Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
Does he ever. And right now.
At the Wall Street Journal, the editors have been examining the deal the Speaker cut with the White House and Senate Democrats last week. Thirty-eight billion in cuts? Not even close.
From today's editorial page:
After separating out the accounting gimmicks and one-year savings, the actual cuts look to be closer to $20 billion than to the $38 billion that both sides advertised….
The whopper is declaring $6.2 billion in savings by not spending money left from the 2010 Census. Congress also cuts $4.9 billion from the Justice Department's Crime Victims Fund, but much of that money was tucked away in a reserve fund that wouldn't have been spent this year in any event….
An estimated $17 billion comes from one-time savings in mandatory programs. The cuts are real, but the funding gets restored by law the next year, which means Republicans will have to refight the same battles.
As I mentioned yesterday, I'd been taking the Speaker at his word--and supposing, I admit, that Mark Levin, Rush, and Ricochet's own David Limbaugh--the sainted David Limbaugh--were simply pushing for too many cuts too fast.
Now this.
Speaker Boehner, I now believe, needs to answer a couple of questions--immediately.
Did he know the deal he cut last week amounted, in very large part, to a sham?
If not, why not?
If so, why did he mislead his own members--and the American people?
- Comment (54)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (5)
Comments:
Sep '10
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
We have achieved defecit reduction in our time.
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
In 2007, the federal government spent $2.72 trillion and incurred a budget deficit of about $160 billion. By 2010, spending had ballooned by $1 trillion, nearly 37 percent, with a whopping, unsustainable $1.3 trillion deficit. This all gets worse in 2011, with a projected $1.65 trillion deficit facing us and $1 trillion-dollar-plus shortfalls as far as the eye can see.
The Democrats have now baked the failed $1 trillion "stimulus" into the budget baseline. This is horrendous, unsustainable, and given enough time our climbing debt-to-GDP ratio will destroy our economy, force growth-destroying European levels of taxation, or both.
And with the notable exception of Rep. Ryan, Republican leaders seemingly cannot make the case to the American people, cannot use the tools at their disposal to underscore the severity of the problem, and won't even stand up and insist on an honest 1 percent reduction in spending.
Under these circumstances, when threatened with an impasse over raising the federal debt ceiling, President Obama must be thinking, go ahead, make my day.
Edited on April 13, 2011 at 11:09pmApr '11
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
Robert Promm: Peter,
Remember last week when you were so concerned about the political effects of a shut down? It's sophistry of this ilk that makes the shut down mandatory. · Apr 13 at 1:02pm
Couldn't agree more. The Barnes, Brooks, Rove media types are going to sink us along with the democrats.
Levin wasn't three minutes into his show last night saying that many conservatives media types got 'snookered' by Boehner. Where's Pat Caddel to call Republicans stupid some more. They are. But, unfortunately they are the only vessel for non-lefty types to vote for.
How many times will the Right fall into this trap and then demand answers?!
The old 'drain the swamp' phrase has a whole new meaning these days. Stop with the old guard bs already, it's destructive, and stupid.
Apr '11
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
oh, and, it's 38 billion-ish in "cuts" from a budget that never existed.
Apr '11
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
George Savage: In 2007, the federal government spent $2.72 trillion and incurred a budget deficit of about $160 billion. By 2010, spending had ballooned by $1 trillion, nearly 37 percent, with a whopping, unsustainable $1.3 trillion deficit. This all gets worse in 2011, with a projected $1.65 trillion deficit facing us and $1 trillion-dollar-plus shortfalls as far as the eye can see.
The Democrats have now baked the failed $1 trillion "stimulus" into the budget baseline. This is horrendous, unsustainable, and given enough time our climbing debt-to-GDP ratio will destroy our economy, force growth-destroying European levels of taxation, or both.
And with the notable exception of Rep. Ryan, Republican leaders seemingly cannot make the case to the American people, cannot use the tools at their disposal to underscore the severity of the problem, and won't even stand up and insist on an honest 1 percent reduction in spending.
