The American Spectator : Cool Hand John

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Cool Hand John

By G. Tracy Mehan, III on 4.11.11 @ 6:08AM

That’s Speaker John to you, bub.

House Speaker John Boehner has succeeded in making the largest cut to the bloated federal budget in American history. In this he surpasses even the great Ronald Reagan, who still deserves all honor and praise for defeating the Evil Empire and ushering in tax reform and economic dynamism in political economy. The Speaker has initiated what one can only hope is a rescue mission of equivalent importance to the future of the Republic.

Speaker Boehner has managed to mix the best of an insider’s understanding of the ways of Washington with the idealism of his younger or newer caucus members who are the engine of this drive for fiscal reform. The Speaker is the steady hand on the tiller, the unflappable negotiator, and the captain of his party. He maintains a cool head and hand while displaying a deep emotional empathy with this moment in his life, career, and role at this juncture in history.

Boehner has managed to cut $38 billion from current budget levels — roughly $78.5 below President Obama’s initial funding request for 2011. This is a stunning accomplishment when one reflects on the trajectory of incontinent spending, debt, and, most recently, taxes that the Bush and Obama administrations have visited on the American taxpayer and, even more irresponsibly, on future generations of young families and workers.

Social conservatives will appreciate his dogged efforts to defund the nation’s largest abortion abattoir and his successful cutting off of similar funding for the District of Columbia. He also restored the voucher program for school children in the federal city that President Obama and the previous Democratic Congress had sacrificed on the altar of the teachers’ unions.

The second oldest of 12 children, the son of a saloon keeper from Cincinnati, Jesuit-educated and a small businessman, Speaker Boehner is a classic Midwesterner in style, temperament and instinct. Again, in this way he is similar to Reagan, a native of Illinois. Unlike many of those carping at his fiscal conservatism, he mopped floors and helped out at the family tavern to get through school.

Yet, there still be dragons out there. Awaiting the Speaker’s attention is the debate on raising the debt ceiling and, even more portentous, the consequential battle over GOP Budget Chairman Paul Ryan’s 2012 budget, the polar opposite of what the President has proposed.

On this latter matter, Boehner deserves special credit for not crowding, inhibiting, or otherwise holding back Chairman Ryan in pushing his major budget, tax, and entitlement reforms which would make Republicans of another era skittish. By delegating this titanic effort to one of the GOP’s brightest lights, and supporting him to the maximum extent possible, Boehner is preparing the ground for the most significant public policy debate since World War II.

These are difficult, seemingly intractable issues on the horizon. But given the performance of John Boehner since becoming Speaker of the House of Representatives, it is hard to imagine a better, more seasoned, prudent and perspicacious man or woman leading the party of reform and renewal. He has demonstrated these traits since the beginning of his tenure.

With the rise of the Tea Party and John Boehner, the Republicans are beneficiaries of a rare convergence of idealistic energy and mature experience and deft political craftsmanship.

About the Author

G. Tracy Mehan, III served at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the administrations of both Presidents Bush. He is a consultant in Arlington, Virginia, and an adjunct professor at George Mason University School of Law.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (58) | Leave a comment Leave a comment

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 4.11.11 @ 6:13AM

Federal spending under Reagan fell to 2.9% of GDP. That won't happen under this budget.

This budget cuts you refer to could be should be titled “Pap Smears For Prosperity” if you can stand the visuals.

After reviewing a list of the budget cuts I see that 18 billion of the imaginary spending cuts were taken from the Defense Department for projects already slated for cuts. Other proposed cuts from obscure government programs were actually in the millions from which you should get a good laugh if you forget you are one of the ones sponsoring all this madness.

The part I found most humorous were the transportation project cuts that were simply earmarks. Those will be untraceable.

In essence, this was much ado about nothing. The cuts that are in the millions are also virtually untraceable.

But don't let this insult you because on the surface it is an insult to the taxpaying public. It could be viewed as more of an insult to the people who put it together because it's business as usual. A 1.6 trillion dollar budget and this is the best they have to offer in terms of fiscal discipline.

