Congress Strikes a Budget Deal, Averts Shutdown

[formerlurker]

Of course hes going to compromise. Are you serious? Have you ever 'bargained' with adversarys before?

You think its wise to start at a low figure? Wow.

Glad your not in charge.

Negotiations are at am impasse from the get when you start way out in left field.    Especially when the you are one against two at the table. 

[formerlurker]

The Deal
April 9, 2011 9:34 P.M.
By Rich Lowry     
My two cents: A lot depends on how you viewed the stakes and the risks. If you thought cutting a few tens of billions more in spending this fiscal year would make a major difference in the country’s future, and/or thought a shutdown would be a political winner for Republicans, you have to be disappointed that Boehner didn’t push it further. Since I believed neither of those things to be true, I had low expectations. I saw the whole confrontation through the prism of two major downside risks: 1) a shutdown that could go awry politically and badly hurt Republicans three months into their House majority; 2) a poisonous split in the caucus that would make it impossible for House Republicans to fight cohesively on the big items to come. Boehner has apparently avoided both of those outcomes while pushing Democrats from $0 billion to $38.5 billion on the top-line number on cuts. We still don’t know the composition of those cuts and I suspect they will do less to reduce the baseline for future spending than we’d like (which is why I’d be wary of hailing these cuts as “historic,” etc.–there may be less than meets the eye). It’s also disappointing that Planned Parenthood got off the hook, but it always seemed too good to be true that Republicans would fight and win a shutdown fight with Planned Parenthood front and center. Overall, it looks like a very modest win in a very modest game. Up next is the debate over the debt ceiling, which offers the possibility for imposing much more consequential, far-reaching restraints on spending. And it’s always worth remembering that the fundamental problem here really isn’t a lack of guts so much as a lack of the Senate and the White House. Get both of those things in 2012, and we’ll be talking trillions rather than billions in cuts and Planned Parenthood will not get another thin dime of federal money.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner

Well Rich, reality escapes many.   

[5412]

Go back and read the articles I posted which explained how the compromise came to be -- Boehner did what no other speaker has done in allowing his freshman tea party caucus to write the script.  He consulted and included them right up to inking the deal.

Enough of this nonsense.   Hate the man, I don't care.    Boehner got the job done, and we are moving forward to the next battle.    

Purists do nothing aside from whine from the sidelines -- they are quite proficient with that.    Congressional members like Rand Paul put forward plans that have no chance whatsoever at coming to fruition, but the party can't help themselves when the dog and pony show is in town.

Hi Formerlurker,

As I said, we shall agree to disagree.  If you are calling me a purist, I am not too pleased so I will give you the benefit of the doubt.  Not once have I attacked anyone personally.  That is one thing I truly appreciate about this board is folks try to deal with the issue and personal attacks are kept at a minimum.

With that being said, I have one thing to add.  You say Rand Paul's idea has no chance.  Wonder how many thought that Obamacare had no chance???  Obama promised to fundamentally change and remake America and passed a bunch of legislation, and passed it in such a manner that we have never seen before.  As a result the Tea Party groups formed and there was a huge pushback.  Well tweaking the system and business as usual for Republicans is not going to fix much.

As far as Gingrich supporting Boehner, I take that with a grain of salt.  Gingrich has ideas of running for president and if a miracle occured and he won he would have to work with Boehner and need his support.

This is one issue where I really, truly, from the bottom of my heart hope I am wrong and you are right.  As you can tell I am also skeptical, as is Dick Morris, and we will wait until the next battle and see.

regards,
5412

[franksolich]

I have realistic expectations. I realize that we may have the house but, that is all we have.

Boehner can't wave a magic wand and make his will law of the land magically appear.

From what I have seen they are standing up to Obama as much as possible and sometimes they will win, and sometimes they will lose.

Maybe I'm the only one here not throwing a pity party right now.

I know the DUmmie FUnnies are not a news agency, but anyway, according to the most-recent edition, P-J Comix informs his readers that

One overlooked facet of this deal is that the Senate will ONCE AGAIN be forced to vote on ObamaCare. BEAUTIFUL!!! Imagine the reaction of the two Democrat Nelsons in the Senate who face tough reelection campaigns due to their original ObamaCare vote that they have to vote on this poison bill AGAIN.

