Obama Budget Brings “Cake” Republicans Into Focus

“They’ve found a way to have their cake and vote against it, too.”

This is how President Obama described Republican criticism of many of his legislative proposals even as GOP lawmakers either took credit for the benefits of bills they voted against or, as in the case of the president’s budget for 2011, rail against “reckless” spending increases but issue statements complaining about cuts the White House has mandated for programs affecting their constituents.

Obama’s budget has unleashes a torrent of condemnation from congressional Republicans angered over it’s nearly $4billion price tag and a projected deficit topping a trillion dollars for at least the immediate future. But behind the public calls for fiscal restraint are complaints from some of the same lawmakers about cuts the administration has made that could affect their home states and constituents.

Republican lawmakers continue to bash President Obama’s budget for failing to effectively control spending and adding to the nation’s long-term debt.

But many of the same lawmakers are complaining about the spending cuts that affect their own communities, often aiming those comments at their constituents back home.

Sen. Christopher S. Bond (R-Mo.), for example, lashed out at Obama for “the same old big government budget that will spend too much, borrow too much, and tax too much.” He said: “I’m feeling a lot like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day.”

But at the same time, Bond issued a statement criticizing Obama’s proposed cuts in the military’s C-17 aircraft program — cuts that happen to affect thousands of jobs in Missouri.

“Despite the need for the proven, on-time, and on-budget workhorse, the President once again wants to shut down our nation’s only large airlift line in production,” Bond said in a statement.

Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), called Obama’s budget “another massive budget filled with even more spending than last year’s record totals.”

But in the Lexington Herald-Leader back home, a McConnell spokesman made it clear that the senator opposes Obama’s proposal to slash coal subsidies by $2.3 billion over 10 years as part of his climate change legislation.

“Senator McConnell opposes both the president’s proposed new national energy tax and the tax on coal included in his budget outline unveiled today,’ spokesman Robert Steurer said in the paper. “Both would hurt Kentucky families who are dependent on coal for their livelihood.”

Sphere: Related Content

---

Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically each day to your feed reader.

Political Buzz | Powered by WordPress | ElegantBlue is a custom theme by Nathan Rice