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The budget-bloater vs. the bumblers
NY Post ^ | April 15, 2011 | Jonah Goldberg

Posted on 04/16/2011 2:58:05 AM PDT by Scanian

I can't remember a more depressing week in Washington.

The Republicans boasted a heroic accomplishment: slashing $38.5 billion from the budget, purportedly the largest cuts in history.

But strip away the gimmicks and shine a light on the shadows, and it turns out the real cuts amounted to $352 million, or less than 1 percent of what was promised.

America borrows $4 billion a day. So we likely borrowed more than we cut in the amount of time the GOP leadership spent bragging about its "victory."

It is a dismal, dreary, mope-inducing performance that makes one wonder what the point of the 2010 elections were.

If this was the best deal possible, fine. Republicans control only one house of Congress, and you can only achieve what is achievable. But they should've said so, admitted it frankly -- and sworn to do better. Instead, the leadership touted their salt cracker of a budget cut as a feast, causing many to doubt they really grasp what their own voters want.

But as depressing as the Republicans' performance was, at least they're fighting for the right cause. What can be said of President Obama's speech this week?

Vice President Joe Biden reportedly fell asleep during the address. It would speak better of the man if he closed his eyes not out of weariness but as part of a prolonged wince as he listened to his boss spew a farrago of distortions, self-righteous non sequiturs and ideological fatwas in the cause of extending his presidency at the expense of both the country and his honor.

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


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: borrowedmoney; cuts; gimmicks; republicans

1 posted on 04/16/2011 2:58:10 AM PDT by Scanian
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To: Scanian

Keep the printing presses running. Deflate that debt until the Dollar reaches parity with the Yen. They’re printing too? Build more presses. What could go wrong?


2 posted on 04/16/2011 3:03:31 AM PDT by allmost
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To: allmost

I blame it on Trump, TParty and the Birfers!///s


3 posted on 04/16/2011 3:26:18 AM PDT by iopscusa (El Vaquero. (SC Lowcountry Cowboy))
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To: Scanian

The $38 billion represents the future savings from the changes and reductions, while the CBO figure represents only the actual savings for this year. In addition, Ryan took on Medicare, which is a dysfunctional program that only burns money and doesn’t really even serve the people who have been forced to pay for it all of their working lives (that would be us). He actually has a workable plan for it. Nobody else has done that.

Not a single Democrat voted in favor of the budget, so I think this should tell us that it’s a lot better than you’d believe from reading this board.

The Rand bill was useful because even if it had very little to no chance (except for Dem shenanigans), it pushed the GOP to be much firmer in defending Ryan’s budget and I think you had unusual unity in the final vote (only 4 defected, IIRC). Normally, all the truly raving RINO’s make a point of running to “stand with their brethren across the aisle,” or some such garbage, but this time, they stayed pretty unified, which is going to be essential if we want to get anything done.


4 posted on 04/16/2011 3:56:50 AM PDT by livius
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To: livius
Thanks for the bit of boost - nobody here is happy, but there are constraints. The real issue is whether the repubs use the clout of the purse strings to force the issue.

I also believe that they listened too closely to the media saying that they would be blamed for a shutdown and that it would hurt them - all they needed to do was to highlight the lies and fear-mongering from the "They want to kill women and deny medical care..." charlatans and destroy them with point-by-point facts. The Gipper would have explained it out and the People would have had a clear picture. Why is our side (such as it is) always afraid to address the blatant lies and bile coming from the Left?

5 posted on 04/16/2011 4:18:16 AM PDT by trebb ("If a man will not work, he should not eat" From 2 Thes 3)
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To: Scanian
GOP=LIARS

6 posted on 04/16/2011 4:59:12 AM PDT by Leisler (11% GDP of borrowing this year alone, gives 2% GDP boost! Woohoo!)
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To: trebb

Read my lips, no new taxes.
Compassonate Conservative.

HW Bush, GW Bush, Hasteret, Lott, Crying Boehner...

Please, enough with the enabling. Did someone take a cordless drill and a paddle bit to your memory?


7 posted on 04/16/2011 5:02:24 AM PDT by Leisler (11% GDP of borrowing this year alone, gives 2% GDP boost! Woohoo!)
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To: livius

Tax Strike Day, next March 16th, Friday.

No one send in until that Friday. Shot across the bow. Start making the bond holders nervous about them getting their money. Paying them is like paying the drug dealer that told you your kid owes them money.


8 posted on 04/16/2011 5:04:45 AM PDT by Leisler (11% GDP of borrowing this year alone, gives 2% GDP boost! Woohoo!)
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To: Scanian

Great article. Thanks for posting. It really summed things up for me.


9 posted on 04/16/2011 5:22:20 AM PDT by Nicojones
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To: Nicojones

glad you liked it.


10 posted on 04/16/2011 5:25:59 AM PDT by Scanian
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To: trebb
Why is our side (such as it is) always afraid to address the blatant lies and bile coming from the Left?

I think that's why Trump is so popular all of a sudden. He may not have a plan and he may be a little on the nutty side, but at least he comes out and challenges the Left.

I did notice, however, that Obama does seem to have been knocked back a bit. Yesterday he was claiming that the Ryan bill was "ending Medicare" and was ranting about all sorts of dire consequences. Ryan did respond, and today I see that Obama is saying "ending Medicare as we know it," which is a lot different.

The Dems always back down when someone opposes them, because they're lying and they know it - but the problem is that, as you say, the GOP rarely if ever calls them on it.

11 posted on 04/16/2011 5:29:52 AM PDT by livius
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To: allmost; dennisw; blam; Beelzebubba
What could go wrong?


12 posted on 04/16/2011 5:50:59 AM PDT by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: Travis McGee

Our inflation or hyper-inflation, if it happens, won’t be via printing paper money. Money is distributed differently these days and people can bet for and against any currency. This is kind of a restraint on hyper-inflation because the USD will start violently tanking in the markets and become non-viable quicker than a hyper-inflation kicking in. But some items like precious metals could hyper-inflate while others just inflate. Silver has been hyper-inflating...sort of. But it has been hyper-inflating against the Euro and other currencies too


13 posted on 04/16/2011 7:30:15 AM PDT by dennisw (nzt - "works better if you're already smart")
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To: Travis McGee
What could go wrong?

Collapse Countdown Clock: “We Have Until July” *Video*

14 posted on 04/16/2011 7:39:59 AM PDT by blam
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