I wholeheartedly agree with Debra Saunders explanation of why Americans hate Washington (which appeared in today’s San Francisco Chronicle…let’s hope Speaker Pelosi picks up a copy).
In January, the Senate joined the House in passing “pay-as-you-go” rules to require Congress to pay for new discretionary spending. On Feb. 12, President Obama signed the bill. “Now Congress will have to pay for what it spends, just like everybody else,” Obama crowed. Less than a month later, Obama and fellow Democrats are busily demonizing a lone senator for pushing Washington to spend responsibly. It seems this administration is all for fiscal restraint — as long as you don’t mean it.
The story began last week when Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., blocked Senate passage of a bill to extend one month unemployment and COBRA health insurance benefits, and other spending, because it did not comply with PAYGO. As the Baseball Hall-of-Famer explained, “When 100 senators are for a bill, and we can’t find $10 billion to pay for it, there’s something the matter, seriously the matter, with this body.” For that, he is Satan.
Americans are going to catch on to this game come election time. The list of disappointments continues–Rep. Charlie Rangel’s corruption, Governor Paterson’s alleged strong-arming of an abused woman, and House and Senate leaders unable to practice even a small measure of fiscal restraint. The pay-as-you-go charade is just another attempt by Democrats to fool the American public. It won’t go unnoticed by voters come November.