by Frank James
House Republicans proudly introduced their alternative to President Barack Obama's $3.6 trillion budget today. And the Democrats laughed at it.
The GOP lawmakers gamely called their budget plan "The Republican Road to Recovery." There may have been something of a Freudian slip in that title since the document is probably as much about the Republicans regaining their political mojo as it's about providing a realistic glide path to lowering the nation's deficits and fixing the economy.
At the unveiling of the Republican proposal, House Minority Leader John Boehner had the boastful tone of a man playing a winning hand.
Two nights ago, the president said, "We haven't seen a budget yet out of Republicans." Well, that's not true because, here it is, Mr. President.
Today we're introducing a detailed road to recovery plan. And our plan curbs spending, creates jobs, and cuts taxes while controlling the debt. And while the president's budget is anti- stimulus, we believe that our budget plan will strengthen the economy and restore fiscal sanity here in Washington. The American people expect both parties to work together to solve our economic problems, and we should start now.This isn't the first time that we've offered a better solution. As you all know, we had a solution on the stimulus bill that cost half as much as the Democrat proposal and would have created twice as many jobs. And we're going to continue -- in those cases where we have to disagree with the president, we believe it is our obligation to offer a better solution if we're in disagreement.
Of course, Democrats refused to agree that Republicans had a better solution. Indeed, they could barely contain their snickering. Because the Republican budget proposal was lacking the sine qua non of Washington budget documents, that is, tables with line items of numbers showing revenue and deficit projections etc.
Those accounting assumptions would be needed for the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office to compare the Republican budget to the Obama's.
Not having such essential details was a little like taking to the basketball court in loafers to play against the Los Angeles Lakers. You could do it but why?
White House officials, accordingly, smirked whenever the topic of the Republican proposal was raised.
Here's White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs at today's briefing.
MR. GIBBS: I will note that there are -- there's one more picture of a windmill than there is of a chart of numbers. There's -- just for your knowledge, there's exactly one picture of a windmill.
It is -- it's interesting to have a budget that doesn't contain any numbers. I think the "Party of No" has become the "Party of No New Ideas." The rhetoric inside the budget seems to be a roadmap for the failed policies that got us into this mess, to extend trillions and trillions of dollars of tax cuts for the wealthy, continue subsidies for Big Oil. And I think it's -- it takes us back to where we've been and why we're in this problem.
I'm glad they -- I think the administration is glad that the Republicans heard the president's call to submit an alternative. We just hope that next time it will contain actual numbers so somebody can evaluate what it means.
Meanwhile, a Tribune journalist who visited the White House today, tells me when he bumped into Rahm Emanuel today, the White House chief of staff joked "We're going to send (the Republican proposal) over to the CBO to score it." Laughter ensued.
This might have been one of those instances where the GOP could've benefited from that old piece of urban wisdom: "Come correct or don't come at all."









Comments
Is this all the Rethuglicans have got?!?!
Ha ha ha ha !!
Posted by: Change N Hope | March 26, 2009 9:45 PM
Man, the Republicans sure know how to punk themselves. First they take the bait and offer this non-budget, now they say they'll unveil the "details' of their non-budget on April Fools Day. Priceless.
It looks like they made their proposal with the help Color Forms:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35334517@N06/3387910827/
I personally hope the Republicans keep this crap up for the next few years, because there is no better advertisement for not voting for Republicans than giving a Republican an open mike these days.
Posted by: Purple Floyd | March 26, 2009 10:07 PM
The Republicans call that a budget? What a freaking joke.
Republicans are just as dangerous when they're out of power (Timothy McVeigh, Eric Rudoph, the Tennesse church shooter) as they are when they're in power (Iraq, war cimes, torture, outing CIA agents).
.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/28/jim-d-adkisson-charged-in_n_115281.html
Posted by: Ned Flanders | March 26, 2009 10:30 PM
My sides still hurt from laughter as I type this!!! what a joke and an oxymoron that the grand ol party has become. If they do not start making heads roll, and boner being the first one, then they will find the fast road to extinction.
