Get used to it there are a lot more broken promises and broken treaties coming. How do you know a GOP/Tea Bagger is lying? Watch what they do.

FR:The $32 billion in cuts will come from non-defense spending.

Republicans sure love their war budgets and fear-mongering more than the do the needs of the people.

Yea, we the people my you know what hypocritcs.

Patrick,

They broke more than just one. Remember when they said they were going to listen to the people, how about when they said the dems would have a chance to address the HCR repeal bill just to be closed out in the end anyway.

Breaking promises is what they excel at.

Far from it Patrick, All Hat & No Cattle, the Teapublican way!

While calling for cuts in Spending for American's, yesterday the Teapublicans Warned against cutting Spending to Egypt.

Outsourcing Job's overseas & Spending for Defense purposes overseas are AOK with Teapublican's, but Spending American Tax $$ here in the America hasta be Cut.

Go Figure!

US Navy. Absolutely right.

BWHAAHAAA!

The tea baggers got snookered AGAIN!

What was it 'W' said?

"There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again."—Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002

Is it just me, or does this all sound like some high stakes shell game...?

The Repubs always stick to 'talking points', ....Lies!

Always wonder just what the 'common-sense' line really means since the Repubs don't value higher education from those elite East Coast institutions!

Common-sense depends I guess on their point of reference! Ignorance is valued!

Lord help us all!

Heck,

Let me help them out. I can get that number up to $70 billion in a minute. Cut out foreign aid to other countries until our unemployment is under 5% again.

Ah, yes- the ol' "job-Killing" Pledge to America!

I will not forget the Repubs promise. Just as I will not forget Obama's promises. If i have to i will write in my name on the election form if this keeps up.

Considering that the GOP take over of the House was pretty much a forgone conclusion months before the November elections much less the fact that we are now 3 months past the mid term elections the GOP would have had all their ducks in a row to offer up their $100 billion in cuts long before now.

Kind of like their plan to replace "Obamacare" with something better, the plan simply doesn't exist.

Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL

BWHAAHAAA!

The tea baggers got snookered AGAIN!

What was it 'W' said?

"There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again."—Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17,

Feisty,

I can see how the teapublicans miss this kind of eloquence. What command of the English Language W had.

caradjt - what is your plan? If you think you are qualified to run the country, exactly how would YOU fix the economy?

Those were the days... weren't they John? ;o) lol

If you miss those days, the Dubyaspeak site is still up, with new quotes still being added:

http://www.dubyaspeak.com/

It really is a good reminder if how good we have it now. Not quite as much fun though.

Well I can certainly tell when Eric Cantor is lying. Rewatch the last time he was on Meet The Press. Watch his eyes - when he was actually asked a tough question he would start talking looking up at the ceiling - no eye contact.

We need to make cuts and we need it now. Either do it or you will be replaced. Does not matter who you are we will replace you.

So Elise-Did he ever look at anything but the ceiling?

"Speaking of someone with thought disorder issues....

drive-by,

Ah, yes- the ol' "job-Killing" Pledge to America!"

Ya freaking malcontent- I got it from YOUR side!

Nice work there bob you took all of those comments by the regulars as a personal attack on you. Well except BBs now why is that? Hmmm... I did like how you took Clotho's comment out of context. Again, I say Bravo nice work! Great job! Take a bow you deserve it!

Yes after a hard day’s work of twisting people’s words around and adding your own spin to it, it's Miller Time! Go ahead you've earned it!

Whaaaaaaat?!!? All the republicon blather about cutting "waste", and all they could come up with is 32 billion???

That's nothing more than a rounding error when talking about a 6 TRILLION dollar budget.

But there's more important things to fix first, like...making sure that the richest 2% of the population don't get their tax rate returned to Y2K levels; or repealing health care, even if it is only symbolic; or the ever pressing issue of making sure abortions can't be funded by tax payer dollars.

Am I the only one who hears the drumbeats of us marching towards the austerity cliff? I know the sound of the dem and republican hacks on this page is loud, but just read between the lines. Social Security and Medicare are only prize pigs until the day our elected representatives decide to slaughter them.

Like Europe, we'll look back and reflect on these wasted years when we could've made deeper cuts to avoid austerity.

@ Jeff-498218

Not gonna happen, there's too much money to be made by the wealthy special interests that seek to milk off of government handouts and loopholes in our tax and regulatory codes.

Since those same interest are the major funders of campaigns and lobbies, they ultimately steer which corrupt lunatics are next on the auctioning block put up for the public to vote on.

In the end, it really doesn't matter because a bunch of mush-heads vote for their party like it's their religion, so they ultimately allow it to be a zero-sum game of Left vs. Right fielding useless and inept corporate shills and stooges.

If we wanted to right this ship, we should have never allowed Congress or the Fed to be able to borrow against SSI and Medicare trusts for their own purposes! But the banks and corporations run the show now, and they'll run this ship aground, take us for everything they can and then flee with the spoils.

