Stimulus Package Problems

It’s maddening to watch Congress ignore economists’ advice to rapidly pass a stimulus package that can quickly boost the economy. Nancy Pelosi and President Bush deserve praise for their response — flawed, though, their idea of stimulus might be — but there should be dunce caps passed out in the Senate. One of my editors told me last week that it’s always safe to bet against Congress when it comes to getting things done. Unfortunately, after a decade of living in Washington, I, too, have found that to be true. It’s aggravating to see how cynical you can become working in this town.