RUSH: Tony in Edmonds, Washington. Hello, and welcome to the EIB Network. Hello, sir.
CALLER: Hi, Rush. Hey, I’m concerned that this issue in Egypt — which is very important, yet I’m concerned — is overshadowing the budget issues that the Republicans are doing right now. You probably heard of the reductions in spending that Ryan’s committee has recommended for Fiscal 2011 are like $32 billion. I mean, this is just outrageous when they were talking about a $100 billion.
RUSH: Yeah.
CALLER: Now they’re talking $32 billion? I mean, where was Obama at this point in his first year in office? I mean, he was passing a stupid stimulus bill, and where are we in our first year in control of the House? We’re talking about a measly $32 billion reduction? I mean, here you got Rand Paul talking about $500 billion in the Senate, and what does Paul Ryan and this Hal Rogers in appropriations do? This guy is a disaster. It’s just disheartening, and I’ll tell you, people are gonna come unglued when they catch wind that the Republicans are acting in this fashion.
RUSH: I’m looking for a column. Here it is. I’m glad you brought this up, because this happens to be after the unemployment news, the second story top of my stack. I have a piece here by Quin Hillyer who writes for the American Spectator. It’s a blog post, and he has a piece that he’s written aimed at people who hold the view that you just expressed. It says: ‘Budget Cutters Should Chill Out.’ Now, stick with me on this, Tony. I just want to get your reaction what he says here. He says, ‘Before I say what I’m going to say, let me re-establish my bona fides, although I’ll still get slammed by angry extremists anyway. But I’m a budget cutter’s budget cutter. I served on the Approps Committee when it actually cut $50 billion in domestic discretionary spending in two years, which back then was REAL money.
‘It would be the equivalent of about $120 billion today … I did so in 1998. I did so in 1999. I did so every single year of the Bush administration…’ He’s got a track record here of complaining about spending that is as documented as yours is. ‘Nonetheless…’ This is a key point here: ‘Nonetheless, the conniption fits a lot of the House freshmen are having about Paul Ryan’s $32 billion in proposed domestic discretionary cuts are totally misplaced. Anybody who thought the $100 billion cut pledge applied to this FISCAL year, which is almost half finished, is crazy. The pledge was for this year — this first legislative year of the new Congress, meaning for the first full budget this Congress gets to work on, which is that of FY 2012,’ which will start in October.
So he says there’s nobody better at cutting budgets, nobody knows more about what he’s doing right now than Paul Ryan. ‘If the GOP cuts willy-nilly, a full $100 billion for THIS fiscal year rather than the coming one, I guarantee there will be horror stories. I guarantee there will be mistakes. I guarantee there will be a political reversal that will harm or destroy our REAL objective, which is to make significant, PERMANENT, politically sustainable budget savings that lead to a stable, balanced budget while conservatives still hold sway in Congress for a lasting time. The freshmen, and the outside conservatives who egg them on, flat-out don’t know what they are doing. They need to plan to win the long game, rather than demand a short-game, instant-gratification win that turns into a horribly Pyrrhic victory.’ So apparently he has heard people like you and he is fit to be tied that you’re putting unfair demands on the Republicans.
CALLER: I can’t buy that malarkey. First of all we’re talking about a $3.5 trillion budget, you know, and the idea that we it’s a squeeze to cut barrel 1%? It’s not even 1% that they’re talking. I mean, this is ridiculous. We’re looking for symbolism, okay? Maybe it’s just symbolism we’re looking for but at the same time these guys are post-come in with guts and they’re supposed to… To cut a hundred billion out of $3.5 trillion, that radical? I mean, come on, man! We need response today. We aren’t looking for Fscal 2012. We’re looking for fiscal 2011 and I don’t care if there’s seven months left or three months left, you know, we’ve got $3.5 trillion to work with, and you divide that by a quarter, you know, you still got a lot of money shloshing around there. Don’t give me this malarkey. It’s too much.
RUSH: Okay. So the Republicans made a pledge. It was part of their campaign. They are not meeting the terms of the pledge, as far as you’re concerned —
CALLER: Yep, yep.
RUSH: — and this is not good. Even if people think that these cuts will not pass the Senate, even if people think the cuts will not be approved, they still made a pledge to do this, and do it and apply the pressure and make them veto the cuts, right?
CALLER: That right. That’s right. I mean, why pass this repeal Obamacare if it’s not gonna pass the Senate? I mean don’t give me this line that, ‘Oh, we can’t get by the Senate if we make radical cuts in this budget.’
RUSH: Well, I… (sigh) Look, I’m not prepared to give you the details now. Maybe tomorrow. I have to digest a little bit about a couple things that I heard just before the program today, but if what I was told is correct (and I have to check it) you are not gonna be happy about the attempts to defund Obamacare, either.
CALLER: Mmm. Well —
RUSH: I’ll have details of that. I’ve got them now, I just have to check ’em. I just want to make sure that it’s accurate. Everybody would love to use this show to get their pet peeve point out. I am diluted every day with people, ‘Rush, you gotta say this! You gotta make sure people hear this! You gotta!’ So I have to check this out, but if this is true, if you’re upset over the difference between $32 billion and a $100 billion in budget cuts, the defunding via the continuation resolution of Obamacare, you’re gonna forget about this. You’re gonna be off on another warpath.
CALLER: Well, let me make one last point before I hang up.
RUSH: And I’ll tell you what it also said, the point of this note that I got today, is that the Republican leadership is more concerned with the rules of the House and points of order and making sure that the opposition is not shut out in debate — ’cause they were shut out when the Democrats ran the show — than they are with the substance of a lot of this legislation. These are why I must check these things. So tomorrow’s Open Line Friday, but you don’t want to miss it.
CALLER: Well, let me make one last point: If these guys behave in this fashion and make measly cuts, in 2012 they’re gonna split the ticket. There’s gonna be a big segment, a lot of us Tea Partiers, who do. I’m a staunch Republican, but I am fit to be tied.
RUSH: I know, I know, I know.
CALLER: People are gonna bail on the Republicans; they’re gonna split the ticket.
RUSH: Bah, they’re gonna bail on certain ones. I understand you, but — but —