Our Brian Beutler points us to a piece titled “How to Spot a Deficit Peacock: Four Ways to Tell When Someone Isn’t Serious About the Deficit,” written just last week by Michael Linden of the progressive Center for American Progress.
In it, Linden derides spending freezes as “fiscal snake oil”: “Those who claim that we could get the budget back to sustainability if we only cut out earmarks, or say that the solution is to simply freeze discretionary spending, are just peddling fiscal snake oil.”
So of course we had Brian call up Linden to get his reaction to Obama’s proposed three-year spending freeze on non-military discretionary spending. Let’s just say it was a muted reaction.
The vice president addressed a meeting of the DNC this afternoon:
The reports of our demise are premature. It’s time everybody take a deep breath, take a deep breath, let’s put this in perspective. Yeah, we took a hit and the frustration was aggravated by the fact that Teddy’s seat was lost.
That makes it sound more profound than it is.
Yes it’s had a practical impact, but I’m not so sure what a blessing 60 votes was. Not a joke, I mean it sincerely.
When we had sixty votes there was the expectation left, right, and center that we could do everything we wanted to do, which was never realistic. Never.
Christina Bellantoni has more on Biden’s speech.
TPM Reader MS:
I think I get what Obama and the congressional Dems are up to…. Their plan is to become the minority in Congress again. That approach worked very well for them circa 2005…. they really found their stride. Then from that base they can regain the Congress and really implement some inspiring changes.
Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) has announced that he won’t be challenging Sen. Evan Bayh.
I’m psyched that we’re done messing around with major social reforms and finally getting down to the real business of election year gimmicks.
John Podesta says passing the senate bill with a “sidecar” reconciliation bill is now the “consensus” position among Washington Dems.
With such accessible terminology, how can it not succeed?
Colbert to Harold Ford Jr.: “So, for lifting your leg on New Yorkers and telling us it’s just egg cream, you sir, are my Alpha Dog of The Week.” Watch.
We’ve now got the first poll with right-wing candidate Marco Rubio ahead of Gov. Charlie Crist in the Florida’s Republican senate primary.
Senate Republicans are determined to use procedural hurdles to stonewall any attempt to pass health care reform via reconciliation. “We would make it an extraordinarily difficult exercise,” Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) says. That and the day’s other political news in the TPMDC Morning Roundup.