"Democrats Begin Attacking GOP Spending"

Hey! You've got more in common with them all the time! :)

Let's review: 2.4 Trillion dollar budget not counting Social Security and you're bitching about 28 billion in pork.

NOW! Now you are going to start citing Donkey attacks on the GOP as well founded in regards to spending. An intelligent GOP supporter would simply ask what these Democrats are proposing to cut, but not you. You take the excessive spending accusations from the ultimate proponents of the "great society" without challenge. After all, you've got Republicans to slay here at GOPbloggers! Why the hell should you spend your time attacking Democrats. It's sickening and stupid. The Democrats will promise promise promise promise new spending and they'll play hell proposing a single cut. And you'll hand them the win, forsaking any chance at fundamental changes to social security, human services, etc because of 28 billion in pork in a 2.4 trillion dollar budget. Whatever you do, spend that time challenging Republicans. Do the donks work for them, DON'T challenge the Democrats to propose cuts when they cry "spending spree". Wouldn't want to actually help "your" party!

Val,
He IS helping his party - the Jackasses.

The Bush administration has increased non-defense discretionary spending by 18.12% from $331bn in 2001 to $391bn. See OMB, FY06 Budget priorities at Table S-2. During the same period, real GDP increased from $9,910bn to $10,999bn, a rise of slightly under 11%. See Bureau of Economic Analysis, Annual Revision of the National Income and Product Accounts August 2005 at Table 1. This, growth, incidentally, highlights the fundamental correctitude of the President's tax cuts.

Our spending is outpacing our means, even when our ideology demands - or at one point demanded - otherwise. A decade ago, 120 Republicans co-sponsored a bill to abolish the Department of Education. See H.R. 1883. Under President Bush, spending on the Department of Education has risen by 39.8%, to $56.6bn. See OMB, supra, at Table S-3. Between 2001 and 2005, not a single agency has REDUCED its budget. Ibid.

This is not the stuff that shrinking government until one might drown it in the bathtub is made of.

The entire requested 2006 budget for the Department of Homeland Security is $29.3bn (up from $14.0bn in 2001), so when "The Valiant Elephant" starts suggesting how triffling GOP profligacy is because that porcine monstrosity of a highways bill contained "only" $28bn in pork, so can see that he's not actually READ the budget to place that nummber into context.

We have become a party of big government and big spending. Jonathan - and, by extension, Mr. Miniter - is absolutely right. "The Valiant Elephant"'s proposal of how we might be a good friend to our party is the solution of one who averts his eyes while the alcoholic friend procures another bottle of moonshine; those of us who support the GOP may turn a blind eye, but our opponents will not, and neither will the public. The American people are not stupid; asking them to buy that the Federal budget is in the state that it is in because of the other party is absurd, asinine and counterproductive.

"The Bush administration has increased non-defense discretionary spending by 18.12% from $331bn in 2001 to $391bn. See OMB, FY06 Budget priorities at Table S-2."

"The Bush administration" has steadily decreased the growth of discreationary spending every year since 2001

"During the same period, real GDP increased from $9,910bn to $10,999bn, a rise of slightly under 11%. See Bureau of Economic Analysis, Annual Revision of the National Income and Product Accounts August 2005 at Table 1. This, growth, incidentally, highlights the fundamental correctitude of the President's tax cuts. "

Agreed.

"Our spending is outpacing our means, even when our ideology demands - or at one point demanded - otherwise."

Where to cut, huh? What do you suggest?

"A decade ago, 120 Republicans co-sponsored a bill to abolish the Department of Education. See H.R. 1883."

What happened to that one, Simon?

"Under President Bush, spending on the Department of Education has risen by 39.8%, to $56.6bn. See OMB, supra, at Table S-3. Between 2001 and 2005, not a single agency has REDUCED its budget. Ibid."

Yep. Bush decided to take the "unfunded" rally cry away from the donks in exchange for accountability. Staying the course and getting results will eventually allow for easy trimming of that budget because we will have identified stuff that worked and stuff that did not.

"This is not the stuff that shrinking government until one might drown it in the bathtub is made of. "

Tell me how much better you think the Democrats will do at "shrinking government". Seriously. It's all about hand outs and throwing money at a problem with the donks. You think it's bad now when we have to compete with their unbearable "unfunded mandate" type whining. Give them the power they lust after and see how "small" government gets then.

"The entire requested 2006 budget for the Department of Homeland Security is $29.3bn (up from $14.0bn in 2001),"

Can't have that, right!?

"so when "The Valiant Elephant" starts suggesting how triffling GOP profligacy is because that porcine monstrosity of a highways bill contained "only" $28bn in pork,"

No no. That's what Citizens against Government Waste Pig Book cited as the total pork for the entire budget.

"so can see that he's not actually READ the budget to place that nummber into context."

F** you! I've read it and come to my own fn conclusions.

"We have become a party of big government"

"BIG", huh?! Oooooo!!! Sounds SCARY!! We've always maintained that we were for "LIMITED Government", but you just repeat whatever you hear with no understanding of what your actually saying.

"and big spending."

Think the donkeys will spend less, Simon!? :)

"Jonathan - and, by extension, Mr. Miniter - is absolutely right."

To hold up Nancy Pelosi as the epitome of fiscal conservatism. No.

"The Valiant Elephant"'s proposal of how we might be a good friend to our party"

What is my proposal? Do you know? No. I didn't give a proposal. If you feel I'm incorrect in that ascertian, by all means, quote me! Show me what my "proposal" is!

"is the solution of one who averts his eyes while the alcoholic friend procures another bottle of moonshine;"

I'm not averting my eyes. I'm simply able to maintain a proper context for words like "big" and political sense in the face of ham fisted calls for slashing everything in the budget.

"those of us who support the GOP may turn a blind eye,"

I'm not even turing a blind eye. I just happen to understand that that doing away with the department of education is probably not a reasonable political move in response to calls for hurricane relief expenditures.

"but our opponents will not,"

No. They'll utter hollow phrases like "GOP for um BIG government ugh" and the like, and then their cite hyperbolic statements by the likes of Johnathan to substantiate their baseless accusations. And Johnathan and Simon, they won't challenge the donkeys and say, "Hey! If you want to start slashing, show us where!". No! They'll say, "You am right, we am bad, we deserve to lose ugh". And then we'll see UNLIMITED GOVERNMENT!

"and neither will the public."

That remains to be seen. The "public" might think the delay in the Prescription drug benefit is a rat-bastard move or getting rid of the department of education is a dumbass move.

"The American people are not stupid;"

Never said they were.

"asking them to buy that the Federal budget is in the state that it is in because of the other party is absurd,"

Didn't place the blame solely on "the other party" - we usually refer to them as DEMOCRATS, donks, take your pick!

"asinine"

You seem to be expert on that one.

"and counterproductive."

You know what is really "counterproductive"? Spending time bashing Republicans for a bi-partisan bad behavior on a website devoted to rallying Republicans and citing Nancy F***ING PELOSI as a stalwart fiscal conservative when she's about the furthest thing from it! Take the donks to task, that's what this website is for! I've got no problem acknowledging that we do the same crap. It's the failure to blast the other side for the same that pisses me off! And the hyperbole and generalizations leveled at Republicans!