Master Baiting the GOP
You really have to pity the Republicans in the House and Senate. You really do. President Obama's budget flies in the face of almost every tenet of the so-called "fiscal conservatives" on the Right, but up until yesterday they had exactly nothing to offer by way of contrast.
Well, yesterday the House GOP leadership, led by John "Tanned and Bland" Boehner, unveiled their plan. Unfortunately, it wasn't a plan, but a 19-page blueprint or outline for an alternative budget.
Reading it, you get the feeling for what Talleyrand said about the Bourbons - that they haven't forgotten anything, but haven't learned anything either.
Energy policy? Drill, baby, drill.
Tax policy? Simple - cut taxes to a top rate of 25% on anyone making more than $100,000 a year. That's lower than Bush wanted, and sure to gladden the heart of the wealthiest Americans. Now, I fully expect a lot of screeching from my coworkers, none of whom will ever make that amount in their lifetimes and will overlook the fact that their tax burden will only increase.
Oversight of the financial sector? Dead set against it. Let a million flowers bloom so that we may garland the tomb of Ayn Rand.
Bailouts? The "plan" is against it, but Boehner wouldn't commit to such a stand. He's a treasure - can't ask for water when he's thirsty. It's like the voters in his district elected Buridan's ass.
A sensible approach would have been to not rise to Obama's challenge, and instead offer amendments that would sensibly modify ...
But what am I talking about? The GOP hasn't been a bastion of common sense or restraint since maybe Barry Goldwater, and that was a hell of a long time ago.
So President Obama baited the GOP, and they fell for it. The "alternative budget blueprint" is nineteen pages of nothing but the same codswallop that got us into the current economic mess to start with.
What happens next?
The House GOP leadership stated that the details of the "alternative budget" will come out "next Wednesday."
Next Wednesday is April Fool's Day, for those of you keeping track.
Well, yesterday the House GOP leadership, led by John "Tanned and Bland" Boehner, unveiled their plan. Unfortunately, it wasn't a plan, but a 19-page blueprint or outline for an alternative budget.
Reading it, you get the feeling for what Talleyrand said about the Bourbons - that they haven't forgotten anything, but haven't learned anything either.
Energy policy? Drill, baby, drill.
Tax policy? Simple - cut taxes to a top rate of 25% on anyone making more than $100,000 a year. That's lower than Bush wanted, and sure to gladden the heart of the wealthiest Americans. Now, I fully expect a lot of screeching from my coworkers, none of whom will ever make that amount in their lifetimes and will overlook the fact that their tax burden will only increase.
Oversight of the financial sector? Dead set against it. Let a million flowers bloom so that we may garland the tomb of Ayn Rand.
Bailouts? The "plan" is against it, but Boehner wouldn't commit to such a stand. He's a treasure - can't ask for water when he's thirsty. It's like the voters in his district elected Buridan's ass.
A sensible approach would have been to not rise to Obama's challenge, and instead offer amendments that would sensibly modify ...
But what am I talking about? The GOP hasn't been a bastion of common sense or restraint since maybe Barry Goldwater, and that was a hell of a long time ago.
So President Obama baited the GOP, and they fell for it. The "alternative budget blueprint" is nineteen pages of nothing but the same codswallop that got us into the current economic mess to start with.
What happens next?
The House GOP leadership stated that the details of the "alternative budget" will come out "next Wednesday."
Next Wednesday is April Fool's Day, for those of you keeping track.
posted by Walt at 7:09 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home