Despite the title of this screed, let's first give credit where credit is due: President Barack Obama should be commended for going against every liberal instinct he has and at least trying to find some cuts in the massive $3.54 trillion 2010 budget he and his fellow democrats jammed through Congress.
On the other hand, Republicans should be forgiven for making a mockery of it. At first blush, the paltry sum of $17 billion in the face of so much money is rather laughable. Especially when you consider that most of the money comes from things like defunct or obsolete defense programs, which under normal budgetary circumstances wouldn't be counted in the budget process at all. Under normal circumstances, they'd be regarded merely as housekeeping items.
But, alas, these are not normal times. We live in a world of pre-packaged news stories and public relations campaigns more distorted than a hall of mirrors. Only in Washington could a politician clean dishes, and then convince America he had remodeled the kitchen.
All told, the cuts amount to about $17 billion, which in Washington dollars isn't very much. What's particularly distressing to conservatives is the fanfare with which the president announced the otherwise innocuous savings. If he's willing to hold a press conference to draw attention to housekeeping items, what does that imply about his commitment to cutting government costs? More despairing is whether these cuts are the extent of it.
For now, let's hope Obama's federal spending spree is behind us and his sudden flash of fiscal restraint continues.
But let's not hold our breath.
Comments