One Liberal Voice Dares to Say, Cut the Budget

[alp227]

Is there a strong liberal argument to be made for attacking the federal debt?

The question is a critical one for Democrats, because the party is drawing ever closer to an internecine, once-in-a-generation war over whether to seriously scale back the federal budget.

President Obama’s bipartisan panel on the national debt won’t issue any recommendations for reshaping the budget until after the November elections, but that hasn’t stopped liberals from mobilizing to discredit the panel’s work. This month, more than 70 organizations, including the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and MoveOn.org, formed a group, Strengthen Social Security, to pre-emptively oppose the panel’s findings, starting with any reduction in Social Security benefits it might propose. And they are calling on Democrats in Congress to pledge the same.

Under that kind of pressure, you would think it might be hard for the White House and its allies to persuade liberal lawmakers to go along with budget-cutting proposals. But some progressives might be swayed by a different case, like the one I recently heard Earl Blumenauer make.

Mr. Blumenauer, a seven-term congressman from Portland, Ore., is nobody’s idea of a centrist. Bow-tied and erudite in the manner of a prep school headmaster, he is known mostly as a champion of bicycle paths and light rail. (He bikes his way around both Washington and Portland and formed the Bicycle Caucus in the House.) The liberal League of Conservation Voters most recently gave him a perfect 100 rating, while the conservative National Taxpayers Union gave him an “F.”

But Mr. Blumenauer sides with the White House on the notion that Democrats need to do something now about the federal debt, starting with cuts in wasteful federal spending (like some farm subsidies and military outlays) and with changes to cherished entitlement programs.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/us/politics/26bai.html

[OHdem10]

1. It is Liberal to have a balanced budget.----BUT with the Economists

today concerned we are headed for a Depression or Double DIP
Recession, belt tightening at this time would only contract
the economy further.

Be absolutely sure we are into a serious recovery before
belt-tightening.

Herbert Hoover tightened the belt and threw the country into
a Depression.

Liberals are as fiscally responsible as anyone else. It
is the wisdom of when to do it.

[Bitwit1234]

2. If the cut the defense budget we would be free and clear

you can not tell me we don't have enough bombs, planes, boats, ships and fighting vehicles already. Money for military salaries and the upkeep of these items are the only thing we need be concerned about. WE DON'T NEED MORE KILLING VEHICLES.

[ToppleTheTeaParty]

3. The Clinton model was working

Dems need to come up with a platform, and back it with figures and not just talk to:

1) Create a jobs plan & get economy rolling/ GDP Growth
2) Small biz incentive plan
3) Raise taxes on rich & large corps
4) Offshore oil platform safety
5) Increased R&D in solar, wind, water & batteries
6) A national/ business shared coast-to-coast high speed train
7) Reduce the yearly defecit (sp?) to bring it back to Clinton years ($1 over budget target)

There's no reason to try cutting the debt when we're in a deep recession. I think Reaganomics taught us that little fact. Unfortunately, once the economy recovered they (Reagan/ Bush) forgot to start paying down the debt.

Clinton/Gore were able to create more jobs as well as cut debt. Did more than Reagan/Bush when you research the economic data. I was there. Except for the Internet bubble things were going very well. Look at the Fed figures & GDP, we were ahead of China for Christ's sake. Now we're a few years from being #2 in the world.

The advisors to Obama can't hold a candle to the Clinton team. But that's where the gold lies, and perhaps they'll find Reich/Rubin & a few of the other math nerds to come up with a plan.

DUMP TIM GEITHNER. He is political poison!! Do it before the midterms. Only Wall Street likes that toad. WTH are they keeping him on for? My dog could do a better job with the economy than he does.