Via Instapundit: Democrats rope-a-doping Republicans on Spending.
If this is true, then the response is simple. First, stop flailing and recognize they will get nothing. Second, come up with a budget. A real one that doesn’t pander to factions. One that closes tax loopholes and cuts spending everywhere. Hit the news and explain it, defend it and own it and be sure to tell everyone that Democrats are not interested in balancing the budget.
I won’t say this will work. In fact, I have my doubts at this point. I think too many people still believe they can have their cake and eat it too. That all the saving can be done by getting rid of pork and waste. Nobody wants to give up the SS check or Medicare or Medicaid. The only seemingly common area for cuts is defense spending, but even there it’s minimal.
That said, the argument needs to be made. And it also needs to be pointed out that we can’t tax our way out of it. There isn’t enough income to tax (short of the government out-and-out confiscating all income above a certain amount) to bring in the revenue to balance the budget and start paying down debt. Cuts have to be made. Period, end of discussion. We can’t grow our way out of it either.
Republicans need to stop trying to thread-the-needle. There is none to thread. If they go down, at least they do so telling the truth for once. If they believe in a limited, smaller government then they need to step up now.
Unfortunately, I’m keenly aware the politicians don’t work like that.