The clock is running. More specifically, the job clock is running.

The Obama administration says the stimulus bill the President signs today in Denver will create or save 3.5 million jobs in the next two years. Gentlemen, start your engines.

Fast forward to February of 2011. I will have a little more gray hair but Obama and his advisors will have more gray hair than me if they don’t meet that self imposed job bar.

As a matter of fact, here’s how I envision this thing if it goes wrong. Please click here to see what the West Wing medicine cabinet may look like in February 2001.

Let’s be real here. Nobody has any clue if this is going to work. Republicans think this is too much spending and not enough stimulus. Liberals think there’s not enough spending in this bill. I don’t think there’s even a question here that President Obama is hanging his hat on this stimulus.

As for lessons on bi-partisanship on this, all I have to say is President Obama better make sure he has Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins on speed dial. They saved him here (along with Specter) As Obama foes down the health care and energy roads in the future, he should be able to pick up more Republicans because some have signaled a willingness to strike some sort of middle ground. The spending bill (Oh, I’m sorry I mean the ‘stimulus bill”) was always going to be a tougher sell because many in the GOP took hits from their constituents about voting for all that spending under the Bush administration.

Comments?