It is impossible for th GOP to cut spending as fast as the 0bama regime prints money. I am still waiting for the stimulus to bring jobs down to 8% again, for Gitmo to be closed and to be able to keep my same Dr under Obamacare. This is a typical hack job by MSNBC - the 100 billion has been pro-rated for the number of months it is in effect for the year and the liberals are claiming that there will be layoff etc. Which is it - do you want the cuts or do you want to be able to bitch about what you are losing?

I just love how the parties bicker while we all suffer. Neither party is interested in doing what is right for you, the slave... errr... I mean the citizen.

So keep it up folks. Keep pointing fingers and keep re-electing dumb and dumber. As things get tougher don't act like you aren't part of the problem.

under the Obama administration, the Environmental Protection Agency has seen its budget triple, and Republicans would "examine" that agency.

The EPA’s budget should be cut to half what it was when Obama took office. They are being used to enforce Obama’s Tax and Trade which will be another nail in the free trade coffin.

Factor in welfare, er I mean tax cuts, for the weathy and they're a lot closer to increasing the deficit by $100 billion than they are to reducing it by even one penny.

And the Democrats are even complaining about losing that much pork....

"The President’s bipartisan Fiscal Commission cautioned against such immediate spending cuts, and economists like Mark Zandi have made the point that deep and immediate spending cuts proposed by Republicans could raise the unemployment rate back into double digits.""

P.S.

Don't any of you realize that the only reason they can't cut the money from the budget is because Obama failed to get as much money as he wanted? MSNBC did a good job of creating a story out of nothing. Cutting $32 billion FROM AN ALREADY READUCED BUDGET is a pretty good start.

"The Obama administration did not get its desired budget in the current continuing resolution that is funding the government through fiscal year 2011.

If the current continuing resolution is extended, the amount of money used to fund the government for fiscal year 2011 is $1.087 trillion. The House GOP proposed budget is for $1.055 trillion dollars. $1.087 minus $1.055 equals $32 billion."

Jeff-498218

Am I the only one who hears the drumbeats of us marching towards the austerity cliff? I know the sound of the dem and republican hacks on this page is loud, but just read between the lines. Social Security and Medicare are only prize pigs until the day our elected representatives decide to slaughter them.

Like Europe, we'll look back and reflect on these wasted years when we could've made deeper cuts to avoid austerity.

Avoid austerity? What do you think is happening right now?

In economics, austerity is a policy of deficit-cutting, lower spending, and a reduction in the amount of benefits and public services provided.^[1] Austerity policies are often used by governments to reduce their deficit spending^[2] while sometimes coupled with increases in taxes to pay back creditors to reduce debt.^[3]

"First broken promise." You're joking, right? Let's review the Republican propaganda... Imagine using Glenn Beck's chalkboard as we connect the dots:

1) The GOP plans to increase revenues by putting more Americans back to work.

They will do this with the same policies during Bush, by cutting taxes, specifically dividend, capital gains and estate taxes for the richest 2%. Never mind that jobs barely kept pace with population growth during Bush.

2) The tax cuts are important, especially for the richest 2%. By making the rich richer, the wealth will "trickle down" to everyone else.

The richest 2% (earning a quarter million) are doctors, lawyers, and investment bankers who don't create jobs, but never mind that. Also, they self-report their income so are responsible for 57% of tax evasion, but never mind that.

3) Tax cuts also are important because it puts money back in the people's pockets.

Except Republicans will then take that money back, especially from the least among us, by cutting Social Security retirement, unemployment insurance, and repealing HCR for folks with pre-existing conditions. These people really do stimulate the economy with spending on basic necessities, but never mind that.

How does the GOP plan to "replace" HCR if they could repeal it? By "taking their country back" to the same dismal way it was before, silly -- Once again, redistributing wealth by taking from the people and giving to Big Business.

4) They will balance the budget by cutting spending only.

All of 32 billion! Yes, 32 billion out of trillions, most of which was generated during Bush.

The Republicans will improve the economy with more Bush era policies, by removing all those "unfriendly" obstacles to business, such as abolishing the minimum wage, removing regulations, and getting rid of agencies like the EPA, because subsidies for oil companies, corporate farms, etc. aren't enough.

It is true, the only plan the GOP has for "replace" is to unseat Democrats by destroying our country.

Gosh, what vile hatred I see from people in this thread. The fact is, the cuts are not enough. There should be way more than 100B in cuts. On the bright side, it is a reduction vs the past several years of endless increases in spending. Maybe, just like this economy, we are turning the corner.

See, now wasn't that easy to say? I made my statement without spitting out loads of hatred like some people are doing. A great person once told me, "A person has no legs to stand on if all they do is insult people of opposing views when arguing." That is all I see from some people here.

Lets face it.... math has never been a GOP strength.....

FLYNAVY1

Lets face it.... math has never been a GOP strength.....

Nor science for that matter, it always seems to get in the way of their childrens' bible studies

S-N-R....True....True.

What is really sad is that those believe in God would be many steps closer to finding God in the study of science and math. God sure isn't in the pages of the book of Jewish Fairy tales.

...not breaking their pledge because they’re pro-rating the savings as being relative to the SEVEN out of 12 fiscal months that they are in control of the House...(emphasis added)

No doubt Flynavy - These are people (Michelle Bachmann, et al) that pretend to be able to do the math required for the budget, and they can't even figure out that they have NINE out of twelve months of the fiscal year on their watch...(begins in October, they're sworn in January?!?)

