Stouffer rips stimulus package

Sen. Bill Stouffer, a Republican challenger for the Fourth District Congressional seat held by Democrat Ike Skelton, offered some criticism of the stimulus package and Skelton in the following news release issued today:

Today is the one year anniversary of the Skelton-Pelosi stimulus package, an economic policy that has been a complete and utter failure.

One year ago, when President Obama signed the $787 billion bill into law, Missouri's unemployment rate stood at a troubling 8.6%. By December of 2009 (the most recent figures available), the state's unemployment rate had risen to a disturbing 9.6%.

Skelton defended his votes for the stimulus package, cap-and-trade legislation and the TARP bank bailout bill saying, "They were the right votes."

Ike Skelton continues to march in lockstep with Speaker Pelosi, voting with her more than 95% of the time. "Where are the jobs that Ike Skelton and Nancy Pelosi promised?," asked Stouffer. "The only thing the stimulus created was a mountain of debt for our great-grandchildren to pay off. Washington is out of touch with the needs of rural Missouri. We need to send someone to Congress who will use common sense and not be a rubber stamp for Nancy Pelosi."