Who coulda seen that coming?
It seems like only yesterday but actually it’s been a week or so that we commented on Congressman Paul Ryan’s budget negotiation “triumph”. “Disappointed” to describe our assessment regarding this “smart, conservative, acutely wise fiscal wizard” and former GOP Vice President candidate, doesn’t begin to suggest our profound disappointment in this guy. While he was taking his “victory lap” for so cleverly outnegotiating the “hapless” Patty Murray, we wrote:
“Having pocketed all of the gains achieved in the budget negotiations, Ryan and John “No More Tears” Boehner, with the aid of that wildly unfettered capitalist organization, the US Chamber of Commerce, will move on early next year to wrap up the Hispanic vote for the GOP by getting the “comprehensive immigration” (that’s spelled a-m-n-e-s-t-y) bill passed. In addition, I think , just to insure their impending smashing election victory, the Republicans will also demonstrate their heartfelt compassion by increasing the minimum wage , possibly to a level even higher than Obama seeks. And, does anyone think us sensitive and caring Republicans can really allow unemployment benefits to end for millions of “hurting” Americans?”
Well, here are just a couple of ways in which the Dems approach “bi-partisanship” in government spending and how seriously they take “budgets.” A story in the Saturday Wall Street Journal reports that the White House is pushing Congress to include provisions in a new spending bill that would change how the US finances the International Monetary Fund and give “emerging markets greater influence” within the organization.
The implications go well beyond the estimated $300 million cost…not of course included in the Ryan budget victory.
And we won’t go into that here, other than to note that, as usual, the US is the biggest “contributor” to the IMF but the Obama administration wants to be sure that the countries who get the money have more”influence” and more “say” to “encourage them to act “responsibly” in the global economy. If you can’t figure out what that all means, than you are probably either a Democrat or…or maybe one of those “quality” Republican candidates Karl Rove touts.
And, finally, that fully expected extension of unemployment benefits through 2014 will carry a $ 19 billion price tag…also not in Ryan’s triumphant budget, even though all participants knew that the latest extension was expiring only a month later. You ‘spose the hapless Ms. Murray didn’t care whether another extension was in the budget or not?
Ya further ‘spose she knew the Republicans would be anxious to respond to the pressure for an extension in order to protect their “sure-fire big election win” in 2014?
“No fools on our ticket”. No sir! DLH