Republicans trying math makes me giggle... :)

Considering that Obama increased spending by $1.27 Trillion in his first 2 years (vs Bush's last fiscal year of 2008), any cuts are at least in the right direction, but the cuts need to be a lot deeper to make any difference.

"GOP aides expect some pushback from more conservative members of the GOP Conference in regards to the $32 billion in savings, as they fall $17 billion short of what ideologically conservative faction of the conference, the Republican Study Committee is calling for -- $59 billion."

Somebody at msnbc needs a math lesson;

$32 Billion + $17 Billion = $49 Billion, not $59 Billion.

Jonbo Green "These are people (Michelle Bachmann, et al) that pretend to be able to do the math required for the budget, and they can't even figure out that they have NINE out of twelve months of the fiscal year on their watch...(begins in October, they're sworn in January?!?)"

Before you criticize other people's math, you might like to take some reading lessons, since the article clearly states that the prior Democratic Congress passed continuing resolutions for spending through March 4, so the Republicans will have less than 7 months to cut anything (March 5 thru September 30).

Well, the GOP said 100 billion under their watch, they never specified it would take a full 12 months.

I love all the backpeddlings. Plus, even if you prorate the 100billion. how do they intend on cutting the remaining 68billion in the remaining 3months if they only manage 32 billion in the first 9?

It's all laughable. But at least both sides are talking about budget cuts...last time around it was handouts for rich people and unhindered outsourcing, and the time before that it was unhindered outsourcing and handouts for poor people.

At least cutting the budget will do some good...too bad the GOP is more intent of keeping pork (BushII tax cuts, major defense spending, War on Drugs) and cutting infrastructure and research programs that might do some good (National Broadband Program, Stemcell research, NASA, ITER, etc)

Republicans not "cutting" enough for you?

Ron Paul is the answer, people.

That is, unless you've been bribed with your own money?

I see an objective in the works, here: get the unemployment to double digits before the next election and make Obama look bad. After all, the Republican constituency had that meeting in the desert. The Koch brothers received two tablets in their private tent, returned to the multitudes and dictated their next strategies. Oh, sorry, I got the story mixed up with something else.

As for the Republicans being serious about education and science, I doubt that very seriously. Except for Cheney: he's on his ? pacemaker, right? Paid by us? Right? Isn't science wonderful? Right?

First of all, You have to go to work once in awhile in order to get something accomplished. The Republicans run the house taking one week off for every two weeks worked and if you look at the list they have for the agenda, most of it amounts to nothing. Some work on abortion and that's about it. Get it folks? They have no agenda and they have no answers or solutions. Never did. I can't wait for 2012.

I just heard this morning again that another Bush Whacker may run for president. How sick is that? The former war criminal still needs to stand trial.

just wish the tea baggers a jolly ride to reality....please, some body read the headline for them. BOGO brains.

Pretty easy to campaign on BS, when you know full well your intended voters operate on low info, will believe everything you say, and excuse you for it when none of it comes true - they'll even vote for the same hypocrites the next time too!!

Teapublicons, what a bunch of idiot tools.

You sheep need to work on your reading skills.

The only reason they can't cut the money from the budget is because Obama failed to get as much money as he wanted. Cutting $32 billion FROM AN ALREADY READUCED BUDGET is a pretty good start.

"The Obama administration did not get its desired budget in the current continuing resolution that is funding the government through fiscal year 2011.

If the current continuing resolution is extended, the amount of money used to fund the government for fiscal year 2011 is $1.087 trillion. The House GOP proposed budget is for $1.055 trillion dollars. $1.087 minus $1.055 equals $32 billion."

P.S.

You are happy that the Dems are saying "NO" to even cutting $32 billion in spending?

"It is unlikely that the GOP will be able to enact the $32 billion dollars in savings by March 4, as any budget bill must pass the Democratic-controlled Senate."

That is a crock!!!! They knew what the fiscal 2011 extention or what ever they call it was back in the mid-terms, so if they said $100 million then, why is it suddenly ok to be $32 million? They didn't know that they would only be in charge for 7 months of the fiscal 2011?

So were they stupid then or are they stupid now? More likely both, and talking $hit, doesn't matter what they say, just to get elected. But this isn't the first promise or pledge that they have broken. The first day of the new congress they broke almost all of their promises!!!!

Broken Promises: The House GOP Breaks Several Of Its Own Pledges On First Day In Power

Yesterday, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) gaveled in the GOP takeover of the House. Christening his rein in tears, the self-proclaimed “most transparent person in this town” promised an era of more “honest” and “accountable” government with a set of new House rules to match. But that was yesterday afternoon. By nightfall, the House GOP leadership had already broken key pledges of transparency and accountability. Republicans have already walked back three key promises they touted up through the end of 111th Congress:

– Open Amendment Process Now Closed: Republicans have long complained that Democrats “abused their power in bypassing regular debate” by ignoring “the open rule” which “allows for nearly unlimited amendments and debate.” After a victorious November election, GOP leaders promised “to treat the Democratic minority far differently” by ensuring an open rules process. After all, they had included it in their “Pledge to America.” But now, with their first legislation to repeal the health care law, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) is suggesting the GOP will skip the open rule to avoid potentially embarrassing Democratic amendments. The excuse? It’s a “straightforward document” of a “two-page, straight repeal” so “there’s nothing to amend.” According to Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), “there’s no ability” to have open rules because “if you want to have an up-or-down vote, this is how you have to do it. And that is what our pledge was: an up-or-down vote.” Despite demanding the same of the Democrats last year, Republicans now think “some things you don’t need a hearing on.” In response to backlash over his backtrack, Boehner said, “I promised a more open process. I didn’t promise that every single bill was going to be an open bill.”