Make it simple. You borrowed $160 dollars and you just allocated about a $1.60 cents to pay it back. If you were in that situation and sent in $1.60 cents as a payment the creditors would not accept it because it would not meet minimum requirements for a payment. One percent is never a payment.

Once percent is not a cut. One percent is tragic. When all is said and done it won't even amount to one percent. In a 3.6 trillion dollar budget it's a rounding error.

It was simply done because the Democrats wanted to look like they are for cuts and the Republicans wanted to let the Democrats look like they are for cuts and it was also done so that the Republicans could look like they were for cuts and the Democrats wanted the Republicans to look like they were for cuts. In short, it's fiscal three card Monte. Under which peanut shell is the pea?

Prediction: The only cuts that will stick will be specific Defense Department cuts that are outlined while through the back door the Defense Department will pick up that 18 billion and more.

The hate for the U.S. Congress and the Executive Branch will most likely increase because these cuts are also tragic and show that few inside the beltway have the stomach for real systemic change.

If the next budget doesn't contain some real cuts and a change in the way business is done inside the beltway I predict both parties will see significant turnovers in the next election cycle as the public keeps sending new members in to do what the public desires.

The ruling class won this round. Apparently the Teabaggers sent Spendbaggers to the U.S. Congress.

Obama is now trying to take the high ground by making a speech later this week defining deficit reduction in terms of dollar amounts. White House Senior Advisor David Plouffe claims that part of the problem is the tax cuts for the rich. The Republicans need to point out that the problem is so enormous that you could seize the wealth of every millionaire in the country and it wouldn't make a dent in the deficit. Tax millionaires all you want and it will simply add to the misery.

On thing that David Plouffe leaves out, and perhaps he's too stupid to understand it, is that the deflation and devaluation of the U.S. dollar which is occurring each and every day is a tax on everyone and it's due to over spending. No where is that more evident than in the price of a barrel of oil, which is skyrocketing not due to market forces, but in response to the devaluation of the U.S. Dollar caused by Ben Bernanke's Printing Press.com.

We are being led by an incompetent greedy ruling class whose approach to every solution is to try to deceive the public. These cuts prove that beyond any doubt.

drudge ette obama| 4.11.11 @ 6:49AM

Well said, but Pap Smears are important for everyone, especially the men in Washington.

Plouffe isn't stupid - he's the ultimate progressive fanatics' scribe and ghostwriter. Plouffe, who should be encouraged to comb his hair before appearing on t.v., was brought back out from anemic retirement (probably by Valerie Jarrett after Rahm left) because of desperation to bring the periodic hope & change message back from the Obama's 2008 election cycle.

Melvin| 4.11.11 @ 7:34AM

As much as I wanted the Budget cut more, John, and Paul did alright.
They did good this go round.

God Is Truth| 4.11.11 @ 8:05AM

Thanks "Cool Hand John"! Without your tireless work & sense of compromise Planned Infanticide wouldn't have the Federal funding they need to continue the senseless slaughter of God's children with my tax dollars each day! How can I ever thank you?! /s

martin j smith| 4.11.11 @ 8:20AM

Boehner must be encouraged and pushed to greater heights to deal with the regime. He must know he is gnerally supported but speciufically he needs to constantly be made aware OUR opposition to the BHO agenda and the desire on our side to SAVE THIS COUNTRY FROM ECONOMIC COLLAPSE, WE OPPOSE OBAMA'S CLASS WARFARE GAMES AND HIS CRONY CAPITALISM AMONG OTHER THINGS. Boehner can never be allowed to rest on any laurels until there is a more tangible victory. That will largely be determined by the 2012 elections and what happens after that. In the meantime its all block,tackle and grind out yardage --to use a metaphore--till that day.

