>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 08/23/01 04:23PM >>>
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Democrats responded that the administration had squandered the surplus by
pushing through an irresponsibly large tax cut, putting the government into
such a squeeze that not only Democratic initiatives but Mr. Bush's own
agenda, including a big increase in military spending, would be impossible
to carry out.
**mbs: only if one maintains the fiction that Social Security & medicare
surpluses
are "not real."
((((((
CB: He hoists Star Wars on his own petard ?
)))))
Eliminating nearly all of the non- Social Security surplus limits the
ability of Democrats ? or Republicans for that matter ? to propose big new
spending programs. It also makes it easier for the administration to demand
a re-examination of spending on programs that it opposes on policy grounds
or judges to be ineffective.
**mbs: Word.
CB: This is the Reaganite maneuver ?
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The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal research group, said
the cost of all the programs now in the legislative pipeline would be at
least $800 billion over 10 years, more than wiping out the $575 billion non-
Social Security surplus that the administration predicted would be available
during that period.
**mbs: Right. The Center is saying we can't have all the spending
increases now being decided in Appropriations committees. We
have to pay off more debt. These are the good guys.
(((((((((((
CB: They have flipped me over so many times over the years, I have to try to remember
that deficit spending is good, balancing the budget and surpluses is bad, right ?