Anybody know if this is true?

If so, good news, great news.  John Boehner wins again.

And this

Not only that, but funding for Planned Parenthood and NPR will be a stand-alone votes, putting conservative democrats on the spot and making them more visible campaign issues.

Anybody know if this is true?

If so, good news, great news.

And this

On the table THIS ROUND was $60 billion of cuts. Boehner got $38 billion PLUS another ObamaCare vote which is a great fringe benefit. Keep in mind this is ROUND ONE. The next round comes next month with the debt ceiling debate and then late this summer with the 2012 budget debate comes ROUND THREE. Each one should slice more off the budget so, like I said, this is just ROUND ONE.

P-J's right.

There's nothing but good news of one nature or another in all this.

[Duke Nukum]

Well, we shall see what we shall see.

I am far from a purist but a few billion in cuts against trillions seems a bit like trying to empty the ocean with one leaky bucket.

If the Senate really does vote on repeal, that will be major. But I have seen the GOP rolled too many times to count on anything they win via negotiation until it actually happens.

[formerlurker]

I know the DUmmie FUnnies are not a news agency, but anyway, according to the most-recent edition, P-J Comix informs his readers that

Anybody know if this is true?

If so, good news, great news.  John Boehner wins again.

And this

Anybody know if this is true?

If so, good news, great news.

And this

P-J's right.

There's nothing but good news of one nature or another in all this.

There will be an up and down vote on these.

[formerlurker]

Hi Formerlurker,

As I said, we shall agree to disagree.  If you are calling me a purist, I am not too pleased so I will give you the benefit of the doubt.  Not once have I attacked anyone personally.  That is one thing I truly appreciate about this board is folks try to deal with the issue and personal attacks are kept at a minimum.

With that being said, I have one thing to add.  You say Rand Paul's idea has no chance.  Wonder how many thought that Obamacare had no chance???  Obama promised to fundamentally change and remake America and passed a bunch of legislation, and passed it in such a manner that we have never seen before.  As a result the Tea Party groups formed and there was a huge pushback.  Well tweaking the system and business as usual for Republicans is not going to fix much.

As far as Gingrich supporting Boehner, I take that with a grain of salt.  Gingrich has ideas of running for president and if a miracle occured and he won he would have to work with Boehner and need his support.

This is one issue where I really, truly, from the bottom of my heart hope I am wrong and you are right.  As you can tell I am also skeptical, as is Dick Morris, and we will wait until the next battle and see.

regards,
5412

When Rand Paul has the white house, the house and the senate then you can dream.   

[formerlurker]

Sorry Tea Partiers, but the GOP won this budget battle despite that you didn't get all you wanted, this was a major GOP win. In fact, treating it otherwise endangers further cuts and bigger budget wins. If the drive to cut the budget stops now, it might be YOUR fault!

What is that you say? Gosh, we only got a paltry $38.5 billion in cuts? You say this is a loss because we were promised $100 billion and even that is a drop in the bucket with a budget trillions overspent?

Yes, your laments are all true to a degree. And here's the "but" you know is coming…

…but it's time for you Tea Partiers to grow up and learn a little something about reality and politics. Oh, you can scrunch your face up all you want over that dirty word, "politics." But you'd better come to learn, it, live it, and love it if you really want to keep your influence and continue pushing the government down this new path to the budget cuts.

http://www.redcounty.com/content/hey-tea-partiers-gop-winning

[Janice]

Well, we shall see what we shall see.

I am far from a purist but a few billion in cuts against trillions seems a bit like trying to empty the ocean with one leaky bucket.

If the Senate really does vote on repeal, that will be major. But I have seen the GOP rolled too many times to count on anything they win via negotiation until it actually happens.

I agree. The last few elections has left only 2 choices. If your a leech on society or your just a constitutional representative republic illiterate ... vote democrat. If your held hostage because the other choice is unimaginable ... vote republican.