Everything that twit says is wrong. Even his opening statement: "Two nights ago, the president said, "We haven't seen a budget yet out of Republicans." Well, that's not true because, here it is, Mr. President." Bullsh!t you tard boner. Do you even have comprehension of English?
Where are all you tard pugs on this board bragging about your tard party? Oh, that's right, you would rather bash the other side than actually make any progress. Your party sucks. You can use all your stupid excuses and say that shrub is not a pug, and now it is going to be boner is not a pug, but guess what; your saying so doesn't make it fact.
I almost spit my kool-aid out laughing when I read boner's stupid remark about now is the time to work together. Where were you the last 2 months bonertard?!?!
It has TRULY become inexcusable to be a pug anymore. If you can not CLEARLY see the evil and the lack of grey matter in this party, than you should have your voting rights revoked and have a presribed visit to go see Dr. Phil.
Posted by: Xcellentform | March 27, 2009 12:33 AM
However.....
One third of the American public, however, still doesn't know enough about the Obama budget to have formed an opinion of it, the Gallup Poll finds.
Posted by: UnfrozenCavegirlBlogger | March 27, 2009 2:17 AM
More comedy from the Party of Limbaugh.
Republicans make a big show about how they're going to drop their own brand-new alternate budget proposal, packed with urban-suburban hip-hop "flava" and dance moves Eric Cantor learned at the Verizon Center, watching Britney Spear, and what do they come up with?...a COLORING BOOK!
Posted by: Matty B | March 27, 2009 2:40 AM
What a Great day for Republicans:
>They present a "no budget" budget plan to the American people -- mockery ensues.
>The chairman of their party (Steele) awaits his call to the Presidency from God atop the summit of Mount RNC.
>The 2012 GOP presidential frontrunner (Palin) claims the McCain-Palin campaign lost because the McCain staff would not pray with her before her debate.
I'm so glad I left the Republican party for good in 2006 because at this rate the 2010 elections should send the Greedy Oil Party into exile for at least 30 years.
Posted by: former Republican | March 27, 2009 3:55 AM
As a conservative I am just dismayed by the lack of cohesive, fundamentally sound budget proposals. This political rhetoric from our elected representatives is BS while our economy is on life support. We need real debate and solutions that transcends the partisan bickering and gamesmanship that is occurring. The average folks know we can't borrow and spend and continue to amass this unsustainable debt. Obama's budget plan is full of the same old "smoke and mirrors" and is just unrealistic in its projections and costs. There are no honest cuts only spending and taxes. Note how the great "middle tax cut for 95% of Americans" is now being tossed under the bus while the WH class warfare propaganda runs amok. Does anyone feel almost hopeless watching this dangerous unfolding soap opera that is our government?
Posted by: bubba Porter | March 27, 2009 6:32 AM
I can hear Beavis and Butthead now.
"What kind of stupid, dumbass, woosy crap is that"?
"This sucks"!
Posted by: Rob | March 27, 2009 8:14 AM
Keep on tanning yourself Mr. Boehner and pretty soon you will turn orange. Is this budget an April Fool's joke?? You are the laughingstock of the House and an embarassment to the state of Ohio.
Posted by: Doug R. | March 27, 2009 8:16 AM
Ah, the dulcet sounds of bipartisanship!
Posted by: Vast Right Wing Conspirator | March 27, 2009 8:46 AM
Agree with you 100%, bubba Porter.
But look at the comments on this board. The longest one consists of nothing but insults and slams and put-downs. That's the level to which political discourse has sunk in this country.
I weep for our nation.
Posted by: DaveB | March 27, 2009 9:01 AM
Bubba, I am glad you are starting to get it here. I can tell in your writing that the pug folly has started to sink in, even though you do not write of a complete rebuke and you still go into attack mode.
Being a dem is the better of two evils. It is not the absolute way by any stretch of the imagination, but I would say that it is 95% better than what the pugs propose.
