POLITICAL JUJITSU

Obama Passed a Second Stimulus - in Secret

A Trojan Horse of $238 billion

Dec 1, 2012 by Mary Noble

Senior Editor t

Image: AP

Everyone thought Obama caved in 2010 during the debt ceiling showdown when he agreed to extend the Bush tax cuts for those making over $250,000 a year. The left gnashed their teeth, the right gloated.

But apparently Obama did the opposite of caving, and instead enacted a secret second stimulus worth $238 billion, according to Mother Jones' David Corn.

Republicans wanted to extend the tax cuts across the board, and threatened to let ALL the tax cuts expire if they didn't get it. Against the wishes of many Democrats, Obama gave Republicans what they wanted - but he got some other stuff too. He used the legislation that extended the Bush cuts as a Trojan horse packed with stimulus goodies like the payroll tax cuts and extended unemployment insurance.

"Obama had won $238 billion of stimulus in return for yielding on $114 billion in high-income tax cuts," Corn reveals. The idea that he caved during the 2010 negotiations was a "myth," Corn argues. But it was politically convenient for Republicans, who were able to declare a big win.

Via David Corn at Mother Jones.

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?	Are you pleased or dismayed to learn about this "second stimulus"?

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Comments (view in Forum)

Dec '12

texas_cutie75

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Get him out of office!! The secrecy is not to be tolerated!!
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Dec '12

MBernard

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Yes let's get Boehner out of office.
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Dec '12

texas_cutie75

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@MBernard
I'm not going down this road with you. They ALL need to be replaced!! Both parties, this is getting ridiculous!
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Dec '12

MBernard

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@texas_cutie75 oh come on, it's only the GOP preventing us from moving forward.
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Dec '12

woodtick57

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@MBernard

Seems they areed to the extra stimulus. They probably just didn''t want to admit that it was needed, as they had campaigned on it not working, even though they seem to know it did.
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Dec '12

Cool_voter

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@MBernard your right!
Thy filibustered the jobs bill.
Threatened to let all tax cuts expire if they don't get what they want. The GOP has acted against the American people to serve their interest. They are terrorists.
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Dec '12

Zazziness

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I think this blurb of an article is too light on facts to be worthwhile.
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Dec '12

woodtick57

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The Mother Jones article linked to in the blurb explains it very well...
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Dec '12

Zazziness

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@woodtick57 Thanks, good to know. When I have time I'll visit it.
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Dec '12

jmann88

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Wow more secrets. He is a man of many. Just more money that the future will have to pay for
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Dec '12

PoliticalSpice

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Though the article characterizes it as secret it was not Repubs saw the legislation and agreed it was only "secret" cause nobody bothered to report it till now...
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Dec '12

jmann88

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Well that's what happens when there isn't any real news broadcast on the air no more. They all are in Berrys front pocket and tell us what they want us to hear
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Dec '12

PNWest

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Looks like Obama outsmarted the GOP again.
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Dec '12

MBernard

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I know. This time, he should do it publicly, in their faces.
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Dec '12

PNWest

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@MBernard That's what he is doing with the fiscal cliff 'negotiations'. The GOP will either do the right thing and Obama wins or they'll raise taxes on 98% of us and lose in 2014 and beyond. It must really hurt to be a GOPer right now. I guess that's why so many want to put their tails between their legs and leave the country.
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Dec '12

MBernard

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@PNWest leave the country? So they say.
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Dec '12
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Dec '12

DARSB

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@RUMORS And the Non Sequitur Award of the Day goes to...@RUMORS!
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Dec '12

Republican5001

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Wow, a democrat increasing our debt by spending or stimulus. Good going America. Hope everyone buys the Rosetta Stone mandarin languages lessons this Christmas.
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Dec '12

Cool_voter

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And Romney would have doubled military spending and continued tax cuts for the rich...
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Dec '12

Jack-Black

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Cloward and Piven. The sheep are being led to the slaughter and are too stupid know it.
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Dec '12

Quantummist

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Yep... I call it T.S.T.K.H.S.T.A. disorder....... It's become an epidemic over the last generation or so....
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Dec '12

thejimbo

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NOW THAT YOU HAVE WON RE-ELECTION, MR. OBAMA… http://www.impeachobamacampaign.com/now-that-...
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Dec '12

MBernard

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If you didn't vote for him, you've got nothing to say, no demand to make, no request, no suggestion, no crying.
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Dec '12

DARSB

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What an AMAZING web site. Every RWNJ talking point on one, convenient page. I don't get the title, though: the site doesn't actually list any impeachable offenses and totally ignores the impossibility of impeachment and conviction, but points for grammar and spelling. :-)
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Dec '12

tomincali

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well he did not use the transparent claim this time,last time we see how transparent he was so look for alot more undercover stuff.
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Dec '12

Bobolinsky

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Wow! Chalk one up for the President. He pulled a fast one on those racist sexist republicans. And the result?

