Apr 01 2009
Finally, A Fiscally Responsible Plan – Updated!
There are some voices of sanity left in Washington DC, and thankfully this voice is coming from the conservative side:
House Republicans are calling for the economic stimulus package passed in February to be rescinded starting in 2010 as part of their alternative to President Obama’s budget blueprint.
After being criticized last week for lacking specifics in their budget rebuttal. the Republicans said Wednesday they also want a freeze on non-defense spending and a moratorium on earmarks for Congress.Â
“This is a budget with real policies and real numbers,” said Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. “We’re going into an ocean of red ink in this country. There will be a time when others won’t buy our bonds.”Â
Compare this to the insanity of the Democrats (H/T Gateway Pundit):
#1Â .Under the Obama budget, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that the national debt will double over the next five years; and it will triple over the next 10 years to $17.3 trillion.
#2. Under the Obama budget, CBO projects that the national debt will soar over the next 10 years from 40 percent of GDP today to a shocking 82.4 percent. (Ronald Reagan left office with the national debt at 42 percent of GDP).
The right path forward is obvious and clear – bankruptcy or recovery.
Update: As if it could not be any worse:
The U.S. government and the Federal Reserve have spent, lent or committed $12.8 trillion, an amount that approaches the value of everything produced in the country last year, to stem the longest recession since the 1930s.
New pledges from the Fed, the Treasury Department and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. include $1 trillion for the Public-Private Investment Program, designed to help investors buy distressed loans and other assets from U.S. banks. The money works out to $42,105 for every man, woman and child in the U.S. and 14 times the $899.8 billion of currency in circulation. The nation’s gross domestic product was $14.2 trillion in 2008.
I will never, in my lifetime, see the end of this red ink.
Update: Yeah, this picture looks MUCH better:
SInce it is us, the American taxpayer, who need to burn off all this debt (through the next 2-3 generations) the GOP is finally proposing a preferable and mature alternative to the Democrats’ panic spending mode.
If we continue on this Obama plan, nobody alive today will see the end of red ink. Only the Chinese profit from this insanity. I vote for a little more pain now to save our Countries future. Enough Obama, enough.
A White House spokesman was on Fox News this afternoon. When asked about the GOP budget proposal, he said it was “ironic that it is April 1st” because the GOP proposal “is a joke”.
Video here
Classy, real classy. I just love the new spirit of bi-partisanship. (Bipartisanship, per the New Order: STFU, I won)
AJ,
It might help to actually read the Republican budget plan rather than just the news clips about it. So here is a link to the actual plan for those of you who are interested in reading it before coming to a conclusion. http://www.house.gov/budget_republicans/press/2007/pr20090401_gopbudget.pdf
This is nothing more than a slightly pumped up version of the 19-page joke budget outline they introduced a week or so ago to choruses of public ridicule. The actual portion of the report that discusses the Republican alternative budget is only 26 pages and contains almost no details. How does the RNC propose to deal with the complicated question of discretionary spending – check out the outline on pages 19 and 20 (two freakin pages), which doesn’t mention a single actual discretionary spending program they will cut. How do they propose to solve the vexing Social Security problem – check out the one and a half page plan on page 25. Gee, I guess everyone has been over complicating this problem after all these years – the solution is really simply.
Overall, it is more of the same – cut taxes and freeze spending – except everyone now knows after the Republican experiment that when the RNC says cut spending they really mean increase spending. Oh, and I love the proposal to end earmarks – from the same group that packed the Omnibus spending bill with 40% of the earmarks even though they have far less members in Congress. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/03/republican_earmarks_pork.html
Seriously folks, this plan is a joke. And after people actually have time to review it and raise the questions and issues that typcially come up with a real budget proposal, it will be pretty obvious.
And what about the smooth PR move of announcing in in April Fool’s day? It is truly scary to think that these clowns were once in charge. They make the current DNC buffons in charge of Congress look like Einsteins.
Dave,
Maybe you can explain what the Republicans have done to deserve a bipartisanship approach to governing? They got their butts handed to them in the 2008 election and Obama still tried to court them right out of the box. Obama tried on the stimulus plan and didn’t pick up a single RNC vote. The word on the street is the same will happen with the budget. They have attacked him on virtually every policy and proposal. Why did the White House react so negatively to this alternative budget – they had to read about it in the papaer since the RNC didn’t even give them the courtesy of an advance copy. Usually the losing party has to do SOMETHING to give the winner incentive to include them in the process.
