Getty Images
When House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) unveiled his budget plan, he acted as if the 2012 elections had never happened, so there was no need for his Republican Party to change. Apparently, the vast majority of his GOP colleagues feel exactly the same way.
The House of Representatives successfully passed Republicans' 2014 budget on Thursday with four votes to spare, relying only upon GOP votes to advance Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan's third budget blueprint.
The House voted 221-207, largely along party lines, to advance the budget for the next government fiscal year. The plan seeks to balance the budget within a decade, primarily by saving $4.6 trillion through cuts to spending, and reforms to Medicare that would transform the plan into a "premium support" (or voucher) system.
Though there were whispers that GOP leaders had to worry about significant defections, only 10 House Republicans broke ranks and opposed Ryan's budget -- the exact same number of Republicans who voted against their party's budget blueprint last year.
And what a plan it is. We're talking about an ambitious plan to redistribute wealth -- from the bottom up -- with a healthy dose of "almost frighteningly ambitious" social engineering. Ryan's budget would end Medicare, cut taxes by over $5 trillion, take health care benefits away from millions of Americans, make "massive" cuts to programs for low-income and vulnerable Americans, and rely on smoke and mirrors to balance the budget within a decade.
It is, in other words, the exact opposite of what the American mainstream wants, and bears no resemblance to the platform the American electorate endorsed in national elections four months ago. It's designed to satisfy folks who believe the wealthy are over-burdened by taxes and struggling families have too much access to affordable health care.
Despite all of this, 95% of House GOP lawmakers voted for the plan anyway.
In an interesting twist, Democrats are thrilled.
Opinions vary as to how much impact, if any, Ryan's budget had on the 2012 congressional elections, but Democrats believe Republican votes on this plan represent a treasure trove for 2014 attack ads. If the House minority has any chance at becoming the House majority, it's going to need to convince voters that Republicans have a radical agenda and extremist vision, and Ryan's plan, at least in theory, makes the Democratic job that much easier.
In a conference call organized by the DSCC, pollster Geoff Garin told reporters last week, "The Ryan budget will be a gift that gives throughout the 2014 cycle for Democrats." DSCC Executive Director Guy Cecil added that privatizing Medicare will be important, but the Ryan plan also leaves Republicans vulnerable on issues like education and tax fairness.
"What the Ryan budget does to education ... is really fertile ground in terms of speaking to voters about how and why Republican candidates are out of touch," Cecil said. "They are unwilling to compromise. They are doubling down on their extreme policies, and the Ryan budget will cement that view."
Finally, let's also keep in mind that House Republicans cast this vote for no particular reason -- it's not going to pass the Senate and the vast majority of its provisions will never become law. GOP lawmakers stuck their collective necks out on this vote, and they'll get a pat on the back from the leadership for their trouble, but there's no practical reward for Republicans endorsing a budget plan the American mainstream doesn't like at all.
So what happens now? Interestingly enough, the Ryan budget will go to the Senate, where Republicans aren't eager to express a preference, but where the Democratic majority wants to get members on record, either supporting or opposing the plan.
Leave a Comment:
Just like their traitor ancestors, today's Confederates think doing the same thing that has failed before will finally work this time. Is there a single-digit positive number collective IQ among Republicans?
Great question. Nope.
Not sure the number is positive.
There's at least one ridiculous comment that bashes the South on every post of this blog. There are people down here that vote Democratic, and even Republicans don't deserve some of the things that are said about them by commenters here.
See how proud the stupid is when cheered by more stupid while we laugh because they're too stupid to know how stupid they really are. Lyin' Ryan's face says it all. A true sociopath who wears his stupidity like a crown. Perfect photo.
I'm glad the progressive budget was allowed a vote so the two can be compared because they demonstrate those who know what they are doing against those who can't get anything right.
I am going to make an obvious statement that will go right over your heads, Your the idiots, you trash a man because he wants to make the government accountable and balance the budget. The only reason someone would appose the government being responsible would be because they are on the dole for government handouts.
