Obama Is Selling It, But It's Not His Bill

Barack Obama is working mightily to sell the stimulus bill, but looks have made one major mistake, Massimo Calabresi writes in Time: He let Congress write it. Obama aides let committee staffers draft the bill, relying on their legislative expertise. “They did a good job of really deferring to Congress,” confirms one. Many, however, aren’t sure deference was the way to go.

Congress decided to spend as it usually does: on an array of regional concerns, benefiting various constituencies. “Unfortunately, the House-passed bill is much more like an omnibus bill than a stimulus bill,” said one Republican senator. “The White House would have been better off presenting a bill.” It’s not too late to edit—and doing so could be a big test of Obama’s political capital. (More Barack Obama stories.)