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At this point it is not about compromise. It's all about strategy. Do Republicans take a stand on the remainder of the 2011 budget (that was supposed to be passed by the previous Congress) or do they save their powder for the real showdown when they introduce their 2012 budget?
Recall that when the Republicans had their first shot at passing the 2011 budget 1/3 of the year had already passed due to the continuing resolutions passed by the Dems while they controlled both houses of Congress. So the House passed a budget for 2011 that reflected that fact and prorated the promised $100 billion in cuts. The proration yielded cuts of $61 billion. The Senate promptly defeated the House-passed budget with the $61 billion in cuts.
The next move was to either allow the CR passed by the Dems to expire or to try to pass a short CR until the House-Senate impass was resolved. So the Congress passed two CR's in succession--one for two weeks with $4 billion in cuts and one for 3 weeks with $6 billion in cuts. So as it stands now the Republicans have achieved $10 billion in cuts of the $61 billion proposed.
Now it appears that the Dems have offered to go along with $32 billion in additional cuts to finally pass the 2011 budget. That would leave the Republicans $19 billion short of their goal. All in all, not bad. But the question for the Republicans is whether they refuse to compromise for the sake of $19 billion.
My take is that $19 billion out of a $3.5 trillion budget is not worth shutting down the government and taking the blame for that shutdown. This is not the place to make their stand. Next month the Republicans will unveil their 2012 budget which, by all accounts, includes very sharp cuts--much bigger than the $61 billion that has been at stake since the Republicans took over the House in January. If the Dems balked at a paltry $61 billion in cuts you can bet they'll go ballistic when they see the 2012 budget. That's a fight worth having in an election year. Let the Dems defend the kind of borrowing we have been doing from the Chinese since Obama took office.
My take is that $19 billion out of a $3.5 trillion budget is not worth shutting down the government and taking the blame for that shutdown. This is not the place to make their stand. Next month the Republicans will unveil their 2012 budget which, by all accounts, includes very sharp cuts--much bigger than the $61 billion that has been at stake since the Republicans took over the House in January.
The Senate GOP will fold faster than Superman on laundry day when Harry Reid puts his foot down on rejecting the 2012 budget sent up from the House.
Let's face the facts: Americans aren't really that upset with Obama and Reid because if they were, the Tea Party backed GOP would currently control the Senate.
All of this talk about right-wing revolution is bullspit.
Like most, I agree that the Republican proposed cuts are far too small in the face of the actual defecits run up by both parties. However, they are a start and a place to build from.
With the near-complete loss of responsible "blue-dog" Dems in the house, I have to ask. Have any Democratic reps even proposed larger cuts? I'm not aware of any.
The Senate GOP will fold faster than Superman on laundry day when Harry Reid puts his foot down on rejecting the 2012 budget sent up from the House.
Let's face the facts: Americans aren't really that upset with Obama and Reid because if they were, the Tea Party backed GOP would currently control the Senate.
All of this talk about right-wing revolution is bullspit.
Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss.
In 2012, we'll see. There are 23 seats presently held by Democrats up for grabs. Only 10 for Republicans. CLICK HERE for a link to the wiki where you can examine the seats up for grabs. Unless Obama and Reid manage to pull a magic rabbit out of their collective butts, the Democrats could easily suffer an even more humiliating defeat in 2012 than the butt-whipping they got last November. I don't personally see a devastating defeat but I do see the "iffy" states swinging GOP which will give the Republicans the senate.
The moral of this story: Don't hatchet your Counts before they chicken.
Edit: To add a comment...
It really doesn't matter at this point. Democrats won't cut, Republicans won't cut enough, Americans are too chicken to elect an Independent so none of it really matters. We're hosed either way. The only two possible Presidential candidates who are serious about attacking the problems at their source, Kucinich(D) and Paul(R), have been shut out and ostracized by the press as well as their own parties so they never had nor will they ever have a chance.
The Congressional Budget Office estimate shows that compared with current spending rates the spending bill due for a House vote Thursday would pare just $352 million from the deficit through Sept. 30. About $8 billion in cuts to domestic programs and foreign aid are offset by nearly equal increases in defense spending.
Why do the people who support Tea Party candidates continue to let themselves get punched in the face by "Tea Party Congressmen"?
Smaller government and lowering the debt is the goal of the Tea Party. With his 500 billion budget cut, Rand is the only one so far who is serious about cutting the budget. Pay attention.
Sure we need to lower the debt and the deficit and this would happen somewhat naturally over time by ending the unnecessary wars and an increase in jobs, along with cutting pork, excesses, and fraud etc.
The deficit and debt are not the boogie men we are led to believe they are by the MSM. It is just another tactical tool to scare people voluntarily bending over for another middle class money and services grab.
That's why I don't like the Tea Party. While I admire any group for standing up to be counted, the TP has it's eyes on the wrong issues/"enemies" and are cutting off their noses to spite their faces while trying to take all middle class Americans down the rabbit hole with them.
Here's one source. Look around and become educated and informed!
"These days it's hard to pick up a newspaper or turn on a news program without encountering stern warnings about the federal budget deficit. The deficit threatens economic recovery, we're told; it puts American economic stability at risk; it will undermine our influence in the world. These claims generally aren't stated as opinions, as views held by some analysts but disputed by others. Instead, they're reported as if they were facts, plain and simple.
Yet they aren't facts. Many economists take a much calmer view of budget deficits than anything you'll see on TV. Nor do investors seem unduly concerned: US government bonds continue to find ready buyers, even at historically low interest rates. The long-run budget outlook is problematic, but short-term deficits aren't - and even the long-term outlook is much less frightening than the public is being led to believe....."
'US budget deficit not a problem' - The Economic Times (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5539330.cms - broken link)
US government bonds continue to find ready buyers, even at historically low interest rates.
New homes in Las Vegas, Orlando and Phoenix continued to find "ready buyers" in 2005.
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I hope so, I'd like to be the first to