– $100 Billion Spending Cuts Now “Hypothetical”: Confidently touting their “Pledge to America,” Boehner and his Young Gun squadron reiterated the promise that they’d “save $100 billion dollars in the first year.” Just yesterday, Cantor told reporters that Republicans will soon “spell out” the cuts to obtain that number. But, according to Republican aides, that promise is more “hypothetical” than literal and the actual number “is about HALF the original estimate.” When asked by how much, Ryan said “I can’t tell you by what amount.” When Fox News pressed Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) about GOP waffling, Pence said anyone who focuses on the $100 billion figure is just “number crunching” and trying to “parse words.”

– Public Access Committee Attendance Now Unfair: In the name of transparency, the initial rule package the House GOP proposed included a provision to make committee attendance public. But (fittingly) “behind closed doors” in the House GOP conference meeting yesterday night, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) stripped the provision. The excuse? Committees have to stop scheduling hearings at the same time first. Also, “some GOP lawmakers were concerned about getting slammed for missing hearings when they may have extenuating circumstances.” “That’s not a matter of transparency. It’s a matter of inherent unfairness,” Gohmert said.

On top of closing the amendment process, the GOP also will exempt the health care repeal bill from their own requirement that all bills be fully paid for. Because the health care law would reduce the deficit by $143 billion through 2019, not only are they backtracking on their own rules, but also their promise to reduce the deficit. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the repeal will increase the deficit by $230 billion over the next ten years. Of course — as Republicans prove time and time again — if any policy benefits the wealthy, that lower-deficit banner gets shredded.

But the GOP shows no sign of stopping its self-imposed hypocrisy. The visceral hatred of federal health care has only compelled a few Republicans to match rhetoric with action by forgoing federal health care, while members like Rep. Steve King (R-IA) leave it to others to “stand on principle.” The GOP instead voted down the idea to disclose whether members accept federal health care plan. And despite pledges of greater transparency and fewer backroom deals, House Republicans avowed Ryan, the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, with the power to implement spending levels without ever having them voted upon. Another rule allows Republicans to reallocate the spending cuts that Republicans intend to make (whatever the amount) rather than pay down the deficit, a move some GOP members lambasted as “Washington-style gimmicks.”

The GOP is even undermining its own distorted understanding of the Constitution. Despite promising to include clauses citing the constitutional authority of each bill, not one of the three bills the GOP plans to introduce this week — health care repeal, congressional budget cuts, and instruction for new health care legislation — currently include the constitutional citation. Whether the citations will be available when the bills hit the floor remains to be seen.

While remarkably brazen, the hypocritical actions of the House GOP are not surprising. “That’s what they were going to do. Wasn’t it?” said former House Rules Committee Chair Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY). “It’s the first day, and they’ve violated everything they said they were going to do.” Who knows what day two will bring.

andy 469 i couldn`t have said it any better now all u have to do is get all the cry babies to read the absolute truth and all the bs and flat out lies can stop ps wouldn`t ya no les go after the EPA just like republicans steale your money take away your health care then poison ya!

pjam09 must be guzzling that Republican kool aid.

Paul S, NY NY

Isn't this deja vu all over again?

Yes it is and so will it be when the GOP/Tea Baggers lose the House, Senate, and Presidency again.

Americans don't want to go there again.

Thank God, Thank God, Thank God!

RE-peat-TEA-lie-to-the-PUBLIC-ans

Beverly in Chicago- Funny, we just did take one branch from you. A "shellacking" comes to mind. Momentum for now is against you, but some day will return. Nobody wants what we have gone through, and we have both parties to blame. A recent government study showed one major contributor of the depression was the de regulation of the housing market, championed by the Clinton administration. Don’t get me wrong, Bush did not help (understatement), but no party is "innocent". Both parties need each other to keep this country in check. Otherwise we all turn into Michael Moor, or Hanity. Both bad news.

A pretty balanced post. (and now I get the screen name.) Welcome, and keep 'em coming, YY.

Ying Yang-1935392

Beverly in Chicago- Funny, we just did take one branch from you. A "shellacking" comes to mind. Momentum for now is against you, .

I studied and practiced Buddhism for many years. Let me guess Ying Yang you are talking about your ying i. e . those broken lines the republicans gave us; (jobs, jobs, jobs).

And your yang is solid i.e. the momentum for now is against the left.

Advice; try a little Feng Shui you're gonna need it to adapt.

You're right deregulation was under Clinton. But considering Georgie Boy gave us tax cuts for the rich and 2 unfunded wars of which one was a lie your line/ momentum is broken.

