C-Span (10:35 a.m.) Bush*'s budget presentation: SILVER LINING??

[LittleApple81]

They are emphasizing the reduction of the deficit by HALF because the deficit is so huge. Even when cut by half it will still be huge.

This silver lining idea was discussed before in C-Span by Schatz from he Congressional Quarterly.

[Ripley]

1. That is a con game.

Make big bold statements that sound good (to some people who are easily duped) but have no basis in reality.

How are they going to cut it in half? The war has no end, they want the tax cuts permanent....where does the money come from to reduce the deficit?

Kind of like the way they are killing off international, cooperative NASA programs that are good for science because there is this "Mars Mission" thrown out as big bold vision for the future of space travel. Yet, no one has said where that money will come from and no one even has a picture of what this new spaceship that will replace the shuttle looks like.

Big Lies.

[mouse7]

2. BREAKING: Dumbya says he loves us, the check is in the mail, too

I'll leave the other big lies for the rest of you to have fun with.

[priller]

3. Even the "cut it in half" claim somewhat phony

They don't mean, "The budget deficit is now $500 billion, in 5 years it will be $250 billion". Nope, that's not what they're saying.

They're saying they will halve the budget deficit AS A PERCENTAGE OF GDP.

So their claim is that the deficit is now around 4.8% of the GDP, but in 5 years it will be 2.4%. Of course the GDP is increasing, so that 2.4% will be higher than $250 billion.

[Wickerman]

4. Bush* is proposing cuts to lots of programs

Don't know the whole package - but one of them is the Small Business Association. That with a 7% increase in Defense spending yet no accounting for the Iraq mess - which will cost aonther 100B AFTER the Nov elections. Not seeing how anyone with a shred of respect for country OR self could support this creep.

[bluedog]

5. More $$$$$ after Nov for wars

Bush would boost military spending by 7 percent in 2005, but that does not include the money needed to keep troops in Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites).

Officials said a supplemental request for these funds will be sent to Congress but not until after the November elections. Congress last year approved an $87.5 billion wartime supplemental for the current budget year.


****this money bit is getting under played....he is goinf to cut programs for our own country in order to fight a needless war

[KharmaTrain]

6. Fuzzy Math...It Ain't Gonna Hunt

Listening to all the callers...Dem and Repug on C-SPAN this morning trashing this regime's fisical irresponsibility, there's plenty of fodder in this "budget" to run with to the polls.

This projection is made WITHOUT (as othes note here) the "emergency" funding for the Iraq occupation and other military ventures as well as taking into the account the drag of decreasing tax revenues (rich getting more breaks and loopholes while millions who did pay taxes don't as they fall off the employment roles), add to that the pressure later this year to let interest rates start to rise (the rich want bigger returns on their T-bills, that fund the debt) and the ingredient for an economic disaster for the middle class is clear.

The GOOP is trying to make a lot of hay while the sun shines...running up the debt is good business for the corporations and banks that hold government notes and with the government spending spigots on full spill, the money is rolling in. Thus, the issue for many this November will be where they fit into this economic game. This regime has always gotten its way by buying the end result and they obviously feel confident they can do it again.

Will mainstream GOOpers, who are getting hit right and left by this regime's draconian policies, finally start to take a close look at what they've supported, or will they remain zombied by Rove and his corporate backers? Stay tuned.