As for the moron that equated the Repubs with confederates. The Republican party was the ANTI-slavery party. The KKK was democratically run. Martin Luther King Jr Republican.
The liberal greatest enemy = education. Learn some history.
LOL
We are not "down with" cutting services to those in need to balance a budget.
We had and still have some reasonable Republicans (and some Ds) that elected Lincoln. But the table turned when Ds (mostly in the south) fled toward the Republican party because the Ds could no longer tolerate Johnson (a Democrat) for signing the Civil Rights Act, a bone of contention for people to this day. They attend CPAC, spouting about wanting segregation and proudly being a direct descendant of a Confederate general.
We know our history... things have changed since 1862 when Lincoln was President. You know, the Southern Strategy... a more recent history lesson for ya:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-southern-strategy.htm
Sorry Toxic-on-the-Chesapeake, but you blew it starting with your first sentence when you insulted those you were supposedly trying to convince.
First off, Ryan's "budget" doesn't balance, let alone reduce the deficit. Where are the closed loopholes? The cuts are in which Departments? As for those opposing a balanced budget you're right,. Just ask GE. Or various Defense contractors providing unflyable aircraft at two and three times the original cost. Then there's several WS banks getting free Federal support. Or you might even want to ask why someone who earns their income through interest doesn't pay the same income tax rates as someone who receives a salary or paycheck. Someone such as Romney, say.
There's a very good reason minorities support Democratic candidates, it's because Democratic candidates support the rights of minorities. "Learn some history", you say? Really? Do you know who passed the CRA of 1964 and 1965? Democrats and Republicans. But, do you know what happened to the Democratic Party after that? I have news for you, the racists in the Democratic Party in the 1960s didn't just retire and pout - they moved into the Republican Party and are alive and well today. Hope you enjoy 'em.
Is that an evil smile or what?
Ryan's face makes me think of Stan Laurel of Laurel & Hardy fame. Except Ryan's "smile" is a flat line... perhaps indicative of an EEG of his brain activity. Has a certain ring to it... Paul Ryan, flatliner.
So much for him being the brain trust of the GOP.
Nope. It looks just like the mouths of ventriloquists' dummies.
He reminds me of the kid on the Munsters, what was his name, Eddie?
Or the cat with the canary ... reminiscent of Sylvester and Tweety. Don't worry. Granny will find out and swat him with a broom.
Eddie Munster on steroids.
XP90
It's funny that they got their no post-mortem report on Monday (Growth and Opportunity Project), for which they no doubt paid some consultant a hefty sum, and then turned around on Thursday to vote for this budget that skins the hide off Medicare, education and the social safety net and trims taxes for the wealthy. Didn't take long to return to the old ways, did it?
Old dog, new tricks... not compatible
@JL...and this is the party who thinks all they have to do is get the message out in a better way. The "New" Republican party will still be rejected like the old republican party because nothing has changed. The 'message' IS the problem but they're so out of touch they can't see it.
Goobers On Parade...the new GOP...against science,education, jobs, health care LGBT, Immigration reform, Banking regulations, corporate welfare etc, etc, etc.
And in other news, snakes still don't have feet.
Despite all of this, 95% of House GOP lawmakers voted for the plan anyway.
Unlike support for the plan, opposition was bipartisan.
Maybe, though I would bet that if the House were 218-217, instead of 234-201, every Republican would have voted for this--whether they would have wanted to or not.
If Democrats don't beat every Republican who voted for the Ryan budget (and some who didn't) over the head with this come 2014, they'll be guilty of electoral malpractice.
We have to vote these Rs out. Their priorities are so far off the radar of what is best for all Americans.
This is just ridiculous that so many Reps would do this to our economy and the already struggling among us.
I am hoping there will be a continued return of sanity. Let the fringy be fringy, they are not main stream and main stream is not lame stream.
I say we get the positive light shone on how to BEST make our way forward. It isn't by cutting jobs and wages and buying power.
Jeez, this guy Ryan is one goofy mo-fo.
Nothing the republicans do shock me any more ! We have to wait a year and a half to get them out of office, is the sad part
The Republicans should have been marginalized in 2012, their antics were public record then, but they were not. A substantial percentage of the conservative base is just as blind and pig-headed as those they elect to represent them in government.