Anthony| 4.11.11 @ 8:32AM

Before we annoint Boehner with sainthood, let's remember that he and Cantor had to be dragged fighting and screaming into the fight.
Remember their nasty Tea Party comments.
Yes, Boehner deserves credit here, however, this is only for five months, the real test is the debt ceiling and Ryan's budget.
Boehner needs to thank Bachmann and the Tea Party for giving him the balls he has been lacking, because but for them to prop Boehner up, he would have collapsed.

spoofproof| 4.11.11 @ 8:33AM

Liberty never goes out of style and for that reason the 2 most modern things in Washington, D.C. today are The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of The United States.

Badly outdated however are the 18th & 19th-century systems and perspectives employed to define in real time the meaning & purpose of Our Founding Documents. We REALLY need some fresh thinking. The Big Labor Bureaucracy is a useless waste of human capital and treasure. Have We The People grown too corrupt to evolve?

Mimi| 4.11.11 @ 8:36AM

I'd like to reply to Bill Hussein O'Stalin :
Bill this is the best post ever....You framed the issue oh, so correct...and said all that we are thinking!. THANKS!!

Maxwell| 4.11.11 @ 9:05AM

Bill Hussein O'Stalin, wow, that was good! I could add more but it would not have been as clearly stated.

The Bishop| 4.11.11 @ 9:09AM

What a joy it was to see our wonderful President out Saturday morning at the Lincoln Memorial touching the common folk. A true man of the people who wanted to remind us that no deal would have been possible without his blessing. (Sorry, I just threw up my oatmeal.)

Michael Tomlinson| 4.11.11 @ 9:21AM

"This is a stunning accomplishment when one reflects on the trajectory of incontinent spending, debt, and, most recently, taxes that the Bush and Obama administrations have visited on the American taxpayer and, even more irresponsibly, on future generations of young families and workers."

What Bush tax increases is the author babbling about? A little historical perspective is in order. Under President Ronald Reagan taxes were increased by $132.7 billion. Bush hater and Hillary cheerleader Obamacon Bruce Bartlett has done a nice job of listing those http://capitalgainsandgames.co.....-increases

What about the profligate Bush spending and deficits. In percentage of GDP until Barack Obama Ronald Wilson Reagan (at approximately 22% of GDP) was the champion deficit spender in DC. The budget deficit over Reagan’s eight years averaged 4.2% and ran as high as 6.0% in 1983.

Conservatives may whine about President Bush increasing government outlays from 18½% to 20%, but the increase was almost exclusively spending on defense, homeland security and the Congressionally approved Global War On Terror - all of which was a response to 9/11. The growth in non-security discretionary spending was cut every year of the Bush presidency (unlike the Reagan legacy).

As for the vaunted "Clinton surplus" (that he didn't believe was possible) the Republican Congress deserves some of the credit, but the real credit goes to American capitalism.

Who was it that wanted to reform Social Security using conservative ideas and who compromised with Democrats to raise taxes for a "fix?" It was Bush who wanted to actually reform Social Security and Reagan who went along with a Democrat scheme to push the issue off to another generation.

Among the self-described "Reagan conservatives" the myth 0f the "Reagan Utopia" (modeled after the Kennedy Camelot myth) is far more important than the truth, but if we're to overcome Obama and his failed agenda a little truth on the right would be beneficial.

Michael L. Hauschild| 4.11.11 @ 9:27AM

It has been reported from many sources that the eight days preceding the “deal” that the National Debt increased fifty eight billion dollars. They cut thirty eight billion and many seem to think this deserves praise. It does not. Besides they only “said” they were going to cut spending. I cannot even contemplate how stupid someone could be to believe them.
We are all in a train careening at high speed toward the bridge over a canyon that is out; we simply moved to a seat closer to the back of the train.

Steve A| 4.11.11 @ 9:35AM

As a result of these irresponsible cuts, children will die & old people will starve while waiting for preventative medical care. I hope you people are happy.

Joe R| 4.11.11 @ 9:42AM

This deal is a joke. Just continuing to kick the can down the road. The Tea Party caucus needs to rise up and run John Boehner out of Washington.

NaturalBorn Texican| 4.11.11 @ 9:46AM

Hog Wash!!!!!!!

I want there to still be a United States of America. We have pampered some elements of our population too much for too long, so that now they feel entitled to getting what ever they want on MY DIME!!!

