Another "Jobs Bill": Didn't The First One Work?

Liberals in Congress, frantic to show some improvement in our nation's job picture before the 2010 mid-term elections, have decided that we need to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on a jobs-creation bill. Again.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=117273

This raises an interesting question: If the liberals think that a new jobs-creation bill is needed, does that mean that the previous one (the so-called stimulus bill) has failed? Congressional Democrats and the White House both loudly declare the stimulus program a success, and trumpet the number of jobs supposedly "saved or created" (even though those numbers are suspect at best). In other words, they think it was a success.

But if it was such a success, why all the impetus to do it again?

In my opinion, we simply cannot afford to keep spending money whenever Congressmen decide they need to score a victory for their party so they can get re-elected.

In case you're interested, this author makes the case that we cannot afford to massively increase the deficit at this time.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703932904574511243712388988.html

And THIS author makes the case that we cannot afford NOT to engage in massive deficit spending at this time.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20091207/greider2

Which author you believe is correct depends on your underlying beliefs. If you think big government is good and huge government is better; if you believe that our national debt doesn't matter; if you believe in Keynesian economic theories that most economists recognize are worthless... well, then, you will agree with the second author.

Personally, I think massive new spending at this time is probably the worst idea this Congress has had all year long. And that's saying a lot. From a fiscal standpoint, our government cannot AFFORD to spend so much on ObamaCare, cap & trade, and more pork spending under the guise of "jobs creation."

But keep in mind the question I asked initially, and make sure to pose it to your Congressman if he shows the slightest sign of supporting a new "jobs bill." Does that mean the FIRST jobs bill was a failure? Why should we continue to spend far too much money on bills that don't work?