The GOP/TB wants to continue boy George's policies and most Americans are saying no; which means you like Boehnor and McConnell are not listening to the current sway.

Anyhow, I wish you good fortune with you Feng Shui.

@ Beverly in Chicago

Don't forget a Fed rate that has been held at near zero for the better part of 10 years under Greenspan and Bernanke!

Also, all of the language in the bills that repealed and replaced Glass-Steagall and allowed the lenders to bundle and securitize fraudulent mortgages (which were ultimately sold to Fannie and Freddie with bogus ratings from Moodies and S&P) came from a Republican controlled Congress under Clinton followed by 6 years of Bush & Co. enjoying the ride.

I dislike the way the Democrats have allowed the country to be overrun by people that seek merely to exploit the US's prosperity (as seen by lax policing of illegal immigration). But the Republicans in Washington have done just as little in that regard, AND they have a fox-henhouse strategy when it comes to protecting markets from manipulation and corruption.

However, I've learned that neither Dem or Rep care anything for the middle-class except when it comes to their vote!

And it's bi-partisan :)

Didn't Obama say in 2009 that he and the democrats were focusing onjobs like a laser? And this was before the unemployment numbers went over 8%.

So Obama and the democrats have had 2 years to work on jobs, yet the republicans have been in control of the House (only the House, mind you) for about a month and you're already complaining?

Where were the liberal complaints before November about the jobs?

Not only this, but the democrats were supposed to deal with the 2011 budget before September of last year and didn'tdo it, so the republicans inherited that mess and had their hands tied with this budget at the same time. Remember also that the democrats still control the Senate - do you really think the Senate is going to allow the spending for 2011 to be cut even the little bit that the republicans are trying to? If so, I've got a bridge...

So those of you calling this a republican lie, consider that technically, the republicans shouldn't have had to deal with budget issues until the 2012 budget, which they are already starting on; yet the democrats couldn't be bothered with anything so mundane as a budget to run the country while they were determining ways to control our lives and spend our grandchildren into oblivion.

Hypocritical if you ask me.

Sometimes I wish the Republicans would have won the last presidential election so we could watch them clean up their own crappy mess. Where would we be then? Scary isn't it?

Oh, SNAP, Amy!

Don't you go pointing out the obvious,...A FACT based reality is just so last year!

Personally I chalk the shrinkage up to Cold Weather (hee hee Seinfeld hat tip) AND Republican MATH! They just aren't very good at it. Cut Taxes and it 'trickles down'. Cut Taxes and Wage War; but it won't cost us anything,...

These idiots and math are just NOT close friends.

Why would the EPA have it's budget tripled because of the gulf spill... I'm confused, because the EPA doesn't have jurisdiction over that, the MMS does, or whatever they named it now. So shouldn't they have seen their budget increase in the wake of the spill. Although considering they weren't doing their jobs with the money they had, why should they get more? Seems to me that throwing money at the issue wont fix it. Now holding the agency responsible for the spill as well as the other involved parties, that might make a difference...

But the EPA? Seriously?

Clean water act? EPA or MMS?

When asked where might the Appropriations Committee look to find savings, House Republican Budget Committee staffers were quick to say that under the Obama administration, the Environmental Protection Agency has seen its budget triple, and Republicans would "examine" that agency.

BUT ... The Washington Post reported this..

The Environmental Protection Agency's budget -- which ballooned an estimated 34 percent last year, as the Obama administration set out new ambitions for the agency -- would receive slightly less funding in fiscal 2011, according to budget documents.

Math is hard it seems (except for journalists that work for the WPost.)

2009 EPA budget - $7.6 billion 2010 EPA budget - 10.3 billion

Naaaaaaaah,that would put replubicans buddies in the seat of liability,and who would ever want that

Actually, I think it's because Obama still wants cap and trade and doesn't care that he's got to go through the back door to try for it. It's a power grab, that's all. Another tax or increase in fees on the back of middle class taxpayers to pay for his pie-in-the-sky boondoggles that is based on questionable theory.

And, yes, it is questionable theory, because while climate change does exist, the case that says it's because of man has not been made. In fact, thanks to 'climategate', the bulk of their science has been debunked.

I totally agree! When are you running for office?

All great ideas, and most of them are ideas that Obama is trying to do. Right now, the President is pushing to end subsidies for oil companies, and the GOP are refusing to discuss it. The problem is, these changes would cut campaign donations for most of the politicians. Can't have that...

Except that they wanted to cut 100,000,000,000.00 (that would be 100 billion)

Not saying all of those things you listed shouldn't happen, they absolutely should. I'm just saying that it's a huge amount of money they are trying to cut.

There is no way your ideas would ever be passed. They make sense and that's the last thing that politicians want.

Duh 101 - I agree with all of your points, but let's include;

no foreign aid - no wars & for all of those in congress who wanted to serve the public, let them serve, not profit! pay their living expenses, let them live in public housing & put term limits in effect.

The problem is, these changes would cut campaign donations for most of the politicians. Can't have that...

You beat me to it, Clotho! Those special interests paid good money to keep those things mentioned in #9 from going away.