Well, my Dime is wearing mighty thin at this point and I am barely making it myself!

Maybe it's time for those who won't to get up off their butts and get a job to be "defunded"!. When my father-in-law was a young teenager, he worked at anything he could get including shinneying across gorges to help build bridges, simply so he could feed himself.

That spirit is pretty much dead in America these days. Too many people and entities like the NPR and sooooooo many other have their hands out, wanting the government to take part of MY hard earned money and give it to those who WON'T get a freaking job. They just want to sit on their big, wide backsides, eating McDonald's and playing video games all day.....

And I, for one am *#^* tired of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NaturalBorn Texican| 4.11.11 @ 9:47AM

The previous post is for Steve A.....

Rogue Elephant| 4.11.11 @ 10:03AM

These budget cuts are INCONSEQUENTIAL. We borrow $100 billion per day. Cutting $38 billion merely cuts what we borrow before lunch on Tuesday. Pathetic.

And OBAMA'S SPENDING PROPOSALS ARE IRRELEVANT. If Obama proposed an additional $1 trillion, would we pretend that we cut $1 trillion? How absurd!

jomo2009| 4.11.11 @ 10:22AM

It's clear with this deal for the 2011 budget Republicans were keeping their powder dry for the coming battles. The 2012 budget (i.e., the Ryan budget) and the raising of the debt ceiling -- with the possibility of a government shutdown-- is the hill the GOP has decided to die on.

G. Tracy Mehan, III| 4.11.11 @ 10:29AM

Mr.Tomlinson, I was not speaking of any Bush tax increases, just spending. Obama is the one who is raising taxes. Sorry I was not clearer on this point.

Richard Baker| 4.11.11 @ 10:38AM

$38 billion in reductions! Wow, that's really going to save the Nation, now won't it? With leadership like this the financial collapse will occur 2 hours later than expected, I suppose. Boehner is really such a dynamo, isn't he?

Grzmlyk| 4.11.11 @ 10:42AM

I agree with Bill Hussein O'Stalin above.

What we have done is move some deck chairs on the Titanic a little out of the shade and closer to the life boats. In as much as Democrats wanted the chairs to stay put, I guess that's a victory.

Nevertheless, we are all still aboard the luxuious ocean liner ship of state, ignoring the iceberg that is in our immediate future.

And Paul Ryan's budget is a political sop - it is not going to solve the problem. Better than nothing, of course, but it will no more stop the trajectory of our collapse than throwing an empty egg carton onto a highway will slow an 18-wheeler hurtling along at 80 mph.

I know many conservatives are flush with victory right now, and will decry those raining on their parade with the rejoinder, "but it's a start! We're changing the nature of the conversation!!!"

Well, once the captain of the Titanic realized he was headed for the iceberg, he, too, changed the conversation and turned the wheel.

But it was too little too late, and so is this.

We are going down, folks.

RAMIII| 4.11.11 @ 10:43AM

This article is laughable (btw does anyone remember how "Cool Hand Luke" ends? Not to well for the prisoner). Better metaphors would be available if this budget "cut" had been real.

What if I went to a foreclosure meeting regarding my house and I offered this kind of logic or "solution". I would look and be the fool and be laughed out of the room.

Washington DC is broken, in some respects beyond remedy, BECAUSE they continue to make laws and set policy to insulate themselves from the voting public.

The battle in essence must be won in the States and it is that pressure that must influence the Ivory Tower Elites in Washington!

Karl Lucifer Marx| 4.11.11 @ 10:46AM

To: Richard Baker

Funny and Oh so true!

G. Tracy Mehan, III| 4.11.11 @ 10:56AM

RAMIII, as I recall Cool Hand Luke dies and the message is that he is basically a Christ figure (recall the positi0ning of the body) who served his fellow prisoners to the end.

Occam's Tool| 4.11.11 @ 11:07AM

Ron Paul didn't vote on this bill. Like Maxine Waters, only she had an excuse. Michelle Bachmann voted against.

