Boehner: Roll back spending to 2008 levels, extend all tax cuts
posted at 12:55 pm on September 8, 2010 by Ed Morrissey
With everyone focused on Barack Obama’s hard pivot to the economy — which has taken him nine months to accomplish — John Boehner appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America and stole a march on the President. He pronounced himself open to Obama’s ideas on R&D tax breaks and capital-investment tax credits, but produced a counter-proposal to roll back federal spending to FY2008 levels. That would save $100 billion this year, and at the rate that Democrats have spent money, close to a trillion dollars in the next fiscal year alone:
The FY2008 budget allocated $3.1 trillion in spending, an increase of over $300 billion from the previous year. It makes more political than fiscal sense in that the FY2008 budget was passed by a Democratic Congress, which means that Obama and Nancy Pelosi will find it a little difficult to argue that it’s somehow inadequate. It still would outstrip revenues by around $600 billion, but that’s less than half of the projected deficit for FY2011 — if Democrats ever get around to proposing a budget for that fiscal year, which starts in 23 days. It’s a good pre-emption effort by Boehner and a way to focus on the real problem in the economy, which is not a lack of government spending or interventions.
Be sure to stick around to the end, when George Stephanopoulos makes sure that he asks Boehner about the real pressing issue of … his tan. Boehner laughs it off with good humor, but seriously, is this the best that Stephanopoulos can do in the middle of a midterm election season?
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Don’t forget reconciliation with our Democrat colleagues, bipartisanship, maybe some power sharing in the senate, and of course, amnesty. Come on, you greasy b*stard, you know you’re going to stick it to us. It’s not a question of if, just when.
austinnelly on September 8, 2010 at 12:59 PM
As Dana Perino says, there better be some more meat on them bones.
John the Libertarian on September 8, 2010 at 12:59 PM
GO John GO!
LOUDER!!! Should be the new GOP mantra.
Speakup on September 8, 2010 at 1:00 PM
.
Yes. You expected more of little Georgie?
LincolntheHun on September 8, 2010 at 1:00 PM
Yes. Because liberals have no real alternatives.
rbj on September 8, 2010 at 1:01 PM
George Stephanapapapapapalous’ wife on Oprah, 2009:
picklesgap on September 8, 2010 at 1:01 PM
And this is surprising … why, exactly?
oldleprechaun on September 8, 2010 at 1:02 PM
“If he wants to cut government investment in the economy how can he justify spending money on tax cuts for the rich?!?!11!1!?” – the president
forest on September 8, 2010 at 1:04 PM
..Boehner’s tan? Stephie is just warming up for his interviews with Crist, one supposes..
The War Planner on September 8, 2010 at 1:04 PM
Talk is cheap.. Make it happen..
Zippy_Slug on September 8, 2010 at 1:05 PM
*snort*
dIb on September 8, 2010 at 1:05 PM
Great idea. It will never pass THIS year, but if there’s no budget for FY 11, Boehner might have Pelosi’s big ol’ hammer in his hand next year, ready to make some serious cuts. Exit question: does Boehner have Chris Christie’s cojones?
Steve Z on September 8, 2010 at 1:05 PM
Yes, that’s the best Stephy will do. The last thing any leftist hack will do is address the issues.
InterestedObserver on September 8, 2010 at 1:06 PM
*gag*
BigWyo on September 8, 2010 at 1:07 PM
And if Delaware elects Mike Castle to the Senate, Washington DC will be one big, beautiful, squishy, bipartisan heaven!!!! Yippee!
UltimateBob on September 8, 2010 at 1:07 PM
I don’t know, I think it’s only legal to ask conservatives about their degree of skin pigmentation. Crist doesn’t qualify.
forest on September 8, 2010 at 1:07 PM
Good, draw a line in the sand and reveal to everyone what idiots the Democrats are when they cross it and get nailed with a two-by-four right in the snout.
Let them argue that the country will collapse if we revert to an FY08 budget level of spending because they will do it.
It’s about time the GOP led the Democrats into a trap like this. Smart move.
NoDonkey on September 8, 2010 at 1:08 PM
Heh, watching the crawl at the very beginning about the Conn. 9/11 memorial service…I laid my flowers there earlier. Cry every time. At Sherwood Island beach in Westport, where on a clear day you can see the Manhattan skyline from there.