I was watching Bohner during the State of the Union Address and I thought he was going to have a stroke when President Obama said that he wants to end subsidies to the oil companies. It was incredibly funny. It's strange, he looked like he just lost part of his yearly income. Hmmmm, I wonder.

You're right about the GOP not liking budget surpluses. George W said that when he stated that the budget surplus was too big and that he wanted a refund. The refund was the tax cuts he campaigned for in spite of the fact that the CBO said the cuts would result in a huge deficit--the size of the current deficit. The GOP just hates facts when it conflicts with helping out their big business and big oil buddies at the expense of the rest of the country. In the meantime rest assured, Wall Street is chalking up record salaries for 2010 while the rest of the country languishes.

@Brutus: Thanks... I've been taxed so heavily lately, I've run out of zeros :)

@stacy- NO, we do not want to offer them public housing. The President has that and they would all want 10 bedroom, 10 bath houses, on 5 acres each, with an olympic size pool, full gym, fully furnished, all within "walking distance" of "public transportation" (i.e. their limo's)... you know fixer uppers, congressional style. They'd probably also demand a "guest house" for their "staff." Just ask Foley, Vitter, Ensign, Edwards (the list is too long to add more) what they would need it for.

If Republicans don't like "surpluses" then why do all of you brag about Clinton's surpluses? I guess you have forgotten who held the purse strings during this time...

At least they are making an attempt to cut. Can any of you provide a link to concrete evidence that shows what the Democrats made cuts to over the last 2 years? Oh and don't forget to include a link to their campaign promises.

Here's a link for you....

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2007/10/the-democratic-congresss-2008-budget-a-tax-and-spending-spree

Why was it a few years ago that I heard chants about how the Republicans couldn't stop "the will of the people" but now anytime any broken promise from that same era is brought up all we hear is the left claiming that it is the GOP that is stopping them? I thought you guys had it down pat? I thought you guys were going to do everything right? I know you guys had free reign for a while and all we got out of it was a questionable healthcare bill.

What is this scapegoat you guys keep leaning on?

The bottom line is that neither side had done anything for the man on the street. Take off the blinders and you lemmings will see it too. For a Democrat to be pointing fingers here about broken promises is such an abominable hypocrisy that I fear for the future of anything good coming from this government that is becoming more and more like a high school football game.

At least Pelosi doesn't have a government provided plane for her transport anymore.

My vote for most incoherent thought of the day....

I'll second that Brutus..

You want to talk about "farm subsides" Bev? Read this and get a clue..

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2007/10/the-democratic-congresss-2008-budget-a-tax-and-spending-spree

The Heritage Foundation is the nation’s most broadly supported public policy research institute, with more than 710,000 individual, foundation and corporate donors. Heritage, founded in February 1973, has a staff of 255 and an annual expense budget of $75.3 million.

Our mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. Read More

And fully blind-to-the-truth rhetoric.

Wait Matt--jobs are the Republicans number one priority. You don't suppose they said that to get elected do you?

And what about Obama's claim that he was focused on jobs like a laser back in 2009?

You don't suppose he meant killing jobs, do you? Because he has had progress there.

The thing is, they shouldn't have had to deal with the 2011 budget at all - the democrats were supposed to deal with it before September of last year.

But you forget little things like that don't you?

The Republicans were out golfing and going to cocktail parties.

At leastthey are trying to do something, where were you for the last two years?

Well I was watching private industry being saved by the government, twice. BP oil spill and let us not forget the bank bailout. Government 2 Privatization 0.

@Hellearn - the banking rescue was absolutely necessary. Let's say you're running down and Interstate when all the oil drains out of your car. Do you add oil, or do you let nature take its course, let the engine seize up, and say that the car didn't work and should have been allowed to fail?

Add oil, and you get to your destination. Follow your ideology, let the free market determine the success of your trip, and you're stuck at the side of the road, and there is no destination in your future.

The financial industry is the engine of our economy. You think we should have allowed the engine to seize, and we all should have been happy to bear the consequences. I think we did the right thing - hold our noses from the stench, add the oil, and get the car back on the road.

Later, let's fix the oil leak. But at least we still have an engine, and a destination in our future. They did the right thing, both George Bush and Barack Obama. They saved us from catastrophe. It's not a bad thing.

Nothing is too big to fail. All they did was kick the can down the road because they still haven't dealt with the real problems that caused the financial meltdown. Fannie and Freddie are on life support with an open credit line and derivatives trading is still allowed - two major contributing factors.

What's sad is all they really had to do was re-instate Glass-Steagall. Instead we got another 2000+ page piece of trash legislation that created another band-aid for the financial markets.

JDMADDEN166,

The difference is, George Bush made sure his little TArp money gift to big business courtesy of us middle class taxpayers never had to be paid back. Obama's money has to be paid back with interest and much of it already has. The hero Bush was real generous with our money wasn't he?

When Bill Clinton was elected, he put Al Gore in charge of examining all government agencies to find ways of eliminating wasteful spending. My understanding was that he found and eliminated a lot of it. I wonder if that had anything to do with why we ended up with a surplus? If we eliminated waste in all agencies and raised taxes a little bit, maybe we could have a surplus again. I have noticed in life that doing what works usually produces a better result than continuing to do what obviously doesn't work to produce the result you want. I would have thought we would have figured that out by now.

