WP: Budget Impasse Reflects GOP Schism

[kskiska]

Tax Cutters in Standoff With Advocates of Fiscal Restraint

Wednesday, June 30, 2004; Page A01

A deep rift in the Republican Party has left Congress unable to pass a budget this year, raising the probability that, for the third time in three decades, lawmakers will not agree on a detailed blueprint for government spending and tax policy.

The budget meltdown was triggered by a feud between conservative Republicans who favor continuing to cut taxes in the face of record budget deficits and GOP moderates who are pushing for curbs on tax cuts and are reluctant to slash spending. Even a face-saving effort in the House to impose federal spending curbs blew up just after midnight Friday when 72 Republicans joined a united Democratic Party to torpedo the leadership-backed bill.

The collapse of budget negotiations is more of a political embarrassment than a practical problem for GOP leaders, who only two years ago sharply criticized Democrats for failing to pass a budget when they controlled the Senate. But some Republicans fear that this year's impasse reflects an irreconcilable division within their party that will imperil the government's ability to set tax policy and address ever-widening deficits as the baby boomers begin to retire.

"For a majority of Republicans in Congress, tax cuts are now more important then budget constraints, and they've gotten themselves between a rock and a hard place because you can't have both," lamented former senator Warren B. Rudman (R-N.H.), a prominent advocate of fiscal restraint.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15997-2004Jun29.html

[spotbird]

1. There are 72 Republicans who want to save America?

Who knew?

[Warpy]

3. 72 Repuglicans who aren't pod people!

The rest of them are probably the same sort of religious nutjob that W is, and expect the world to end before the bills come due.

[InkAddict]

5. Their world might end -

Only certainty is (future)Death and Taxes - is there any doubt!

[FlashHarry]

2. Hmm. They got their 'pukes confused.

The conservatives are the ones who want to curb the tax cuts. It's the radical anarchists who want to bankrupt the federal government in order to force the dismantling of so-called "entitlement" programs. Grrr...

[mjjoe]

6. Entitlements? You mean like the FDA and the State Department?

Pardon the sarcasm in the header. Most GOP lawmakers deem everything outside of defense an entitlement.

Oh, and the Department of Destroying Liberty/Homeland Security. They want to keep that around too, of course.

[struggle4progress]

4. Politics is about playing well with others. Wingnuts don't know how.

[DeepModem Mom]

7. kick

[gasperc]

8. Bush has created a retirement crisis

posted is several times