The President can play a constructive role and show true leadership by recognizing and dividing the short and longer term necessities and this will allow him to address more bipartisan concerns than writing editorials in the Washington Post trying to hammer in a mantra of “Now is the time”, “Now is the time”, “Now is the time”……. Sorry, but for much of this package Now is not the time, for some of it, there will never be a time for it. We need clear thinking, time to consider, and the pooling of various information, knowledge and opinions on those parts that aren't of immediate impact which make up a majority of the legislation. We don't need the politics of fear, we had enough of that, we want a change of that, not a continuation under a new banner. Obama's article was entitled “The Action Americans Need”, well the real Action American's Need, is a level headed leadership that isn't afraid of a reasoned debate and wont rush to a paniced decision when it need not do so. We need the President to seperate this bill to address both the concern for quick action on some fronts, and the need for wiser and more thought out action on others. We need leadership not a stump speech.

This whole hullabaloo is NOT the Republican's fault – it is a bed of the Democrat's own making. If they had passed a bill that truly focused on stimulus activities, rather than trying to sell any and all forms of their spending wish lists as 'stimulus', they would have carried the day, and been seen as heroes (well, at least until the inevitable fact that government cannot spend an economy back to health became apparent, but that would have been years out)

And here is the House bill that passed last week.

Peruse at your heart's content.