Nothing to Fear—Except Those Anti-Stimulus Republicans

President Obama excoriated those politicians employing the "politics of fear" during the 2008 campaign and, from the inaugural platform, asked Americans to choose "hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord" when confronting the current financial crisis. But now that Republican lawmakers have objected to the stimulus package and recommended deeper tax cuts, Obama is telling that such intransigence will lead to economic "catastrophe." The AP, via Huffington Post:

"Let's not make the perfect the enemy of the essential," Obama said as Senate Republicans stepped up their criticism of the bill's spending and pressed for additional tax cuts and relief for homeowners. He warned that failure to act quickly "will turn crisis into a catastrophe and guarantee a longer recession."