Obama has declared war on economic prosperity and liberty against our citizenry. He brings and abuses the whole weight of the office of the Presidency he now holds against the achievers, the producers and the voters in this country. We are in a fight for our very survival. He brings a gun to the fight. Some on our side seem to be content with spit balls. I just dont know how else to compare it. But this is why we (the tea party, aka as the 'extemists' and the 'purists') are pushing back. As a result we got the House back and those who have been there for decades are now holding the leadership positions. They got those positions because its 'their turn' not because we agreed with their leadership 'style'.

Republicans have historically been out of power (holding the House, the Senate and the Executive) for so long they really dont know how to behave when they are in charge. They just dont. And now those same republicans who have helped make the last few elections to be a choice between tweedle dee and tweedle dum are now approaching their zenith of power again. The dems on the other hand are the party of Big Gov't. They believe they are 'entitled'. They have the odd notion that the power in Washington is their 'birth right'. And strangely enough some on our side have behaved in a way which seems to indicate that they agree with them. Except for the little morsels and crumbs that they are occasionally allowed to 'relish' in. This is what the freshman tea partiers face when they get there. This is what befuddles them.

I actually hold out more hope for the Senate than the House for the 'brass balls' to get here. Especially after what Ive just seen. Although again, historically its the House that held the 'brass rings'. But I for one am not going to wait ... or stop putting the pressure on. Esp when the stakes are this high. People want to call me and others 'purists' and 'extremists' are free to do this all day long. But I will not shrink from it. We had the same sort of behavior during the revolution. One third of the colonists wanted to stay with the crown. One third weren't sure and could have gone either way. And ONLY one third were willing to place their lives and fortunes on the line to break away from the tyrannical monarchy. Not quite a fair comparison, but you get my drift. 1/3 of the country brought the other 2/3's along (some of them kicking and screaming) without which we would not be a nation today. So thank God for the one third of 'purists' and 'extremists'. Today the few of us (the tea party) will drag the rest of the milk toast along with us to victory over the tyranny that is currently enveloping the entire nation like a dark cloud if we must. And just as they were then, they will be today .. an ungrateful lot. But the urgency cannot be overstated. Its either now or never. Yes, there are future battles. But the only ones that matter now are the ones that are standing right in front of us. If not now - when? If not us - who? And if the leaders now are so willing to 'pay tuesday for a hamburger today' now, what will they do tomorrow? Or the next day?

Obama also brought brass knuckles and we are going down for the count. Whether you agree or not. Whether you understand this or not. Its no time for 'niceties'. These guys are playing for keeps. If you wanna stand on the sidelines.. fine. But the Red Coats are coming... 'muzzle not the horse that treadeth the corn'.

[formerlurker]

I agree. The last few elections has left only 2 choices. If your a leech on society or your just a constitutional representative republic illiterate ... vote democrat. If your held hostage because the other choice is unimaginable ... vote republican.

Obama has declared war on economic prosperity and liberty against our citizenry. He brings and abuses the whole weight of the office of the Presidency he now holds against the achievers, the producers and the voters in this country. We are in a fight for our very survival. He brings a gun to the fight. Some on our side seem to be content with spit balls. I just dont know how else to compare it. But this is why we (the tea party, aka as the 'extemists' and the 'purists') are pushing back. As a result we got the House back and those who have been there for decades are now holding the leadership positions. They got those positions because its 'their turn' not because we agreed with their leadership 'style'.

Republicans have historically been out of power (holding the House, the Senate and the Executive) for so long they really dont know how to behave when they are in charge. They just dont. And now those same republicans who have helped make the last few elections to be a choice between tweedle dee and tweedle dum are now approaching their zenith of power again. The dems on the other hand are the party of Big Gov't. They believe they are 'entitled'. They have the odd notion that the power in Washington is their 'birth right'. And strangely enough some on our side have behaved in a way which seems to indicate that they agree with them. Except for the little morsels and crumbs that they are occasionally allowed to 'relish' in. This is what the freshman tea partiers face when they get there. This is what befuddles them.

