Next time you hear a…

Next time you hear a Democrat express shock about the over-spending in Congress, just remind him or her about today’s vote for “modest but politically painful cuts” today. Not a single Democrat voted for it.

Leon at Redstate.org notes that this will probably be cast by Democrats as hurting the poor, but he has a comeback question.

The Democrats (and their willing accomplices in the Media) are attempting (as they always do) to paint a reduction in the rate of Medicare growth as a “cut in programs for the poor.” This opens up the door for Democrats to utilize the excuse – “We really would cut spending, honest! We just wouldn’t be like the evil Republicans and do it at the expense of the poor!”

Well, we’ve already hacked to death the argument that this is any sort of cut whatsoever (it’s merely a growth cap), but if we were to provisionally grant that these were cuts, and the Democrats were opposed to them on that basis, what sorts of cuts could we imagine that the Democrats would support?

Well, they’ve already shown that they’ll accept no cuts in Medicare or Medicaid, or any social program – they won’t accept cuts in farm subsidies – they won’t accept cuts for pork projects in Alaska (for fear that their own pork will be targeted next) – they won’t accept cuts for the department of the Interior – they won’t accept across-the-board cuts in discretionary spending (because that would target many of the above). All of this leaves me very confused. Apparently, spending is out of control under the Bush administration. Which part of this spending don’t they like? Which part of it should go?

When the Republicans put out their Contract With America, they laid out just what they wanted to do. It was a bold move for the minority party. But be sure that the Democrats will do none of that. They talk the talk but they won’t vote the vote. Howard Dean said that since they’re the minority party, “it’s not our job to give out specifics.” That is to say, all they’ll do is say “No” and promise that they would do better; trust the Stealth Party. So any horror at Congressional spending by them is utterly disingenuous until they come up with a plan.

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