Legum’s New Line

Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-MD) was one of just 11 Democrats to vote against the stimulus bill in the House of Representatives. The vote is a clear sign that Kratovil won’t be shy about breaking from the Democratic House leadership.

With Andy Harris already gearing up to run against him again in 2010, Kratovil is smart to establish himself as an independent voice. In this case, however, Kratovil cast the wrong vote.

Kratovil’s primary objection to the bill was that it contained “wasteful spending” and that it was exempt from “pay-go” requirements the mandate “all expenditures are somehow offset in order to keep budgets balanced.” In this case, however, the spending is not “wasteful;” it’s absolutely necessary to jumpstart an economy that is hemorrhaging jobs. Further, spending intended as stimulus, by definition, cannot be offset. The idea is to provide additional economic activity to create jobs and pull the country out of recession. If this spending is offset by other reductions in spending, it doesn’t act as stimulus.

More on the Democrats who voted against the stimulus bill at ThinkProgress.

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