Obama seeks more GOP backing in Senate

well i support his version of the bill, because we taxpayers will be getting a check too which we should be getting. 500 is not enough though, make it at least 3,000 to singles that are making 75,000 and under and married couples 150,000 and under would be 6,000 and people who are on social security give them 1500. Now that will help with the bills and etc. From, pam in lynn, mass

Going further into debt to fix the national debt problem. Sounds like a smart plan to me.

obama has NO GOP backing, your headline is a LIE

The biggest problem for the American economy are the Unions and their Democrat allies. If we can't compete in the global economy, we are doomed to fail.

Democrat Michael Capuano was on the radio this morning saying that 40% of the bailout he would like to have voted against, but that's the cost of politics. ~$300 BILLION dollars of non stimulus is the price for what even a Democrat acknowledges is ~$500 Billion of stimulus?

Good for them. Hope this works.

President Obama isn't getting the GOP support that he wants because there's too much pork in the package as it stands. Giving huge sums to the National Endowment for the Arts, STD awareness programs etc. etc. will do nothing to create jobs. I think we've seen enough "art" such as the Virgin smeared with elephant feces and for those that don't know how STDs are spread, if they haven't figured that out by now, they never will.Kathy

I think Obama is sincere about working with Republicans. I'm unsure if the GOP returns that sentiment. We will see. This ad campaign could be a good test. Will it promote debate on the merits of the plan and help fix a broken economy? I'm concerned that prominent conservatives in the media will focus on who funded the ads instead of what they're about in order to sabotage Obama's plan.

Ignore the wingnut whiners! They lost and, as they gloried in telling us for the past 8 years, elections have consequences. If they don't want to play, then it is time to move on without them. If they can't figure out by now that you cannot tax cut your way out of a bad economy, they never will.

Great, run those adds, who would want to support this bill. It is very bad for America. Our president is planning to spend money like a drunken sailor. I hope more members of Congress refuse to support this very bad plan. This bill is a true blue Democrat plan. Spend your way out of everything.

Want Republican cooperation? Offer them 10% cash, in small unmarked bills, in a plain brown wrapper, dead-dropped at a location of their choosing.
After all, they are only holding on to the bedrock of their values: "Where's my cut?"

I was sad to hear that the vote on the measure was so divided by party lines. Hopefully the two sides can make compromises so there is more bipartisan support.

I must say the idea of running ads to convince Republicans to vote for it is not thrilling in my opinion. It might work - but seems manipulative. Can't both sides come up with some sort of a compromise instead?

The Republicans brought the problems confronting America through their pro-business, pro-rich policies. Now the chickens have come to roost. Unfortunately, those chickens are messing all over the middle class and poor while the rich are shielded and continue to be shieled by the Republicans.
However, the Republicans are so self serving that they would rather see the average American go down the tubes than see a Democratic President succeed where the previous Republican administration failed us terribly.

"The president knows it's going to take longer than a few days to change the ways Washington works," Gibbs said.

Seems like he's got it down pretty good already. Pork, pork. and more pork to his supporters and call it a "jobs" and economic stimulus bill. This country is so hosed

I can not believe how Republicans "leaders" have absolutely no sense of reality. First off this was an orchestrated attempt at the Republican party to make a statement: yes in fact as Limbaugh stated, we want President Obama to fail. That's basically the message which came accross to me, my peers and colleagues. After President Obama met with them for several hours over several days, the party leaders basically instructed all Republicans to vote "nay" regardless of whether they want to or not. Also it came out that about 30 or so Conservatives had considered compromising and voting "yea" on the bill considering President Obama's concession in removing two controversial projects, and still they wouldn't budge. Now I don't feel this was a personal affront to the President, more so to Reid and Pelosi and their constituents...but how childish is that!? I mean President Obama set aside politics and held out a hand to the Republicans regardless of the shortcomings of his party, and rather then embrace change, the Republicans decided to clench the fists even tigther out of "principle", when in fact it was a grand gesture of obstructors if anything else. I say these United States are ready for another party in Congress, a progressive party, which cares more about the needs of the people, then doing things the way they've been done. You'd think the Republicans would have learned from their erroneous block of Clinton's 1990 bill, which was in fact very successful. Well in any case I truly hope Republicans continue on this path to becoming obsolete in the world of politics...it's time for change. In anycase congrats on passge of the bill, and thank you for not budging on assistance which the American people so desperately need such as foodstamps, healthcare, and support for the elderly and disabled.

Can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe the republicans have a point. Only 5% for infrastructure? The bill as written is one huge give away, and just like the first one, the american people are not getting any equity back for the investment. What happened to "shovel ready" projects and the idea of putting people to work, getting a little sweat equity back for the investment? What happened to rebuilding roads, bridges, the electrical grid? The democrats really haven't done anything revolutionary with this bill --- they just pulled out their candy list which has been in their desk drawer for the last 50 years, and are intent on giving everyone on it a piece of sweet candy. This bill is not forward thinking, and most likely will not work. Shame.

Let me get this straight-the last president/congress allowed the federal debt to reach $10T-so we voted for change. The new president/congress want to start with landmark legislation adding another $1T on the heap and call it hope and change.

This country has no chance to reclaim it's past until the two-party sytem is declared a complete failure. In the mean tiime enjoy the huperinflation and debt you are passing along to the next generations.

Do you deliberately title your article with "...more GOP backing... ". Did you mean "more" than ZERO, since you did not listed any Republican backing Obama's economic recovery package? It looks as you are using "MORE" rather than "ANY" to create an FALSE impression of Obama's getting some GOP support. You know it isn't true but still putting the wrong fact in the title. Is that's your, Mr. Foon Rhee objectivity?

Bad habits die hard or should I say will never die yes that's the reality America is facing generation after generation of intentional not conventional legislature.Who is to blame but each and every indiviual congressman or congresswoman that enter Washington D.C. the nations capitol.The Whitehouse,House of Representatives and the Senate from past to the present are all responsible for the nation and the worlds ailing economy thanks to party politics.I hope God is still around at least nearer to the least,the poor,the unemploy,low income earner,the fatherless,the motherless and many more poor living condition Americans and people that have done nothing to deserve such living condition in this promised land.

Can't any of these dolts see that this is not an "economic plan" or a stimulus bill? It is simply an enormous appropriations bill to pay for earmarks. Pet projects all of these career pols have not been able to tack on to other bills or get past the various committees are being crammed into this huge pork fest. Our children and our childrens childres will be paying this off, little better than indentured servants to our so called representatives.

Its Christmas in Washington! Hooray for Obama! Lets spend and give everyone whatever they want. I love America - everthing is free and the politicians are so nice to us. I think we all should be democrats because everyone loves to get presents and they always give so much to us. And then there would be no more fighting because no one would care about the budget.....but there would be no more money either.
But that's ok, we'll just print more.
I love this country.