A tale of two parties
Two quotes from today:
“a senior Democratic senator” as quoted in the Hill:
Democratic lawmakers said they will be in a stronger position to offer tax increases after agreeing to between $30 billion and $61 billion in discretionary spending cuts for the rest of 2011.
“We Democrats have demonstrated that we’re willing to make these cuts; we’ve gone over halfway. Are they being so unreasonable to say we can’t raise any revenues?” said the senator.
Representative Mike Pence, as quoted in the Washington Post:
Also Thursday, several veteran Republicans spoke to a gathering of 200 or so tea party supporters in an event near the Capitol. Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) said compromising with Democrats would send a signal of weakness on what he considered the paramount issue of spending and debt.
“By picking a fight and winning this one small step towards fiscal discipline, the American people will see…that we can fight and we can win,” Pence said. He finished his speech with, “Let’s go pick a fight!”
The Democrats may or may not be winning the fight for public opinion, but the Republicans are clearly winning the policy fight.
April 1st, 2011 at 5:25 am
I just don’t have words anymore. Despair isn’t strong enough.