Fiscal Crybabies

The GOP, as columnist Froma Harrop explains.

There hasn’t been a balanced budget since the last Democratic administration. During the Bush years of mindless tax-cutting, the national debt doubled, and GOP claims to fiscal rectitude became a bizarre joke. The last fig leaf fell off this summer when Republicans demagoged efforts to save over $100 billion by ending subsidies for the private Medicare Advantage health plans.

Here was the lowest-hanging fruit in the fastest-growing federal program. It was something most Medicare beneficiaries would barely notice was gone, yet Republicans hollered that Democrats were pulling the plug on Grandma.

That dashed any residual Republican pretenses that George W. Bush had led them astray on spending, and a lesson was learned. Clearly, they’re not changing a thing.

Yep.