Your blog name and the Democratic budget have something in common , they are headed into the strata-sphere—you need to move over. They Republician budget is nothing but a pile of paper they might as well take to the outhouse, for thats the only place any use will be made of it. Nothing, nothing will come of it—its sad, but true.
ok, great, we now have something the Republicans can lead with. Now we need EVERY Republican candidate to get “on message” toward a consistent goal. They need to focus on that fiscal responsibility angle and work in a coordinated manner to get a TEAM in place in Washington to move that budget agenda forward.
Same needs to happen in the states. State Republican party organizations should have a fiscal responsibility policy and ALL candidates for ALL offices across the state should be working toward that common goal.
If leadership is shown, I believe the people will take the path of responsibility rather than “spend and hope”.
russellshih:
I do not think that is true. The Democrats pushed the subprime loans but the entire Republican party was blamed because they did not try harder to stop them. The Democrats were responsible for a lot of the intel on Saddam, but the Republicans were blamed for any mistakes made beause they went with the intel without questioning it.
The Republicans need to oppose this insane plan of Obama’s to use a recession to bankrupt this country and push through some ridiculous agenda he could never get through otherwise.
In fact every since the Democrats took control of Congress in 2006 the deficit has been increasing and what exactly have they accomplished thus far?
I think that the economy can and will recover from this recession a lot sooner if the Republicans can slow down Obama. In fact I don’t think Obama really cares about the economy at all. He just wants to remake America.
In Indiana, where I live the Democrats like Brad Ellsworth and Evan Bayh are even having some problems with Obama’s budget.
conman:
Obama did not try to court anyone but the mullahs. He made a point of treating the Republicans like dirt even after he promised to work with them. The man is a liar.
But hey conman, what the hell when your grandkids ask you why you let a crazy person like Obama ruin a perfectly good country you can tell him that it was because Obama was not a Rethuglican.
Conman,
One small attempt to speak reason with you before I give it up as a useless effort:
1. You don’t have to go anything to “deserve a bipartisanship approach to governing.” It should be the standard. Unfortunately, it has not gotten more than lip service from this administration or the Democrat majority in either chamber of Congress. From “I won” from the President to GOP congressmen, to Pelosi and Reid shutting out Republican committee members from deliberations, changing legislation after it was approved but before it went for signature, to the comments of “we don’t need them”, it’s fair to say that bi-partisanship is a dead horse.
2. Obama’s approach on getting GOP support for the stimulus was to listen to them, tell them it would be done his way, force an “emergency” vote before the bill could even be read, much less discussed, then take a long party weekend before signing. GOP lack of support was for two major reasons: lack of proper consideration for what was in a $787 billion dollar spending spree and knowledge that this spending spree will hammer taxpayers for years to come.
3. You have the balls to complain that the GOP didn’t give the White House an “advance copy” of their budget proposal? Where the hell have you been? Congress spent almost a trillion dollars without even reading what they voted on – or allowing most GOP members even the opportunity to read it. Unless you consider a couple of hours prior to the vote enough time to come to grips with a 1000 page spending bill. I certainly don’t.
4. They have “attacked him on virtually every policy and proposal” because they (and I and millions of Americans) feel that he is destroying our economy and perhaps even our way of life. The question is whether it is deliberate or just the result of blind, ignorant ambition.
Terrye,
Let me suggest something. Go back and read AJ’s recent posts about the looney far right who are undermining the credibility of the GOP and conservatives in general. You know, those conservatives who do nothing but rant about Obama like he is the devil reincarnated and are unable to articulate rationale and intelligent thoughts or arguments about the actual policy issues. Then reread your responses to my post. That’s right – AJ is talking about you!
conman:
I am not loony far right. However, considering the number of loons on your side of the aisle, perhaps you should worry about them and leave this side of the aisle alone.
The point is that Obama has been an arrogant prick who did not try to deal with the opposition because he did not think he had to, he said they did not have a plan and when they presented him with one he smirked and said I won.
And I can say this conman after the kind of crap the left has been throwing at all Republicans, even the moderate ones for the last 8 years they are in no position to lecture anyone.
If you do not believe me ask Chimpy McHitlerburton.
I see the Obumbler-in-chief gave Queen Elizabeth II an iPod … containing pictures of previous visits by Her Majesty to the US and … wait for it … Barack Obama’s own speeches. He gave the Queen audio recordings of his own speeches.
What a narcissistic a$$.
Oh dear, from the “Timesonline” looks as if “Old Europe” is up to it’s old tricks again. Just like the lead up to the Iraq war. Change your mind to make an American President look stupid.