· Apr 13 at 1:58pm
Edited on Apr 13 at 02:09 pm
Exactly. Why change when the opposition is this weak? or already dismissed the mid term elections....
Mar '11
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. We have seen the enemy and it is this cozy establishment of most politicians, their crony capitalist pals and all the other leeches on the productive class.
The revolution is coming, but not fast enough. It will come.
Dec '10
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
George Savage:
And with the notable exception of Rep. Ryan, Republican leaders seemingly cannot make the case to the American people, cannot use the tools at their disposal to underscore the severity of the problem, and won't even stand up and insist on an honest 1 percent reduction in spending.
Under these circumstances, when threatened with an impasse over raising the federal debt ceiling, President Obama must be thinking, go ahead, make my day. · Apr 13 at 1:58pm
Edited on Apr 13 at 02:09 pm
George, spot on. Avoiding a knockdown, dragout fight only makes sense if that avoidance isn't perceived as weakness.
A question for Peter: Boehner successfully avoided a government shutdown, Do you think that this has made him more formidable an opponent in the eyes of Obama and the Dems, or has the way in which he did it made him seem like more of a pushover? And what does that bode for the debt ceiling fight, and the Ryan budget?
Jul '10
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
nordman: It's not Democrats versus Republicans.
It's Washington, DC versus the American People or, in other words, the political class versus the unwashed masses.
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
I don't care whether the Boehner explanation is ignorance, gutlessness, or incompetency. Speaker of the House is no more an entry level position than President. The only way to get this done is to roll up the sleeves and take the Tea Party to the next level. There is no country in a position to play Germany to our Greece, even if Americans were willing to tolerate the humiliation and stupidity. Real unemployment is at Depression levels, the workforce is imploding, and this punk Boehner is panicked over being blamed for a federal shutdown???
Boehner is calling us stupid. I hope his resume is up to date.
Jul '10
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
Umm. The CBO scoring on this deal is a $353M reduction.
I am done with Boehner, and with expecting anything serious out of the GOP. My country is getting slapped around pretty good right now, and the worst of it is at the hands of their own elected leaders. I am stopping to avoid losing COC compliance on this post.
Dec '10
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
I have some different thoughts.
I listened to Boehner (on Hannity) say that the CBO scored the CR as reducing the deficit by $315B over 10 years, but can find no evidence for that, anywhere.
However, another thing he said struck me (paraphrasing), "I was sitting there with Harry Reid and the President and fought until the last ounce until 10 pm, Friday night, for every penny I could get."
In my opinion, therein lies the problem. In that "room", most people will lose a negotiation. Boehner, nor anyone, should be expected to prevail in that set up.
Boehner should not be negotiating with Obama and Reid. Obama and Reid should be negotiating with the people's house and should face an opposition that is more representative than one negotiator.
I'm inclined to believe Boehner, at least until I see the actual scores from the CBO and the basis against which they were evaluating it; if it was against the ridiculous Obama budget proposal, then Boenher can be characterized as someone that has knowingly mislead the citizens. He specifically said, several times, "...these are real dollars....." I'll give this another day to shake out.
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
CJRun: However, another thing he said struck me (paraphrasing), "I was sitting there with Harry Reid and the President and fought until the last ounce until 10 pm, Friday night, for every penny I could get."
In my opinion, therein lies the problem. In that "room", most people will lose a negotiation. Boehner, nor anyone, should be expected to prevail in that set up. · Apr 13 at 3:47pm
As important as the room was, a graver error was allowing the Democrats, losers of the last election--who have exactly what they want under current law--to play a run out the clock defense. The President knew, and Boehner knew that he knew, that the House leadership would not permit the looming shutdown of "non-essential services." So the late night meeting in the "room" was mainly intended to provide Mr. Boehner with a fig leaf to cover his inevitable cave-in.
