Hugh Hewitt on the Budget

http://www.futureofcapitalism.com/2011/07/hugh-hewitt-on-the-budget

Hugh Hewitt's advice for Republicans on the budget battle:

the House GOP needs to adopt and repeat --again and again and again-- a clear, simple and powerful message, specifically: "Mr. President, send us a list of non-defense cuts to federal spending. We will enact them all, and raise the debt ceiling for every dollar of spending we cut."

That's what is needed, a list of spending cuts from the president.

"Meetings are not necessary or even useful," the GOP must say --again, and again, and again. "What we need is the president's list."

Once articulated all the GOP need do is send out Speaker Boehner, Leader Cantor or Whip Kevin McCarthy on the hour to remind people that the president hasn't sent his list yet and thus the debt ceiling is closer and any crisis that looms belongs to the president.

To my mind this cedes to the president a bit much of the House's constitutional power to originate spending. And Mr. Obama would doubtless send a list, not of spending cuts, but rather of reductions in tax expenditures that would look suspiciously more like tax increases than like spending cuts. And while I don't think defense should bear most of the burden, neither do I think it should be immune (I know, it's already been cut). But with those caveats, it's an intriguing proposal.

by Editor  |  Jul 12, 2011 at 10:31 am Related Topics:  Politics, President Obama receive the latest by email: subscribe to the free futureofcapitalism.com mailing list