A trip down memory lane

If the debate over the stimulus bill seems vaguely familiar it should -- we've been down this road before. In 1993 President Bill Clinton -- who famously campaigned on "it's the economy stupid" -- proposed a $19.5 billion stimulus bill ($27.65 billion in 2007 dollars) designed to build infrastructure and promote jobs. Republicans attacked it as mostly pork and it was eventually pared down to $4 billion in unemployment benefits .

On the winning side, Senator Dole quietly argued that Republicans, too, want jobs. But asserting that "a fundamental difference of philosophy has brought us to this point," the Kansas Senator said his party viewed the plan as too expensive and fatally flawed because it added to the deficit instead of having its spending matched by cuts elsewhere in the budget.

As originally offered, the bill included about $4 billion to extend unemployment benefits, $2 billion for education grants, $6 billion for highways and public improvements and $2 billion for summer jobs. The Republicans were especially critical of $2.5 billion in community development block grant spending, which they said would pay for pork barrel projects.

..."The minority leader showed that playing politics is a lot more important than putting people to work," said George Stephanopoulos, the White House communications director. "The real losers here are the hundreds of thousands of Americans who won't get jobs this summer and beyond, because a minority of Republicans put politics before people."

..."While the other side is busy congratulating each other on proving that they are a force to be reckoned with, they have only proved to the American people that they are the guardians of gridlock," [Sen. Robert Byrd, D-WV] said. "While the champagne corks are popping, millions of Americans will open a can of beans and wonder whether they are going to find a job."

I seem to recall the economy did OK afterwards.

Update: Let's consider the parallels with the Democrats of 1993:

• Looking to the government instead of the private sector to promote growth? Check.
• Using bombast and scare tactics to drum up support? Check.

The only thing that has changed is the size of their ambitions.