Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Finally! A GOP Budget!!

The GOP was doing well as the Party of NO, but in a desperate attempt to prove that they really do have ideas, they have given us something to compare.

gopVision GOP Rep. Paul Ryan handed House Democrats the perfect wedge issue last week, and they're going to use it.

House Democrats want to kick House Republicans where it hurts, and are exploring ways to force the minority party to take a stand on Rep. Paul Ryan's budget "roadmap" that has become a political minefield in advance of this fall's elections.

A Democratic leadership source told TPMDC they are considering options for turning the Ryan plan into a bill. Once that's done the Democrats would put the bill on the floor, forcing Republicans to vote for or against a plan they don't want to talk about.

Why is it such a minefield? Because he wants to eliminate Social Security and Medicare, and has put GOP leadership in a very difficult position: of course Republicans want to get rid of Social Security and Medicare, it's been their raison d'etre since the programs were established. But they're coming off of a year in which their loudest opposition to the Democrats' healthcare reform bill was "Medicare cuts." Yglesias links to a Roll Call story:

Republican leaders bashed the Democratic health care plans for cutting more than $400 billion out of Medicare, but GOP budget hawks view controlling Medicare costs as essential to balancing the budget.

A Republican who asked to have his name withheld said the party’s leadership and rank and file aren’t ready to follow Ryan’s lead. “There’s a lot of worry that we beat the Democrats up on health care for cutting Medicare and now we’re going to turn around and do it,” the Republican said.

As Matt says, the major difference here is that the Dems had very targeted cuts aimed at whittling away at inefficiencies in Medicare, while Ryan's budget "just goes after Medicare with a chain saw." And he's doubling down on his plan, despite opposition in his own party.

A floor vote on Ryan's Republican budget could be the best thing that's happened for Democrats in months… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Daily Kos>

That is so bad that even Baucus could not come up with a worse idea.  Demand a vote on the GOP budget!

5 comments:

the walking man said...

I am willing to put my Medicare on the line for this. A straight up or down vote done not by voice but a poll recording individual ayes or nays.

Kevin said...

I would be interested in seeing what comes of this. The Democrats need to start taking GOP issues and turning it against them...

TomCat said...

So would I Mark. If the matter ever comes to a vote, you know the names will be posted here.

Kevin, that's exactly what they're doing, and it's about time.

Beekeepers Apprentice said...

I wonder if it's 17 pages of zero numbers like last year's GOP budget? I hope so, I had a ball ragging that one out.

TomCat said...

Bee, I can't see them supporting their notions with anything better than broad generalizations. Specific data beliesa their position.