The House Passes The Budget, 332-94

The budget deal crafted by Paul Ryan and Democrat Senator Patty Murray passed the house with both parties split on the matter.Republicans were split 169-62, while Democrats divided themselves 163-32.

Oddly enough, many Tea Party conservatives were joined in voting no by a number of far Left Democrats, who were upset because they felt the deal didn't create enough new spending, and was not tied to an extension of emergency unemployment insurance aid, set to expire before the end of the year.

In the end,party leadership in both parties shoved this through, with as Ryan counseled “not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good,” and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., telling Democrats to “embrace the suck” of the agreement.

I think I've already been pretty clear about what I think of this budget deal...I think it stinks to high heaven. It allows a large increase more discretionary spending now in exchange for a paltry $23 billion in cuts much later...maybe.

I especially like what David Stockman, President Reagan's former budget director had to say about this nonsense:



The political rationale for the GOP in crafting our first budget in five years is that they want to avoid a government shutdown becoming the main topic of conversation rather than the failure of ObamaCare. I reject that utterly... first of all because it says implicitly that there isn't a Republican in the house or senate capable of explaining to the American people what kind of road to ruin we're on, and why they threat of a shutdown is necessary to make President Obama and his party institute some kind of fiscal sanity, and second because ObamaCare is going to continue to be the gift that keeps on giving as employer offered plans are targeted starting January 2014.

 Even if that wasn't true, it is no excuse for congressmen and congresswomen to totally abandon their responsibility because of what the consultant class is telling them. They are, after all, there to govern. Here, by the way are the names of those in the house who voted against this, with the Republicans in the non-italicized print.

I have no idea at this point what to make of Paul Ryan. He's obviously a smart guy, but what are we to make of someone who claims to champion fiscal responsibility on the one hand while endorsing budget busting amnesty for illegal aliens on the other?

As for John Boehner and the rest of the GOP leadership, the sooner they're gone, the better.