Right-wing Senators introduce plan to eliminate four departments, preserve defense spending

[ProSense]

'A Platform to Revitalize America'

By Steve Benen

When Bill Clinton left the White House just 12 years ago, the federal budget deficit was quite literally gone, and the nation was running a surplus for the first time in a generation. After Republicans approved two massive tax breaks, expanded Medicare, put two wars on the national credit card, and crashed the economy, the fiscal mess Clinton had cleaned up was back.

We've seen some modest progress on this front, but even under the most optimistic of scenarios, a balanced budget is nowhere in sight.

That is, unless we adopt a new plan from three far-right senators, who've mapped out a way to get us back to 2001 figures in a hurry.

<...>

The plan, also endorsed by Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), would produce a surplus by 2017 by effectively repealing most of the 20th century.

The "Platform to Revitalize America" has it all figured out: Medicare would be privatized out of existence; Social Security eligibility would be restricted; while Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program, food stamps, and child nutrition programs would all be gutted through state block grants.

The federal departments of Commerce, Education, Energy, and Housing and Urban Development would also all be eliminated. Pentagon spending, by the way, would not be touched.

- more -

http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/09/10623657-a-platform-to-revitalize-america

Clarify: They "expanded Medicare" by passing Bush's scheme that allowed drug companies to rip off the government and seniors.

"Pentagon spending, by the way, would not be touched."

Surprised?

[longship]

1. DOE?

I thought the GOP loved nuke weapons. The DOE and DOD share that responsibility.

Crazy, these Repukes.

[ProSense]

2. Also like to point out

that Rand Paul is a fraud.

[Motown_Johnny]

3. This was the plan all along

to cause such financial shortfalls that some of the things Democrats have added to improve this nation would need to be eliminated.

I think they now see that the economy is getting better and it is likely that Pres. Obama will be reelected. Once that happens, and the economy continues to improve for his second term, the conservatives dare not run up the deficit again.

Their credibility on economic matters is tenuous now, at best. If they once again take a healthy economy and federal budget and trash them both they will never be trusted again.

This is why they feel the need to move before Pres. Obama's second term. They will have no chance of eliminating these departments once that happens. They have almost no hope of doing that now but since their plan has gone on this long they need to take a shot.


I have said it before and I will say it here again. The Republican party is in it's death throws. I don't know how long it will take for this thing to die but it looks to me like it is soon to give up the ghost.