No doubt this explains the unified chorus of media and Democratic huzzahs for Speaker Boehner last Friday night.
Jul '10
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
As far as the "room" goes, Speaker of the House is not an entry level position. I suspect that most Ricos have negotiated under such conditions. If the room intimidated him, that is just one more reason to seek a qualified Speaker that represents the concerns of the American people over our rapacious government.
Does anyone think Reagan would have emerged with a pig in a poke?
May '10
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
Peter:
I thought the real fight was the next one on the debt cap. Isn't this what you wanted? Avoid a shutdown no matter what and then fight the next fight?
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_041311/content/01125107.guest.html
To quote our Speaker:
I fully support Paul Ryan's budget, including his efforts, uh, on Medicare. But I think all of us understand, uh, that, uh, not meeting our obligations -- our debt obligations -- uhhh, is a very bad idea, and nobody wants to take that risk.
OOOPs. I guess that is not the next fight either.
When do we stand and fight Peter? How can you really believe they will fight for anything?
Jan '11
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
I understood the leftover census money was also in the last CR, which confirms they are double counting too. We are being deceived and outright lied to. My Congressman is one of the 87 Freshman. He patronized the Tea Party Saturday by posting an article titled something like "Tea Party Wins First Major Victory". Are you kidding me!? Even if it were 38.5 Billion, it's sick. Today he posts "House votes to defund another part of Obamacare..." What? Where is that going? Are we really to be treated this stupidly? Here is a freshman Congressman who is already totally Washingtonized, after only five months. Needless to say, the wave of excitement and exhilaration from last November is totally gone for me. I could not be more disgusted. I am not giving up though. I am thinking very deviously, like sending money to Boehner's opponent. After all, we don't need all the Republicans we currently have in the House. I'm not serious but someone please tell me...what is the strategy? Is there a strategy? It's embarrassing really.
Oct '10
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
When your whole goal is to avert a shutdown, you'll take any deal available.
When the Democrats want a shutdown and knows the other side is trying to avoid it, they're the ones who are less likely to compromise.
So we RINOs shouldn't really act surprised.
Oct '10
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
A divided opposition party benefits the ruling party. Obama knows the base will be with him no matter what, even if he breaks a few promises here and there (Guantanamo etc). Republicans are in a tougher position because the threat of a 3rd party tea party is real and most of these people will vote for birther Donald Trump out of disgust.
Jul '10
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
John Marzan: A divided opposition party benefits the ruling party. Obama knows the base will be with him no matter what, even if he breaks a few promises here and there (Guantanamo etc). Republicans are in a tougher position because the threat of a 3rd party tea party is real and most of these people will vote for birther Donald Trump out of disgust.
Vote in disgust, of course. For Trump? Not hardly.
Jul '10
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
Can we please wait for something significant to be upset about before we cannibalize?
We should dump Boehner because he over-promised and under-delivered on the cuts to last year's budget? Last year's budget? He's a politician; that's what they do. I expect sleight of hand and gimmicry, and I couldn't care less about the difference between 38.5 billion and 8 billion in "immediate" cuts. Spending authority matters over time.
Sisyphus, the CBO is scoring it low largely because Obama started a new war. Whatever one thinks of our Iraqi, Afghani, and Libyan engagements, there is no consensus on the right to kill funding for them.
Maybe I'm a dupe, but I know this: Barry thinks the upcoming fight is important. He's already put much more effort into it than he did into FY 2011, or the new war in Libya for that matter.
Peter, as far as I'm concerned, John Boehner had better be working on countering this tripe not holding our hands.
Oct '10
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
Feb '11
Re: Speaker Boehner Owes Us an Explanation
C. U. Douglas
And as we all know: Fear is the mind-killer. · Apr 13 at 11:13am
But when will the fear pass, so we may turn our inner mind to see its path? Particularly when our opponents' political philosophy is based on fear.