On Thursday, Glenn Beck took a skeptical look at some of the projects that would constitute the proposed economic stimulus plan of President-Elect Obama and the 111th Congress, contrasting them to the projects targeted by the last major federal spending spree intended to jump-start the economy. (Guess which state’s polar bear exhibit made his list …?)

” … how much money are you spending and how exactly are you going to make it back?” “Well, just the way we did in World War II. We spent all that money in World War II. 11% of our GDP. That’s more than we’re spending now in relation to our GDP, so — and look at what happened.” “Okay, all right. Well, let’s just compare a few things. Didn’t we in World War II develop the jet engine?” “Well, yes, of course we did.” “Didn’t we also do something, I don’t remember what — oh, yeah, the Manhattan Project?” “Well, it was — yeah, sure.” “Didn’t we also build dams?” “Well, yeah, of course we did.” “Didn’t we also build the first highway system?” “Of course we did.” “Okay. What are you doing with the $1.2 trillion?”
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… there’s a BMX and dirt bike trail at Virginia Key Park. And then they are going to build a Miami Rowing Club building and then there will be the Virginia Key Beach museum. In Trenton, New Jersey they have got 34 requests. They are going to do the Trenton Club renovation project, the Port of Trenton, that is my favorite, people come from all over the world to see the Port of Trenton museum. Then, of course, there’s the Eagle Tavern development. I mean, you gotta drink. Then the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island is going to be there. He’s going to talk about the Roger Williams Park Zoo. Roger Williams, didn’t he sell more albums than Elvis and Boxcar Willie combined? He’s going to be in from Providence and he’s going to talk about the new polar bear exhibit that they want to build and soccer field improvements. Then the mayor from Philadelphia, Michael Nutter, is talking about the Philadelphia zoo. They are going to — oh… oh, I didn’t know this! They’re doing the Big Cat Falls? Yeah! Finally they are going to build a nice waterfall. Well, now I want to go to the Philadelphia zoo and so does everyone from planet Earth. So when I look at the water slide, the BMX dirt trails and the Big Cat Falls and I compare them to the invention of the jet engine and the Manhattan Project and cheap plentiful energy from falling water, hmmm.