Bush suddenly cares about spending, scolds Democrats

[JaJae]

Bush Raps Democrats on Spending - washingtonpost.com

Bush Raps Democrats on Spending

By JENNIFER LOVEN
The Associated Press
Thursday, August 2, 2007; 11:49 AM

WASHINGTON -- President Bush ridiculed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Thursday for saying that the $22 billion that separates Democrats in Congress and the White House on spending bills is a "very small difference."

"Only in Washington can $22 billion be called a very small difference," Bush said after meeting with his Cabinet.

Bush's tough talk in the steamy Rose Garden was his latest attempt to frame his side of the debate with the Democratic-led Congress over a dozen spending measures needed to fund federal operations after the current fiscal year ends on Sept. 30.

The president knocked Democratic leaders for planning to send Congress into its summer recess for a month starting this weekend without sending him a single one of the bills.

That gives lawmakers very little time after they return in early September to get the spending bills passed.

"If Congress doesn't pass the spending bills by the end of the fiscal year, Cabinet secretaries report that their departments may be unable to move forward with urgent priorities for our country," Bush said. "This doesn't have to be this way."

Bush has threatened vetoes or signaled veto threats against nine of the 12 annual spending bills for the budget year beginning Oct. 1; all but two of those threats involve spending levels that exceed the budget the administration proposed in February.

Lawmakers have increased the president's $433 billion request for non-defense programs by about 5 percent. In many cases, the Democratic add-ons restore cuts Bush sought. In prior years, GOP-controlled congresses denied many of the same cuts.

On Wednesday after meeting with Bush at the White House, Pelosi, D-Calif., said Democrats want to work with the president "to negotiate the very small difference between Democrats and Republicans on these appropriations bills."

While Democrats tried to downplay the figure, Bush tried to make it sound as large as possible. He said it would amount to $205 billion over five years, which would average out to $1,300 in additional _ unnecessary, in his view _ spending per second.

"That's a lot of money _ even for career politicians in Washington," the president said.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm glad Bush suddenly cares about spending. Lord knows he didn't care for the first 6 years of his presidency. This really is too little too late though. In all honesty, $22 billion is a drop in the bucket to the amount Bush and the Republicans breezed through.

While I have to give him credit for doing something about it now and fighting to get spending bills at his desk before the recess, I also take issue with the timing. It is nice to see him take shots at Pelosi and spending though, however hypocritical it may be.

[Donkey®]

If that 22 Billion were for Iraq he'd have no issues.

[motivez]

Originally Posted by JaJae

While I have to give him credit for doing something about it now

Really? Why?

He's not taking a principled stand against spending, he's taking a shot at the Democrats for political reasons.. there's few things that are more hypocritical than what he's doing now.

He doesn't deserve any credit for this. Not any.

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by motivez

Really? Why?

He's not taking a principled stand against spending, he's taking a shot at the Democrats for political reasons.. there's few things that are more hypocritical than what he's doing now.

He doesn't deserve any credit for this. Not any.

He's upholding some form of fiscal responsibility. He gave them a budget, they exceeded it. He's threatening to veto it if they don't get the budget in check. He's not just holding the Democrats in check, he's holding the spending bills in check. He scolded Pelosi for saying $22 billion is not a big deal. Which is exactly the kind of response we need from a president.

It comes off highly hypocritical, but if someone like Ron Paul had said it I'd be rolling over in love with the man. When Bush says it I'll give him credit for saying what needs to be said, but I can't get over the fact that he's a fat hypocrite.

[motivez]

The only thing he's doing is playing politics with spending, it might "need to be said" but giving someone credit for "fiscal responsibility" when there's nothing of the sort involved here is kind of ridiculous.

He's only holding the spending bills "in check" because it's the Democrats who are passing them. He gave the Republicans everything they wanted, never cared one lick about how much they were spending.. so the idea now that "fiscal responsibility" is somehow involved here is ludicrous, there's not one fiscally responsible bone in this man's body.. there's plenty of politically spiteful ones, though.

[Thorgrim]

He put artificially low "caps" he knew anyone in Congress would never meet, and now that just happens to be the Democrats, and like motivez said, set up the entire thing just to try and take a swipe at democracts now that his informal presidency is over

He's a lame duck in everything except Iran and Iraq

[Rouger2]

There playing politics in Washington how not like them.