I once asked if Tom DeLay was a liar or an idiot. I apologize to my readers for presenting a false dilemma. He isn't either-or; he's both.
How else to explain this from the Washington Times? DeLay declares 'victory' in war on budget fat
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said yesterday that Republicans have done so well in cutting spending that he declared an "ongoing victory," and said there is simply no fat left to cut in the federal budget.
Mr. DeLay was defending Republicans' choice to borrow money and add to this year's expected $331 billion deficit to pay for Hurricane Katrina relief. Some Republicans have said Congress should make cuts in other areas, but Mr. DeLay said that doesn't seem possible."My answer to those that want to offset the spending is sure, bring me the offsets, I'll be glad to do it. But nobody has been able to come up with any yet," the Texas Republican told reporters at his weekly briefing.
Asked if that meant the government was running at peak efficiency, Mr. DeLay said, "Yes, after 11 years of Republican majority we've pared it down pretty good."
That "nobody" from this corrupt, largess-loving bastardized collection of looters can find a budget to cut doesn't surprise me. That's probably because they don't count people like Ron Paul as people. No matter, Mr. DeLay is almost instantly contradicted by other Republicans:
Republican leaders have been under pressure from conservative members and outside watchdog groups to find ways to pay for the Katrina relief. Some Republicans wanted to offer an amendment, including cuts, to pay for hurricane spending but were denied the chance under procedural rules."This is hardly a well-oiled machine," said Rep. Jeff Flake, Arizona Republican. "There's a lot of fat to trim. ... I wonder if we've been serving in the same Congress."
American Conservative Union Chairman David A. Keene said federal spending already was "spiraling out of control" before Katrina, and conservatives are "increasingly losing faith in the president and the Republican leadership in Congress.""Excluding military and homeland security, American taxpayers have witnessed the largest spending increase under any preceding president and Congress since the Great Depression," he said.
Mr. Keene said annual nonmilitary and non-homeland security spending increased $303 billion between fiscal year 2001 and 2005; the acknowledged federal debt increased more than $2 trillion since fiscal year 2000; and the 2003 Medicare prescription drug bill is estimated to increase the government's unfunded obligations by $16 trillion.
Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), said if Mr. DeLay wants to know where to cut, "there are plenty of places to reduce."His group soon will release a list of $2 trillion in suggested spending cuts over the next five years, and he said Congress also could cut the estimated $20 billion to $25 billion in pet projects that make their way into must-pass spending bills each year.
CAGW and the Heritage Foundation also suggest rescinding the 6,000-plus earmarked projects in the recently passed highway bill.
But Mr. DeLay said those projects are "important infrastructure" and eliminating them could undermine the economy as Congress tries to offer hurricane relief."It is right to borrow to pay for it," he said. "But it is not right to attack the very economy that will pay for it."
copyright © 2005 News World Communications, Inc.
As Mediageek says in the comments of the Hit & Run post I found this:
* WAR IS PEACE
* FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
* IGNORANCE IS STRENGTHAnd introducing:
* FAT IS THIN
The Heritage Foundation: A "Victory" Over Wasteful Spending? Hardly
Cato Institute: Budget Disaster Looming
UPDATED 9:45pm
'm on the Townhall e-mail list and received this today:
TO: Townhall Readers
FROM: Townhall.com Editors
RE: Irresponsible SpendingYesterday House Majority Leader Tom DeLay declared an "ongoing victory" over wasteful government spending. According to DeLay, there is no fat left to cut out of the federal budget.
But with Congress facing new estimates topping $200 billion for Katrina emergency spending and everyday federal spending exceeding $22,000 per household, DeLay’s declared victory is no such thing.
While some fiscal conservatives in Congress have offered solutions to the spending crisis, DeLay and others have been non-responsive. Representative Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) proposed an amendment to the $51.8 billion storm spending bill that would have required modest domestic spending cuts to help pay for the emergency, only to be rebuffed by House Leadership.
Hensarling is not alone. There are others in Congress who are determined not to add to the mountain of debt already facing our children and grandchildren, but they need your help.
Americans elected Republican majorities in the House and the Senate and elected a Republican President. Republicans were not elected to expand the size of the federal government; they were elected to cut wasteful spending and to be good stewards of citizens' tax dollars.
Recent polling indicates that Americans believe about half of their tax dollars are wasted.
Tell Tom DeLay to work with conservatives in the House and Senate to find responsible ways to alleviate the suffering and begin to rebuild. Countless Americans have dug deep in the wake of Katrina to make sacrifices for the victims in the Gulf Coast. Congress, should "tighten its belt" and follow their example.
Majority Leader Tom Delay:
242 CHOB
Washington, D.C. 20515-4322
Phone: (202) 225-5951
Fax: (202) 225-5241
http://tomdelay.house.gov
Yawn.
UPDATED 4/4/2006 12:50pm
Tom DeLay Resigns, Finally
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