The Democrats were looking to bribe a couple of Republican (RINO) to sign onto the Porkulus bill. Nothing more, Nothing less. Obamacare was the same. The Democrats knew damn well no Republican would sign onto a bill where the central government took over the nation's health insurance industry. Forcing that crap onto the nation's citizens wasn't something any Republican wanted on their voting record. 
There wasn't a Republican in office that was going to assist Obama's transformation of the country that he hates.