Let's Make A (Bad) Deal

The FY 2011 budget deal that Congress reached to keep the Government open illustrates the relative strength of the teahadist core of the Rethuglican Party, and the relative weakness of the Dems. The $38 billion in cuts is the largest in history, and was taken almost exclusively out of domestic discretionary spending. Since we are past the mid-point in FY 2011, the $38 billion for the remainder of the year annualizes to $76 billion, not far from the original teahadist demand of $100 billion. No special interest tax loopholes were plugged, no sacrifices made by the top income bracket in this whole process.

One bright note: the Rethuglicans failed in their drive to defund Planned Parenthood and thousands of other clinics providing health services for women. Contrary to the misinformation spread by the Rethugs -- and repeated by lazy dopes in the media -- no Federal funds would have gone to abortion services. What the Rethuglican Taliban apparently objects to is that birth control is provided to poor and working women through these clinics (along with breast exams, cancer screenings, and treatment for STDs). Birth control flies in the face of their "abstinence" nonsense, and they dug in their heels. If they had prevailed, some 2 million women could have been faced with unwanted pregnancies, and past trends indicate that as many as 800,000 could have chosen abortion. So we ask, "Why do the teahadist Rethugs want to promote abortion?"

Time for Moderates to Speak Up

With the clock ticking on the fate of the 2011 budget (the White House says Obama will veto any further stopgap measure, calling it a "distraction"), E.J. Dionne says it's time for budget moderates to get off the fence and call out the radicalism of the Rethug/ Lyin' Ryan budget proposal. Let's dispense with the notion being flogged by the "mainstream" media and Villagers that Ryan's proposal is a "courageous" step toward addressing the deficit. Our favorite line:

"There is nothing courageous about [the Rethugs] asking for give-backs from the least advantaged and least powerful in our society."

Update: John Cole has a marvelous rendering of Lyin' Ryan's budget philosophy and the reaction of the credulous dimbulbs in the media.