More debt, More government dependency, And more Deception a la Obamacare being used in order to get it done.
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Dec '12

woodtick57

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How is this a secret if it was a deal struck with Senate republicans?
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Dec '12

DARSB

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How is it secret if it was contained in a public law anyone could read?:-)

Actually, I think Mr Corn's analysis is a bit too generous with his pro-Obama spin. Ending the Bush tax cuts was a major campaign promise in 2008 and being forced to extend them was a significant defeat for the President.
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Dec '12

woodtick57

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@DARSB

Well, the promise was to only end SOME of the Bus tax cuts. The Bus tax cuts were across all tax quintiles.
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Dec '12

Libertyiskey

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I feel that the people in office that are GOP knew what he was doing they just didn't speak about it so they could act like they were pleasing their constituents. At least that's what I got out of the article. More divide and conquer from our one party system we have going for us. Oops or is it two? I can't tell anymore.
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Dec '12

stephen

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the sunshine laws dont work
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Dec '12

QuiQui88

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He helping the ppl not have an excuse to b lazy. Obama is intelligent.. I trust him
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Dec '12

Petergriffin

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IMPEACH OBAMA NOW!!!
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Dec '12

SavageMazx

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For?
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Dec '12

Romney_Rube

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Only now are they brazen enough to call it a 'Second Stimulus' when, in reality, this was AGREED TO and PASSED by BOTH PARTIES. Repeat, BOTH PARTIES! Moreover, overlooked in this weakly written article but INCLUDED in this great XMAS financial backstabbing of the electorate in 2010, Republicans also caved in to the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" a day later by having three(3) Republican senators switch their votes toward support of the measure. It was a much larger giveaway than most morons in our electorate will ever recall but possesses the filthy stain of BOTH PARTIES. How on earth could they have missed that?
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Dec '12

MRMacrum

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Pleased like all get out. Doesn't matter who gets the fame, what matters is some real help hit Main St.
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Dec '12

Vance1

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Obama is a far left dictaitor, He is a fool! and these Obama people are just indoctrinated idiots, Stimulus has never worked.
Our Founders are rolling over in their graves, This country is 180* out right now.
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Dec '12

woodtick57

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it sure seems to have stopped the economic death spiral we were in.

if it didn''t work, why did the Republicans aggree to more of it?
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Dec '12

Vance1

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@woodtick57
seems I never witnessed the so called "economic death spiral " if it worked then why hasnt this economy recovered?
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Dec '12

PoliticalSpice

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If Obama was a dictator he wouldn't put up with GOP idiots in congress. If by indoctrinated idiots you mean the 51 percent of the voters who just democratically re-elected Obama, it seems your opposition to their decision makes you the one who wants dictatorship...
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Dec '12

woodtick57

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@Vance1

You didn't hear about the historic job losses we were left with? or the complete collapse of the banking and financial industries? it was in all the papers...

We know have more jobs in four short years than before that historic job loss, that would be historic job creation! and we still have banks and lending institutions, which is nice...

facts and history are fun!
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Dec '12

mtkopf

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If Obama is a fool, as you say, then what are ALL of the Republican Congressmen who not only voted to raise the debt ceiling but were also complicit in keeping the stimulus portion of the bill in secrecy?
Furthermore, if you haven't noticed, consumer spending, an important economic indicator, is up on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Could it be that this is a long recovery that economists have suggested all along?
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Dec '12

Romney2012

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I wouldn't hate it as much if he didn't do it in secret, after all, this is my country!
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Dec '12

MRMacrum

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Baracktold me he tried to call you to give you a heads up. Said the line was busy.
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Dec '12

harold

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Okay, settle down out there.
It wasn't a secret, it's just that nobody was paying attention.
If there is any misfeasance, it's on the part of the press and the voters.
And before you fire anyone, watch this -
http://billmoyers.com/episode/encore-united-s...
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Dec '12

blue_yahoo

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Come on are you guys really telling me you didn't know about this? Wasn't a big secret for anybody that watches or reads the news.
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Are you pleased or dismayed to learn about this "second stimulus"?