I actually hold out more hope for the Senate than the House for the 'brass balls' to get here. Especially after what Ive just seen. Although again, historically its the House that held the 'brass rings'. But I for one am not going to wait ... or stop putting the pressure on. Esp when the stakes are this high. People want to call me and others 'purists' and 'extremists' are free to do this all day long. But I will not shrink from it. We had the same sort of behavior during the revolution. One third of the colonists wanted to stay with the crown. One third weren't sure and could have gone either way. And ONLY one third were willing to place their lives and fortunes on the line to break away from the tyrannical monarchy. Not quite a fair comparison, but you get my drift. 1/3 of the country brought the other 2/3's along (some of them kicking and screaming) without which we would not be a nation today. So thank God for the one third of 'purists' and 'extremists'. Today the few of us (the tea party) will drag the rest of the milk toast along with us to victory over the tyranny that is currently enveloping the entire nation like a dark cloud if we must. And just as they were then, they will be today .. an ungrateful lot. But the urgency cannot be overstated. Its either now or never. Yes, there are future battles. But the only ones that matter now are the ones that are standing right in front of us. If not now - when? If not us - who? And if the leaders now are so willing to 'pay tuesday for a hamburger today' now, what will they do tomorrow? Or the next day?

Obama also brought brass knuckles and we are going down for the count. Whether you agree or not. Whether you understand this or not. Its no time for 'niceties'. These guys are playing for keeps. If you wanna stand on the sidelines.. fine. But the Red Coats are coming... 'muzzle not the horse that treadeth the corn'.

I never said the tea party is extremists and purists.   I don't paint with a broad brush and you shouldn't either. 

You may know what you want, but don't have a damn clue on how to achieve it.   Thank God there are some folks in Congress who do.   

Obama and brass knuckles?   Oh my how you do go on. 

[Janice]

You may know what you want, but don't have a damn clue on how to achieve it.   Thank God there are some folks in Congress who do.   

Obama and brass knuckles?   Oh my how you do go on. 

Oh darn ... forgot my rose colored glasses again.

[DixieBelle]

Frank - I like the perspective you shared from DU FUnnies.

We HAVE to look at the silver lining in all of this and plan for 2012. This back-biting nonsense is nothing but red meat for our enemies. No wonder they outmaneuver us.

[formerlurker]

Some tea party members (note -- not all, most get this is a good thing) don't know how to get out of their own way.   Red County is correct -- stop whining, we are writing the script now.   This is ours to lose going forward.  

[5412]

http://www.redcounty.com/content/hey-tea-partiers-gop-winning

Hi,

Well I read the article.  Sounds to me like a true RINO wrote it out of fear that the donations to the RNC would continue to drop off.

If the Republicans continue with the same type of behavior, we must expect the same type of results.  Looks to me like same old same old crap we have seen for decades.

We shall agree to disagree and I am pulling for you to be right.

5412

[Duke Nukum]

These are very dangerous waters
.by Mark Levin on Sunday, April 10, 2011 at 9:01pm.

These beltway folks are blinded by their camaraderie or something. Obama is not playing catch up and the GOP is not united. The Tea Party is very disappointed, and rightly so.  And without the Tea Party the GOP cannot win majorities.

 

While these Republicans are doing a victory lap and praising Boehner, and dumping on conservatives for not partying with them, the smart Democrats are plotting. They're purposely framing this deal the same way as Ms. Rubin, et al --as a win for the GOP and Boehner. They're agreeing that these are big cuts when they're not. Why?  Because Obama's about to propose his own budget and deficit package and he'll attempt to outmaneuver our celebrants.  He will raise hundreds of billions in taxes (on "the rich" of course); he will slash defense spending; he will play with the numbers and claim to be cutting other areas; he'll put out phony numbers on Obamacare again claiming it will save hundreds of billions; he'll come up with more smoke and mirrors pretending to reform Medicare and Medicaid, and he will attempt to obscure the Ryan Plan, insisting his approach is reasonable, serious, and fair.  Meanwhile, Obama will be fighting to protect trillions in spending while the GOP is proudly touting its $38.5 billion (if that) victory.