New demands from France and Germany. (can be found at Drudge)
In a classic show of eve-of-summit brinkmanship, Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy joined forces to give warning that they would refuse to sign any agreement that did not meet their “red lines†on tax havens, hedge fund regulation, tracing “securitised†assets sold around the world and capping bankers’ remuneration.
By 2010 the country will have been bled dry by this would be African tyrant and his enablers and abettors. They are looting the treasury. My guess is that over half the trillions they have already voted themselves and their cohorts, is already in foreign bank accounts. It must be in their genes because look at how many African countries, rich in natural resources, that are basket cases. Sure, they blame the white imperalists and colonizers but they have been out of Africa for over 50 years and Africa is still a basket case. By 2010 the US will also be a basket case. For what it’s worth, For the first time in memory Social Security checks were not automatically deposited in bank accounts on the first day of the month. . I have checked with three people who say it is not there yet. This bunch of theives haven’t been in office three months and they have already stolen our Social Security checks. So much for taking care of the poor and vulnerable.
This has to be an April Fool’s Day joke, right AJ?
Look at the second chart that you like so much.
Then, please explain to me how the GOP is able to project budget deficits in 2060 and beyond, when a portion of the people who will be in Congress haven’t even been BORN YET.
What the mathematical basis for any projections after 2019 (which is the latest the CBO has done)?
As a scientist, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Okay, having cooled off a bit – I will be the first to say that my last sentence was out of line. I apologize for that, AJ.
Nonetheless, the rest of my comments stand. The GOP just decided to, at some random year, draw a roughtly 45 degree line in the Democratic projection. There is no mathematical justification.
I told you guys months ago to watch Rep Paul Ryan! I think you will be seeing a lot of him.
Rep Paul Ryan speaks on the GOP budget
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHFmzL6o91s
I’ll take the GOP plan any day over Obama’s ‘hockey stick’ shaped debt and spending disaster.
Dave,
I asked you “Maybe you can explain what the Republicans have done to deserve a bipartisanship approach to governing? ” Predictably, you didn’t provide a single example. Instead, you railed about how Obama and the Democrats should have done more to reach more across the aisle. I don’t know what universe you live in, but usual it is not the winner that has to do most of the reaching across the aisle to get the losers to participate in the governing process. Nonetheless, I’ll respond to your points.
1. Bipartisonship has not been anything close to standard the last 10+ years. Republicans tried to impeach Clinton over a blowjob and ruled Congress with an iron fist (do you know anything about Delay?). So give it a rest. Obama did at least try to engage the Republicans (which I address in #2) and got nothing in return – not a single vote. He even offered cabinet important cabinet positions to Republicans (Sec. Def and Sec. Commerce). And sorry, but he did win, so the GOP should be adult enough to be reminded of reality when they get out of line. You are right about the Democrats in Congress and I agree that was a mistake – they were simply seeking revenge for being treated like dirt by the GOP, which was childish. You won’t find me defending Pelosi and Reid much. Obama’s biggest mistake on the stimulus was not controlling Pelosi and Reid more in the beginning. I think and hope he learned that lesson.
2. Obama did talk to Republicans and make concessions early on. He included some of their tax cuts and cut some of the spending proposals, and took major heat from the left over it. It was all over the news – where were you? But the GOP wanted way more taxes and proposed cutting the spending in half. The Gop ran on tax cuts and spending cuts and lost – why would Obama basically adopt their platform in his first major bill as POTUS when he won? Once Obama realized the GOP was circling the wagons and he wouldn’t get a single vote, he said screw you – I don’t need any of your votes to pass it. How is that unreasonable?
3. The reason I point out that the GOP didn’t provide an advance copy is that it is obviously nothing more than a GOP gimick. If it was a serious plan that they were trying to advocate as an alternative, wouldn’t you think they would at least want to engage the POTUS on it? Wouldn”t they propsoe it more than one day before the House vote on the budget? Wouldn’t they pass something more than a outline with no specifics? It is lame ploy to cover their butts for not having any alternative plan. The White House treated it as such – a lame political ploy that really is a joke. If I were you, I’d be furious at the GOP for rolling out this piece of junk as an lame alternative to the one issue Obama is most vulnerable on.
4. I recognize that a minority of people in this country feel Obama is going to destroy the country and our way of life. Based on all of the polling, it is the same minority that voted against him. The same group that thinks tax cuts, deregulation and spending freezes is the way to get us out of this recession. Sorry, but we already had the argument and you lost. In a democracy the majority gets to decide what to do. So get over it and get off your high horse.