WP: House GOP Leaders Set to Cut Spending (Delay ridiculed? yes!)

[Pirate Smile]

House GOP Leaders Set to Cut Spending
Leadership Shake-Up Spurred Policy Shift

By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 17, 2005; Page A01

House Republican leaders have moved from balking at big cuts in Medicaid and other programs to embracing them, driven by pent-up anger from fiscal conservatives concerned about runaway spending and the leadership's own weakening hold on power.

Beginning this week, the House GOP lawmakers will take steps to cut as much as $50 billion from the fiscal 2006 budget for health care for the poor, food stamps and farm supports, as well as considering across-the-board cuts in other programs. Only last month, then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) and other GOP leaders quashed demands within their party for budget cuts to pay for the soaring cost of hurricane relief.

-snip-
But faced with a revolt among many conservatives sharply critical of him for resisting spending cuts, DeLay three weeks later told a closed meeting of the House Republican Conference, "I failed you," according to a number of House members and GOP aides. Then, in a nod to the most hard-core conservatives, DeLay volunteered, "You guys filled a void in the leadership."
The abrupt shift reflects a changed political dynamic in the House in which a faction of fiscal conservatives -- known as the Republican Study Committee, or RSC -- has gained the upper hand because of DeLay's criminal indictment in Texas, widespread criticism of the Republicans' handling of Hurricane Katrina, and uncertainty over the future of the leadership, according to lawmakers and aides.

-snip-
"The appeals appeared only to harden the conservatives' resolve. And DeLay, for so long a symbol of conservative power, found himself an object of ridicule. One member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Republicans joked that one of the cuts could not be the president's proposed mission to Mars, because DeLay was already up there."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/16/AR2005101601055.html

The article is also about the shifting of the power within the House GOP - away from Delay and towards the fiscal conservatives who really don't like "hot tub" Tom.

[tinrobot]

1. Maybe they should cut the Halliburton free ride first...

Just sayin'

[Pirate Smile]

3. Oh, no way! They have to take food out of the mouths of babies first.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

2. Somehow that sentance just does not read

right to me...

we have House?

GOP?

Leaders?

and set to cut spending?

in the same thought?

yeah.

uh huh.

[niallmac]

4. This is soooo SOP for the GOP.

Cause a financial crises and take it out on the poor.
I am sorry I ever try to find common ground with a repuke or
think there are decent ones out there.

Cut back the tax breaks for the rich yeah?? HELL NO!
Take one extra pint of blood from the
poor.

:grr: :banghead:

[wellst0nev0ter]

5. Heheh, Burn, Baby, Burn

They've only embraced red-ink repukism because the last time they tried to pare down entitlement programs cost them votes and house seats. It's good to see some infighting in the other party for once.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. "health care for the poor, food stamps and farm supports"

And then we can rename all the little Hoovervilles after Dumbyass.

Rethuglican pricks. :grr:

[ninkasi]

17. Some values,right?

The Republicans, who hold themselves up as being the party which cherishes "values" and decency, shows what values they have. Shelling out money as soon as it's printed, and just giving it to the rich without the bother of having money circulate through the economy.

The poor, the hungry, the needy? They can't contribute to the politicians reelection campaigns, or fork over huge bribes, so they get screwed. "Compassionate Conservatism" at it's finest. But at least gays can't get married, so it must be worth it to some people.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

20. I wonder how many farmers voted for the assholes?

Does it seem like the voice of "conservative" America is quieter these days?

The rethuglicans I know are still quick to profess their party loyalty, but oddly enough, they don't seem to be singing anyone's praises...except for Jesus, of course. And that's kind of funny, because I'm thinking Jesus would be pretty pissed about all this.

[existentialist]

7. or, maybe

they really should send DeLay to Mars. (no particular need to bring him back).

[expatriot]

8. this is good news? i would have liked this version better....

With Tom Delay indicted and House Republcians nervous about anti-GOP sentiment sweeping the nation in front of next year's mid-term election, the united, aggressive GOP agenda that has defined the last 11 years of their majority is in disarray with no stomach to continue to be the President's rubber stamp.

[DLnyc]

9. OMG I am so relieved! Thank GOD they're not reinstating the estate tax,

or the dividend tax, or raising the capital gains tax, or rolling back the tax cuts on the top 1 percent (who make something like 10% of the income).

Man, if they did that, people would really SUFFER!

[depakid]

10. Fiscal conservatives! LOL!

No such thing!

These folks would gladly blow 4 billion a month in Iraq, chop taxes to the point where we're paying more in interst on the national debt than we'd ever get back in the wildest supply side scenario, and they're always happy to deplete the treasury for no bid contracts- or pass legislation for whatever group promises to pad thier coffers the most.... no matter how much it costs.

They're even poised to give the Pentagon a ton more money than they requested for R&D in the next budget!

The fact that the Post even calls them "fiscal conservatives" shows that its nothing more than a propaganda mill for the far right- dishonest and without one shred of integrity.

Pravda on the Potomac- no better or worse that the old Soviet "news."

[MiniMe]

11. Great, just great. I bet they are glad they waited until it started to....

get cold before they made these cuts. Just when home heating and gas costs are skyrocketing. Lets see how many poor people and elderly they can get rid of by freezing them to death. What does it take for people to realize how evil these people are?

[atommom]

12. kick!

[watrwefitinfor]

13. Kick.

Also, I have cross-posted with a link to this page here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5080630

Wat

[Coastie for Truth]

14. Most of these GOP members

are steeped in one side of the history of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and the famed Louisiana Senator (and Confederate Secretary of State and AG), from the "Garden District" of New orleans, Judah Phillip Benjamin.

There were also taxation, customs duties, industrial development, and harbor improvements issues that led up to Fort Sumter.

[UpInArms]

15. These freaks need to look at the spending on the idiot's wars

:argh:

[Beetwasher]

16. Vile Scum, There Is No Lower Form Of Life

"...the House GOP lawmakers will take steps to cut as much as $50 billion from the fiscal 2006 budget for health care for the poor, food stamps and farm supports, as well as considering across-the-board cuts in other programs."

[Javaman]

18. pull out of iraq and cut the military budget in half....

we would still have the largest military and still be able to reign in morons* spending. But alas I dream.

[lovuian]

19. Delay's downfall!!!

Now they are making jokes about it!!!

[Demeter]

21. Cut the War! Cut the GD War!

And the whole deficit collapses. What idiots!