House GOP Unveils Its Budget Shiny Packet of Goals
Stung by their stereotyping as the "party of no," House Republicans eagerly promoted the unveiling of their alternative to President Obama's budget today -- but when they finished speaking, reporters had one big question: Where's the actual budget? You know, the numbers that show deficit projections and discretionary spending?
There certainly was no hard budgetary data in the attractively designed 18-page packet that the House GOP handed out today, its blue cover emblazoned with an ambitious title: "The Republican Road to Recovery." When Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) was asked what his goal for deficit reduction would be -- President Obama aims to halve the nation's spending imbalance within five years -- Boehner responded simply: "To do better [than Obama]."
When pressed further by reporters, Boehner promised that Republicans would release their actual budget within the next few days and pointed a finger back at the president.
After Obama delivered a prime-time speech previewing his budget, Boehner said, "he didn't offer his details until days later."
The lack of any statistical heft in their packet left the House GOP stumbling out of the gate as it worked to re-dub itself as the "party of yes," in the words of No. 3-ranked leader Mike Pence (R-IN). House Republicans unveiled an alternative plan for the foreclosure crisis yesterday, and they are continuing to tout their economic stimulus proposal (along with an erroneous claim that it creates more jobs than Obama's).
The GOP's "Road to Recovery" packet, divided into sections on spending limits, job creation/tax reduction, and debt control, is certainly replete with big promises. The plan commits Republicans "to ensur[ing] that the federal budget cannot grow faster than families' ability to pay the bill" ... though it doesn't explain what metric the party would use to measure the "average" family's debt burden.
Another section of the GOP budget packet describes "a new tax deduction that allows businesses with less than 500 employees to take a tax deduction equal to 20% of their income" ... though it doesn't explain how much the new tax change would cost, nor whether it would be offset to help avoid increasing the deficit.
Cap-and-trade limits on carbon emissions make an appearance in the budget packet, complete with its GOP re-branding as an "energy tax" -- which TPMDC first noted last week. Republicans predictably would make no attempt to combat climate change, but they do propose immediately opening the Arctic and Outer Continental Shelf to oil drilling.
If you were wondering how much money the GOP believes that could raise for the taxpayers ... sorry, you'll have to wait a few more days.
Late Update: As Democrats (along with Contessa Brewer) have a ball playing up the GOP plan's lack of detail, Politico reports that House Republican aides are already squabbling over whose boss thought it was a good idea to unveil a budget that lacked nearly all the essential qualities of budget-ness.
The whole post is worth reading, but this quote from "a GOP aide heavily involved in budget strategy" stands well on its own:
In his egocentric rush to get on camera, Mike Pence threw the rest of the Conference under the bus, specifically Paul Ryan, whose staff has been working night and day for weeks to develop a substantive budget plan ... I hope his camera time was gratifying enough to justify erasing the weeks of hard work by dozens of Republicans to put forth serious ideas.
If only the House Republican Conference were a reality show. Pence and Ryan's aides would have to hash all this out on camera while wielding Nerf bats on a giant log suspended over the ocean, and then sing with Dionne Warwick.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Sounds like a better time could have been had, going to a Brittany Spears concert!
March 26, 2009 1:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rebranding themselves the "Party of Yes?" Sounds like they're still trying to work up to being "the party of no, but . . ."
March 26, 2009 1:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Umm, which is not to say there are no butts in that party.
March 26, 2009 1:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hear they're all getting "tramp stamp" tats that say "No Means Yes!"
March 26, 2009 6:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
The article left out the final and most critical 'graph from the press release:
"In conclusion, we would like to add that we are no longer the party of 'No'; we are now the party of 'Not Yet- icky-icky-icky-icky-pt-tang-ehh'. And one last thing- we damand that Obama cut down the tallest tree in the forest -with a herring-."
March 27, 2009 3:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
18 pages of "Republicans rule, Obama drools....."
March 26, 2009 1:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
"The Republican Road To Recovery?" - this title speaks volumes. It sounds like a plan to makeover their image not an actual plan to help America out of this mess.
What idiot came up with that title?
March 26, 2009 1:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's like the road plan for the ME. That hasn't worked out very well either.
March 26, 2009 5:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
"The Republican Road To Recovery" is not even a "Road to Nowhere"; rather, it's "No Road There".
I guess Katrina washed it out.
March 27, 2009 2:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
They're calling themselves the "Party of Yes"?
Seriously?
