Paul Ryan's Budget

This morning, I thought David Brooks made a couple excellent points in this column.  This afternoon his points are confirmed as we find that the White House and the Republicans still can’t agree on spending for the year we are in.

Moment of Truth      by David Brooks      NYT, April 4, 2011

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/05/opinion/05brooks.html?_r=1&ref=davidbrooks

Last fall, the President’s Simpson-Bowles deficit commission released a bold report on how to avoid an economic catastrophe.  For a few weeks, reform was in the air but the mood did not last.  The polls say that voters are still unwilling to accept tax increases or benefit cuts.   So “smart” Washington insiders and President Obama reverted;  reform would be committing political suicide.

Never the less, Paul Ryan, Republican chairman of the House Budget Committee, has released his ten year budget as promised.  He proposes deficit cuts of over $4 trillion across 10 years.  The President’s budget would double the nation’s debt over the next decade.

Previous Ryan fiscal efforts – all credible – have garnered zero Democratic support and only a few Republican sponsors.  So Brooks points out that this effort creates a pivotal moment of truth for party leadership and particularly for the President.

·         Will President Obama come up with his own counterproposal, or will he simply demagogue the issue by railing against “savage” Republican cuts and ignoring the long-term fiscal realities?

·         Does Obama have a sustainable vision for government – as Ryan offers – or will he just try to rise above the fray while Nancy Pelosi and others attack Ryan?

·         And what about the Senate Republicans?  Where do they stand?

·         Or the voters?  Are they willing to face reality or will they continue to demand more government than they are willing to pay for?

“Paul Ryan has grasped reality with both hands.  He’s forcing everybody else to do the same,” Brooks wrote.

I think the polls are wrong.  Americans want this fiscal problem solved;  they just want leadership and shared sacrifice.  I firmly believe that this kind of change must come from Presidential leadership.  If not this President, then the next one, or the next, or the next …

We should watch Congress closely.  Those that attack or reject Ryan without counter proposals should be ejected from service.