“We can’t embrace the losing formula that says only tax cuts will work for every problem we face; that ignores critical challenges like our addiction to foreign oil, or the soaring cost of health care, or falling schools and crumbling bridges and roads and levees.”

“They didn’t vote for the status quo — they sent us here to bring change.”

“Then there’s the argument, well, this is full of pet projects.  When was the last time that we saw a bill of this magnitude move out with no earmarks in it?  Not one.  (Applause.)”

“Millions more Americans will lose their jobs.  Homes will be lost. Families will go without health care.  Our crippling dependence on foreign oil will continue.  That is the price of inaction.”

“I believe that legislation of this enormous magnitude, that by necessity we are moving quickly — we’re not moving quickly because we’re trying to jamb something down people’s throats.  We’re moving quickly because we’re told that if we don’t move quickly, that the economy is going keep on getting worse, and we’ll have another 2 or 3 or 4 million jobs loss this year.”

“Number two, it is expected that we are going to lose about a trillion dollars worth of demand this year, a trillion dollars of demand next year because of the contraction in the economy.  So the reason that this has to be big is to try to fill some of that lost demand.  And as it is, there are many who think that we should be doing even more.  (Applause.)  So we are taking prudent steps.”

“So then you get the argument, well, this is not a stimulus bill, this is a spending bill.  What do you think a stimulus is?  (Laughter and applause.) That’s the whole point.  No, seriously. (Laughter.)  That’s the point. (Applause.) “

“But let’s think big right now.  Let’s not think small.  Let’s not think narrowly.”

“This plan will save or create over three million jobs — almost all of them in the private sector.”

No price tag is too big if we believe it will solve all of our problems.

Funny thing is my professor’s outright hatred of Reagan made me like Reagan even more. So much for indoctrination, but I know my classmates were eating it up like it was the Gospel which is sad.