The Enemy Within?
From a nondescript WSJ email newsletter ....
During the 40 years they controlled the House, Democrats had no trouble changing the rules governing passage of the federal budget whenever it helped helped to further their policy agenda of bigger and more expensive government. When the GOP took over in 1994, it was reasonable to hope Republicans would tweak the rules in a new direction. The fact that, ten years later, House Republicans still can't seem to muster enough votes for even basic budget reform calls into question whether they were ever really interested in pursuing a smaller government.Early Friday morning, the House defeated a bill backed by President Bush that would have placed stringent caps on the one-third of federal spending that Congress controls directly. Under the proposed caps, any new "discretionary" spending could only have been enacted by implementing offsetting cuts in other programs. The bill failed by 268 to 146, with all Democrats and one-third of Republicans voting against it. House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle, an Iowa Republican who supported the caps, put a brave face on the debacle. "Why did we go through this then?" he said. "We've got to start this discussion."
Apparently that's all House Republicans are willing to do. During yesterday's floor debate they were taunted by House Democrats for their inability to change the budget rules. "Republicans control the House. Republicans control the Senate. Republicans control the White House. The only thing Republicans cannot control is spending," said Rep. Charles Stenholm of Texas.
Ouch. The truth hurts, and it's past time that the party faithful back home let House Republicans know that they're starting to resemble the crowd they said they came to Washington to replace.
I have nothing to add to what the fine Congressman from Abiline has previously stated.