Gee, What Happened to That Fiscal Austerity?

One day Democrats claim they're all for reducing spending as a means to bamboozle voters heading into the midterm elections. Then along comes their Dear Leader looking to throw away another $50 billion.

President Barack Obama is asking Congress to approve at least $50 billion in long-term investments in the nation's roads, railways and runways in a pre-election effort to show he's trying to stimulate the sputtering economy.

The infrastructure investments are part of a package of targeted proposals the White House announced on Monday. With November's elections for control of Congress approaching, Obama planned to discuss the proposal later Monday at a Labor Day event in Milwaukee.

The proposals would require congressional approval, which is highly uncertain at a time when many legislators and voters are worried about adding to federal deficits that are already sky-high.

Um, wasn't the $800 billion failed stimulus supposed to take care of this stuff?

Obama made infrastructure investments a central part of the $814 billion stimulus Congress passed last year, but with that spending winding down, the economy's growth has slowed. Officials said this infrastructure package differs from the stimulus because it's aimed at long-term growth, while still focusing on creating jobs in the short-term.

Of course it didn't create any jobs, which is why he's now again pandering to unions and trying to buy votes. But that's not all. Obama plans to go on an unprecedented spending orgy. He just doesn't get it.

In addition to Monday's announcement in Milwaukee, Obama will travel to Cleveland Wednesday to pitch a $100 billion proposal to increase and make permanent research and development tax credits for businesses, a White House official said.
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Obama is also continuing to prod the Senate to pass the small business bill that calls for about $12 billion in tax breaks and a $30 billion fund to help unfreeze lending. Republicans have likened the bill to the unpopular bailout of the financial industry. And the president wants to make permanent the portion of George W. Bush's tax cuts affecting the middle class.

Wary of the public's concern over rising deficits, the administration insists a second stimulus plan, similar to last year's $814 billion bill, is not in the works.

Oh, they're wary of the public's concern for deficits yet in one story here we tally at least another $180 billion in spending plans.