But Heartlight3, you did not get the memo. Cut taxes will reduce the deficit. I find it hilarious that the people who actually vote for these clowns would scream murder if their employer(s) or customers told them "OK, here is the deal, you will make more money if we pay you less. Trust us, this will work. Don't worry about the last 8 years, this will work. No, don't worry about your house falling apart, we'll pay you less for your products and/or services and you'll have more. We give you less and you'll have more. Trust us."

Yeah - we need to bring algore back to look for and eliminate waste. We can start with anything to do with carbon emissions and global warming. Another way would be to cut $100 billion from the stimulus money that hasn't been spent yet,

I am not sure whether to be proud or ashamed that that was my first Green star... i'm going with proud

It doesn't help that before they started this process, they added $700 billion to the deficit by extending tax cuts for millionaires. How anyone can think that increasing the deficit by $700 billion and reducing it by $32 billion is going to result in a net reduction is beyond my comprehension. And they wonder why people don't trust them. (and I wonder why anybody DOES believe them!)

Sure it helps to bail out those walmart owners now the repubs can fight over that greeter job that will soon trickle down as a JOB.....sarc

Ask Obama. He promised the same. Or is your memory failing you in a convenient situation?

The Obama administration had total control and did nothing like they promised. Are you willing to drop your partisan bigotry and become part of a solution? Are you willing to hold your own to the same standards?

Funny how in other posts you talk about the GOP not having a clue while you continue to defend those who had all the power they needed to make bing changes and did nothing but pass a questionable healthcare bill. I guess you're being caught in your own lie too. Are you afraid to have your pet party examined under the same microscope? Are you willing to give up on your loyalty to those who'd rip you off as fast as anyone else?

Look up the filibuster/cloture rule 22 of the Senate before you come on here and make yourself look so ignorant discussing the democratic legislative agenda and capabilities.

East Coast,

I have to say, the continued nonsense about the Dems having the power to bring changes is totally stupid, if not annoying,

How many bills were brought to the floor for a vote that the Repubs killed with the filibuster/cloture? Lying and pretending the Repubs are 100% for the people is totally lame.

The Republicans screwed us and lied to the uneducated/fear mongering conservatives that they were the only hope for this country. What a freaking surprise that Boehner and company don't have a clue how to create jobs, boost the economy, or lower the deficit.

If you can't research a story and be able to tell both sides or, even better, tell the truth regardless of how it may prove your barking up the wrong tree, you should say anything at all.

East Coast

Ah, you've been reading my other posts? Good for you. Then you know I've been consistent in calling out the Republicans as clueless. Which is exactly what they are. Don't shoot the messenger--it's just the truth. And your statement about the healthcare bill being the only bill passed? I'm assuming you get your information from Fox? Sure sounds like it.

Of course he is,or he might have said that they passed credit card reform or the questionable health care bill that he keeps reffering to that will help him or even better one of his less unfortunate neighbours be covered if they get ill or even better if a condition they had prior acts up and not be told well too bad we dont care...The nerve of some of these people,man..

Yeah - credit card reform that has allowed credit card companies to rip off consumers even more just because a few people wouldn't read their contract? The same credit card reform that has penalized those who pay their bills on time by lowering their credit limits and raising their interest rates?

It reformed it alright, it's made everything worse for those who have been paying their bills.

Tenuous? The only recovery is due to the Fed monitizing 100 billion dollars a month to keep the stock market trending upwards. Time to wake up, just raising taxes won't do it. Increaseing the deficit is just more government spending which does nothing to improve the economy or create lasting jobs!

Your analogy of a burning house is apt, except the house is already burned and it's set the surrounding area ablaze, sorta like a wildfire except this one started in the backyard barbeque at the congressional playhouse.

We have gone for more than 30 years without someone standing up and saying enough! Every party comes to an end and this one should have wrapped up long ago

Yes, as I said, it is not a very good position we find ourselves in. But, I do seem to recall that the last time the budget had a small surplus, it was the Republicans lining up in front of every TV camera with a red light to howl about tax cuts. Including GW Bush.

No talk of paying down the debt, mind you, and contemporary polling indicated, IIRC, that the majority of citizens were quite comfortable with the tax rates just the way they were.

Now, of course, these same Republicans, many of them exactly the same Republicans, not only let another Republican president tax-cut us into a world-wide economic disaster, they are STILL looking for MORE tax cuts!

No, I'm sorry, I can't see any particular equivalency between the two parties regarding debt or deficit spending, when the vast majority of that debt was rung up in the last thirty years during time of Republican rule, when the last time we had a chance to pay down the debt the Republicans whined and screamed until that chance was gone, and when they are STILL whining and screaming to increase our debt even further with tax cuts that are not helping anything, with the exception of a handful of very rich people being able to become slightly more rich.

Not even close.

I can see an equivalency: Both parties are forcing up the national debt. Sorry that you're blind to the truth.

