"GOP can cut $100 billion from discretionary spending"- They Only Got $38 Billion!

[TomCADem]

The Republicans did not get $100 billion in cuts. They got $38 billion. The $100 billion number was fraudulent to begin with, since it was based on a proposed budget that was never adopted AND Republicans never mentioned that they were only cutting from President Obama's proposed budget during the 2010 campaign. I recall Republicans talking about $100 billion in spending cuts, not $100 billion in cuts from a proposed budget. I guess if President Obama proposed $1 trillion in a budget increase, the Republicans would claim credit for a $1 trillion cut in spending, but what is the next effect? Zero.

So, ignoring the media hype, the Republicans originally promised $100 billion in cuts to spending. They only got $38 billion. The Democrats won this round.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/politicolive/0910/McCarthy_GOP_can_cut_100_billion_from_discretionary_spending.html

September 26, 2010

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Sunday defended the House GOP's "Pledge to America" and the claim that Republicans will be able to cut $100 billion in non-defense discretionary spending, despite attacks from the White House and Democratic congressional leaders that such a move will force layoffs of thousands of critical government employees.

McCarthy and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), appearing on "Fox News Sunday," also rebutted claims that the pledge failed to offer specific spending cuts, including reductions to entitlement programs.

McCarthy noted noted that "what I'm saying is discretionary spending," which seemed to include defense spending as well as other non-Pentagon programs.

McCarthy claimed that discretionary spending "has grown by 88 percent over the last three years" under Democratic control. "Why is it that difficult to cut?"

Am I missing something? I don't see McCarthy talking about cuts to a proposed budget in September 2010. He was talking about $100 billion in cuts to actual spending.

[OHdem10]

1. We cannot put Lipstick on this pig. Chalk one up for the Republicans

This is a Republican Budget and there is not
one glimmer or flicker of Liberalism. It
breaks my heart.

[TomCADem]

4. Gah! The Power Of The Corporate Media! Republicans Fall Far Short Of Campaign Promises...

...and we are trained to see defeat in everything that Democrats do. Health care reform, the end of DADT, the regulation of greenhouse gases by the EPA, the passage of net neutrality regulations by President Obama's FCC, the passage of Health care reform, the saving of the U.S. auto industry.

If Democrats were the ones who were promising $100 billion in spending cuts, and only got $38 billion, Fox News would be leading the charge to call them first year failures!

But, we have all been trained to blame Democrats and give Republicans a free pass. Here I am giving you proof of what the Republicans were promising, $100 billion in spending cuts, and what they got, $38 billion, and yet some folks stubbornly refuse to let go of the corporate media narrative.

The idea that President Obama just gives into Republicans is a narrative pushed by corporate sock puppets masquarding as the left. We give Republicans a free pass on the fact they failed to achieve their campaign promise of $100 billion in cuts!

Bow down because Rupert Murdoch commands you!

[catgirl]

16. Blame it on the couch potatoes

Who didn't bother to vote in November. They are to blame for all of this.

[OHdem10]

2. They already had almost 40 Billion then add tonights 38 billion.

[Hannah Bell]

3. and correct me if i'm wrong, but this "compromise" is the price for only keeping

the government running for a bit longer, isn't it? i.e. more "compromise" coming.

[The Magistrate]

6. True, Ma'am: Next Is Debt Ceiling, A.K.A. Default, Then The 2012 Budget

[Hannah Bell]

10. ok, so refresh my memory; i seem to recall something like this happening earlier,

& $40B is the number that sticks in my head.

but i can't find it in a search.

didn't this same scenario play earlier in the year, or last year?

[TomCADem]

13. ...Is The 2012 Budget. Republicans Were Promising $100 Billion For This Year...

...After they took office, they immediately began to backtrack.

Why are so many folks bending over backwards to justify the Republicans failure to fulfill their promise?

I don't recall similar patience with President Obama and the repeal of DADT. Instead, many Duers were writing DADT off as a broken promise.

[pnwmom]

11. Through the end of the fiscal year. n/t

[Marr]

5. Lame spin.

Here's reality. We've got a president and political leadership that has completely adopted the Conservative economic narrative. They're not arguing that government spending is essential to the economy, they're quibbling over where the massive domestic spending cuts should be made.

So fine. Pick through some quotes and find a cute little gotcha line for the party hacks to chant if you like. The larger reality reveals a political leadership that is simply not on our side.

[TomCADem]

9. I Am Talking About Republican campaign promises versus reality

If we don't want any cuts, then we need to elect Democrats to the House. But, the fact is that Republicans were promising $100 billion in cuts, and they did not get it. That is a fact.

If President Obama had made such a promise, you would have our Board filled with trolls calling him a liar for not getting $100 billion in actual cuts.

But, instead, we give Republicans a free pass. We are conditioned to do so.

[Marr]

14. I have to repeat this; what Obama and the Democratic leadership have done--

not just here, but several times over the last two years-- is to advocate the traditional Conservative economic argument. They quibble about the speed at which Conservative ideals should be pursued-- they don't argue for driving in a different direction.

I don't care how many Democrats you have in Congress, if their official position is "let's turn mildly to the right" instead of the Republican, "let's turn sharply to the right", you're never going to turn left. And you're going to end up in the Republican's destination, eventually.

[msongs]

7. repub "riders" were throw aways put in their to dump after they got what they wanted lol nt

[TomCADem]

12. They Got $100 billion in spending cuts? Really?

In the 2010 election, I remember Republicans promising that.

My god, does anyone hold Republicans accountable?

Well, bring it on baby! You can all smash on Democrats as much as you want, but I am not backing down.

:mad:

[andym]

8. 38 billion for 1/2 year only.

Horrible. Let's see what the economists project the damage will be. But it is likely to get worse, as the GOP tries to fulfill Reaganistic dreams of small government.

[TomCADem]

15. Here is the 2010 GOP Pledge To America - $100 Billion In Spending This Year!

I did not see any language about the first year being pro-rated.

http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/pledgetoamerica.pdf

Cut Government Spending to Pre-Stimulus, Pre-Bailout Levels: With common-sense exceptions for seniors, veterans, and our troops, we will roll back government spending to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels, saving us at least $100 billion in the first year alone and putting us on a path to begin paying down the debt, balancing the budget, and ending the spending spree in Washington that threatens our children’s future.

[Search4Justice]

17. Sorry friend...

.. but if this what you consider a "win," I'd hate to see what you would call a "loss."

I wish both parties would quit kicking We the People around as if we're nothing more than a political football that they are scoring points with.

[fasttense]

18. What did Democrats gain????

What did we gain from this budget? Nothing. We got to keep SOME funding that was already in place. Did we get unemployment benefits? Did we gain gun control laws? Did we gain any policy? NO, all we got is to keep SOME of the social safety net for the poor that was already there. Talk about a sow's ear.

We are all thrilled because our Democratic President and Senate didn't give away more, but we gained absolutely NOTHING.

[unblock]

19. woohoo! that mugger didn't realize i had an extra $20 in my shoe! victory!

[TomCADem]

20. Do The People Elect Muggers? The GOP took over Congress with a message of budget cuts...

Yet, President Obama stood stong and did not give them the $100 billion in spending cuts in the first year that they promised. They got $38 billion. Yet, we say President Obama compromised?

Amazing!

Does anyone see how even liberals are buying into the corporate media talking points? President Obama is weak because he reaches a deal, but Boehner is strong because he settles for less than half of the cuts he campaigned on?