That makes as much sense as Daryl (Dinosaur farts!) Issa wanting to regulate the activities of the First Lady.
March 26, 2009 1:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
It makes me so happy that Rachel Maddow call John Boehner, John "Boner". I thought that I was the only one who does that.
March 26, 2009 1:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
These guys are funny. Like Sen. Mike Lovett (R-SNL):
"Obama's gonna halve the deficit in 5 years? Well, we're gonna, we're gonna halve it again! And again after that! And we'll do it in 2 years!"
"Obama's gonna create jobs? We'll create twice the number of jobs in half the time!"
"How we gonna pay for all that? Well, we'll get back to ya. Hey, Obama took a few days... we'll take a few days too."
These guts are pathetic.
March 26, 2009 1:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
And all the polls suggest that almost everyone except the furthest-gone dittoheads has finally noticed.
March 26, 2009 2:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Since they never had to provide details when they ran the government, why should anyone expect anything different now that they're the minority?
March 26, 2009 4:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
"The Republican Road to Recovery...from the Republican Road"...hmmmm, yup,that's more like it.
March 26, 2009 1:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Party of Guess
March 26, 2009 1:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
If I had points to give, you would get them for that one!
March 27, 2009 2:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
If you watched their press conference they spent the entire time saying no. You can tell that Party of no meme is getting to them.
March 26, 2009 2:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
The no meme fits the Party of No in their efforts to press their Nobama agenda. They are asking the American people to sacrifice having them attempt to do more than one thing at a time in this period of warlike crisis.
March 26, 2009 2:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
And no doubt their "budget" will acheive these remarkable results solely by cutting taxes...
March 26, 2009 2:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have two question for the GOP on their budget:
1) Will it include the cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and if so will it assume a draw down of troops in Iraq?
2)What rate of growth will they be using considering that they opposed Obama's stimulus by saying that it would tank the economy and not work?
March 26, 2009 5:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
"House GOP Unveils Its Budget Shiny Packet of Goals"
In accordance with the strategic off the hook effort of GOP Chair Steele, please rewrite your headline to Read "Packet of Bling" when targeting urban-suburban hi hop settings.
Peace.
March 26, 2009 2:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
...and they are continuing to tout their economic stimulus proposal (along with an erroneous claim that it creates more jobs than Obama's).
And thus we know that the basis for the Republican plan will be the same as it is for all their plans: lies.
I gotta admit, though, bald-faced lying is the one thing they do better than anyone else!
March 26, 2009 2:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
These jokers will ignore energy, health care and education most likely and Obama will nail them on it.
March 26, 2009 2:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Further they want tax CUTS for the wealthy. Tell me that's a good idea right now.
March 26, 2009 2:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, that part was clear. The American families will bear the burden rather then business or Wall Street. Yes, these entities are people in the legal sense, but not in the sense that they should pay a fair share of the taxes.
March 26, 2009 2:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Love this. And completely unsurprised.
March 26, 2009 2:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
They had how many years in control of Congress, creating the budget, and how many years along with Bush, controlling the whole game, and now they want to complain about the direction of things? Things got epically screwed up under their watch. The direction to choose is 180 degrees from any they used. The change we voted for is the one away from the Republican way. They have no credibility, and not a leg to stand on.
March 26, 2009 2:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm sure they were just waiting for Rush to sign off on the final numbers.
March 26, 2009 2:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
How can the Republicans know that the top marginal rate can be reduced if they don't know the impact on the deficit, or that their proposal will do better than the President's on reducing the deficit? Shouldn't the budget be prepared the other way round?
March 26, 2009 3:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
That would be the old-fashioned reality-based approach. These guys are soooo over that tiresome reality crap.
March 27, 2009 2:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Can't someone please request a CBO report of the GOP's "Stimulus Plan" and "Housing Plan" and especially the new "Budget"???
March 26, 2009 3:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Boehner needs to spend less time in the tanning booth and more time actually learning what makes the economy tick.
March 26, 2009 3:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
In other words, the Republican Party continues to say "Fuck You" to Democrats.
Nice.
March 26, 2009 3:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think I heard Cantor singing "If You Seek Amy"
March 26, 2009 6:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
The GOP is just trying to run out the clock, create a credible alternative theory (without facts), and tarnish Obama as a failure. In other words, they are counting on a complicit media and public stupidity to turn the tide in their favor. Let's hope that this time they are proven wrong. The American track record isn't so hot.