Ted| 4.11.11 @ 11:23AM

"House Speaker John Boehner has succeeded in making the largest cut to the bloated federal budget in American history."

Color me underwhelmed... The government has spent so much money in the last 2-4 years that this cut is but a blip on the radar.

Doctor Right| 4.11.11 @ 11:34AM

38 billion????

We're facing trillions of dollars of debt, and a President who is ADDICTED to spending even more, but we're supposed to get excited by a $38 billion cut in a CR???

Give me an effing break!

Steve A| 4.11.11 @ 12:05PM

Natural Born Tex, That is great but what about the people who have been left behind through discrimination & unfair predatory lending. These fine people are entitled to their 99 weeks unemployment, food stamps & free health care. People like you want to see them freeze to death under a highway overpass. They are simply victims of evil, greedy capitalists like yourself who hoard all of the $$.

Michael L. Hauschild| 4.11.11 @ 1:38PM

Bohnhead just said, ”We will only raise the debt ceiling if the democrats promise significant cuts.”
1. Tell that dumbass that you do not broadcast your intentions before you “negotiate.” (“Negotiate” in Bohnhead means surrender.)
2.Anyone that believes anything any of these liars say is brain damaged. (One hundred billion reductions, you bet.)
Democrats always lie, Republicans negotiate their promises away. The result is exactly the same.

Oldefarte| 4.11.11 @ 1:39PM

G.Tracy, well stated and true. Bravo! Johnnie Boehner may possibly become one of the greatest Speakers in our nation's history. As you so rightfully indicate, the WWIII ofo government battles is just around the corner!!!!!!!!!!

Oldefarte| 4.11.11 @ 1:42PM

PS, isn't it ironic that in such a short period of time, we may be witnessing not only one of the BEST Speakers, but that he has no doubt succeeded the very WORST Speaker in this nation's history??????????

e cowan| 4.11.11 @ 1:59PM

"House Speaker John Boehner has succeeded in making the largest cut to the bloated federal budget in American history'
Isn't that wonderful - he got a cut equal to a few days INTEREST on the federal debt!
Gee, what a guy...........

RAMIII| 4.11.11 @ 2:11PM

G. Tracy Mehan, III,
I'm just saying that the perspective here is (in my opinion) skewed. I do retract my statement about the article being laughable and apologize for that thoughtless and rude comment.

We know that these kind of political tactics (cutting peanuts out of a budget that makes one reel when one considers the magnitude of the whole) don't work for us common folk. Yet we are told that this process was successful and politically astute. I don't buy it.

This article was an honest attempt to apply a positive view of the GOP's efforts. I however would like to see more than just the same old compromises that deceive the people making them and the voters who are responsible to cast their ballot as informed as possible.

mames| 4.11.11 @ 2:46PM

After reading this puff piece on a real piece of s*&^ I felt the need to run to the bathroom to both blow chunks and release my bowels. I almost made it to the bathroom. Thanks a lot.

NO more compromise - one does not compromise the fundamentals and spending beyond the enumeration needs of the constitution is the act of a traitor.

mames| 4.11.11 @ 2:56PM

RAMIII

You are right we do not need another "view" we need the hard cold truth and the hard cold truth is that Boehner is not the guy for the job. The guy for the job is likely one of our uncompromising tough minded women. There is nothing so disgusting to see than a guy like Boehner pretend to be a supporter of the tea party when in fact his actions speak louder than words. Could he have been derided for shutting down the govt? Maybe, but only because of his own weak defense and self centered concern for reelection and positive press . Now we in the TEA party need to get to work asap and rid us of Boehner via the primary process. We need a hard ass who is not afraid to be called everything in the book for doing the right thing.

Boehner has played into the left's hands. Is he not aware of Obama's self proclaimed derision of the constitution because it is "too limiting"? The traitors by will and those by lack of will (RINOS) are all the same in the long run. As my smart, independent wife is fond of saying "where are the real men?"

Grzmlyk| 4.11.11 @ 2:59PM

Oldfarte, for once, I have to disagree with you.

