Republicans Undercut Their Deficit Argument

[Joanne98]

Here's a question: How can you tell which political party is out of power?

Answer: It is the party that cares most about the federal deficit.

Strong concern for the deficit usually equates to a party in the political wilderness searching for its moral voice. The budget deficit, simply stated, occurs when government spends more money than it takes in, and it has become the red herring du jour.

The deficit is real and should not be taken lightly. But with the exception of organizations such as the Concord Coalition, it is the minority party that tends to be more concerned with how the federal government spends its resources.

The chorus of Republican deficit hawks sang several octaves lower when it was their party borrowing money to finance two wars and passing excessive tax cuts.

It was Democrats, leading the deficit charge, accusing President George W. Bush and the Republican-led Congress of squandering the surplus achieved in the Bill Clinton years, and forcing future generations to pay for their lack of fiscal responsibility.

According to former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, late in 2002, he pleaded with the Bush administration, already running a deficit of approximately $158 billion, that it was risking a financial crisis.

Vice President Dick Cheney allegedly responded to O'Neill by saying: "Reagan proved deficits don't matter."

Deficits do matter. Deficits should matter regardless of which party is in power. But in the public conversation, deficits are merely a rhetorical tool to prove politically that the party in power is irresponsible with taxpayer dollars.

We've changed presidential administrations and control of Congress, and the Republicans have magically rediscovered their concern for fiscal discipline that lay dormant when they were the party that controlled the White House and Capitol Hill for six of the past eight years.

This comes from the same party that was blatantly silent during the tax cuts by the Bush administration that failed the make the corresponding spending reductions. That came in addition to borrowing money to pay for two wars that did not have a line item in the federal budget. Now this party is suddenly outraged by the potential cost of health care legislation and the impact it could have on the federal deficit.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/byron-williams/republicans-undercut-thei_b_292760.html

[liberal N proud]

1. Several octaves lower?

Nary a word was heard from them the 8 years bu$h regime was blowing the lid off the deficit.

All we heard was you are either with us or against us after 9/11.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

2. To reality based sentient citizens, the new found concern for deficits is what makes the Repubs

look the silliest, slimiest and the most hypocritical. As all the while they sit around thinking how they can foment and maintain war - the BIGGEST drain on our economy.

[yellerpup]

3. They'll be singing "Deficits Don't Matter" again in 2010

when GWB's tax cuts for the wealthy expire.