Republicans Release Their Alternative Budget

[Median Democrat]

Well, the Republicans released their alternative budget. Oddly, it is the first budget I've seen that does not really list an financial numbers or projections. Indeed, if I am not mistaken, it appears to be nothing more than a list of talking points.

http://www.gop.gov/solutions/budget/road-to-recovery-final

Of course, the mainstream media is generally giving the GOP a free pass on this again.

[NMDemDist2]

1. where have you been?

that's last week's news......

[Median Democrat]

2. It Was News? I Must Have Blinked...

Exactly how long was it covered and where? Sheesh that was fast.

[BlooInBloo]

6. It was roundly mocked for the entire day that it came out....

EDIT: Here's a good little montage... http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2009/03/so_few_details_so_much_disappointment.php

EDITEDIT: This is a goodie too: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/03/real-republican-road-to-recovery.html

[Median Democrat]

9. Ah, I Found It, Very Tiny News Cycle There

I would have hoped that the mainstream media give at least a tenth of the scrutiny to the GOP alternative that they do to Obama's budget. But a First Read blog entry on MSNBC? Google news does not show many other stories on this subject. I guess I did blink and miss it.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/03/26/1867398.aspx

/snip

A GOP budget with no hard numbers Posted: Thursday, March 26, 2009 2:43 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: Congress, Republicans, Economy
From NBC's Mark Murray
Yesterday, House Republicans made a pretty big deal about unveiling their budget alternative.

In fact, we received this email from a House GOP spokeswoman, "Given the President’s comments night that, 'we haven’t seen a budget out of ,' we wanted to make sure to make you all aware that we are introducing our Republican Budget Alternative tomorrow."

And then what happens today? House Republicans release a 19-page document that contains no hard spending numbers or deficit projections. Per the AP, "One of the few hard bits of information is a promise to simplify the tax code and cut income tax rates to 10 percent for people making $100,000 or less down. They also promise to cut domestic spending below current levels but don't say whether they are exempting Social Security. It's impossible to determine the projected deficit based on their offering."

The House GOP leaders say they'll unveil more details next week. "We were always planning on putting out an overall blueprint, which we did today," House Minority Leader Boehner's office emails First Read. "The numbers will come next week with a multi-hundred page piece of legislation that Paul Ryan is currently drafting."

Not surprisingly, the Democratic National Committee pounced on the GOP's budget -- or lack thereof. "After 27 days, the best House Republicans could come up with is a 19-page pamphlet that does not include a single real budget proposal or estimate," said DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan. "While there had been talk that House Republicans were overriding their Senate counterparts to offer a budget alternative, it's clear after this announcement that neither of them have anything to offer but criticism."

/snip

[BlooInBloo]

10. (shrug) It was a very tiny budget. Good videos in the edit to my post above.

[NMDemDist2]

12. here's KO's take

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#29922655

and Rachel's here http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. Fleshed out version due April 1.

I shit you not.

[Kdillard]

4. Seriously is there no one left with a brain in the Republican Party?

This should be good for a laugh.

[obiwan]

14. Brains are obviously not necessary for membership in the Republic party.

Yep, "Republic party". Not a misprint.

[Median Democrat]

5. Really? This Should Be Interesting

I can only imagine what kind of stuff they will make up for their deficit projections. I bet they propose to cut taxes and spending, then project that economy grows at 10% for the next 10 years erasing the deficit due to the Laffer curve.

[mvd]

7. Let me guess: tax cuts, deregulation, tax cuts, deregulation..

[CAG]

13. No, remember, the repubs are all about regulating again, except, er,

when their not...

[Historic NY]

8. 19 pages you can use in the restroom.

[and-justice-for-all]

11. There is no such thing as a GOP solution to ANYTHING! nt