No Loss for Words

We have just under a week for the “Super Committee” to complete the work outlined in the Budget Control Act of August 2011 and the progress reports are not encouraging.  Characterizing the committee as “Super” may have been a mistake considering every aspect of their work plan has been anything but super.

In my view, when the Budget Control Act was passed, Republicans gave away the farm.  They gave the President and Congressional Democrats the ability to raise the national debt by 20% over 16 months without one meaningful concession; not one!

Politicians talk about cutting spending by thirty or forty or a hundred billion out loud then follow that with “over the next ten years” in a muffled voice.  I’m not sure it really matters what they say since they don’t adopt and follow budgets anyway.  But that was the deal.  They would reduce spending in budget cycles starting in 2013 out into the future when many of them will be long gone and out of office.

I can only imagine how good it felt standing up to the microphone and looking into those TV cameras telling viewers how we negotiated hard and got the best deal we could for not just our side, but for the American people.  “We agreed to increase the national debt by another 20% between now (August 2011) and January 2013 (just before inaugurating the next President) in exchange for spending cuts totaling $1.2 trillion over the next ten years to be determined by a “Super” Committee made up of twelve members of Congress; half from the Senate and half from the House; half Democrats and half Republicans before Thanksgiving of this year.  Failing in that mission, a process called Sequestration will be implemented where every department will suffer equal percentage budget cuts to achieve the stated goal.”

For the Democrats on that podium, that was a euphoric feeling, knowing they had bent over the Republicans again.  Don’t you remember a sly smile from Harry Reid as he talked about slashing $1.2 trillion, knowing full well it would never happen?

For the Republicans on the podium, I’m not sure what they felt. I know they should have felt like a kid in Jerry Sandusky’s shower room.

I guess I’m too damn stupid to see how that agreement was in any way good for Republicans; on any level.  And frankly for the American people either.  But what do I know, I’m just a fry cook?

Number one, we authorized increasing the debt when we said we wouldn’t. 

Number two, we agreed to a spending reduction process that had no meaningful reference points and no down side for the Democrats.  Sure, cutting some of those social programs would cause the Dems to wince a little, but considering the hurt it would cause for R’s it was a hit they felt was well worth it.

If the Super Committee cannot negotiate a deal with the Republicans they just punt and allow the “Sequestration” to cut the budget which will target Defense spending at a time when we have already cut their budget significantly. 

Now as we approach the drop dead date for the committee to finish their work, we’re still hopelessly deadlocked.  No, wait, the Republicans are starting to talk about some tax increases as being okay.  The Speaker is warming up to the idea of a tax increase for those rich bastards just so we never have to face the prospects of SEQUESTRATION. 

How can the Republicans be afraid of Sequestration at this point?  What they should have been afraid of was the CASTRATION they went through when they voted for the Budget Control Act at the start of this process.  Were they just stupid or is the fix in?

The National Debt will increase to $16 Trillion, tax rates will be raised for rich bastards and spending will not change one iota.

I’m beginning to believe Jack Abramoff was right when he talked about how lobbyists own our elected officials.  It may not be Jack pulling the strings, but someone with interests different than mine certainly is.