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Ear to the Ground

Bush Flags Down Balanced Budget Bandwagon

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Posted on Jan 4, 2007

The same George W. Bush who presided over record deficits and never vetoed a spending bill made an effort on Wednesday to co-opt the Democrats’ goal of balancing the budget by 2012. Exactly how he’ll reconcile that aim with making his tax cuts permanent remains a mystery, although Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., has an idea: “Talk is cheap.”


Washington Post:

The president’s announcements were greeted by Democrats as “me-tooism,” as one senior leadership aide put it, that closely tracked goals outlined by the new majority. The incoming House and Senate budget committee chairmen have set 2012 as a target for balancing the budget, and the incoming House and Senate appropriations chairmen have decided to freeze earmarks this year and introduce further restrictions on such spending items, which are often called pork.

In trying to adopt such ambitions as his own, Bush hopes to regain the initiative after his party lost Congress in November and to counter his reputation as a president who took a budget surplus and turned it into record deficits, analysts said. Bush has never proposed a balanced budget since it went into deficit, never vetoed a spending bill when Republicans controlled Congress and offered little sustained objection to earmarks until the issue gained political traction last year.

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By Will Bush "produce results or just words"?, January 6, 2007 at 5:09 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Now Bush since I know the “boys” give YOU the posts from here…...make YOUR no child left behind really come TRUE.  Further, it will get placed in the “accomplished column”! God knows YOU need to add to that side of the equation.

Teddy is seeing YOU on Monday, give him the money to fund the “great idea” 60 Million just the min.!

You see it is very hard to “tax” the cows, pigs and sheep in any town without a tax base. I know I tried.  All I received was animal squeals and strange looks. So in the rural areas they NEED extra HELP!

And remember those middle class little people (you know the VOTERS you tossed out the window over the past 5 years) we can’t afford big tax bills either.

Our science books have “mold” growing off of them since 1997. Our Science labs are done at home as the school can’t supply the NEEDED supplies.

Our teachers with masters are paid 30,000 a year.

Per child spending is 10th from the bottom in the state. Our supplies bought every year is ranked under 10th in the state.

Our schools don’t even have enough “books” for every child. And for state writing demands and exams ( oh yeah the new sat writing prompts are here) we don’t even have the NEEDED books. Might YOU have a penny or 2.

And yes to really “produce” each and EVERY school NEEDS a qualified curriculmun mapping director!  This should be a FEDERAL standard for each and every subject. Most schools write it down, but it is so “broad”, that it is irrevelant. We have 1 employeed for 8 schools.  Leaving high volume of wiggle room for teachers NOT to perform, literally.

This is the number one problem in most schools today.

So I’ll be waiting for the check to hit our school doors, if YOU want to “produce results”!

Sincerely,
Concerned Mother

who is also an “educated VOTER”!

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By B, January 5, 2007 at 1:42 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

When 2 + 2 = 5 we will have a balanced budget.

B

http://b-political.blogspot.com/

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By Montie Shields USAF RET., January 4, 2007 at 8:31 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Something that would go a long way in helping to
balance the budget, would be to make Halburton
repay all of the ILLEGAL money they have CHEATED
the American Tax Payers out of. Plus make them
pay a substantial fine.

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By Ion C. Laskaris, January 4, 2007 at 6:14 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

This illegal president is as cunning and evil as his entire Fascist/Republican party scum ruling in Washington most of the last 40 years. Too many Democrats like Liebermouth of Connecticut are closet capitalist Republicans as well. It is clear they will buckle at every turn and give way to this viscious administration - especially the
U.S. Senate with the illusory margin of 51 to 49.

And the House, with its majority of 30+ has no convictions of its own to create government for the people. Butch the Second’s reported remarks tonight about this being “no time for politics”
only means he intends to have everything his way for his last 2 years. This means the Rich and their Korporations will prevail until they have completely looted this nation, and left its weak and foolish people in fear,poverty and slavish submission for good. Ecce Homo!

Ion C. Laskaris, Burlington,Vt. + iclrevusa.com

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By HeadlessHessian, January 4, 2007 at 3:29 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

He is no longer credible.  He has lied too much!  So now in the face of a nation against him, in the face of his failed foreign (not just Iraq) policy, in the face of national outrage, in the face of all of his failings….he wants to have a legacy.  Well as old folks (like me) are used to saying “You made your bed, now you sleep in it”.  Mr. Shrub, your legacy is that of an incompetant, corrupt, idiot.  That lead this good nation into ruins from which we must now rebuild.  You will not be judged 30 years from now, as Gerald Ford was, a good president.  You are an incompetant liar.  You ruined this good country.  That, Mr. President, is your legacy!

Headless

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By a voice from the wilderness, January 4, 2007 at 3:11 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

There’s only one possible way to balance the budget by 2012, while simultaneously increasing military spending (to enlarge the force and fund all the repairs and replacements to equipment damaged and destroyed in Iraq and Afghanistan) and making the tax cuts permanent.  The only way is to eliminate virtually all other spending—Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, federal funds for research and development, education, block grants to the cities and states, foreign aid, etc.  In other words, eliminate all non-military and non-law enforcement spending.  That’s the bottom line of W’s agenda.  It’s the culmination of his attempt to reduce the size of government to the point where it can be “drowned in a bathtub.”  And if the federal revenues aren’t large enough to support his dream police state, just raise taxes on the middle class.

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By felicity, January 4, 2007 at 3:07 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

COME ON.  THIS IS GETTING BEYOND RIDICULOUS!!!

With a salute to hyperbole, how about a mass murderer alive and well in your neighborhood and the police declare that they can’t arrest him - no reason - he’s just unarrestable.  They go on to tell the neighborhood that, afterall, two years hence he’ll drop dead so in the meantime get a life and forget about it.

That’s what Congress, backed by media megaphones, is telling the American people.  Live with it.

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By Quy Tran, January 4, 2007 at 11:40 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

GWB can balance budget by handling much much more tax payers dollars to the savings named Halliburton. Nobody would have its key except Cheney.

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By John C. Bonser, January 4, 2007 at 11:01 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

The Bush Administration has used PR to convince us that it can govern. Why in the world it took the voters of this country six years to realize that our “emperor” either had no clothes or was a pathetic “empty suit” is beyond my comprehension.

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By suziq, January 4, 2007 at 10:57 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

The hypocrisy level in DC is suffocating.  Hope the incoming congress has plenty of hip-boots.  Does anyone in the White House remember what they said in ‘06? In ‘05? In ‘04? In ‘03? In ‘02? In ‘01?  It turns out BushCo has been playing ‘opposite day’ in every speech - whatever they tell the public they are doing, they are actually doing the opposite.  Last time I played that game I was 7 years old.  We really need maturity and honesty in politics!!  OH - silly me - I forgot we are dealing with men in power…

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By G. Anderson, January 4, 2007 at 10:50 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Of course, at this point it’s obvious that Mr. Bush cannot connect the dots, of his actions with their consequences.

Obviously that’s because he hasn’t as yet suffered any consequences, and this has helped him hold on to his delusions.

I hope the new congress will change that.

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By Rodney Matthews, January 4, 2007 at 10:49 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

A man who spent the last six years financially and morally bancrupting this country now wants a balanced budget. Who believes him? He doesn’t have a shred of credibility. The only good thing Bush and Cheney can do for this country is to leave office, either through resignation or impeachment.

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By DennisD, January 4, 2007 at 8:19 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

The above article should read “Bu$h co-opts Democrats plans for a balanced budget by 2112”. That’s a little more realistic.

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