Thursday, September 20, 2012

Hard to curb deficit without something on table, even veterans

A veterans employment bill was recently killed in the Senate by some Republicans using (I think the filibuster procedure). Even veterans are not exempt from attempts to reign in the budget deficit.

I'm not a Republican, but I do recognize that deficits are unlikely to be curbed if every spending priority is taken "off the table." Senior citizens, veterans, you name it. Pretty soon it's most of the American people. That's basically a big dilemma that Republicans face. They can cut with a meat axe, but a lot of what they would cut are basically big chunks of the American voting public.

That 47%, now made famous by Romney's comment, includes a lot of his supporters.

Democrats can make political hay from this situation since it looks like Republicans are turning their backs on our deserving veterans. Also, democrats can ask, why most Republicans still refuse to put current military spending (big fancy weapons systems and so forth) on the cutting table? Also they can ask why all tax increases are off the table?

Both Democrats and Republicans face the dilemma about the deficit. It can't be curbed unless something lands on the proverbial "table" and putting anything on the table tends to be political suicide for either party.

No comments: