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I Won in an Historic Landslide and All I Got Was This Lousy Rounding Error
American Thinker ^ | July 29, 2011 | Joseph Ashby

Posted on 08/01/2011 7:48:39 PM PDT by neverdem

"I Won in a Historic Landslide and All I Got Was this Lousy Rounding Error." That's the t-shirt that Speaker Boehner should wear based on his debt ceiling plan. The scoring of the second iteration of the Boehner bill gave an estimate of $22 billion in cuts from the CBO baseline for 2012--1/70th of the annual budget shortfall, about five days worth of deficit spending.

Despite the bill's nigh irrelevant scope, we are assured by many in the conservative press that those rejecting this deal are "obtuse," "vain," politically dunce "hobbits." "Of course the Boehner bill doesn't solve the debt problem," rails a frustrated Mona Charen at NRO, "the debt is 98.6 percent of GDP." The problem is that Boehner's plan not only leaves all $14.3 trillion debt intact, it puts us on a course to add $10-$20 trillion over the next ten years.

Then there is Thomas Sowell, arguably the wisest man in our solar system. He likens the debt debate to necessary retreats early in the Revolutionary War. While the image of retreat might fit the Boehner bill, why back down? "Later," Sowell writes, "when the conditions were right for an attack, General Washington attacked." Presumably, like Charen, he implies that we must wait for a Republican-controlled Senate and Presidency. But when that happens, will we then need to wait for a filibuster-proof Senate? The Republicans are coming off an historic victory, which was a mandate for fiscal austerity and 66% of America support a balanced federal budget. With the filibuster in the Senate, the simple truth is that the budget cutting process will not get significantly easier.

Continuing on, we find the Wall Street Journal editors mocking conservatives who oppose the Boehner plan. So exasperated by conservatives stubbornness in trying to stop national insolvency, the Journal...

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: boehner; debtdeal; debtdealcavein; hobbits
Conservatives and Republican Victory

The Republican Party has a real chance, because of the unusually good composition of the 2012 and 2014 Senate elections, to acquire something that Republicans have never had before: a filibuster-proof Senate.

Rats are defending 23 Senate seats in 2012, including 6 that will be empty from retirement. So 2012 is theoretically doable. They won so many seats in 2008, they will have to defend a similar number in 2014.

Hat tip to Mark Levin for the Joseph Ashby essay.

1 posted on 08/01/2011 7:48:44 PM PDT by neverdem
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To: neverdem
Ha!

Yay, Scott Brown won. Everything is going to be great.

Well, we didn't have the House, but once we get the House, everything will be okay.

Well, we didn't have the Senate or the White House, but once we get that, then we'll show them.

Puh-leeze.

I have more respect for the dems. At least they fight for their beliefs. They want communism and are getting closer on an annual basis. he GOP rolled over like a bunch of sissies.

2 posted on 08/01/2011 7:55:59 PM PDT by MattinNJ (Game over.)
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To: neverdem

Even without a filibuster-proof majority, GOP control of both houses of Congress and the White House with Tea Party types constituting a sizable portion of our caucus should suffice. What will the Senate ‘Rats do? Filibuster the budget? Darn, no budget, we’ll have to stop all Federal spending, there’s no authority to spend money! Now just agree to these cuts (real cuts, not cuts to projected increases) and we’ll let your precious New Deal and Great Society legacy programs continue on at reduced levels, why they might even be able to be continued indefinitely at these new reduced levels. . .


3 posted on 08/01/2011 8:01:47 PM PDT by The_Reader_David (And when they behead your own people in the wars which are to come, then you will know. . .)
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To: MattinNJ

Dittos. Simply dittos.


4 posted on 08/01/2011 8:02:21 PM PDT by CodeToad (Islam needs to be banned in the US and treated as a criminal enterprise.)
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To: MattinNJ

Dittos. Simply dittos.


5 posted on 08/01/2011 8:02:38 PM PDT by CodeToad (Islam needs to be banned in the US and treated as a criminal enterprise.)
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To: neverdem

Was just going to post that Mark Levin mentioned on his program tonight and see that you already have.

Bookmark


6 posted on 08/01/2011 8:09:04 PM PDT by thouworm (.)
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To: neverdem

Everyone knows the Left owns the media - makes a big difference.


7 posted on 08/01/2011 9:28:58 PM PDT by The_Media_never_lie
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To: MattinNJ

We had it all with GWB, and it still didn’t make a difference. Republicans spent like Democrats, and it’s because that is what the American people want. Nobody wants to give up his or her place at the trough. For example, farm state Congressmen are supposedly some of the most conservative lawmakers around, but what do they do when it comes to subsidies for big agribusinesses? Well, you know the answer.


8 posted on 08/01/2011 9:54:32 PM PDT by Pining_4_TX ( The state is the great fiction by which everybody seeks to live at the expense of everybody else. ~)
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To: Pining_4_TX
and it’s because that is what the American people want.

Oh they want to cut spending and cut their taxes.....but they don't want to cut spending on their pet projects, and they want everybody else to pay more taxes.

9 posted on 08/01/2011 9:57:43 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: neverdem
The Republican Party has a real chance, because of the unusually good composition of the 2012 and 2014 Senate elections, to acquire something that Republicans have never had before: a filibuster-proof Senate.

There is a huge difference between a Republican majority and a conservative majority, the latter of which probably will not happen. Thus, if Republicans do take control, they will have full accountability for the outcome while conservatives still face a Democrat/RINO majority, which was the situation while George Bush was in office. Republicans then took the blame for the results of Democrat policies.

10 posted on 08/01/2011 10:24:02 PM PDT by Carry_Okie (GunWalker: "We need a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as well funded")
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To: The_Reader_David

“Darn, no budget, we’ll have to stop all Federal spending”

Not until we get rid of leaders like Boehner and McConnell. After their performance in this debt ceiling “victory” do you really think they would have the intestinal fortitude to shut the government down for even 5 minutes? I do not.


11 posted on 08/01/2011 11:08:17 PM PDT by jospehm20
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To: The_Reader_David

“Darn, no budget, we’ll have to stop all Federal spending”

Not until we get rid of leaders like Boehner and McConnell. After their performance in this debt ceiling “victory” do you really think they would have the intestinal fortitude to shut the government down for even 5 minutes? I do not.


12 posted on 08/01/2011 11:10:53 PM PDT by jospehm20
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To: jospehm20

If, come 2013, the POTUS is committed to cutting the size of government, we have majorities in both houses, and a government shutdown would be manifestly caused by a Democrat filibuster, yes, I think even Boehner and McConnell would have the guts. Or if they don’t, at that point there will be a majority in our caucus willing to replace them.


13 posted on 08/02/2011 6:31:31 AM PDT by The_Reader_David (And when they behead your own people in the wars which are to come, then you will know. . .)
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To: neverdem
I was looking at the actual bill and found the following increases enumerated in it. I also found the debt increase for this year, alone, can be $1.8 trillion. The following table shows the ADDITIONAL spending authorized in the bill for each year.

In $ Trillions 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Total $1,936 $2,107 $2,319 $2,570 $2,668 $2,854 $2,899 $2,945 $2,992 $3,039
Social Security $623 $751 $924 $1,123 $1,166 $1,309 $1,309 $1,309 $1,309 $1,309
Health and Human Services $270 $299 $329 $361 $395 $414 $434 $454 $475 $496
Discretionary Spending $1,043 $1,057 $1,066 $1,086 $1,107 $1,131 $1,156 $1,182 $1,208 $1,234

14 posted on 08/02/2011 6:37:20 AM PDT by CodeToad (Islam needs to be banned in the US and treated as a criminal enterprise.)
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To: neverdem
I was looking at the actual bill and found the following increases enumerated in it. I also found the debt increase for this year, alone, can be $1.8 trillion. The following table shows the ADDITIONAL spending authorized in the bill for each year. It add 5% more every year.

In $ Trillions 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Total $1,936 $2,107 $2,319 $2,570 $2,668 $2,854 $2,899 $2,945 $2,992 $3,039
Social Security $623 $751 $924 $1,123 $1,166 $1,309 $1,309 $1,309 $1,309 $1,309
Health and Human Services $270 $299 $329 $361 $395 $414 $434 $454 $475 $496
Discretionary Spending $1,043 $1,057 $1,066 $1,086 $1,107 $1,131 $1,156 $1,182 $1,208 $1,234

15 posted on 08/02/2011 6:39:21 AM PDT by CodeToad (Islam needs to be banned in the US and treated as a criminal enterprise.)
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To: CodeToad
Thanks for posting. The number that jumps out at me is Social Security: it doubles in 5 years. However, SS payments flatten starting in 2017.

Is that when the Death Panels start?

Firms up my belief that fiscal implosion commences in about 5 years. By then, we'll be over $20T in debt.

16 posted on 08/02/2011 8:12:38 AM PDT by Night Hides Not (My dream ticket for 2012 is John Galt & Dagny Taggart!)
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To: Night Hides Not

I think it all starts now. The GDP is misreported and isn’t anywhere near $14 trillion; unemployment is misreported and is several times higher than 9%; spending is far higher than is being reported; etc.


17 posted on 08/02/2011 8:18:15 AM PDT by CodeToad (Islam needs to be banned in the US and treated as a criminal enterprise.)
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To: CodeToad

Thanks. It is time for the GOP to go away. They are either with us or against us. It’s like having a girl cheat on you but telling you it made her appreciate you more. Hit the road sweetie.


18 posted on 08/02/2011 9:26:44 AM PDT by MattinNJ (Game over.)
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To: MattinNJ

Wow. Dittos again!

Makes me remember a song by Will Smith that had the phrase about a girl in his car that was driving him crazy, “...so I put the bitch out!”


19 posted on 08/02/2011 9:38:52 AM PDT by CodeToad (Islam needs to be banned in the US and treated as a criminal enterprise.)
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To: MattinNJ; CodeToad
I have more respect for the dems. At least they fight for their beliefs.

I couldn't agree more, with both of you.

20 posted on 08/02/2011 10:14:19 AM PDT by proud American in Canada (To paraphrase Sarah Palin: "I love when the liberals get all wee-wee'd up.")
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