Budget cuts

Republicans find their spine:

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.

Good. But now that steps have been taken to reduce the deficit, expect a lot of teeth-gnashing about how this is all going to hurt the poor. Remember, the left believes that the only acceptable form of deficit reduction is raising taxes.