What's this? . . . A politician with common sense?

Bits and pieces from an article in the West Central Tribune (Willmar, MN):

For Oberstar, recovery bill what’s needed; for Peterson, bill does little to generate jobs in stagnant economy

By Don Davis ddavis@wctrib.com

ST. PAUL — An economic stimulus package that would send $4.5 billion to Minnesota deeply divided two of the state’s most powerful politicians.

“It is a wide-ranging investment in America,” U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar said.

“This would go against everything I have been for,” U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson countered.

Peterson joined 10 other Democrats and all House Republicans in voting against the measure that passed 244-188. He said that passing no bill would be better than the one the House backed.

“We need to let this thing (economy) bottom out and then spend the money to fix it,” Peterson said, adding that is not what people want to hear.

The bill heads to the Senate next week, where Peterson predicted it will inflate to more than $900 billion, and is due on President Obama’s desk by mid-February.
Peterson said the bill does not do enough to create jobs. He said it should have focused on “programs directly resulting in job creation and infrastructure projects, and for unemployment compensation and food stamps.”
His biggest complaint is that the $819 billion, plus $350 billion in loan interest payments, just add to the country’s debt.
“We are borrowing this money from China,” he said.
Eventually, Peterson added, China will stop lending money to the United States, and interest rates will soar.
and this is classic:
“Maybe I shouldn’t have taken economics in college,” he said. “It would have been easier to go along with this.”

So true. Thank you Rep. Peterson. You've given me a small ray of hope that there are still politicians who think and do what is right.