of throwing a little girls tanturm, because they are not in charge anymore. Obama got a medical and banking reform bill to stop the greed and corruption away, and the republicans want everthing to stay the ame with the rich getting richer and the middle class to pay for it all.
Paying $400.00 for a wrench or reasearching why people watch T.V. as been going on since forever, and it has to be stopped. The first rule of government spending is if you don't use it you'll won't get as much next time.
Why do people have such a short term memory in that Obama inherited this mess were in from Capt. Moron and his band of idiots, and now he has to deal with all of this with the people who created the mess crying on his back the whole way, and sadly getting the middle class screaming nonsense like "we want our country back" and comparing Obama to Hitler. We don't want a president who is trying his best and working hard, we want a moron who we can have a beer with and does nothing.
Someone please respond to me with one thing Bush ever did that was good and not a screw-up. Waiting for someone to hit me with that little request. Thank You Sheep

August 03 2010 at 7:00 PM Report abuse -9 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to smitty's comment
carole

Here's a reply Smitty - Bush appointed patriotic Americans to his cabinet... not marxists, radicals, subversives as Obama has. Obama wants to destroy the freedoms that America has so long fought for and protected. Wake up!! Become informed. Read Michelle Malkin's book "Culture of Corruption" and you will see the truth about Obama and his crooked cronies. He is a disgrace and I am horrified that he is our president. Also, read "The Ballad of Obama" by Robert Knight on lulu.com; frightening facts!!! Dick Morris, Newgt Ginghrich, Glenn Beck and anyone on Fox News will enlighten you; or just keep your head in the sand. Ignorance is bliss, but in this case Marxism will prevail if America doesn't vote him OUT!!! The "uninformed" are the true sheep. God Bless (and Save) America!!! and you too.

August 03 2010 at 9:00 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
vobox3343

Sadly, McCain and many Republicans know this, there are businesses out there making record profits but are not hiring. What McCain and other Republican lawmakers ought to be saying is this: "How dare you take the taxpayers money that we've been giving you for some time now, and not do more for those who've made it possible for you to continue living on the high hog?" Makes you wonder, why aren't they saying what is actually the case? Some of us are reading reports on such matters. Far better to give McCain and others campaign contributions then to do what is morally and ethically right.

August 03 2010 at 6:32 PM Report abuse -6 rate up rate down Reply
KMA

Time for cowboy John to round up the culprits! But 1st pass a balance budget amendment and get the GOP platform to vow no deficit spending.

August 03 2010 at 6:10 PM Report abuse +15 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to KMA's comment
smitty

You mean of corse like Clinton had and Bush ruined.

August 03 2010 at 7:01 PM Report abuse -4 rate up rate down Reply
andrc657

Apparently they found only 1/4 of 1% that they felt was questionable spending. Not bad for such a huge program that saved or created several million jobs.

August 03 2010 at 4:48 PM Report abuse -17 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to andrc657's comment
Kenneth

That was just a few examples I am sure the full list if released would show the reckless spending habits of the democrats in power now soon to be shown the door.
With what keeps leaking out the democrats will be lucky to get someone elected to street sweeper. This is a total disregard fiscal spending,respect for those that put them in office,and total disregard to this nations constitution.This November can not get here fast enough.

August 03 2010 at 6:42 PM Report abuse +5 rate up rate down Reply

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