That party isn't dead yet and our system of government has nothing to fill the vacuum if it did die. Democrats cannot become a single-party rule by default.
Conservatives...and others...need to be educated to vote more sensibly, not by popular applause, but by careful consideration of the candidates records and actions.
It's our "free" (haha) media that needs to be held accountable for the softball, muddying, opinion-laden horse#%@! they dare shove onto the American public.
Educated citizens are educated voters...this "dumbing down" trend needs to end. I still say hit the propaganda outlets straight in the wallet, but sadly, boycotting bad media seems to be too much to ask of folks.
I agree, but we will need Dem supermajority and a realization that we cannot vote for silly zingers and phony ideologies over actual policies that are more specifically described and call out/more questioning what is true and not true by media.
I do not want one party rule, but I think it will not sink in until we do that.
I know, I've heard (been there, done that) the third party stuff. My experience is it sometimes helps, but usually more people are disappointed because their particular issue is not the one the most people voted.
That's why TPers "infiltrated" GOP. (well, that's what the pretense was, any way) It looks like they will have a very hard time accepting the realities and win without lying/cheating.
The more they try to suppress voting, the more we will be determined to vote. Proven in 2012. We still have to vote in the mid term, just as if it were for Obama or against Rmoney.
Oh yes, this budget will not pass Sister Simone Campbell's muster. With Francis the new pope, the poor and elderly cannot be tossed under the Rmoney/Ryan bus.
The way the Dems (mis)manage elections, you'll never have to worry about "single party rule." Folks would do better to devote their worrying time to the likelihood that Repubs will end up in control of all three branches of government soon.
#8.3: I do concur, not by our own actions will Democrats find themselves the single ruling entity, but by the egregious and continued failures of the right which could result in mass abandonment of their party.
But to where will the agonized voters flee? To the left? In this polarized and demonized climate? Maybe some but not all, by far. Nor will they flee to some elusive magical third party. Voters (like myself) learned harsh lessons from the Ralph Nader Presidential incident. Thus, the Tea Partiers grouped themselves with the Republicans for a reason, for the political clout, and it worked, as our Congress clearly shows. Would they have had that clout on their own as the third option? I don't believe so. Thus the factioning and fracturing within the ranks of the Republican Party hang like thunderheads over this nation.
The best solution would be to keep our two-party system, wouldn't it? It's worked thus far and looking out over the landscape of other political systems, our government is a good one. But we've got to give the voters choices, a sane left or a sane right and the rascally independents to play voter tennis with.
Conservative voters need to be educated by sources they will trust, so in turn they can vote in smarter more sane Republican leadership that will purposely steer the party off the political rocks and back toward rational mature policy making.
To do that, citizens need to free their media from schemeing overlords. It's the first and biggest hurdle to straightening out the circus inside the beltway, by educating the voters who are responsible for electing them.
We consumers do have control, we pull our money, we stop watching, they either listen or fold. The absolute beauty of this worshipped Free Market System is nothing works without money. Period. Consumers feed the media beast, consumers can starve the media beast.
No need to wait. Start working now. One thing people don't realize is in order to increase their number of wins the Republicans have created a lot of 55/45 Republican districts while creating a lot of 75/25 Democratic districts. A lot of Republicans will stay home in 2014. If we don't we can win the house. That is a big if we sit on our hands as we did in 2010, but very doable if we get mad and vote.
I was one that was nearly begging folks not to vote for Nader, even if I did agree with him. After all, I voted for Dennis Kucinich twice in primaries. The second time Howard Dean had dropped out of the race and I couldn't vote for Kerry, although I knew he would be the candidate.
Yes, vote your conscience, but vote with the "big picture" in mind.
Keep treading water and floating those rotting budgets Vice Loser.
http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/social_security_and_medicaid_arent_bargaining_chips_partner/
http://youtu.be/qoVlcWvxffc
Is Pooter on vacation?!?!?!
First check to see if Rush Limbaugh is on vacation.
