Mort Kondracke says the Republicans have some new ideas:
And spending freezes? The deficit is nearly $2 trillion, what about spending cuts? If you can't pay the bills and are deep in the hole you need to do a little more than merely hold spending constant. Is this what fiscal conservatism has come to?
On health care, meanwhile, the vision essentially amounts to cracking down on lawyers with no real changes to the existing system.
These guys show little sign of exiting the Sinai anytime soon.
The press and public are not paying much attention - and the party is doing a poor job of communicating - but the GOP has presented alternatives and is developing more.This is just sad and shows how much Republicans have conceded the argument. On energy they advocate more clean fuel research, but why should government even be playing a role in energy? Why do Republicans -- nominally the party of free marketers -- think that government should decide what kinds of fuel we should use?
As opposed to the Democrats' plan to move swiftly to a post-carbon economy based on wind and solar power - whose technology is far from fully developed - Republicans are proposing more nuclear power and domestic oil and gas production, with taxes on it going to clean-fuel research.
Ryan, ranking member on the House Budget Committee, produced an alternative GOP budget calling for freezes on non-defense, non-veterans spending, corporate tax cuts and $3.6 trillion less debt than Obama's budget.
Ryan also is the author of a broad "Roadmap for America's Future" encompassing health care, entitlement and tax reform designed to save the Medicare and Social Security programs and keep federal taxes at just 18.5 percent of gross domestic product.
Meantime, Kirk, Ryan, a GOP panel led by Rep. Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Sens. Richard Burr (N.C.) and Tom Coburn (Okla.) are all coming up with health care alternatives.
Kirk's and Blunt's would retain the current employer-based insurance system, seek to lower costs through legal reform and make it possible for businesses and the uninsured to buy insurance in multi-state pools.
And spending freezes? The deficit is nearly $2 trillion, what about spending cuts? If you can't pay the bills and are deep in the hole you need to do a little more than merely hold spending constant. Is this what fiscal conservatism has come to?
On health care, meanwhile, the vision essentially amounts to cracking down on lawyers with no real changes to the existing system.
These guys show little sign of exiting the Sinai anytime soon.
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