While we spin a good tale of the idiocy going on in Wisconsin, keep in mind that we still have the looming Federal Budget battle going on here in DC.  Let’s hit a few high points:

1.  The GOP charges that President Obama is failing to lead in this issue.  The Democrats (minus Sen Joe Manchin (D-WV) who said that the President is failing to lead.  Granted he’s probably one of the more conservative Democrats, but he is a Democrat and is breaking file with the democrats here) argue that he is.  Well, it’s so critical of an issue (the latest extension gives us until March 18th) that President Obama went and played some golf this weekend and assigned good ol’ Veep Joe Biden to the case.  Remember, Joe is heading up the Summer of Recovery, Stimulus tracking, and a variety of other important issues….except that he’s heading to Europe this week.  Yep – totally engaged and leading.  Check.

2.  The Democrats argue that they are putting some real cuts forward in the amount of $51 Billion and compared to the House Republicans $61 Billion, that sounds like they’re pretty close.  However, $41 Billion of the cuts the Democrats are counting are from a budget proposal from last year that was never enacted so the funding was never allocated.  So the Democrats have only put forth about $10 Billion in cuts.  Keep in mind, we’re talking about a $14,000 Billion budget (also known as $14 Trillion, but for comparison sakes, I’ll stick to Billions).  Yep – making meaningful cuts.  Check.

3.  Analysts agree that there’s an elephant (or elephants) in the room that no one is touching (‘Puter, stop touching the elephant!):

The United States faces a dire budget problem, largely the result of the aging of the population and soaring health costs. The president’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform and the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Debt Reduction Task Force both agree that Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid reforms are necessary, although health costs are the far greater problem. They also recommend restructuring the personal and corporate tax systems.

Unless current policies are reformed, the national debt will continue to grow relative to GDP until a sovereign debt crisis, like those in Ireland and Greece, is inevitable. Although the nation is becoming more concerned about spiraling debt and a presidential fiscal commission and other groups have suggested reforms, the president and congressional leaders have been unwilling to recommend specific policy reforms. Consequently, it is becoming more and more likely that policymakers will not undertake necessary reforms until a financial crisis forces their hand. 

Yep, tackling the hard issues head on.  Check.

Keep this in mind as we go forward, especially when you hear the retread mantras that the democrats will throw out about the GOP – obstructionists (look who is blocking budget cuts), the party of no ideas, etc.

GorT

GorT is an eight-foot-tall robot from the 51ˢᵗ Century who routinely time-travels to steal expensive technology from the future and return it to the past for retroinvention. The profits from this pay all the Gormogons’ bills, including subsidizing this website. Some of the products he has introduced from the future include oven mitts, the Guinness widget, Oxy-Clean, and Dr. Pepper. Due to his immense cybernetic brain, GorT is able to produce a post in 0.023 seconds and research it in even less time. Only ’Puter spends less time on research. GorT speaks entirely in zeros and ones, but occasionally throws in a ڭ to annoy the Volgi. He is a massive proponent of science, technology, and energy development, and enjoys nothing more than taking the Czar’s more interesting scientific theories, going into the past, publishing them as his own, and then returning to take credit for them. He is the only Gormogon who is capable of doing math. Possessed of incredible strength, he understands the awesome responsibility that follows and only uses it to hurt people.