Maybe it’s an example of "if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again," or perhaps just a back-door approach of doing what couldn’t be done the first time around. We mentioned in our last column that President Obama’s new "stimulus" package earmarked some $5.2 billion for ACORN, just one of many, many examples of pork and runaway spending in that bill.

The Left persists in trying to fund its "non-partisan" "community" organization, and in its efforts to add pork funding of every imaginable variety to its spending bill–uh, "stimilus" package.

Now President Obama is urging swift passage of the pending "stimulus" package, and said yesterday that failure to pass the bill would lead to an economy facing "catastrophe." He said the American people "did not vote for the status quo – they sent us here to bring change, and we owe it to them to act."

Mr. President, with all due respect, we don’t think "change" is represented by a spending bill loaded down with Christmas "wish lists" from various districts and states around the country. What that represents is "the status quo"–i.e., pork-barrel projects and spending, except taken to a height never seen before. To us, real change would be telling liberal Democrats, Pelosi, Reid and company, to get real, cut out the exorbitant spending that has little or no relation to genuine economic "stimulus," and stop trying to push through the largest pork-barrel buffet in history, all in the name of "saving" the economy.

In our opinion, this "stimulus" package will not get the job done. We think economic "catastrophe" is entirely possible, if not likely, if this bill passes. However, what the President and liberal Democrats are apparently trying to do is create the impression that if the bill does not pass, and the economy tanks, then it must be the fault of those stubborn Republicans who refused to go along with Santa’s Big Fat Stimulus Party. And, guess who will help them indelibly imprint that impression on the American public? Yes, Big Media. No surprise there.

We did notice that President Obama has proposed a $500,000 "cap" on executive compensation for any entity receiving "bailout" funds from Uncle Sam. That’s similar to what we proposed months ago in the Economic Roulette column just referenced. But, how about some of the other items in that column that aren’t being touched by today’s Congress and the new administration? Such as:

–no pork of any kind in any "stimulus" package, bailout bill, or whatever it gets called next;

–no "golden parachutes" for executives of failing companies, particularly those who have received bailout funds;

–any entity receiving bailout funds must pay it back, with little or no "bonus" compensation paid to executives until the payback is complete, and no "funny" accounting methods allowed;

–investigate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac thoroughly, bring any prosecutions that are justified, and no lobbyists may be hired by either, any longer;

–limit compensation at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac so that executives there don’t receive a mother lode of millions while those agencies are on the path to disaster;

–outlaw "junket" trips by members of the U. S. Congress: if they take a Caribbean vacation, they can pay for it like the rest of us do. Prosecute any violations of same, including requiring offenders to publish a full-page ad in their district/state’s largest newspaper stating: "I took a vacation paid for by lobbyists, and all I got to show for it was a Public Censure by the U. S. Congress. I have also paid back to your government a fine equal to twice the cost of the trip, plus interest. If I do this again, I will get kicked out of Congress, if you haven’t voted me out first."

Since the new administration is not exactly off to a glowing start, we think a couple of other subjects should be brought, again, to the forefront, and not allowed to be forgotten as "yesterday’s news":

–Secure our borders! Stay awake regarding terrorism: again, we are much more concerned with having your privacy and ours invaded by a suicide bomb than a terrorist having his invaded by a search-warrantless interception of his phone calls. Leaving the borders open for criminal elements to enter our country and engage in felonious conduct, not to mention terrorism, doesn’t make much sense, either.

–"Drill, baby, drill": Like we have said, the new Democrat-controlled Congress has not mentioned this subject much, if at all. No more stone-walling, get the ball rolling and authorize additional drilling. Do we have to wait for gas prices to shoot up again before this subject gets the attention it merits?

A majority of the voters might have voted for "change," but we doubt they voted for socialism, or even unbridled government spending. We have a crisis, and what do liberal Democrats try to do about it? Why, load up a spending bill with all the pork imaginable, for causes and projects that have little or nothing to do with economic development or even economic stimulus, and label it a "stimulus package." It doesn’t matter what label is used, it still is what it is.

Liberal Democrats are treating the election as a mandate for previously unheard of increased levels of federal spending, for any and every cause they wish to insert into the "stimulus package," and they did not get such a mandate. Yes, they won the elections. But most Americans do not want to see our future mortgaged away on trillions of dollars of ineffective, unaccounted for, and wasteful spending. That is not addressing the problem at hand. Instead, that is "politics as usual" rather than "change."

The U. S. Senate should not "fold" and give in to runaway spending disguised as economic "stimulus." This is the time to stand tall, and not make "deals" that leave the pork-barrel spending intact in too many instances, while the real economic problems go unaddressed.

As referenced above, we suspect there will be those in the liberal media who will cast Republicans opposing this latest "stimulus" package in a negative light–e.g., "Senate Republicans refused to endorse President Obama’s effort to rescue the economy" or some such one-sidedness. However, more and more Americans are figuring out that media bias in favor of liberals does not make what those liberals propose any more palatable, or desirable.

If you agree that Congress should not pass this pork-barrel buffet, then please respectfully let your representatives in the U. S. Senate and House know that. Forward this column to them if you like.