Bayh Says Obama May Call for Freeze on Discretionary Spending

[ElmoBlatz]

Source: Bloomberg

Jan. 23 (Bloomberg) -- There is a “fighting chance” President Barack Obama will propose a freeze in most discretionary spending by the federal government in his State of the Union speech next week, Senator Evan Bayh, an Indiana Democrat, said

“The president can say in this State of the Union address, ‘I’m going to include in my budget a freeze on discretionary spending, I’m drawing a line in the sand, and I’m going to use my veto pen to enforce that,’” Bayh said in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital with Al Hunt,” airing this weekend.

Bayh, 54, said that while he wasn’t certain the president would make such a call, “I think that there’s a fighting chance that he will.”

The senator also said he expects Obama to use the Jan. 27 nationally televised address before Congress to embrace creation of a commission that would suggest spending cuts and tax increases that Congress would be forced to vote on. Bayh met this week with Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag to discuss such a commission.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a.pJ5uNs8bNc

[Cassandra]

1. Why do I think this is wishful...

and stupid thinking on Bayh's part?

[villager]

2. Jesus Christ, Bayh's father must be disappointed in him

n/t

[aquart]

3. And that will create jobs...HOW?

[Botany]

4. STFU Bayh

Sell out whore .... how much has your wife earned from big phrama?

Every economist w/ his or her salt understands that proper federal spending is important'

to helping America right now.

[LiberalFighter]

5. Hey Bayh... Many Democrats in Indiana are disappointed in you.

That's why you haven't gotten your 4500 petition signatures to be on the ballot this year.

[Political Heretic]

14. Vote a republican in his place if that's what it takes. Only since there's no substantive differenc

on most key policy positions.

At least we'd know where we truly stood in the senate, instead of having a bunch of conservative corporatists identifying as Democrats.

[Jackpine Radical]

6. I'm all for it.

Here is my list of discretionary spending:

The Afghan war
75% of the military budget in general
National testing of public-school students
(the remainder is left as an exercise for the reader.)

These and a few other cuts should leave enough for mandatory spending such as
Universal single-payer health care
Universal education, k-16 for all who can profit from it
The building of a modern, green power grid
High-speed, freely accessible internet everywhere
A nationally run, coast-to-coast high-speed rail system
Decent elder care
Decent wages
etc.

[Arctic Dave]

7. Couldn't agree more. Until he cuts the DoD budget by billions I won't give him the time of day

for anything else.

[blues90]

9. I agree . yet there were so many people who protested the wars

and wanted single payer and impeachment let alone all votes counted so we might not be in the mess right now and what happened. Not even the Dems stood up for the people out side of Kucinich and Waters and they get washed over and pushed aside as so much garbage.

Everyone pays the price for not learning from past mistakes.

[Jackpine Radical]

10. "Everyone pays the price for not learning from past mistakes."

I'm not so sure about that. WE didn't make the mistakes. The conventional Dems did, and we're paying the price. Baucus, Nelson, Lieberman, Landrieu, etc.--What price are they paying? It's us poor stiffs, the ones who tried to get them to do the right thing, who are paying for their not having listened to us. We weren't wrong. Those weren't our fuckups.

Looking back at what I just wrote, I know it sounds like I'm picking on you for that last line. I don't mean to; I'm in total agreement with everything you said above it. I'm just using it to launch a rant. Obviously I have quite a wellspring of anger here. It's what's fueling my anger over the course of this government.

[Political Heretic]

15. Cutting discretionary spending is simply code for fucking poor people.

The things you want cut are never what republicans or democrats cut when they cut "discretionary spending."

What's cut are spending on social investment programs and services, housing, job training, homeless and anti-poverty programs and emergency service agenccies (like CAPs) Community Development Block Grants, etc. etc.

[donco6]

8. If they're simultaneously working on budget cuts, it might work.

In general, though, freezing spending is the stupidest non-solution to a budgetary problem, unless you're really using that time to rework and cut your entire budget. Otherwise it results in delaying payments to vendors who then go broke because of cash-flow problems. More job losses.

You have to keep the money flowing.

[Political Heretic]

13. Discretionary spending includes most social investment programs and services

If there are freezes and cuts both parties almost always mean freezing or cutting the money we spend on people in deep need.

Add this to the President-appoved commission to cut entitlement programs, which has the power to make binding recommendations (meaning congress has to have an up or down vote on what they suggest) and require that half the republicans agree on any recommendations means the commissions only purpose is to lot to CUT services.

Combine these two things and you basically have a conservative administration continuing on many of the same basic goals of the Bush administration.

I thin however, given recent events, there's more of a chance that Obama will be swinging more toward manufactured populism and leftward leaning rhetoric. That might hopefully - keep some of this in check, and make Bayh's statement just wishful thinking.

[donco6]

17. Agreed.

You're right - the first thing that happens is the immediate payments get cut off - which are usually the social program payments. Then there's the inevitable debate about how much that costs and "why don't those people work" blah blah blah. And the next thing you know, they agree to reinstate cash flow ONLY because they've agreed to "negotiate" (i.e., roll over some more) with the Republicans on "reforming" welfare.

Anyone remember "Ticket to Work"? It turned out to be "Ticket to WAIT".

[SoCalDem]

18. "Stuff" costs money

Cutting out things that are necessities to "most" people, so "some" people can get more money than they already have, is no way to run a government.

And the definition of "discretionary" is another issue.. Who defines it? People with money....

Just the word "discretion" is bothersome....


* noun: the trait of judging wisely and objectively
* noun: knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress

Example: "The servants showed great tact and discretion"

* noun: freedom to act or judge on one's own
* noun: the power of making free choices unconstrained by external agencies
* noun: refined taste; tact

when have any politicians practiced discretion?..would any of them know it if it bit them on the ass?

The only solution is for rich people to pay more taxes.. they got a 40 year free-ride, and it's time to pay up or get off the bus.

While there was an artificial bubble being poof-ed up and pass around, people could look the other way and pat themselves on the back for doing quite well themselves, but that bubble hit a thorn-patch and has popped.. The little people , even though there are more of them, can no longer prop up the rich.. We are done..busted..finished.. Now the rich folks need to pony up their share..

if it means they can only buy ONE Gucci bag a week, or have TWO Bentleys instead of three, then so BE it..

[donco6]

19. You're right, of course.

I guess I jut don't actually allow myself to believe taxes can EVER be raised.

[Sherman A1]

11. I suggest cutting Congressional Pay as I view it to be discretionary

spending. In my discretion we are spending far too much on this branch of government with not much in return.

[Political Heretic]

12. Ah yes, just fuck poor people with a telephone poll while we're at it too, just for fun

:nuke:

[Peregrine Took]

16. Jee-Zus!! Don't these folks know anything? Its spending, spending, spending

that is the mother's milk to the economy? If people aren't spending, the "g" has to make up the difference.