I think republicans did it as a strategy, and that no matter what they wouldn't have approved of the bill. I think they did so knowing full well that they didn't really need to approve in order for it to pass. I think their plan is to say in a few months "The stimulus has done nothing, the economy is getting worse! We told you that was a bad idea!" And for the next year harp about how terrible the stimulus was because the economy still sucks. And when the economy eventually starts to improve way down the line (it's not going to be a quick fix obviously even if the stimulus works) they and the pundits will have long forgotten about the stimulus and have moved on to whatever the topic of the week is. It's smart from a dirty political standpoint.
They can show their staunch "fiscally conservative" (all of the sudden) disaproval of the bill without having to actually screw anything up because they weren't needed to pass the bill. And for the next year of crappy economy they just say "I told you so" and hem and haw and be pricks in general.
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