"A trillion dollars is a terrible thing to waste," said Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, at a packed press conference on Capitol Hill Thursday.
Sen. Wicker breathed new life into that old slogan synonymous with the United Negro College Fund. The original phrase was actually "A mind is a terrible thing to waste," for those of you who have trouble remembering. Now, historically speaking, Republicans haven't been entirely successful using that phrase. (Think former Vice President Dan Quayle's rendering which went something like this: "What a waste it is to lose one's mind or not to have a mind is being very wasteful.")
Today, however, they think they have a winner; and the only thing being called "wasteful" is the amount of government spending generated by the $820 billion stimulus bill that passed the House and is working its way through the Senate. This afternoon, Republicans mounted the first in a series of counteroffensives, standing shoulder to shoulder in opposition of the bill as it stands now. Watch in the coming days as they drive home the following points:
1) The size and scope: At nearly $1 trillion, Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, called it the "largest intergenerational transfer of debt" in history.
2) Partisan politics: While they're quick to applaud President Obama's bipartisan overtures, Republicans say Congressional Democrats should follow suit. Today's GOP leaders decried partisan politics in the process of committee markups. They say they were shut out by the majority party as evidenced by the lack of a single Republican amendment that successfully passed out of committee.
3) It won't work: It's a phrase you will hear over and over again. (I heard it at least a half dozen times standing in the crowded Senate studio.) They believe the bill is flawed because the programs the money will fund won't stimulate the economy quickly enough - or at all.
"This is about spending money that we don't have on things we don't need" for a bill that won't work, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, said.
Even as Republicans mount their challenge and explore their options, Democrats remain hopeful. After all, the numbers are stacked in their favor.
Debate on the bill begins next week.