Caption:::
Dam they did it to me again, voted yes, not WTF am i going to do.
Democrats are thrilled because their strategy consists solely of waiting until November 2014, God help us all.
"Comment collapsed by community"
It's like a bunch of little kids holding their hands over their eyes saying "nah, nah, you can't see us".
Ryan’s grasp of the gavel is symbolic of his grasp on the 2014 budget.
Would it be remotely possible to reconcile the two budgets into sane policy?
Wouldn't that be the sensible, professional, patriotic thing to do; however you have to have sane people to accomplish that and right now the Republican House seems to need to take advantage of some Health Care.
If the Democrats had any brains at all they would rub the noses of every Republican who voted for it in this pile of dung. I can imagine all sorts of commercials that would have a lot of the Tealiban really worried.
I know that "Nuns on the bus" are fighting this budget.
So where's the rest of the catholic church hierarchy?
They have NO problem with standing up for Ryan when he talks about eliminating birth control. They have NO problem with withholding the sacraments from politicians who support abortion, or gay marriage.
Chirp. Chirp. Chirp.
Gee you don't think Cardinal Dolan is going to criticize Ryan, after all he is a "personal friend" friend of Paul Ryan and his family. Dolan has dined at the Ryan home a number of times. I wonder if Pope Francis has seen this budget and what he thinks about it? Where is the decrease in the Military Spending Ryan, do they need more Golf Courses and Sponsorships of NASCAR?
The Catholic Church will make a statement about this, but it will be terribly quiet compared to their responce about contraception.
Did any Democrats vote for it, anybody know?
I didn't see any Dem votes recorded. A link to the recorded votes was included in the article. You can check it out yourself. It's in bold type: "Only 10"
This is what 2012 prevented: Had Mitt been in the White House, the Lyin Ryan Bilk-U Bill would have gotten past the Senate one way or another and been crowned with an authentic Romney autograph. This bill.
The Republicans are still working all the same useless strategies they worked before Mitt lost.
Since the Senate Republicans "aren't eager to express a preference" for the Ryan budget, would any of them try to filibuster it to avoid an up-or-down vote?
They don't dislike it that much...
It would be hilarious if the Democrats tried to move the Ryan budget to a vote and the Senate GOoPers filibustered it.
Ok, it is well and good to make negative comments about Ryan as he so deserves, but HEY! Let's spend the energy and time working toward a BLUE CONGRESS in 2014! It is not too early to get the ball rolling. We need to clean the RED out of the HOUSE and make sure we get it BLUE! No Blue dogs or independents - just start working on the election and re-election of Democrats who have proven they care about our country and will work to make and keep it strong and moving forward. To hell with Ryan - get him OUT OF THERE!
Did'nt the chairman of the RNC ,Rancid Penis just tell republicans they were going to have to change? Did'nt Jeb Bush tell them they are seen as the party of the rich? So what do they do? They go back to the exact same ridiculous Ryan Path to Desparity budget as before. All the republicans that voted"yea" ca'nt live in gerrymandered districts. We know the ones who do'nt will say oh yes I voted for it but it was just a symbolic vote it's not the way I truly feel. Hopefully the voters will tell them, when I vote for the other party in 2014 it wo'nt be just symbolic.
My thought for Ryan...
Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one you have."
--Émile Chartier,
French philosopher and
journalist
What could be more closely aligned with the crazy , than a Émile Chartier recognition of the dangerousness of the monomaniac .
Having witnessed mental illness up close , the lack of funny in the afflicted is the painful daily event that rarely ends . Paul Ryan has the Émile Chartier quote as a hobby horse , and the American public as a toy . All this experimenting with peoples lives at taxpayer expense . No threat he levels for economizing on the backs of the less well off in America is a possibility for his future , or for the well heeled out of area funders eager to gain income . What was once middle classes programs are being rewritten to shift even more clout and wealth from the vast majority to the voracious one percent . Representative Republic , HA !
Why won't democrats filibuster in congress? you never hear about it anymore if they do especially since senate republicans are the ones that do it so much.