Let's Budgetize This Thing!

Some more details are leaking out on the GOP's completely insane budget plan, and "insanity" is a really, really good term for it.

How do Republicans propose to control future deficits? First, they would end a litany of controversial programs of doubtful value to the public:

International organizations and foreign aid recipients, including millions for reconstruction in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Labor union bosses participating in a new “green jobs” program. The National Endowment for the Arts, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Americorps, Title X Family Planning, and a host of spending programs that will do nothing to help our economy recover. And even community organizers, such as ACORN, performing “neighborhood stabilization.” Hundreds of programs deemed ineffective by prior Administrations...

That's the easy part. Unfortunately, these programs, no matter how unworthy, barely scratch the surface when it comes to saving money. There is a lot more money to be found in undoing a large part of what has been done this year:

Republicans propose to undo the recent reckless and wasteful Democrat spending binge included in the so-called “stimulus” and omnibus bills.

What does this mean? For one thing, as Minority Leader John Boehner (R) said in a conference call yesterday, it would replace the $410 billion omnibus bill with a spending freeze for the rest of fiscal 2009. That takes care of normal appropriations and saves about $30 billion. As for the stimulus package, it is less clear how much of the roughly $250 billion in refundable tax-credits and the $500 billion in direct spending would disappear — probably about half, along the lines of the GOP alternative that was proposed at the time.

So yeah, take away half the stimulus and the $410 in the omnibus bill. Eliminate all the programs Republicans hate. Throw in a massive tax cut for the wealthy. Freeze all other spending during a depressionary cycle.

Complete the transfer of America's remaining wealth and power to Republican interests. Leave tens of millions of Americans in abject poverty as consumer spending dries up and unemployment explodes. Remove the safety net for millions of American families. Continue to destroy the environment and enrich corporations -- the only entities that matter to Republicans. Scold the rest of America for the social sin of being poor.

This is what we avoided when we elected Obama instead of McCain. Never forget that. Republicans still want to ravage America and will do so given any chance to do so.

They must never be given the chance.