The older I get, the more I've come to think that Congress is exactly like professional wrestling - the internecine battles are for show only.

Yes, Republicans tend to believe in smaller government and may, when first elected, sincerely want to cut spending. And yes, there are a few folks, like Rand Paul (and a few others), who stick to their guns.

But every person who goes to Washington, regardless of the letter behind their name (R or D), learns very quickly that their job is not protecting the constitution, ensuring the rights of individuals or managing budgets.

Their job is grabbing dollars. They're dropped into a vat of money and the object is to stuff as much in their pockets for themselves and their constituents as possible.

That is the object of the game, and most learn to play it very well.

The cuts the GOP made are inconsequential. The budget Ryan has proposed won't perceptably alter our fatal trajectory.

This current battle is, sadly, nothing but a dog and pony show. The game of stuff-your-pockets-till-the-music-stops will continue.

The vast majority of our elected officials rely on the premise that they can loot whatever they have to in order to say in power and then can get out with their golden parachutes before the entire edifice comes crashing down.

Boehner is NOT a great speaker because he's not a particularly strong leader; right now, he's following the current zeitgeist, which the Tea Partiers, aided by very recent events, have brought to a head.

He and his fellow Republicans are simply cutting the minimum they have to in order to maintain some credibility with the Tea Party, which they would prefer to just disappear.

I mean, if the recession ended today, and we suddenly had a resurgence in productivity and revenues began to flow into the government like they did for Clinton in the dotcom era, do you honestly think these guys would be advocating for cuts? Not on your life. It would be pedal to the metal before you could say "responsible governance."

Because America's collective decadence is such that we do not view Congress as lawmakers and serious people who are guardians of our values and laws anymore; we see Congress as a giant milk-filled teat, and we are all hungry, helpless infants.

Michael L. Hauschild| 4.11.11 @ 3:27PM

Anybody take Mark Levin seriously, go over to:
http://nation.foxnews.com/budg.....toric-scam
Oh, and by the way somebody get the Ancient Flatulence another glass of kool aid and a shit sandwich, hold the bread.

Occam's Tool| 4.11.11 @ 3:35PM

My dear Natural Born Tex, Steve A is yanking at your third leg...it's called satire.

Derek Leaberry| 4.11.11 @ 3:56PM

But isn't this after the Obama spending spree of 2009-2010 that cost $ 850 billion or so. And it also seems the $ 38 billion is off the increases of Obama. So why isn't $ 425 billion a year impossible? Something doesn't jibe.

Colin | 4.11.11 @ 4:04PM

I was a bit surprised when I read this column from Ms. Mehan, III. Surprised in that I felt no one could possibly be that vapid with basic math skills and political brain smarts while still maintaining some fading hope of being able to remove cattle droppings from the bottom of a boot.

But then, it all became clearer ...

Near the bottom of the column , I read Mehan, III's resume and noticed the time spent passing hot air at the EPA. That, pretty much, told me all I needed to know. It also clued me in as to what Mehan, III's next best career opportunity might be: "Holder of the House Hanky Box."

Hey, somebody's gotta' do it.

Say goodnight, John. Or as Willie used to sing: "Turn out the liiights, the party's overrr ..."

jstwndring| 4.11.11 @ 4:15PM

Steve forgot about the dog food. There will plenty of dog food for the elderly............but, only dog food.

Alright, now that we've got the elderly right where we want them, lets start dumping all that industrial waste into the drinking water! Who's with me?

