Cowardice seems to be plentiful these days. Somehow members of Congress believe that it’s much easier to kick the ball down the road than to take a stand. Imagine how well that would work in the business world! We’re now amidst the latest discussions for a continuing resolution to avoid drawing a line in the sand. Fortunately not all members of Congress are quite so spineless.
When Congress approved the last CR, nearly two weeks ago, the exercise was nothing more than another excuse to avoid doing what they were sent to Washington to do. The elections this past November were primarily about two issues: government spending and the economy. So far what we’ve seen is about $4 billion in actual cuts. Not too much bang for the buck. The latest CR discussions call for another $6 billion in cuts. How sad is it that after the Tea Party winds swept the country, bringing in an entire new class of congressmen and women that we’re staring at $10 billion in cuts out of a $1.7 trillion dollar budget. I’d be embarrassed.
The new Republican House promised us $100 billion in cuts. We’re not even going to see anything close to that. Even the Republicans are using the President’s corrupt math to claim that their $100 billion is a combination of $61 billion in true cuts and approximately $40 billion in restraining budget growth. How many times must I explain the difference between a cut and stemming growth? I give up.
Thank God that there is some sanity in Congress; however it may not be enough to stop another continuing resolution from getting through. The Tea Party caucus members appear ready to say no more extensions. There’s only 6 months left in this fiscal year, for the love of God just finish the damned budget! How about a 6 month continuing resolution, with $57 billion in cuts so we can get to the bologna $100 billion in cuts?
Every special interest seems to be putting up commercials of late. Planned Parenthood has been advertising that breast and cervical cancer screenings are being threatened by the Republican Congress. What a bunch of B.S. The House isn’t targeting cancer screens and they know it. They’re targeting abortions or abortion counseling. Planned Parenthood doesn’t give away all their services, so if they have to charge a few bucks more for cancer screenings, or they can’t find donations from other sources, perhaps they have no business being in business.
Then there’s NPR and their parent the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. They’ve had their, and I use the term loosely, reporters, out on the air explaining how small towns are somehow going to be without news if the Congress cuts off their money. Wasn’t it just this past week that some NPR bigwig said that they’d be better off without taxpayer money? And is it me, or isn’t there satellite and/or cable available pretty much everywhere? Or, for that matter, isn’t there broadcast television? What’s the matter, NBC news isn’t good enough for the liberals anymore?
The Republicans need to stop shying away from a government shut-down because of what happened more than a decade ago. Let’s face it; the liberals want the Republicans to shut down the government so they have a campaign issue in 2012. Keep playing these kick-the-can games with the budget and the Democrats won’t need a new campaign issue, because the Tea Party will field their own non-affiliated candidates and the Republicans are going to be in a mess of trouble. Get a backbone!
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