Rope-a-dope budget strategy

The House vote on the Continuing Resolution yesterday was a disappointment.   During the year before the 2010 election the democrats could not pass any of the appropriations bills.  So when we came into 2011, the Congress had a series of budget decisions backed up.   That has led to a push and pull syndrome where the GOP has proposed reductions in spending which the democrats (in both the house and senate) have resisted - forcing a series of temporary measures to keep the government in business.
The Washington Examiner calls the strategy "rope-a-dope" and I think that is an apt definition.   They dodge and delay any small steps to reducing spending, which by any reasonable assessment is out of control.  The new GOP majority was elected, in part, to restrain spending and to reduce the non-essentials. They were also elected to begin to control entitlements.  As the Examiner concludes, if they don't show some progress they will be held accountable.

The former Speaker commented in extension of remarks commented that  “Democrats have long fought for fiscal responsibility…”  At the same time she said the democrats had to dig out the deficit that Bush created.  Indeed, our former president contributed mightily to the deficit.  


We cannot get away from the red trend line in the graph unless we begin to work on it conscientiously.  Contrary to the former Speaker's remarks, neither party has shown much interest in solving the problem.