It's time to look beyond parties. It's time to change the way things work at the most fundamental of levels. If we do not do this, I promise you, our nation will collapse in short order.

Yeah, no sale, sorry. St. Bonzo Reagan took us from largest creditor in the world to largest debtor. He never once even proposed a balanced budget, and Congress appropriated less than Regan requested 7 years out of 8.

Then came Clinton, who, through some policy and a lot of luck, managed a small surplus which we should have used to pay down just a portion of Reagan's debt. But, we didn't get the chance, because along came Bush Jr., who proceeded to out-Reagan even Reagan.

If you see some equivalence in that actual history, then I would have to say that Rush is probably doing your thinking for you.

Talk about blind.

JC -

It was Johnson who removed the lock from Social Security and allowed both sides of the aisle to pilfer it. Clinton and the republicans of that era only 'balanced' the budget by borrowing from Social Security and Medicare.

Ithink you are being dishonest with yourself by seeing only one side of the aisle as the problem. Both sides are at fault.

That being said, the democrats in Congress (and yes, you have to look at who controlled Congress as they are responsible for the budget, especially the House of Representatives) in the past 4 years have added about $5 trillion to the debt, roughly $3 to 3.5 trillion of it in the last 2 years with a democrat president as well.

If you consider that 1.5 to 2 trillion of the added 5 trillion was while Bush was still president and you say that he produced 5 trillion in debt over his 8 years in office, this means that Bush and the republicans ran up 3 to 3.5 trillion in debt in a 6 year span - one third of the rate that has been done with obama at the helm.

Considering that the democrats were decrying the rate of spending during the first 6 years of the Bush administration, why haven't the democrats decried the rate of spending under the democrat-controlled Congress during the last 2 years of the Bush presidency?

An even better question is why hasn't the left screamed about the spending that Obama and a democrat-controlled Congress has done?

But then, the left would have to admit that their side is even worse at managing the country's money than the republicans - and we know that won't happen.

Instead you'll continue to try to find a scapegoat for your own failings.

Can't blame everything on Bonehead Bohner. I mean, look at all of the idiots who got sucked into the GOP intimidation vacuum and switched their votes from Democrat to Republican. They are the real 'winners' here. Thanks for nothing people!

bill, could you please post a link that has Boehner quoted as saying "his #1 priority was jobs"? Thank you!

I doubt he can, Ellie. He seems to be quoting talking points. And we both know that most of the democrat talking points are based on fantasy.

Denissr -

Most of what you have listed are local and state level, some are even volunteer insome areas of the country.

Perhaps you should educate yourself to find out where the responsibility lies before you make fallacious claims.

Talk is cheap!

Any "talk" has been only gutting the social programs. again to keep the base satisfield

Why don't they try cutting the Billionaire tax cut Welfare, Corporate bailout Welfare, Military Complex waste, fraud and abuse and oh, by the way,

Where are the jobs??????

Yeah, Why didn't Obama try cutting the Billionaire tax cut Welfare, Corporate bailout Welfare, Military Complex waste, fraud.... Oh wait! That's right. Obama is playing the same game. Fantastic hope and change.

Hey Berry! Where's the jobs you promised when you had the entire federal government in your back pocket? After all, if we can blame a party that only holds half of one branch of the government I guess we can really point the fingers at you.

32 billion. a good start if the dem senate doesnt block it and just want more spending.

Spending cuts will be deflationary. For decades, governments were on a spending spree. On bad days and on good days debt kept expanding. Individuals did not stay idle. They borrowed non-stop too. With FED's and other central banks easy money policy, borrowing was cheap. Entire population kept borrowing for instant gratification. What is the problem with that? The problem is that money supply was inflated with borrowed money. All prices and salaries around you are based on an inflated money supply. When it deflates, prices and salaries cannot be sustained. This is why we have high unemployment. This is why home prices are falling. Here is what else is deflationary:

www.kondratieffwavecycle.com/economy/signs-of-deflation-you-might-not-be-able-to-see-clearly/

No democratically elected government has the will power to swallow the bitter pill. They just keep spending and hope that it does not crash on their watch. It is a dead end.

When the budget deficit is $1.2 trillion it would have taken a really long time to do so. We need to raise taxes, especially on the very wealthy. Anyone making over a million dollars a year needs to pay a minimum of 50% income tax with no deductions.

Vince-545056 I am so old I can remember when, if you made a million $ you kept $100,000 That is harsh however. I think a straight 40% from gross income with no allowances for any deductions would be fair. When Buffet's sec. pays more taxes than he does then there's something definitely wrong with the system. Remember, she has to produce through labor while he does nothing productive.

Economically a bad idea Vince: everyone should pay taxes which will make all more interested in where their money is going. a flat tax would do this even if there were tiers in a flat tax mode. the more wealthy spend more money buying stuff. a private dollar spent in the economy comes back as over $9 as it is spent down the line; a government dollar comes back as a little less than $2 in the economy.

The only way, it would appear, to solve the spend/tax/reduce the deficit problem is to appoint someone to come up with a plan, lock the person in a close room so no group or interest can influence them, and then have the resulting plan adopted in whole with no vote, no discussion and no amendment or veto. you are not going to get the tough decision through any politician.