CNSNews.com - McCain on Stimulus: Having No Bill Would Be Better Than Having This Bill

CNSNews.com

McCain on Stimulus: Having No Bill Would Be Better Than Having This Bill
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
By Matt Cover, Staff Writer

Sen. John McCain (AP Photo)

(CNSNews.com) - Former Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Wednesday that the president’s economic stimulus bill is unacceptable to Senate Republicans.

“’No bill’ is better than this bill,” McCain told CNSNews.com just outside the Senate chamber.

When asked if refundable tax credits – in which every worker would receive a $500 (individual) check from the government – could be removed from the bill as it moves through the Senate, McCain said he was not sure.

President Barack Obama (AP Photo)

“I don’t know,” the former GOP presidential nominee said. “We think payroll tax cuts, according to our economists, are the most important way to go. We think that a combination of payroll tax cuts, appreciation, and other job creation tax cuts, are the most valuable.”

When asked if the refundable tax credits would help stimulate the economy, McCain said: “Well, I’ve showed a chart that I showed on the floor that it had no effect on the economy.”

McCain said he plans to offer the Republican alternative on Thursday.

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websmith (1 years ago)

McCain is right for a change. We're just going to have to pay back another trillion dollars. It's like borrowing on your credit cards to pay your credit card bills.

denialator (1 years ago)

Wow...this response was about as clear as Mississippi mud! What would have been better to explain such a position is...Having no bill at all would be better than the one presently under consideration. It is true, IMO. We are in serious economic trouble due to the mistakes and proclivities of government to intervene in all areas, micromagement of our economy, not the least of which is the banking industry. These are not proper functions of government at all, and defined no where in our Constitution. Taxation, on the other hand, is. The camel is a perfect example of a transportation system designed by government committee. "I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on the objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents." --James Madison

Oregondave (1 years ago)

Any republican senator who touches this bill, needs his head examined. On second thought, it wouldn't be a bad idea to check out their brain capacity anyway, just to make sure their not democrats in disguise.

Oliva (1 years ago)

I'm looking forward to see what Mac is offering up Thursday. The right business tax cuts will boost the economy [if the economy has any boost left in it]. Obama is not real keen on significant tax cuts for business. Also in Australia at Christmas our copy-cat Government decided to hand-out $1,200 to approx each and every one of 1/3 of the countries population [ie families, pensioners, poor people.] Now whe have found out that the big handout did very little for the economy...retail trported a 3.8% gain. 1/3 of the money was spent on gambling, booze, cigarettes. 18,000 chqs were sent to folks in Italy who are on an Australian retirement pension. Not so many but plenty to Asians who are most times living in Asia and bludging off Australia and quitr wealthy anyway. You don't have to be an Australian citizen to get a payout. I am agahst! Our PM seems to be following Obama...downhill.

NoParty (1 years ago)

I agree, no bill is better than this pork barrel largesse. None of the stimulus packages have done what they were supposed to do. The Banks would have been better off not accepting TARP, and now Obama is dictating how much an executive can make, how much vacation he can take....just goes to show how dangerous it is to take money off the Federal Government. The strings attached are too long and too restrictive. I think we skipped Socialism 101 and have gone right to graduation. Since Joe Biden welcomed the Union Bosses as long lost friends (can you imagine if W had invited business entrepreneurs with such a "Welcome Back", the media would have been all over him), but Joe Biden and the Union Bosses, well they are just folk. My guess is that he and Obama are thinking about Unionizing the Banks and the Stock exchange, Industry, the Energy suppliers, as well as nationalizing our health care. You can't say he didn't warn you, you just didn't listen.

moriarity (1 years ago)

If only McCain holds steady to his word/s! Unfortunately he has a history of prostrating himself at the Dems feet when it comes to showdowns. I predict he will cave as usual, but I sure hope I'm wrong!

texicon (1 years ago)

(Yawn) oh excuuuuuse me!

orator (1 years ago)

Oops, that'll teach me to read the whole thing first before I comment. I was wrong, wrong, wrong. No one is worse than "The Nobama".

orator (1 years ago)

Just goes to show that McCain is as nutzoid as Nobama. Egad, what a sorry choice we had.

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