A response that actually works for recession recovery by the government is interest rate reduction by the fed and tax rate cuts. Those two things put more real money in people's pockets to spend, employ people and invest.

The Iraq war through August of 2008 had a total cost of $550 billion. That was spread over more than 5 years. Obama has already signed legislation during his first 3 months in office that significantly dwarfs that. It truly saddens me that I'm going to be spending the next 4 years telling people "I told you so!"