Frist memo defends U.S. spending spree

[sabra]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/?feed=TopNews&article=UPI-1-20051024-11110400-bc-us-budget.xml

Frist memo defends U.S. spending spree

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is circulating a memo that defends sharp increases in government spending, which he attributes to the war on terror.

The memo concedes there has been "unnecessary and wasteful spending" in the past five years by the Republican Congress, but says "In a $2.5 trillion budget how could there not be?"

...

Costs for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have surpassed $290 billion, while Katrina, "the worst natural disaster in this country's history," has cost $71 billion.

...

Brian Riedl, chief budget analyst at the Heritage Foundation, said the memo showed "that congressional leaders still do not grasp the depth and consequences of their historic spending spree."

[swag]

1. Cue giant sucking sound of fiscal conservatives defecting to Libertaria

[Bob3]

2. yes but even giving them that point - there was no justification

for keeping the tax cuts - which they did. And that was where the madness lives.

[Supersedeas]

3. How could there not be - a concession of incompetence - A problem too

big for a man of his statute to content with?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Of course Frist feels like free spender: made a huge profit on stock sale.

[DBoon]

5. Why not spend government money on your cronies?

Who would stop them?

The ineffectual minority opposition?

The executive branch?

The judiciary?

The UN (snicker snicker)?

"Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely"

We will be paying for the lack of internal opposition and international controls for decades.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

6. Let's talk about paying for those fraudulent terra freakouts

--the ones that have been closing bridges and tunnels and generally creating havoc for so many citizens.

Expensive stuff, fake terra.

[rock]

7. "how could there not be?"

Well, you would need to start with honest politicians... Oh, wait I see his point!

[rodeodance]

8. lets talk about the billions that have simple disappeared in Irag!