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Another Perspective
Ryan the Prudent
Hitting the reset button on the budget.
(Page 2 of 2)
Ryan’s idea is the best one available to the GOP in the present circumstances.
“Our goal is to make sure our members understand all the deadlines that are coming, all the consequences of those deadlines that are coming, in order so that we can make a better-informed decision about how to move, how to proceed,” said Ryan.
“Out of that we hope to achieve consensus on a plan to proceed so that we can make progress on controlling spending and deficits and debt,” he said.
“We also have to recognize the realities of the divided government that we have,” Ryan said.
That is a great example of Midwestern understatement. The President, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid haven’t the slightest interest in controlling spending, deficits, debt, and cascading entitlement obligations. If this continues to be the case, the likely outcome is that the debt ceiling is raised, sequestration works the Congress’s will on the entire discretionary budget (domestic and defense), but entitlements are left untouched by reform or rational restructuring. Don’t even think about tax reform.
Elections, as they say, have consequences. We are living with them now.
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 (17) | Leave a comment
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Jack in Wi| 1.21.13 @ 6:36AM
Whateveer the problem Ryan isn't the solution. He had his chance to make his mark, in previous Congress'. He brought nothing to the ticket in the last election. The solution is quite simple. slash spending which must originate in the House. A good start would be to close down the Afganistan war now, instead of waiting for Obama to do it. Slash all foreign aid to everyone period, a hugely popular move. The vast majority goes to criminals an kletocrats. Our policy since 2001 has been to use a shotgun approach toward terrorists instead of a rifle. The domestic budget is loaded with lard. Lets put forth some principled cuts that really do cut waste. Fat chance of that with leaders like Boehner, Ryan, and Cantor? This bunch is stumbling around while all we believe in is being destroyed.
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 1.21.13 @ 6:47AM
While Ryan is making his case to his fellow Republicans, once again I believe they need to make a salient case for what they believe to the public.
It will never happen in the media so what few opportunities they get should not be squandered.
The leadership, including Boehner, need a boot camp in media relations and public speaking. That would include Ryan.
What I observed of him during the campaign led me to believe he might have a message but he quaffled and equivocated with the best of them.
The medium is the message. Read some McLuhan and study it. If you want an army to win, you invest in some training. Meanwhile, ponder this:
From Wikipedia:
The main concept of McLuhan's argument (later elaborated upon in The Medium is the Massage) is that new technologies (like alphabets, printing presses, and even speech itself) exert a gravitational effect on cognition, which in turn affects social organization
Jacob McCandles| 1.21.13 @ 8:28AM
Our fiscal problems are so bad that, in my opinion, only extreme measures will avoid bankrupcy. So if there is talk of compromise and working together with democrats, we will not fix this. If we don't fix this, we will see some very rough times ahead, probably shortly after our next credit downgrade. If I were Boehner and Ryan and the rest of the bunch, I'd sit this stuff out and let it happen now. Hold a huge press conference stating that this is Obama and Reid's show. After all, that's what YOU the voters wanted. So you will get it soon. If it must happen, why not during Obama's tenure??
rightasrain| 1.21.13 @ 9:58AM
Raising the debt ceiling is only an exercise in self-immolation because we have allowed liberal hysteria to make reaching the debt ceiling synonymous with Armageddon. But since no Republican, including Paul Ryan, has the charisma to get the message out that we could easily survive not raising the debt ceiling (getting rid of some of the 50k federal workers added during the recession would be a definite plus), a debt ceiling increase is inevitable.
loulou| 1.21.13 @ 8:52PM
More importantly the Republicans lack ballz. Having ballz would get them lots of charisma.
mitch| 1.21.13 @ 10:25AM
For smart college educated politicans, they are some of the dumbest people, to do a 3 month extension and lump everything together because they believe Reid and Obama will then come to the table to discuss cuts, haven't they seem in his first term that this guy isn't going to bend on anything. Look on how in the last debt limit that they were close to a deal and Obama moved the goal posts for more taxes, the fiscal cliff he moved for more taxes and got it with more spending. Trump is right on one thing, these republicans are the worse negotiators, they need to quit this trying to work together and make deals, the only deal Obama is going to make, is his way, republicans get some guts, cut spending big time. Everyone says you can't make big cuts, will hurt the economy, it's already hurt and one major point you won't hear, that Obama's stimulus from 2009 is built into the base budget every year, cut that alone and your only a few hundred million away from a balance budget. What we have is a bunch of Sad Sacks as republican leaders.
