February 23, 2005
THIS IS WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE WHEN HAWKS CRY:
Bush gets weak support
for program cuts: Even loyal Republicans oppose many plans (The Associated Press, Feb. 22, 2005)
Bush’s rationale for the cuts is the need to control relentless federal deficits that the White House expects to set a third straight record this year, hitting $427 billion. He also would slow the growth of the Pentagon’s budget and pluck savings from Medicaid, farm aid, veterans payments and other benefit programs.“The principle here is clear: Taxpayer dollars must be spent wisely, or not at all,” Bush said in his State of the Union speech this month.
Many interest groups and members of Congress, including plenty of the president’s fellow Republicans, think what’s unwise are his proposed cuts. That’s why his plan to save $15.3 billion by eliminating 99 programs and cutting 55 others faces bleak prospects.
Was anything in life ever more certain in life than that when you challenged supposed budget hawks of both parties to "put up or shut up" they'd shut up? Posted by Orrin Judd at February 23, 2005 1:05 PM
Exactly. Bush proposes budget cuts and all the GOPers and Dems whining about the deficit turn around and say the cuts are a bad idea. For the GOPers this is especially hypocritical.
Posted by: AWW at February 23, 2005 1:31 PMThey were never deficit hawks just porkers making strange, delusional sounds. Bush just proved to them, and an audience of millions, that pigs can't fly, regardless of aural pretense.
Posted by: Luciferous at February 23, 2005 3:40 PMJeez, 15.3 B$ is less than 1% of the budget. This is the reason the Pubbies could lose conservative and libertarian support.
Of course, these type cuts are irrelevant -- the way to reduce the deficit is to keep the increases below the growth rate of revenues, like the Republican House did in the 90's.
Posted by: jd watson at February 23, 2005 8:25 PMBush should make his proposed cuts public and then challenge his opponents in the GOP to produce what cuts they would make to reach his budget number. It's put up or shut up time for the deficit hawks and other idiots and poltroons.
He should also point out what stupid programs the pork barrellers wish to keep like the sugar subsidy to the Fanjul Brothers, the Northeast Dairy Compact for all those Bush supporters in Vermont, and the Robert Byrd Pocket Sized Constitution Manufacturing Plant in West Virginia.
Posted by: Bart at February 24, 2005 7:07 AMGOP reaction has nothing to do with concern for the welfare of their constituency. It has everything to do with their reelection campaigns.
Posted by: Bartman at February 24, 2005 10:52 AM