Stimulus battle rages on as cash comes

President Barack Obama's $787 stimulus plan may already be signed into law - the cash now flowing through the pipes of government and tax cuts on the books, but the political battle over the landmark package rages on.

In the suburbs, both Republicans and Democrats staked considerable political capitol on that one vote two weeks ago.

Supporters say they helped save the country while opponents argue they stood against a waste of taxpayer dollars their grandchildren will have to pay off for decades to come.

The ongoing battle was evident during Obama's congressional address Tuesday when his praise of the stimulus plan drew cheers from Democratics and groans and boos from Republicans.

It is playing out locally as well.

Two suburban Republican representatives who opposed the stimulus are the subject of Democratic Party-sponsored automated calls to residents in their districts that castigate the lawmakers for opposing massive tax cuts and job-creating spending.

Democrats too are being blasted in recent cable TV ads that highlight how long it would take to spend $800 billion ($1 million a day from the birth of Jesus Christ to the present and beyond).

The division and considerable politicization sparked by the first major legislation of Obama's presidency has left suburban lawmakers scrambling to maintain the higher ground in the ongoing debate.

U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean, a Barrington Democrat who voted for the plan, embarked on a districtwide campaign aimed at explaining what she sees as the measure's many perks, including tax breaks and spending plans geared to bring jobs and economic stability to the suburbs.

"I think lots of people are going to benefit in different ways," Bean said, pointing specifically to the tax cuts, which range from direct paycheck increases to tuition and small business breaks.

But Republicans in the suburbs, all of whom opposed the measure, tell residents they will not see a benefit worth the price tag.

"If you ask a majority of people, 'Do you expect in any way to benefit from this legislation?' the answer will be 'No,'" said U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk of Highland Park.

The package provides more than $6 billion to help fund education, health care and infrastructure initiatives in Illinois and it allows for tens of thousands of businesses and millions of residents to receive tax breaks.

In all, the White House estimates the package will create or save 148,000 jobs in Illinois. About 36,000 jobs were lost in the state in the month of December alone.

Perhaps the most direct sign of the public relations campaign over the stimulus measure is the thousands of automated calls going out in suburban districts targeting Republicans who opposed the plan.

The calls point out that the Republicans voted against one of the largest tax cut packages in history, a measure backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. That message is not likely to fade come next year's election. The calls are targeting 12 districts across the nation that Democrats hope to win.

"They said they wanted tax breaks. It was included and yet they still voted against it," scolded Gabby Adler, spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which is funding the calls. "People need to know that when they needed their member of Congress the most, they turned their back on them."

When it comes to employment, the White House has broken down by congressional district the number of jobs the stimulus plan is estimated to create or save. The data contends the stimulus plan will create or retain 57,600 jobs in the West and Northwest suburbs alone.

The districts represented by Republicans account for 32,100 of those estimated jobs.

Roskam rejects the figures that show he essentially voted against creating 7,600 jobs in his own district. He also says a Republican stimulus plan based mostly on tax cuts would have created more jobs. That plan went nowhere under Democratic rule.

"There was a good alternative on the table," Roskam said. "This idea of literally borrowing and spending your way into prosperity - that wasn't really well thought out."

Roskam, who easily dispatched his Democratic opponent last year in the DuPage County-centered 6th District, is not the target of recent robo-calls by national Democrats. However, his neighboring Republicans are: Kirk in the North suburban 10th District and U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert of Hinsdale in the West suburban 13th District.

Kirk is not concerned.

"Honestly," he said, "the more they remind people that I voted against the stimulus bill the more it helps me."

Kirk voted against the stimulus package twice and each time he says he initiated an automated telephone survey of people in his district. He said the results showed 60 percent opposed the stimulus the first time and 65 percent opposed it the second time.

Biggert believes the same.

"The American people don't want to see us throw good money after bad," Biggert said on the House floor during the first round of votes on the stimulus package.

Suburban Democrats appear to understand that many people don't believe the stimulus will help, but they have mounted their own public relations campaign to explain the benefits across their own districts.

U.S. Rep. Bill Foster of Geneva and Bean have held several town hall meetings to tell residents and local officials about coming tax breaks and infrastructure projects that will spur local jobs and spending. The PR campaign is expected to continue.

But Bean argues it is not public opinion that should drive the debate, but the economists who agreed the stimulus plan would help. She said she didn't poll her Northwest suburban 8th District before voting.

"I'm going to support legislation that is problem solving in its orientation," Bean said. "This is doing what we need to do help families and businesses get through this as a whole."

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=275280">The jobs Obama says stimulus will bring here <span class="date"> [2/26/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=275279">The stimulus tax cuts <span class="date">[2/26/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>