Anyway, I just get chills listening to John Boener. Can’t quite place it, but he’s one of the few GOPers in DC that can “excite” me (keep your dang jokes to yourselves). I know he’s probably only going for Speaker right now, and would be a dang good one, but who wouldn’t look good after Madame Pelosi. I keep my fingers crossed he’ll choose a higher office.
JetBoy on September 8, 2010 at 1:08 PM
Of course it is. The intent was to focus not on the spending, or the economy, but to try and embarrass Boehner. Unfortunately for George….I don’t think people give an iota about the tan right now. Keep on shilling, George!!!
capejasmine on September 8, 2010 at 1:08 PM
George Steponallofus strikes again!
Boehner’s plan sounds good to me. I like the preemption, too.
NTWR on September 8, 2010 at 1:09 PM
Boehner did a very good job. I like him; he’s much better than McConnell, Hastert and Delay.
TimTebowSavesAmerica on September 8, 2010 at 1:12 PM
A President trash talking, how much lower can this embarrassment sink? Way to Barry, you’ve reduced the Leader of the Free World to the level of an NBA player mentality. Also he used horrible grammar. I though he was both clean and articulate.
Tommy_G on September 8, 2010 at 1:13 PM
We must do it this way. What the democratics have planned is to use the 2010 budget as a baseline. They can cut the 2010 budget by 20% or more, and make a credible claim to be financially conservative, but that still puts us in an unsustainable position.
We have to rebuild the US government office by office, and determine what we really need to operate. Nothing else can work.
We need to crush federal salaries and pensions, including those on pension today. This is what happens when a company goes bankrupt; our country is bankrupt. Kick all pensions down to a PBGC-like maximum of about $5K/mo. Make federal employees begin significant contributions to their own pensions. Cut all federal salaries over $50K by 10%, and freeze them for five years. No federal bonuses until the budget is balanced.
Make federal employee unions illegal.
slickwillie2001 on September 8, 2010 at 1:14 PM
How about we roll back spending to 1988 levels? And drop most any government entity that was created since then? And any employees hired since then?
jmuchow on September 8, 2010 at 1:15 PM
Racist. /s
MassVictim on September 8, 2010 at 1:20 PM
Talk about the estate tax increase… and promise to kill it. People get that.
Why does YouTube have such a sound sync problem? I know of no other site that has he same issue.
mankai on September 8, 2010 at 1:20 PM
This policy gives Obama a chance to paint Boehner as just another GOP politician trying to continue the Bush policies.
Why not move spending back to 2000 levels? Or just call for a 20% cut in federal spending? Tying it to the Bush years gives Obama an opening to use his favorite material.
hawksruleva on September 8, 2010 at 1:22 PM
I hope when she has to hand him the gavel he smacks her with it.
CurtZHP on September 8, 2010 at 1:22 PM
Boehner: I am trying to cut the Obama deficit by paying his tanning tax.
WashJeff on September 8, 2010 at 1:22 PM
GREAT point. Obviously we would all love to see spending rolled back even further, but no one who wants to do that has any real power right now.
So as a first step, it is essential to get a new baseline established before the 2010 spending levels harden into the “new normal.”
Missy on September 8, 2010 at 1:22 PM
Typical GOP response. Not nearly good enough.
joshlbetts on September 8, 2010 at 1:23 PM
whistle that for a delay of game penalty.
ted c on September 8, 2010 at 1:25 PM
All Obama is about is destroying the US economy, and by default America.
tarpon on September 8, 2010 at 1:26 PM
hawksruleva on September 8, 2010 at 1:22 PM
Oh good lord, the Democrats controlled Congress in 2008 and that’s the point he’s trying to make here.
Democrats won’t even agree to this small change which is going to make them look ridiculous.
2000? We weren’t even fighting one war then. That’s a 50 mph fastball down the middle.
Cynicism in and of itself produces nothing, this is a good move, give them some credit.
NoDonkey on September 8, 2010 at 1:26 PM
I’m a big Boehner fan. Just love his voice. My wife, who’s not quite into politics, glanced at my screen while he was talking and asked “Uh…how do you pronounce his name?”
birdhurd on September 8, 2010 at 1:26 PM
I have loved John Boehner ever since, in 2008, he said that he promised President Bush that he wouldn’t talk bad about Bush’s “piece of sh!t amnesty bill.”
Good on him for the preemption.
CantCureStupid on September 8, 2010 at 1:27 PM
It does tie it to the Bush years but it also ties it to the place the country was in pre-recession and pre-bailout. IOW the place we all wish we could get back to, even though it wasn’t perfect.
