Democratic budget
As Democrats eagerly await their November election landslide, voters got an early glimpse of what they can expect next year if the party of big government controls the White House and Congress.
By a vote of 214-210, the House on Thursday passed a budget blueprint that pushes total spending on government agencies above $1 trillion -- yes, that's a "t," folks -- for the first time in the nation's history.
The budget includes a major tax hike -- it assumes many of the Bush tax cuts will not be renewed -- and would allow the alternative minimum tax to hammer millions of middle-class taxpayers.
The proposal also does absolutely nothing to address the soaring costs of federal entitlements, which threaten to eventually bankrupt the country.
Nonetheless, Democrats were patting themselves on the back for having passed a budget plan during an election year -- something Republicans had trouble doing when they controlled the House. Not that it really matters. Given that the president has threatened to veto most of the Democratic spending measures, Congress is unlikely to send specific appropriations bills to the White House until after the November election.
House Republicans lambasted the Democratic budget. But where were they when they were in the majority and only paid lip service to fiscal responsibility?
The GOP deserves what it gets this fall, but if you think a President Obama paired with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid represent a move toward budget discipline, we've got a time share in North Dakota you might like.