(Because this is what we conservatives do)

Oldefarte| 4.11.11 @ 4:41PM

Grzmlyk: We do not disagree, and are on the same side of this issue. As you correctly point out, there is too much selfish greed in government/DC [and that has always been the situation within the majority of my 65 years of life]. This has to do with the lack of taxpayer/boss supervision of these politicians once they leave their districts and set foot in the DC land of parties, festivities, decadence, prostitution etc. As you correctly said also, the recent political situation of the R's seemingly changing their political tune is solely due to the magnificent, patriotic uprisings of these tea party courageous souls nationwide that have forced their hands into doing the right thing. I most respectfully disagree with you only in the slightest in the respect that ROME WASN'T BUILT IN A DAY. This political/fiscal/economic catastrophy did NOT begin yesterday, but in my world began with the Kennedy-Johnson administrations of GREAT SOCIETY fame. The governmental welfare programs/policies of that era are sadly still on the governmental books today and have been growing/increasing from the 1060's until present day [and have been forced upon generations of taxpayers by liberal Democrats throughout this history]. As such, it will take time to dismantle same, regardless of your/mine/most here's desire to immediately place political dynamite to same. Boehner's and these R's have now at least accompolished the reversal of the political discussion from one of legislative INCREASES into those of DECREASES spending wise. It will simply take time to reverse this decades old governmental spending buildup. Anyone, such as Michael [whose apparently subversively attempting to label me as a kool-aid RINO etc], is only showing his extreme and apparent lack of braincell matter when it comes to rationally/intelligently discussing the subject [and to whom I reply to simply STICK IT WHERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE AND TWIST IT SIDE WAYS!]!!!!!!!!!!

Mark Shepler| 4.11.11 @ 4:50PM

Well, it may have started out about budgets, cuts and Republican promises but in the end it was about resolve. And I think the Reps failed the test...again.

You can read my full take here at my new blog:
http://www.rightwingmuse.com/

Sorry, I know it's bad form to plug a blog this way but I've posted here for years and really don't want to repeat myself. Too many here think I've done that enough already. :)

dale emde| 4.11.11 @ 5:08PM

So many thinking people writing comments about this column and so many commenters missing the
point that the core of the cancer is the federal reserve system along with the globalists, the big banks around the world along with that insane soros who stated that working for the Nazis along with his father was the best time of his life except when he was destroying the currency of nations.
These are the globalists who are sold on the concept of total control of the world along with thinning the population to a quarter of its present nimber. And here we are, discussing our rediculous government playing the same old games. Get Congress to close the Fed and we may have a chance for survival.

Grzmlyk| 4.11.11 @ 5:37PM

Well, Oldefarte, I hope you are right.

But I really think it's already too late; for one thing, as I say, if the purported recovery actually picks up steam, we'll be right back to our old spendthrifit ways - look at the Gingrich congress of 94; by the time Bush arrived six years later, it was "let's throw open the floodgates" in the name of "compassionate conservatism" once again - as if the principles espoused by the Gringrich congress had been written in sand.

But I don't think we have to worry about a purported recovery - I think the monetization of the debt, the collapse of the dollar and the coup de grace - its supplanting by the Chinese Yuan or a basket of currencies - will transform us into a third-world banana republic with shocking speed.

Time has run out for America as we knew it; and, as you say, this has been a long time coming. It's somewhat fitting, though, that Obama, an alien in many ways to America and its values, has issued the final blow.

Stacey Shoemaker| 4.11.11 @ 6:14PM

could we not get all googly-eyed over Boehner just yet? 38 billion out of a 1.8 trillion deficit, since when is that "historic"? It's nothing. it's sick joke.

Negro X| 4.11.11 @ 6:50PM

He is a weak willed buffoon who was slapped around by Reid and Obama. He grovels at their anus.

idalily| 4.11.11 @ 7:15PM

Reading these comments, I am honestly baffled. What, exactly, should the Speaker have done, given what he had to work with? What did you people think was possible? WE DO NOT HAVE THE SENATE. Seriously, I don't get the condemnation of Boehner. He's been in office three months, dealing with last year's budget, and with a Dem Senate and a Dem White House. I think he got what he could, showed himself to Indies as a reasonable man and a leader and demonstrated Reid to be an idiot and Obama to be an incompetent man-child who couldn't lead baby ducks with popcorn. What more do you want? To get the cutting you want (and what we ultimately need to survive) will require a majority in BOTH houses and the White House. It can't be done right now. Just can't be done. Anyone who thinks it can is fooling themselves.

