Learning the hard way

After a year of tough talk from the Democrats, and getting steadily pounded by the Republican minority and the President on Iraq (Gateway Pundit link) and on spending, the Democrats have finally decided maybe a little soft shoe instead of a mosh pit is more appropriate, according to the Wall Street Journal’s David Rogers;

Down in the polls, House Democrats are showing a little more finesse as they try to move their legislative agenda around the wall of veto threats thrown up by President Bush.

Cute is out; conciliation is in. Late-night talks with Republican moderates intensified last week on the Democrats’ signature health-care initiative — extending coverage to millions of working class children. Staff negotiations continued during the holiday weekend, and Georgia Rep. Nathan Deal, a Democrat-turned-Republican with expertise on health and welfare issues, has been invited in by both sides as a broker.

Despite this, the Washington Post is hoping for more insanity from the Democrats;

By signing a military spending bill with a sizeable increase while rejecting a domestic spending bill with a smaller one, Bush set the stage for a bruising battle with Congress over national goals. Democrats immediately denounced him for readily agreeing to spend money on the military while resisting what they call needed investments in programs at home. Bush called it a matter of setting priorities in a time of war.

“The majority was elected on a pledge of fiscal responsibility, but so far it’s acting like a teenager with a new credit card,” Bush said in his speech here. “This year alone, the leadership in Congress has proposed to spend $22 billion more than my budget provides. Now, some of them claim that’s not really much of a difference. The scary part is they seem to mean it.”

The Post fails to mention, while fanning the flames, that Democrats were really being irresponsible with over 2000 earmarks according to the New York Times (h/t Blue Crab Boulevard);

But Dana Perino, the White House spokeswoman, said that the vetoed measure exceeded the president’s fiscal target by $10 billion and included 2,000 earmarks, the special projects that lawmakers regularly vow to rein in.

“We call on Congress to take out the pork and reduce the overall spending levels and return it to the president,” Ms. Perino told reporters traveling with Bush on Air Force One, according to a transcript released by the White House.

But, the Democrats are having a hard time changing their hyperbolic habits;

But Ms. Pelosi called the vetoed measure “a bipartisan and fiscally responsible bill that addresses the priorities of the American people,” from cancer research to veterans health care. “At the same time,” she said, “President Bush and his Congressional allies demand hundreds of billions of dollars for the war in Iraq — none of it paid for.”

“Democrats have offered to work cooperatively with the president to address the priorities of our nation; we believe our differences are not so great that compromise cannot be reached,” Ms. Pelosi said. “But the president must work with us finding common ground.”

From the Post story comes this statement from Jabba the Kennedy;

“With today’s veto, the president has shown once again how out of touch and out of step he is with the values of America’s families,” he said. “Cancer research, investments in our schools, job training, protecting workers, and many other urgent priorities have all fallen victim to a president who squanders billions of dollars in Iraq but is unwilling to invest in America’s future.”  

But the Bush Administration shot back (Washington Times’ John Ward);

The president “will call on Congress to take out the pork and reduce the overall spending level and return it to him quickly,” Mrs. Perino said.

Mr. Bush, who has made criticizing the Democratic budget one of his primary offensive weapons in recent months, ratcheted up the rhetoric this afternoon in a speech to a business group in New Albany, Ind.

The president said that Democrats were “elected on a pledge of fiscal responsibility,” but that since taking control of Congress they have looked to increase spending by $22 billion this year and raise taxes at every opportunity.

Ed Morrisey says;

The only people playing politics here are the Representatives and Senators that treat the Treasury as their re-election funds. Obey, Rangel, Don Young, Ted Stevens, and their porker colleagues provide themselves with lifetime sinecures through the earmarking process, jacking up the cost of government — and doing it all on our dime.

While their popularity falls to historic lows, they still try to feather their nests with our money.

Category: Politics