Pecos Pete| 1.21.13 @ 11:16AM
Spending will increase. The debt ceiling will be increased by at least $2 trillion. The Senate will not pass a budget. The government will not be shut down. The Constitution will be ignored. And so it will be for at least the next 4 years.
cicero| 1.21.13 @ 1:50PM
Raise the debt ceiling so that they can negotiate spending cuts in March? What makes these guys think that the Dems, and O will negotiate in March. This is all an exercise in wishful thinking. In order to have meaningful negotiations, there must be good faith on both sides. That is clearly lacking. Obama has already told the worrld that he does not see a spending problem. For him, spending is never a problem. His entire purpose was to overwhelm the system, cause a systemic shutdown,. and emerge from the resultant chaos in a position to offer the fools a leader - him and his friends. In the meantime, all of this spending is benefiting him and his friends, who are reaping millions from the governments "investments".
Just this morning, O remarked that he was going to do more to solve the problem of "climate change". More "green" projects. If the Repubs are serious, they have to throw down the gauntlet now, and fight doggedly for the next 4 years. This last election should have shown them that waiting until more people are in the handout line will not bring them victory at the pols. Of course, if they are not serious, they can just keep on kicking the can down the road, wait for their pensions to be available, and go home telling everyone that it wasn't their fault.
CJW| 1.21.13 @ 3:41PM
Agree. The Reps should oppose every Obama proposal. Make him and the Dems work for every proposal. O is lazy, not respected by his fellow Dems, and they may not support him as much as the first term. He is a lame duck, and the Dems will all be looking to 2016.
fmm| 1.21.13 @ 2:10PM
Commenters on AM Spec have more knowledge, common sense, and fortitude than the entire US congress.
Purp| 1.21.13 @ 3:46PM
Ryan caved, pure and simple. No guts. No principles. Nothing. Just self-interest.
Thank God he didn't win.
Rhoetus| 1.21.13 @ 8:12PM
It's not possible to avoid bankruptcy due to the demographics of our population combined with the unfunded liabilities of public pensions, social security, medicare and all the public debt at all levels of government.
Our only hope is to reduce spending, stop being the worlds policeman, drastically reduce the tax burden and go to a tax system that treats every one equal such as a national sales tax. We must change public policy to one that promotes wealth creation. We must discourage receiving any government welfare as a lifestyle choice.
Mike G| 1.21.13 @ 8:21PM
"When discussing budget-cutting or tax reform, they are on offense."
No doubt their tactics are offensive, but when their offensive plan is "run, run,pass, punt" that's not much offense. Mr. Mehan, this statement needs some explanation!
nathan| 1.21.13 @ 9:50PM
Once again, Ryan voted for and supported Plan D which added oh just a measly 2 trillion to the debt. I don't care what his explanation/excuse is, he VOTED FOR IT. (Newt lobbied for it by the way.) At this point anyone who voted for/supported/lobbied for Plan D loses ALL REPEAT ALL credibility here. He needs to sit down shut up. His "solution" was to kick the can down the road about what 3 decades? He lacked the courage last year to tell the baby boomers the hard facts. That the New Deal/Great Society entitlements that they had become addicted to would have to dealt with during THEIR life times, not deferred to the follow on generation. By the time the baby boomers die off and cease to be a voting block that no one wants to offend, it's way too late. It's too late now actually. It was too late now when RR was president.
So can Ryan just occupy his seat, vote "present" and shut up? Thank you.
hrgfue | 1.21.13 @ 10:11PM
2013 Happy New Year,NFL,NBA
Tumbleweed| 1.22.13 @ 4:55PM
Prudent is a good thing. Don't back down!
Ralph Novy| 1.22.13 @ 6:44PM
"He proposed this short-term extension of the debt ceiling limit in order to align the discussion of that matter with those relating to the upcoming sequestration and the regular budget process coming in March."
Ha ha.
A fancy-schmancy way of saying "He proposed agreeing to a short-term extension in the hope of regaining leverage -- maybe even the upper hand -- down the road."
"Prudent," nothing! I'd describe his fixation with debt-reduction to be more "prurient."
And what's the role that honesty might play in "prudence"? It seems to me you're making Aquinas far more a "utilitarian" (in a pejorative sense) than he was -- and attempting to exculpate Ryan for his dishonesty in the bargain.
Not buying it.