President Barack Obama's new infrastructure spending plan 'makes all of the sense in the world' and is an 'eminently sensible idea,' ABC's Christiane Amanpour enthused Sunday morning on This Week as if there is no rational reason to oppose the additional federal money and without a look at the impact of the already-spent stimulus spending.
Following up on President Obama's boast that 'when you got the AFL and the Chamber of Commerce agreeing on anything, that's a sign that it's a good idea,' Amanpour brought aboard the chiefs of those two organizations to tout the self-interested spending and fret over Republican opposition.
Amanpour cued up AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue:
It makes all of the sense in the world, build the crumbling infrastructure, put people back to work, and yet it's such a hard sell. Make the case for why the Senate, why Congress should do this business on infrastructure.
If 'Republicans don't agree with the tax part, how to pay for this,' she despaired, 'how is this going to become a reality, this eminently sensible idea of getting people to work in infrastructure?'
In between those questions, she relayed the economic expertise she's gleaned: 'And I've been told – read, of course – that investment in the infrastructure creates growth, and by the contrary, crumbling infrastructure really hurts the GDP in this country.'
From the Sunday, October 23 This Week with Christiane Amanpour on ABC:
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, OCTOBER 11: The council here is quoted as saying if there's one thing that Washington should be able to agree on, rebuilding our infrastructure should be one. I mean, when you got the AFL and the Chamber of Commerce agreeing on anything, that's a sign that it's a good idea.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: And we do have the AFL and the Chamber of Commerce here. It's not often that big business and big labor agree. But this is one of those times. Both see an opportunity to create jobs by rebuilding America. The Senate is expected to take up that issue in the next few weeks. And I'm now joined by two men that you seldom find in the same corner, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue. Gentlemen, thank you very much indeed for joining us.
Amanpour's leading questions:
> It makes all of the sense in the world, build the crumbling infrastructure, put people back to work, and yet it's such a hard sell. Make the case for why the Senate, why Congress should do this business on infrastructure.
> Tom Donohue, can one join together – behind me in that building [Capitol] – politically to get this done? And how many jobs do you think it would bring to America if it was agreed to?
> It's not just about putting people to work, it's also about growth. Without growth, obviously, there will be no significant uptick in employment. And I've been told – read, of course – that investment in the infrastructure creates growth, and by the contrary, crumbling infrastructure really hurts the GDP in this country.
> So, Rich, if Tom Donohue and the Republicans don't agree with the tax part, how to pay for this, how is this going to become a reality, this eminently sensible idea of getting people to work in infrastructure?