 

These are very dangerous waters.  And the poor judgment of some, who seek to read conservatives out of the conservative movement while now promoting the cult of Boehner, is truly stupid, particularly since so many of them have contributed little or nothing to the movement over the decades. 

[Duke Nukum]

To Boehner, I Guess November 2010 Was No Big Deal


Some folks seem to be missing my points as regards what Boehner is doing that disappoints so much. I thought, as I assumed most of you did, that November 2010 was a re-defining election. I realize it wasn't a Presidential election year. But just as Democrats swept the table in 2008, Republicans did it in 2010 based upon a message of getting government under control.

When Boehner says, as he evidently repeatedly does behind closed doors, we only control 1/2 of 1/3 of government, he is completely ignoring, while minimizing the significance of Nov, 2010. See below. This is the thinking of a man playing defense, not offense; one more afraid, than he is bold.

Behind closed doors, however, he began selling the idea of a compromise to his caucus, reminding the 87 new Republican House members that his party controls only that chamber and lacks the influence to impose its will on the Democratic- controlled Senate and White House. In private meetings, Boehner argued that a shutdown could have catastrophic effects for the party by handing Democrats a political “win.”

Hat tip: Mark Levin. And, of course to Boehner Nov 2010 was no big deal. He did nothing to create the circumstance. He doesn't own the victory so he doesn't care how badly it is graffiti-ed up.

[Duke Nukum]

My statement on the budget deal: No more pale pastels

By Jedediah Bila

The United States is over $14 trillion in debt.

The AP reported in March that, “The federal government’s budget deficit grew by $222.5 billion in February, the largest one-month increase in history. Economists are forecasting the deficit for the year will be the biggest imbalance on record.”

So, am I popping the cork on the champagne to celebrate a budget deal that delivers $38.5 billion in cuts and does nothing to prevent funding the implementation of Obamacare? That would be a big, fat no.

...



As Dick Morris asked, “Having failed to stand firm for just $61 billion in cuts in a budget of $3.7 trillion, how can we expect him to stand firm over the debt limit extension or the 2012 budget?” As of right now, my assumption is that we can’t.

I know that John Boehner has a tough job, but I also know that we can no longer afford to play around with pale pastels. It’s time for bold colors to take the lead.

Never lose sight of one thing: Those running the show in D.C. have power only because we continue to give it to them. It is we who hold the ultimate power in our hands — that of our votes. And the same votes that sent a slew of Democrats packing in November of 2010 can send business-as-usual Republicans packing in 2012.



Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/04/10/my-statement-on-the-budget-deal-no-more-pale-pastels/#ixzz1JBcK0a8F

Hat tip: Mark Levin

[Janice]

Never lose sight of one thing: Those running the show in D.C. have power only because we continue to give it to them. It is we who hold the ultimate power in our hands — that of our votes. And the same votes that sent a slew of Democrats packing in November of 2010 can send business-as-usual Republicans packing in 2012.

Hat tip: Mark Levin

Thats what Im sayin. 2 more elections to separate the wheat from the chaff. 

[Janice]

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffG-0IZF4bY[/youtube]

Mark Levin Talks Budget Deal with Neil Cavuto on Fox News.

Mark says that the Republicans deceived and deliberately lied to conservatives and the American people regarding this budget bill. The so-called "$38.5 billion dollar cut," is not nearly that high, and is in fact much lower. Yet, Speaker Boehner and others are talking about it like this is a great accomplishment or a win for conservatism, when it's not. We are divided today because a small amount of the population is liberal but they control so much of the government and are trying to transform America into a vision that is not coherent with the Constitution.

Nothing like a constitutional lawyer (who served in the Reagan administration as Deputy Attorney General under Former Attorney General Edwin Meese) to help shed a little light on things.

[Duke Nukum]

No doubt about it, Boehner lied.

