How to cut the deficit while increasing it in one easy lesson
Dec 21st, 2009 by David Anderson
When I had a chance to watch a half hour of Meet the Press between duty calls, I heard the Democrat talking heads saying that the Senate health bill cut the deficit because it only cost 871 billion or so. Every time Gillespie said that it increased the deficit, they would say but CBO says that it cuts the deficit. You are contradicting the experts. I was surprised that Ed did not bring up one simple fact. They increased the deficit to before they reduced it.
The President added 900 billion to the deficit when he proposed his budget as a set aside for health care. There was no mechanism for paying the bill. That became the base line. When a bill comes in at 870, then we celebrate because it cut the deficit. The real truth is that if he were not President, the deficit would be 900 billion smaller with just that one proposal gone. You can argue that it is a worthwhile proposal or not. You can not argue that it cuts the deficit honestly.
What is striking is how the beltway republicans buy into the revisionist mentality. I almost think that we need to reorient the republican leaders to normalcy. Most of the Democrats seem hopeless already.
They also calculated 10 years of taxes for 5-6 years of ‘service.’
Absolutely, just so that they can fit into the 900 billion.
A must read on health care.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/12/21/a_parody_of_leadership_99615.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=rcp-today-newsletter