lame duck Republican Congress - a reply to Sirs

[Universe Prince]

Do you think it plausibe that the GOP, in the time we still have left, would craft Gingrich-like legislation of a pay-as-you-go bill.  For whatever expenditures beyond what's currently budgeted for, that congress be required to offset that spending somewhere else? 

Beyond the obvious political posturing that all politicians get, when they can go back to their consituencies and claim "see, what I brought you, courtesy of the Country's tax payers?", I really wished that the conservatives of the GOP would have stuck to their limited Government principals.  But perhaps, they'll leave that for the Dems, so that they can be the ones to repeal it it and usher in gobs load more deficit spending

In short, no. I doubt they could get it passed in the time they have left, and I'm not sure I'd want them to try. A pay-as-you-go plan would be a green light to pass and/or attach to every new spending plan tax increases. It would possibly put an end to tax cuts, because then tax cuts would probably have to be accompanied by specific spending cuts, and I just don't see how that is going to work in Congress.

Anyway, wishing the Republicans had stuck to limited government principles assumes they had such principles in the first place. I think we've seen that they don't. This is not true of all of them, of course. A few, like Ron Paul, have stuck to their guns, but the majority have appeared to be quite willing to expand spending and government so long as they were the ones in charge. Which makes, for most of them, their rhetoric about limited government not principles but mere lip-service. Can you sense yet my disappointment with the Republican Party?

There are some folks who think there may be a "Libertarian Democrat" movement of sorts with in the Democratic Party. I haven't seen any real evidence of it yet. If I ever do, such candidates just might get my support. Ten, or even five, years ago I probably would not have said such a thing was possible.

My only real hope for the new Congress is there will be enough political obstructionism to slow things down. That is my hope. My expectation is that rather than gridlock, the Republicans will produce mere speed bumps as the political process rolls downhill. I mean, rolls forward, yeah, yeah, that's it, dow-, er, forward.

[sirs]

Do you think it plausibe that the GOP, in the time we still have left, would craft Gingrich-like legislation of a pay-as-you-go bill.  For whatever expenditures beyond what's currently budgeted for, that congress be required to offset that spending somewhere else?

  In short, no. I doubt they could get it passed in the time they have left, and I'm not sure I'd want them to try. A pay-as-you-go plan would be a green light to pass and/or attach to every new spending plan tax increases. It would possibly put an end to tax cuts, because then tax cuts would probably have to be accompanied by specific spending cuts, and I just don't see how that is going to work in Congress....My only real hope for the new Congress is there will be enough political obstructionism to slow things down. That is my hope. My expectation is that rather than gridlock, the Republicans will produce mere speed bumps as the political process rolls downhill. I mean, rolls forward, yeah, yeah, that's it, dow-, er, forward.

My thanks for the repsonse.  I'd opine that any such "legislation" that the GOP might try wouldn't include the notion of raising taxes as an option.  they'll leave that to the Dems to pull, and then let them explain that move to the electorate

[Universe Prince]

I'd opine that any such "legislation" that the GOP might try wouldn't include the notion of raising taxes as an option.  they'll leave that to the Dems to pull, and then let them explain that move to the electorate

If they can do that, I'd might not mind seeing them try. But I doubt their power to so limit the bill and get it passed before January.

[sirs]

I'd opine that any such "legislation" that the GOP might try wouldn't include the notion of raising taxes as an option.  They'll leave that to the Dems to pull, and then let them explain that move to the electorate

If they can do that, I'd might not mind seeing them try. But I doubt their power to so limit the bill and get it passed before January.

I'll start making phone calls