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I have a friend who claims to be a Republican. He doesn’t like the tea parties. He says that every one of the tea partiers will expect the government to subsidize their old and infirm parents in a nursing home, when the time comes. He asked me what I was “willing to give up”. I.e.: what government benefit would I give up, in the name of the tea party philosophy.

This was a few months ago. I still haven’t written back because I alternate between fury and despair. If he would admit he was a Democrat, we’d have a starting point. But how do you argue with a person who claims to be a Republican and yet spouts DNC talking points?

He asked me what I was “willing to give up”. I.e.: what government benefit would I give up, in the name of the tea party philosophy.

Tell him you would be happy to give up about 90% of the overpaid/do-nothing bureaucrats and their fat benefits packages...at all levels of government.

That would reduce your tax burden to an unnoticeable trickle.

But how do you argue with a person who claims to be a Republican and yet spouts DNC talking points?

Try to goad him into insulting Obama and start railing about illegal aliens...See what happens.

He sounds like a moderate/liberal/suto fiscally conservative “Rep”. These individuals usually are very relative in their appraisal of issues and are emotionally governed instead of fact governed My cousin is one and you sound like me trying to talk to him. These are the people that will be voting in 2010 and 2012 most likely for the Republican presidential candidate... that is why we can not put any trust in any rep victory in 2010 and 2012.

I have similar “independent” friends. They always get to the “Interstate Highways” argument (”you can’t be against limited government and drive on an Interstate highway”).

When they ask me what I’d give up, I tell them the Dept of Education, HUD, and HHS. Then they tell me that those agencies don’t “give” me anything to give up and I tell them “that’s exactly my point. If a department that is designed to help people doesn’t benefit the average Joe, then it is a failure and we need to get rid of it”.

You ought to pay more attention to your friend.

If we're talking about the federal budget, the juice is in three places: old age and disability support, defense and tax expenditures.

Without cuts in those lines, or dramatic increases in tax rates, the country remains hopelessly insolvent even if the federal budget went to zero on health, welfare and education spending for the able-bodied under 65 and slashed the civilian government employee payroll cost by 50% (say, a 25% reduction in force and a 33% cut in pay and benefits for those who remain).

Are you willing to see the retirement age go from 62-68 to 70 to 75? Medicare eligibility to start at 70? A requirement that you have to be indigent before the government starts paying for your parent's end-of-life convalescent home care under Medicaid, rather than just your parent's himself or herself? Willing to give up your mortgage deduction or standard exemption? Willing to see the military go to 4 divisions of land forces and 3 carrier battle groups?

These are serious questions that need serious answers.

Here's what I think you should write back:

"Dear so-and-so: I alternate between fury and despair. If you would admit you were a Democrat, we’d have a starting point. But how can I argue with a person who claims to be a Republican and yet spouts DNC talking points?"