Who Won the Government Shutdown Smackdown?

The Boston Conservative Wordpress ^ | 4/10/2011 | The Boston Conservative

[bostonconsercative]

Just before midnight on Friday, April 8th, Congress pulled off the equivalent of a last-minute field goal in the realm of government; they got a long-term spending deal done and are able to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year. Although there is still no real budget, the spending plan promises to cut a record $39 billion, the largest one-year cut in history. President Obama and John Boehner both claimed victory for this negotiation, and in a rarer moment, the Tea Party praised Boehner rather than criticized him. Democrats and Republicans, in usual partisan fashion, each hit the airwaves trying to claim credit and heap blame on the other side for stalling on the proposal. The tough battles lie ahead, and the battle over the FY2012 budget will be as intense if not more so than the battle to keep the government going. One thing we say about this deal though is that Boehner went toe-to-toe with Obama and Reid, and got what he was elected to the Speakership to do: cut spending.

On numbers alone, Boehner won the poker match. Considering he is dealing with the most spend-happy President and Senate Majority Leader we’ve had, it was an accomplishment to win any sort of spending reduction, especially considering the Democrats didn’t want to cut anything. Yes, $39 billion isn’t going to bring down the deficit at the rates the country needs, and it’s a far cry from the $61 billion some Tea Party leaders were calling for, but it’s more than half that number, a good result in what were some very tough negotiations. It also shows the American people, as I mentioned in my previous article “Countdown to Shutdown”, that the GOP means business when it comes to cutting spending. It also puts the budget fight in Paul Ryan’s court for the next six months, and the promise of $6.3 trillion in cuts will win over some on the fence legislators. It’s unrealistic to think the Ryan budget will get to the President unaltered, after all, Democrats control the Senate and the White House, but it gives Republicans the upper hand in negotiations because they can act with the confidence that they can get serious spending reforms passed, even ones President Obama might not be comfortable with. The downside of the negotiations is that the defunding of Planned Parenthood and NPR and the reining in of the EPA’s extra-legal powers are going to a Senate vote, which will result in certain defeat, but hey, that’s negotiating for you, although these are proposals that should be given serious consideration in the months ahead.

Round one of what might be the biggest spending battle in American history has been decided, and the result was a $39 billion cut that may be miniscule in the face of a $1.6 trillion deficit, but it was a strong first step in the quest to rein in government spending. The next round will feature a real budget that may very well determine the 2012 presidential elections, as well as who controls Congress come 2013.

Fasten your seat belts, kids, it’s going to be a wild ride.

[Mr. K]

No one ‘WON’

The american people lost

Boner got us down from $1.63 Trillion deficit to $1.6 Trillion

yah hoo...

[mmercier]

The scary part of this issue is the reality that the vast bulk of the population has not a clue about any of this.

[bigbob]

he won the first battle in what will be a long war. This problem has been 35+ years in the making and will not be fixed with one budget.

Since RATs control 2/3 of the gummint, they are ‘winning’ only in the Charlie Sheen sense of the word.

[Prokopton]

the Tea Party praised Boehner rather than criticized him.

Reading this was enough to know that this article is complete BS.

[going hot]

I don’t think anyone on this planet, or perhaps beyond, has the capability to shave 1.6 trillion off the annual budget using a continuing resolution, on a budget that was not even written up and passed last year, and instead is running on continuing resolutions, of which this last one was another temporary one, until this year’s budget is drawn up and voted on.

[Bean Counter]

No winners in this one. Ask any Army wife with a husband in Afghanistan what last week was like when the debits started hitting the Active Duty online Leave and Earnings Statements.

Inexcusable, and nobody won anything.

[theymakemesick]

The american people lost

Boner got us down from $1.63 Trillion deficit to $1.6 Trillion

So what you're saying is that the deficit portion of the budget - the part our magnificent leaders 'borrow' on our behalf - went from

$1,631,000,000,000

to

$1,600,000,000,000?

Cool, we've been brought back from the brink of financial ruin. /s

[Publius6961]

Who Won the Government Shutdown Smackdown?

Who cares?

That was a minor skirmish at the start of a long and nasty war.

Not a time to for girlie panic, but a time to think, and plan and outstrategize the 'Rats, the Soros machine and the radicals in the White House.

The war has only just begun.

[Tzimisce]

I can tell you who lost: taxpayers and people who care about the country.

[Secret Agent Man]

In the end, the American taxpayer lost. I am just calling it the way I see it.

[theymakemesick]

Please don’t misinterpret what I posted, I was not criticising you, just using the numbers in your post to make my point.

[Publius6961]

Reading this was enough to know that this article is complete BS.

The Tea Party is not stupid.
Most know that the real battle where the significant, necessary, long term spending reduction plan will either succeed or fail is the next couple of Months.

I I have to believe that the Republican leadership must also be aware.

[NorCoGOP]

Putting it into terms most average (read: NON-DC elitist political types) people can grasp:

We needed to trim our home budget by $1630 a month, because we took a salary cut in order to save our job.

So we cut basic...BASIC...cable out - saving $30 a month...

...and called it good.

And declared "victory"...

PYRRHIC Victory at best....

[goat granny]

I wonder if anyone knows how much interest is saved on the billions slashed. It should come to more than just the cuts.

[bostonconsercative]

only 28 republicans opposed this measure. That means at least 75% of Tea Party members went for it. We got cuts, and now we can go for more.

[bostonconsercative]

Rand Paul went on record saying he was “proud” of Boehner, and only 28 Republicans opposed this measure, so the majority of Tea Party reps voted yes on it depending on what your definition of a Tea Party rep is. I too am dissapointed it isn’t more, but $39 billion is good given the circumstances.

[Prokopton]

The Tea Party is not stupid. Most know that the real battle where the significant, necessary, long term spending reduction plan will either succeed or fail is the next couple of Months. I I have to believe that the Republican leadership must also be aware.

I consider myself a member of the tea party and I worked hard to get people elected to fight the liberals, not roll over at the very thought of conflict. Crybaby Boehner's agreement to minuscule, so called "cuts", out of a nonexistent budget, while at the same time capitulating on every rider, was a complete embarrassment. He was too timid to use the leverage of a so-called government "shutdown" and he will be too timid to use the leverage of the deficit ceiling. He is a too tanned blubbering mouse and Reid kicked his butt.

The only thing the effete elite Republican "leadership" is concerned with is self aggrandizement.

Personally, I think they should hire someone like Trump to do the negotiating for them as they totally lack the fortitude to do it themselves.

[B-Cause]

A Nation of Sheep Breeds a Government of Wolves!

 

Let’s Take a take a stand!!!

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Borders: Closed... to illegals.

Energy: Drill at home

Language: English only... make this a requirement for immigration.

Culture: Constitution, and the Bill of Rights!!!

Drug Free: Make a drug screening mandatory for anyone on welfare, and/or food stamps!

NO freebies to Non-Citizens! Including Social Security and Medicare.

No Citizenship to Illegal Aliens ever!!!!! Illegals must leave the country and get in line to re-enter with proper papers. No benefit for cheating.

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We the people are coming

[bostonconsercative]

He didn’t capitulate on every rider. Federal funding for abortions in DC has been banned and a DC school voucher program has been reinstated for DC students. They aren’t the glamorous cuts we wanted, but they do make small steps in the fight to shrink the size of government.