Barney Frank Complains GOP Cost-Cutting Will Be a ‘Pain in the Ass’

With a Republican majority taking control of the House of Representatives in January, Congressman Barney Frank, D-Mass., worries that his job spending the country‘s money won't be as fun as it used to be. In fact, the current House Financial Services Chairman predicts that serving on the Appropriations Committee in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives will be a "great pain in the ass."

“Why assume the Republicans are cowardly? Why not assume Barney Frank lies for practice, lies when he doesn’t have to and most certainly lies when it is to his political advantage.”

I’m sure Barney is a liar, but what significant spending cuts have Republicans made or even proposed in the last thirty years? Okay, Reagan proposed some serious cuts, but the Republicans in congress wouldn’t back him when it came down to the votes. It’s been nothing but political posturing on their part as long as I can remember, and I don’t expect anything different this time.

Then what you expect will determine the limits they will observe. If you do not demand change you will not get it. Many of us have tried to be very clear in this cycle: do this right, Republicans, or your reprieve will be short because you are on probation. We say this because they have indeed failed to dedicate the party to conservatism as they promised they would.

Now, the Republican party has only marginally been conservative down the years, mostly by comparison with the profligate and reckless Democrats, but now all the credit has been used up. There is only financial chaos to follow if they try to buy off any more interests. So, it is in our interest to deny them the political leeway they would like. It is time to stop expecting the usual and to start demanding the prudent.

Won’t you join us in that? After all, if they fail us, then we have had that much longer to prepare for the consequences. If they do not, then the apocalypse is deferred, which is always pleasant to reflect upon. But the point is that if we do not believe and insist they do right, then they will never do right. After all, they are not the sovereign, that is supposed to be us en masse. Let us take up our responsibility and demand they follow our lead. We truly have nothing further to lose.

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