OpenLeft: It is unlikely that spending will actually be frozen or cut

[marmar]

It is unlikely that spending will actually be frozen or cut
by: Chris Bowers

Mon Jan 25, 2010 at 23:26


In the midst of the rightful outrage over President Obama's call for cuts in social spending during poor economic times, keep in mind that the likelihood of social spending actually being frozen or cut remain pretty low.

This is because the people who actually write spending bills--members of the House Appropriation and Budget committees--say they won't be freezing or cutting social spending:

House Democrats are rejecting an idea floated by the Obama administration to freeze or cut discretionary spending in 2011.

Key members of the House Appropriations and Budget committees told The Hill this month they would not go along with alternative spending plans being requested by White House Budget Director Peter Orszag, which are part of the administration's plan to reduce the deficit.

Months ago, the White House asked the relevant House Democrats to prepare three budget drafts, including one with a freeze on discretionary spending and one with a 5% cut in discretionary spending. They didn't even prepare the drafts.

Members of Congress write and vote on the budget, and members of Congress like to bring the bacon home to their districts. As such, the legislative process will ultimately make President Obama's call for a spending freeze a hollow one. Like the President's deficit commission, not much will actually come of this.

This call for a spending cut is a press release. It is a sop to elites make it appear as though the administration is "serious" in the way that only people who propose bombing and / or cutting support for poor people can be "serious." It is the latest instance in very a long running PR campaign to portray President Obama as anything but a DFH (hat tip: david mizner in the comments).

While it is sad that President Obama isn't using the filibuster proof budget process to pursue an expansion of the social safety net, time and time again President Obama has demonstrated that he does not want to use the budget process for significant legislative change (and neither does the Senate). However, since that is no longer a surprise, it also isn't really a disappointment. The same goes for his triangulation against the progressive-left. It has been going on for years, and it shouldn't surprise anyone anymore.


http://www.openleft.com/diary/17113/it-is-unlikely-that-spending-will-actually-be-frozen-or-cut

[DJ13]

1. Just proposing the idea is another example of pandering to the right

Just last week Obama was suddenly "a populist" for his semi-tough talk about taxing banks and re-regulating some forms of investments.

Then he comes out with this lame brained attempt to appeal to the right by announcing a spending freeze (whether it freezes anything or not, the PR is targeted to the right).

This is the most schizoid administration I've ever seen, and they wonder why neither the right nor their own left base is getting behind them on key policies.

[alstephenson]

4. I absolutely agree. eom

[anonymous171]

2. Obama is losing the right to rule

[asdjrocky]

3. No, they'll just talk about it to make pugs happy.

Because that's what they do, make pugs happy.