[Janice]

Yes. This $38.5 Billion cut was not a $38.5 Billion cut. They actually agreed to only $10-$15 Billion in cuts. And if that wasnt bad enough, the repub leaders in the House and their cheer leaders were inflating the numbers greater than that telling us that it was a $78 Billion cut based on what 0bama had wanted to spend if he had had his way, which he had not had his way. Boehner himself was on Fox News claiming this was about $78 - 80 Billion cuts. We were deliberately deceived. This is a historic scam. A ponzei scheme. How can you do this and expect people to back you? Boehner, Cantor, McCarthy and others fed the media this crap - for what? To deceive us. What else could it be?

So this $38.5 Billion - $10 Billion had already been cut, 2 Billion had already been cut in the third CR last week. $10 - 12 Billion of it was money that was never going to be spent. Census money that was left over, highway funds and others that were left over and wasnt going to be spent this year. So they essentially mark it up drastically, cut a little bit of it, then tell us what a massive cut it is!

And remember Boehner originally promised that if he were made Speaker his first action would be to repeal the $105 Billion Obamacare slush fund.

Also it turns out the debt jumped $54.1 Billion in 8 days preceding the Boehner-Obama deal to cut $38.5 Billion for the rest of year.

Conservatives need to learn to be skeptical of information that is hand fed to them. Like the media used to be. Now the democrat leadership is taking the lies the repub leadership fed us to campaign for the next election. They are going to use the same lies with some lies of their own. So now theyre the deficit hawks. Wonderful isnt it?

Its no wonder Pelosi had this to say at Tufts University last week:

"To my Republican friends, take back your party so that it doesn't matter so much who wins the election because we have shared values." In other words, it's fine if Republicans win elections so long as they agree with us. But she couldn't stop there. She added this: "The fact is, elections shouldn't matter as much as they do."

[Duke Nukum]

And now the debt ceiling isn't the fight that we should engage in. Boehner is engaged in boiling the frog by turning up the heat slowly.

He can fool enough conservatives to thinking he has no power so this $15 Billion is the best cut he could get and now he cannot risk the good faith and credit of the United States. But don't worry, Boehner will fight for the Ryan budget.

Until it is time to fight for it and then there will be a bigger battle in the future.

Boehner is a liar.

[Janice]

Apparently we are not alone. Not only were most informed tea partiers against this fiasco (remember the tea partiers? You know .. the ones who made it possible to take back the House and several Governorships) but 28 GOP House members also voted against the deal that House Speaker John Boehner has just made. So all may not be lost. Either the leadership can stop standing on the sidelines (waiting for us to take back the Senate and the White House to make their jobs easier) and grow a set or they can step aside and we can fill the slots with those who are prepared to do so. 

Speaking of tea partys Im going to another tea party event this weekend featuring speakers like Marco Rubio and Herman Caine. 

[Duke Nukum]

CBO Says Budget Deal Will Cut Spending by Only $352 Million

Every day, Boehner's victory is littler and littler.

Life's hysterical
You're holding on the best you can
You're incredible
Incredible shrinking man
--Daniel Amos

[Janice]

And the latest news about this fabulous deal made by the most astute Republican leader of the House in recent memory ...

Mark Steyn reports in the NRO that the $61 billion 38.5 billion 14 billion historic 2011 budget cut actually cuts $352 million from the 2011 budget!

Budget Cuts Priced to Clear!

The article goes on to say ... the joke inre to the original $38.5 billion deal was that, in the time it took to negotiate it, we added as much again in new debt (we’re borrowing about $4 billion a day). We didn’t know the half of it: Never mind negotiating, in the time it takes to type up the bill, we’ve borrowed as much as it “saves”. By the time this thing’s through, the cost of the Secret Service detail lugging the Obamaprompter to whichever grade school he announces the final definitive historic budget “cuts” at will be three times as much as any actual savings. >>> I wonder if Republicans are aware that the more they talk like that the more they sound like Nancy Pelosi for post-moderns: We have to pass the gargantuan bill so you can find out how little’s in it.

At some point, you have to close a cabinet department just to show you’re serious. Instead, the governing class is sending the message that the political institutions of the United States are so diseased they do not permit meaningful course correction.