Budget math deflating many Bush initiatives

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON — A number of spending initiatives promoted by President Bush as he seeks re-election are set to get less money than he wants from the Republicans who control Congress.

With nine days remaining before the start of the 2005 fiscal year, lawmakers are struggling to limit spending on education and the environment, health care and homelessness, foreign aid and space exploration — all to help pay for the war in Iraq, the fight against terrorism and homeland security.

"Rhetoric is meeting reality," says Robert Reischauer, head of the Urban Institute and former director of the Congressional Budget Office. "It's mathematically impossible to fully fund all of these priorities and reduce the deficit. You can't have it both ways."

Bush promises on the campaign trail to invest in a variety of domestic and foreign programs, keep taxes low and shrink the record federal budget deficit. But Republicans in Congress face the choices required to make it all work..........MORE

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-09-21-bush-budget_x.htm

Are they sabotaging him or are they counting on ignorance?

[Joe Turner]

1. Well maybe Shrub can use "Fuzzy Math"

Wait a minute. He already does, as the near half-trillon budget deficit is testament to.

[Eye and Monkey]

4. Enron accounting practices, backed-stopped by Arthur Andersen auditing

The danger was always not just the direct quid pro quo, but also that BushCo shared the same corrupt mindset. Is there any question about that now?

[Renew Deal]

2. First country to ever lower taxes while fighting a war.

Fucking genius!

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. All that chimp talks about anymore is Iraq

Iraq, Iraq, Iraq. We have been dragged into the mess unnecessarily by this fool and we have to keep hearing about it every day. Another few weeks of this shit and nobody will vote for the bastard.

[Old and In the Way]

8. I think you are correct and he now realizes what a folly this was for the

United States. He lied about the evidence and, once in, failed the troops and failed the people of Iraq. He is a fool and an incompetent. He's surrounded himself with syncophants that are no better.

I think he's trying to convince himself that he is right....he's blown the goodwill of 9/11 and gotten us mired in a country that didn't support fundie Islamic terror. He keeps repeating the lies as justication, even though everyone knows the truth. A really sad and pathetic man who is never held accountable and who never accepts responsibility for his disasters.

[EST]

12. hear, hear!

____________

[whistle]

5. What is the interest on a national debt of nearly $8 trillion....

...heading for $14 trillion by 2012? I figure just the annual interest will run $840 billion or nearly half of the federal budget. All that debt interest is another gift to the wealthiest in the country.

[UpInArms]

9. the GOP slipped an increase of the debt ceiling in

a military spending bill in June (so there's no debate or news about it)

but here is the number of the moment

[happyslug]

6. Neither

These are Republicans catering to THEIR constituents which is NOT always the same people who support electing Bush President. Why else would you DECREASE Social Spending but INCREASE highway spending?

I quote from the Article:
"While holding the line on many of Bush's proposals, lawmakers have been voting to spend more than the president sought for highways and mass transit, homeland security, college aid, the National Institutes of Health, and drought relief for the Midwest."

These are items GOP Congressmen can use to get re-elected, whether the President is re-elected or not. The items cut cater to voters for the Presidency more than GOP members of the house. Remember Senators like the President run on a state-wide basis, thus more willing to consider helping people NOT in GOP Congressional Districts. On the other hand the GOP members of the House are only worried about people living in House Districts that elect GOP as their Congressmen.

Remember Florida, Gore's increase in votes on the Re-counts (When done by the various Newspapers) where in GOP strongholds NOT democratic Strongholds. Do to Gerrymandering these Democratic Votes do not count in most GOP Congressional Districts (The Districts are so GOP that it is hard for a Democrat to win) BUT on a state wide race these votes are STILL IMPORTANT. Given the GOP Control of most state legislature after the 2000 census, the GOP Gerrymandered more Congressional Seats to be pro-GOP than House seats were made pro-Democratic. Thus today it is possible for the GOP to win a majority of the House EVEN if more people vote for Democratic party for the house. Thus most GOP members of the House can safety ignore what most liberals, Moderates and Democrats want.

On the other hand Senators, Governors and the Presidential Candidates all run STATE-WIDE. Thus liberal/Moderate/ Democratic Voters CAN have influence in such elections. Thus GOP candidates for State-wide elections ALL advocate things that GOP House members oppose. Such State wide Candidates MUST try to get every vote in their state (Thus they tend to be more liberal than GOP members of the house), House Members on the other hand, only need a Majority in their district, not the state as a whole.

This is the heart of the dispute between Bush the Senate and the House of Representatives. All members of the GOP who are NOT running for a House Seat (This includes Bush and every Senator) MUST try to get a majority of Voters in each state NOT just a Majority in the Majority of Congressional Districts. The GOP in the House only needs a Majority in the Majority of House Districts. Given the Gerrymandering from the 2000 census it is not hard for the GOP to win a majority in the majority of house districts, but much harder to win state wide.

Thus the GOP controlled House wants things that gets it re-elected, but cares less about things that helps the President and the Senate stay GOP. The House GOP wants more roads for its suburban and rural constituents (and inner city upper income people) but do not care to spend money on the poor (who tend to vote democratic anyway and thus in the Gerrymandering where put into Democratic Districts as much as possible).

[AlCzervik]

7. Shrub is starving the beast, thats that.

Taking care of the social program hating wing nuts!!!! Less learning, more earnig!!! Cut back on your pills grandma, this aint no welfare state. But by all means please, oh please keeep ordering lots of military stuff!!!!

[Erika]

11. And Bush Is Certainly No Christian!

Maybe he is the anti-Christ. Denying the needs of our poor while building up the military? When our only enemy he proclaimed was a tin horn dictator from a third rate country. Many of our kids lives has been lost by his "miscalculations: www.icasualties.com.

[AlCzervik]

14. He cant worry his beautiful mind about that stuff

He's made the religeous right happy and now he's gotta take care of the other wing. This is why he is such a danger, and not just in terms of security. There are many starve the beast cons around DC that wield a lot of influence.

[Amigust]

15. Exactly !

He can say, as he always does, that he wants to do this or that, where this or that makes him sound like a decent and caring person. But when it comes time to appropriate the money, he knows he can count on his pals in Congress to underfund for him.

[Erika]

10. Bush Is Casting Our Kids Into High Taxes!

His defecits are resulting in foreign countries owning America. His lack of action on SS will result in the lack of benefits to one third of the baby boomers or higher taxes on our working kids and grandkids.

[AlCzervik]

13. nevermind you did see it.