PCPSmoker| 4.11.11 @ 8:16PM

You are full of shit. A tough negotiator would have force stripping the EPA of its newly acquired powers. Bohner needs to be primaried

NaturalBorn Texican| 4.11.11 @ 8:58PM

For Steve A.....

What money??? Everything I make goes to pay for my 4 walls and other BILLS. Don't have any stocks or bonds, don't have a savings account cause there's nothing left over to put IN a savings account.

I live hand to mouth and run out of money by the middle of the 3rd week in the month. I have forgone going to church each Sunday in an effort to save gas. And the chances of being able to do that in any sembalence of regularity are getting mighty thin. Thank goodness I live close enough to my job that I can walk to work in good weather.

Underpass people????? You have no idea how close we "lower-middle classers" are to being right there along side them!

I am tired of paying for the idiot liberal programs that only make people MORE dependent on the government. The whole idea undercuts my ability to take care of myself and my family.

Dee See| 4.11.11 @ 10:53PM

Boehner's said NOTHING about ILLEGAL fractional reserve banking (the FED)

or our STILL utterly unchallenged, unexposed, unindicted RED China economic TREASON cabal

or our Freemasonic (i.e. Social Darwinist 'benny-violent'
EUEGNICS mongering) 'shadow government' and its
VAST tax free grip on all facets of our society

And nothing whatever definitive on the
matters of

destruction of the dollar

destruction of sovereignty

and, as ever, those 30 MILLION illegals
(unofficial, i.e. REAL, estimate)

"Come out from among them.
Do NOT partake of their sins."

---And do get away from those who FAIL to
address them as well.

REALLY

Frisbee| 4.11.11 @ 10:54PM

Very disappointed. I was hoping for a shutdown. This article is ridiculous.

Michael Tomlinson| 4.11.11 @ 11:40PM

Still Bush spent below Reagan or at least in the areas Reagan would have approved of after 9/11.

For those who disparage what was done they should remember $20+ billion were cut in earlier continuing resolutions. We got the $60 + billlion the GOP was asking for.

While it is easy to complain the reality this is the first small step in a massive overhaul of gov't that will take place if the right doesn't help re-elect Obama as they did in 2008 with all their prattle and often unsubstantiated attacks on the GOP.

Bitching and moaning is easy, but governing takes time and steady nerves. Something the Speaker has in abundance.

Fed Up| 4.12.11 @ 1:04AM

Instead of giving a $38 billion dollar figure, tell us exactly what was ELIMINATED -- forever?

No, this was no victory. This is more abuse of the American citizen.

Look for very significant tax hikes all around in December 2012.

It's almost like the Republicans really don't want to show what a House Majority can do.

After all, who isn't hearing (and getting in your junk mail) GOP calls for "Rally the troops to win in 2012! Take back the US Senate and the White House!"

These appeals for more of YOUR money for their campaign donations (what Congresscrats were doing just 2 weeks ago) fit the GOP strategy of saying we just won't be able to do anything or real budget and decifit control until....

Always tomorrow.

Dump Boehner. He's worthless.

Time for Mike Pence to man up.

I have now banded with others to primary my GOP House freshman over his lack of understanding about all monetary/fiscal issues. He will be a one term chump.

Good riddance.

Johnny H| 4.12.11 @ 4:01PM

It's myopic to think that what took decades to degrade can be refurbished in one congressional session. Sure, we're pissed off and fighting mad about the current state of affairs and want substantial change to happen NOW. But we cannot take our eyes off the goal. The kind of systemic changes needed to bring about solvency require long range strategic planning and an incremental approach. The ancient Chinese proverb states "the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step". Or to put it another way, a radical over-correction behind the wheel when in a skid can be disastrous.
The left has been patient while implementing their strategy for the takeover that's been over forty years in the making. We conservatives must be willing to accept our victories, no matter the size or scope, wherever we can get them, all the while remaining true to the constitution and vigilant in our pursuit of sane fiscal and foreign policy. BTW, Barry...where's that birth certificate again? Why the stonewalling, man?

Creative Recreation | 8.10.11 @ 10:30PM

is good

The American Spectator