March 26, 2009 3:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nah. They can get away with their bullshit when people are feeling fat and happy. But when people are scared, they suddenly pay a whole new level of attention to reality. And they like adults to be in charge then. What's Boner's latest approval rating, 10% or something like that?
March 26, 2009 4:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
The American track record just changed a lot. I'm for Hope, but like the Old Russians used to say, "Pray to God, but keep rowing!"
March 27, 2009 2:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Perhaps they could go for truth-in-advertising:
"The Party of Feudalism"
March 26, 2009 4:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
And one of the few things it actually includes is a tax cut for the wealthy!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/26/gop-budget-proposal-massi_n_179598.html
March 26, 2009 4:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Surprise...surprise. Well in the current climate, that will go over like the proverbial neutronium balloon.
C
March 26, 2009 5:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Add into that the 20% tax deduction for businesses that have less than 500 employees. Wonder how many hedge funds fit that category.
March 27, 2009 8:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
This GOP fiasco reminds me of former President Bush's incredibly dumb set of talking points that he grandly labeled "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq."
Sample: "Our mission in Iraq is to win the war. Our troops will return home when that mission is complete."
March 26, 2009 4:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
The real laugh will be when they do try to come up with some figures.
March 26, 2009 5:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree... If they think they're getting pounded now for not having any numbers, wait until people see what kind of damage their tax cuts for the wealthy will do the deficit, especially since they don't seem to have a plan to offset the loss of revenue that will come from the implementation of those tax cuts.
March 26, 2009 6:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Road to Recovery? Addicted crystal MATH no doubt.
March 26, 2009 5:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is NOT the real Republican budget, and I'm surprised none of you recognized that. Just go the last page. Notice something phony? That's right: Rush Limbaugh did not sign this, so it has all the legal force of a fortune cookie.
When we see the Rush Limbaugh approved budget, we'll know what they really plan to do.
March 26, 2009 6:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
It will consist of tax cuts, tax cuts, tax cuts, tax cuts, tax cuts, and more tax cuts.
March 26, 2009 9:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey! What an insult to Dionne Warwick ... as a teen my clock radio woke me up to "Walk on By" -- imprinted as one of my favorite ballads.
Hmm, could be a good theme song for the "Party of No," now couldn't it? But her singing gives it all its impact.
Bonus round: DW apparently is a world class tax dodger, living in Brazil presumably to avoid the $2.6 million tax lien against her in California. Sign her up, Boner!
Thanks.
mp
March 26, 2009 6:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nerf bats? Come on! Wecan do better than that!
March 26, 2009 7:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Since the GOP has been fed talking points from Karl Rove and Grover Norquist for so long, they have ceased being able to think. Since they have followed Bush's lead to not be tied to facts and reality, they cannot put two and two together any more. This "Budget" is a regurgitation of their tired, worn out, threadbare lexicon of Republican drivel. No facts, no numbers, no proposals with detailed planning. Maybe if they had outsourced this to KBR or the American Enterprise Institute, we would have something to read.
March 26, 2009 8:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) had wisely departed the room after offering his opening remarks."--from the Huffpost link above.
Hmmm, maybe this was a Cantor coup, setting up Boehner so he looks like a Dick Army of One. Then Cantor grabs the pebble, and the whip becomes the master.
March 26, 2009 8:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
What's funny is even having to imagine that Mike Pence would love to hog the cameras, when they clearly wouldn't love him back. Look at him, you can't get any whiter than that, maybe with John Cornyn as the exception. Chickens have more lips than he does, and he never smiles, almost like he's a graduate of Dick Cheneys School of Humorlessness. He always looks uncomfortable on camera and actually its more uncomfortable watching him. Boehner at least has baggy eyes you can make fun of, but Pence is well, just pensive.
March 26, 2009 9:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here the Idiots go again. The mpst interesting of all this hyperbole is that the Main Street Media keeps allowing them to get away with their antics and try to make them relevant. They are a non-entity. Obama is setting a new dynamic and the Republicons can't handle it. Nor can the MSM who are sooo hurt by his snub of them during the Presser and his internet broadcast. LOL! Way to go Gibbs.
March 26, 2009 9:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not sure I have enough popcorn in the house for the tag-team mud fight between The Man with the Tan and his sidekick Pence to a Pound against Glasses Half Empty and HIS sidekick What the Hell Did I Do to Deserve THIS.
March 26, 2009 11:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
For years, Republicans have been allowed to create BS as reality. It will take time for them to learn something different.
March 27, 2009 8:19 AM | Reply | Permalink