Republicans set course in Congress budget battle

[depakid]

Source: Reuters

Top Republicans charged President Barack Obama with driving the United States toward socialism on Friday, opening an ideological attack on his big spending plans. While the tough rhetoric was certain to rev up hard-line Republicans -- many of whom regard "socialism" as anathema to American life -- it was unclear how much it would change the debate in the Democratic-led Congress, which begins hearings next week on Obama's $3.55 trillion budget proposal.

John Boehner, Republican leader in the House of Representatives, on Friday called Obama's new budget proposal and recently passed economic stimulus plan "one big down payment on a new American socialist experiment." Obama's budget proposal increases taxes on the wealthiest Americans to pay for more government attention to healthcare, education, climate change and social programs along with efforts to jolt the economy out of a deepening recession.

<snip>

"The problem for Obama is more a question of whether the increased government intervention actually works -- gets the economy moving, creates the sense, within the next year-plus, that we are turning the corner," said Norm Ornstein, a congressional scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. "The second question is whether he can keep his own Democrats together behind his tax plan and his budget hopes," Ornstein said.

<snip>

The three Senate Republicans who crossed the political aisle to back the Obama stimulus plan have said they had reservations about his budget proposal. "The president's proposed budget outlines an aggressive domestic agenda that requires serious consideration, but also raises many questions, particularly about the enormous growth in the public debt," said Senator Susan Collins, who along with fellow Republican Senators Olympia Snowe and Arlen Specter voted for the stimulus bill. Democratic Senator Ben Nelson, who joined Collins in drafting a compromise on the stimulus package, also voiced concerns about the budget.


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN27364194

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Note to Rahm:

If the Senate leadership backs the President- they can get the budget through on a majority vote (i.e. without Nelson & the Republicans watering it down and making it less effective (or ineffective) as they did with the stimulus.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-weigant/democrats-should-just-say_b_168073.html

If the leadership fails to stand up to the Republicans- and lets the Presdient and the American people down, then there ought to be consquences.

[NBachers]

1. We need Al Franken in the Senate

[depakid]

2. True- but in this case, the Dems can pass the budget without him (or Nelson) through reconcilliation

It's a parliamentary procedure that would keep the obtrustionists from further harming the nation (leaving them to prattle on endlessly- but fruitlessly about "socialism").

[niceypoo]

3. Every time I see boner I cringe at the glistening goo ...

...that perpetually oozes out of his eyes.

Why these morons are even allowed at the table is beyond me. They have proven themselves absolutely incompetent.

[Left Coast2020]

4. TAX CUTS, TAX CUTS TAX CUTS! GET YOUR TAX CUTS.

Tax cuts, tax cuts, tax cuts......its in the bible. Jesus says Tax Cuts art thou. Thou tax cuts guideth through the evils of life.

(Advance copy of Congressional Republicans talking points provided by Rush Limp-butt).

[Cobalt-60]

5. Jesus said to pay up

"Render unto Caesar ..."

[No Elephants]

9. Jesus said pay what the government/law says you owe. He said nothing about

government's raising (or lowering) taxes, nor did He say that taxes were good or bad.

This post is not arguing any position, one way or another. I just have a thing about attributing stuff to Jesus or the Bible.

[Cobalt-60]

11. i bow to your expertise

I was just playing off the earlier post.

[No Elephants]

12. I know. I just do have a thing. And by" a thing," I mean that I am

OCD about it. Most sane people would have let it go. Not I, though!

[pattmarty]

14. Well, I "got a thing" about JESUS AND THE BIBLE!!!!!!!

[fasttense]

6. One big down payment on a new American socialist experiment?

I guess that $350 billion given to the finance corporations and monolithic banks under W was NOT a down payment on a new American socialist experiment?

And where was Norm Ornstein and the American Enterprise Institute, when the bush was giving away tax payer dollars to the corporations? Why didn't he or the institute question their beloved leader bush on whether the increased government intervention actually worked? Seems to me it worked just fine to get us out of the last Republicon Great Depression.

These Republicons are just running another con, yelling deficits, socialism, and fake concern over spending working. Anything to keep the American Middle class from getting any real assistance from the gubermint. Don't you know that to a Republicon, every dollar spent on a middle class or poor American is a dollar wasted.

[AlbertCat]

13. One big down payment on a new American socialist experiment?

I guess that $350 billion given to the finance corporations and monolithic banks under W was NOT a down payment on a new American socialist experiment?

*****************


BINGO!

Not to mention no bid contracts and corporate welfare. What could be more "socialist"?

Oh my god! Socialism! Help! Next thing you know, they'll be handing out shrink wrapped bundles of bills to anyone who claims they need it and something like 8 billion will be lost with no oversight and....


oh wait...


Oops...never mind....

[Thor_MN]

16. If it was socialism, we would have gotten soemthing for the money

Since we got nothing, it was just plain extreme grand theft.

[safeinOhio]

7. Hey guys

It's exactly what he said he'd do during the election. HE WON.

[No Elephants]

8. I have no doubt that Obama had to do something BIG about the economy, I also have no

doubt that government has not only the right, but the obligation, to take action. However, I don't think our money is being spent wisely. Does that make me a Republican?


Oh wait, no it can't. Because the least wise part of the stimulus came to us courtesy of those famous "socialists," Dummya, Paulson and Hanky Panky.

Name calling really helps the country, you jerks.

[shaniqua6392]

10. The Republicans took years to screw up our country.

I say we give the Democrats a chance to fix it. This is the way it has always been throughout our history. We are just better with money than they are. Plain and simple.

[AlbertCat]

15. but also raises many questions, particularly about the enormous growth in the public debt,"

An enormous growth in the public debt has been going on for the past 8 friggin' years! What!... did you just notice because someone finally decided to include the 2 "wars" we're fighting, and have been for years, in the budget?

[DallasNE]

17. Where Were Those Concerns On The Budget

For the last 8 years as these same people voted to turn a budget surplus into a gigantic deficit? Plus, the Obama budget attempts to increase revenue and actually make the deficit smaller that it otherwise would be. I smell grandstanding here.

[BR_Parkway]

18. There's a Repub w/ a talking point - of course there's grand standing

[w4rma]

19. Yup. The budget cannot be filibustered. We don't need a single Republican vote. It won't be diluted.

Just pass it the way 50 Democrats in the Senate want it passed.