You are still a victim of someone's propoganda being hurled at you. Do you honestly think that cutting out farm subsidies for millionares is not a spending cut? Just to point to one simple rebutal to your statement from above. There are DOZENS of spending cuts that come to mind in 5 seconds of thought. Obama is trying to do a revamp of the complete taxing and spending of the government. Sure, the net result is about nutral, but these budget shortfalls are due to the lack of revenue coming into the government from the piss poor economy that shrub handed Obama.
You are dangerously close to getting it, finally. I agree with you though, that it will probably take something similar to the French revolution in order for this country to function properly again. It will either dissolve or be stripped down to the core and rebuilt, but it is unsustainable in its currrent path. There are some seriously deep flaws in how this country has evoloved thru the years, and it is not a dem or a pug thing, it is an American problem, and we all let it happen.
Posted by: Xcellentform | March 27, 2009 9:04 AM
The GOP needs to either change or just plain go away. What a sad joke.
And why isn't the Trib putting this on the front page, where it belongs?
Posted by: Joe | March 27, 2009 9:49 AM
For an outline of a budget, this was a good starting point for stating the goals. These goals are a olot better than the massive spending of th democrats, whose basic idea is to just throw money at the problem.
.
Our country will have smaller deficits and less debt following the GOP template than the democrat plan of the gov't being the end all be all.
Posted by: Terry | March 27, 2009 10:09 AM
Did no one notice that the only number in this so-called budget is a maximum tax rate of 25%, which represents a HUUUGE tax cut for the Jerry DeSantises and Bernard Madoffs and other hedge fund managers? The Republicans have one idea, and only one, and no matter how much it gets refuted by reality, they stick by it.
Posted by: athena | March 27, 2009 10:28 AM
Have another smoke, Mr. Boner. Inhale real deeply.
Posted by: C.Morrisā | March 27, 2009 11:00 AM
Our country will have smaller deficits and less debt following the GOP template than the democrat plan of the gov't being the end all be all.
Posted by: Terry | March 27, 2009 10:09 AM
I admire your attempt to stop the laughter. But this "template" seems more the liking of a Miss America contestants remarks. I would bring world peace, and feed the hungry. The one....excuse me....the only thing I see with numbers is to cut taxes for the rich by another 10% from the Bush era.
Posted by: bill r. | March 27, 2009 12:17 PM
GOP plan: Let rich people have more money. They know what's best to do with it. We all win!
Posted by: Anonymous | March 27, 2009 4:55 PM
The country is collapsing and you idiots buy into the partisan games. What a bunch of dupes! It's not a question of Democrat or Republican. Both parties are working hard to destroy this once-great country while the American public is polarized into believing that their "team" is winning.
We deserve very bit of the suffering that's coming to us very soon.
Posted by: Ken | March 27, 2009 7:53 PM
Billy,
.
Which Congressional party has ever balanced a budget in the past 30 years?
Posted by: Terry | March 27, 2009 10:21 PM
Q. When can you tell that a repugnican is lying?
Ans: When its lips are moving.
At the helm is the lying, fat, swine, Rush Limbaugh.
Posted by: Orissa2KS | March 28, 2009 1:56 AM
"Does anyone feel almost hopeless watching this dangerous unfolding soap opera that is our government?
Posted by: bubba Porter | March 27, 2009 6:32 AM
NO, not at all.
I felt that way when I found out Vice President Dick Cheney feels that torture is an American value.
Today, I finally have HOPE that we are taking our country back from the incompetent Bush-Cheney regime.
bubba Porter, elections have consequences. We won.
(And I was a Republican until 1998, when the GOP decided that something as serious as impeachment should be used as a petty political weapon. GAG.)
Posted by: Jan | March 28, 2009 7:33 AM
Yeah, go ahead and mock the republicans plans. When all you college kids who voted for the Second Coming can't pay your mortgage because your taxes are too high, your parents are on their deathbed years too soon because a D.C. bureacrat said they couldn't see an oncologist for 6 more months, and the lights keep going out because your man is a weasel who thinks the wind will always blow and the sun will always shine. Do yourself a favor and call your representative, of whichever party, and tell them to vote against the budget. You'll be happy you did.
Posted by: go_figure | March 28, 2009 7:41 AM