Michael Shear reports:
Vice President Biden plans a political broadside this afternoon in the home district of Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), accusing the senior Republican lawmaker of joining in his party's smear of the $787 billion Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
"To those who say that our economic decisions 'have not produced jobs, have not produced prosperity, and simply have not worked' I say, take a look around," Biden will say, according to prepared remarks obtained by The Washington Post.
"I say, 'Don't let your opposition to the Recovery Act blind you to its results,'" Biden plans to say in the Richmond speech. "'Come see what I see everywhere I go: workers rehired, factories reopened, cops on the street, teachers in the classroom, progress toward getting our economy back on the move.'"
Biden's claim is absurd. When Americans look around, they see unemployment rising far beyond the administration's projections and no recovery in sight. There is a reason the public has soured on the stimulus, and it ain't because Republicans suddenly figured out how to deliver a message. The stimulus has not done what was promised -- not even close. I don't know how Biden will be able to deliver that line with a straight face. As for Shear, if he really believes that the Republican party is smearing the stimulus, I suggest he read this piece in a little paper called the Washington Post: "Power of Stimulus Slow to Take Hold, Rising Joblessness Blunts President's Plan for Recovery." That's from last week.
