1/28 Roundup: Stimul-Skeptics, $8,000 Internships, Chip the Magic Idiot

Leader: Stimul-skeptics

- President Obama marched up the Hill yesterday, to sell recalcitrant Republican lawmakers on his stimulus plan. By all accounts, the (dis)loyal oppositions was charmed by the President (at least according to their Twitter feeds) but less charmed by the stimulus bill itself, which will go up for a vote in the House today. A few Democrats join in the opposition. A WaPo photo caption captures the mood best: "The Obama stimulus plan was greeted with a rancor-free version of partisan rancor."

- The bill also includes a whole bundle of money for our education system, and another bundle for entitlement programs, as the NY Times reports in its lead stories. David Leonhardt sees both merit and misses in the package.

- Speaking on the more than $300 billion in tax cuts included in the package, NDN's Rob Shapiro says: 

"These tax cuts are not only not stimulative, but we're going to have to pay for them eventually."
Still, Shapiro said it's more important not to let the debate over the stimulus package "degenerate into politics as usual. If the country believes this has turned into a package of special-interest spending and tax provisions, then the efforts to restore confidence will be damaged."

- CQ reports on how Rep. Louise Slaughter went bananas on the slew of amendments submitted to be tacked on to the bill, and winnowed 206 to just 11 deserving of consideration. Good work, Rep. Slaughter.

Economy

- The WaPo reports on the variety of radical options currently under consideration in the Treasury Department to rescue our financial system.  

- Nearly a quarter of a million homes went into foreclosure in California during 2008-- more than over the previous nine years combined.  

International

- Senior administration officials report that President Obama is planning to get serious about Afghanistan, prioritizing war over development.  Hamid Karzai may be seen as more of an obstacle than an asset in this struggle. SecDef Gates agrees with Obama's assessment.

One More Thing

- The WSJ reports that some parents are shelling out thousands of dollars to get internships for their kids. Looking to get your kid a gig at NDN? I think we should talk.

- As Simon wrote earlier, Chip Saltsman of "Barack the Magic Negro" fame has decided who's responsible for the uproar over his bigoted CD: The media. Here's Simon's full take on the episode. Chip the Magic Idiot continues to impress: