While I certainly don't know all the details, I gather that from the beginning the White House was greatly concerned with both the reality and politics of stimulus money being "wasted," as in spent on things that Republicans could, rightly or wrongly, criticize. This was a valid concern, but another valid concern is... that it's July 2010, unemployment is at 9.5% and is only that "low" because so many people left the labor force. They should have put more emphasis on shoveling money out
the door faster.