Again, it is a first step. It would be great to get down to 2000 levels but the GOP doesn’t have control of Congress yet and it would be a huge political battle to lower it that far even if they did have control. That is a project that will take years. This is a gambit they can use before the election that will sound reasonable to a lot of people and that Obama won’t be able to easily shrug off as “typical” Republican miserliness.
Missy on September 8, 2010 at 1:28 PM
2k8 spending was too high, you f’n Oompa Loompa.
Blarg the Destroyer on September 8, 2010 at 1:28 PM
Carefully calculated and doesn’t rise much above “meh.”
They are probably getting advice from some marketing firm to be as bland as possible so as not to risk any mistakes before November. I think, however, a little more contrasting with BHO and a lot more clear economic talking could only do them good.
mankai on September 8, 2010 at 1:28 PM
What he wanted to say to George:
How ’bout kissing my a$$.
pain train on September 8, 2010 at 1:31 PM
The “Summer Recovery” has transitioned to the “Summer Pounding”.
Schadenfreude on September 8, 2010 at 1:31 PM
Ask questions about tans then later the MSM will question the seriousness of the person questioned.
Cindy Munford on September 8, 2010 at 1:31 PM
Perfect timing. Take the high ground of the budget battle fight right before elections.
Perfect!!
FireBlogger on September 8, 2010 at 1:33 PM
“They don’t call me a mutt”
Schadenfreude on September 8, 2010 at 1:34 PM
What would Crist have answered to a stupid question like the one on “tan”?
Schadenfreude on September 8, 2010 at 1:36 PM
That’s what I’m effing talking about Johnnie…
phreshone on September 8, 2010 at 1:36 PM
Through 2009, the exemption was increasing so much that it was irrelevant to most people. Beginning Jan 1, it returns with an exemption of only $1 million. That can hit many more people–assuming anything is left after paying for Obamacare premiums in later life. At any rate, Democrats have not seriously addressed this issue. Years ago, most people never expected 2010 would be an estate-tax free year. But Democrats dragged their heels.
BuckeyeSam on September 8, 2010 at 1:37 PM
The 2008 budget, pre-2009 amendment is a great first start, and a great line of demarcation… I would prefer 2006 as the first step, but Boehner is on the right track… other GOP DC insiders, who the hell knows…
phreshone on September 8, 2010 at 1:38 PM
Just not in the face…could undo years of botox, and who on Earth wants to witness that?
JetBoy on September 8, 2010 at 1:42 PM
Now I remember why I never watch this crap.
peski on September 8, 2010 at 1:44 PM
peski on September 8, 2010 at 1:44 PM
Exactly, watching network or even cable news is a complete waste of time.
You have to weed through so many commercials, fluff and inane bantering to get to anything of substance.
I can gather more information on the internet in 5 minutes than I get in two hours on any “new” program.
NoDonkey on September 8, 2010 at 1:55 PM
Plus, it has the added benefit or reminding people of the good old days of 2008, when Bush was president. Talk about a slap at the dems – everything they have run against for 18 months is what the American people want.
Vashta.Nerada on September 8, 2010 at 1:59 PM
So, this is one of those interviews with a “neutral” journalist…? I’d stay away from these fools…
d1carter on September 8, 2010 at 1:59 PM
Yeah, and it would probably require a hazmat team to clean up any spills.
Vashta.Nerada on September 8, 2010 at 2:01 PM
I kinda picture Raiders of the Lost Ark, and every Republican in the House would have to grab each other and say “Keep your eyes closed…don’t look at it!” while all the Dems are getting their faces melted off.
JetBoy on September 8, 2010 at 2:03 PM
jimver on September 8, 2010 at 2:10 PM
Crist: “Why? Do you like it or not? Because if not I will be happy to shave off a few layers of skin to get rid of it, anything to have your approval, Stephano.”
Bishop on September 8, 2010 at 2:12 PM
With talk of the tax cuts being center stage until election day, I hope no one perpetuates that ridiculous fallacy about how the tax cuts are “not paid for”.
If you get your hours cut at work or something happens to decrease the direct money you bring in, you don’t twist your personal budget into a pretzel and complain that your reduction in income is “unpaid for”.
You understand you have “X” amount of dollars to spend and you reduce your spending.
This filthy fallacy of complaining how tax cuts are not “paid for” needs to stop. We do not work to fill government coffers.
ButterflyDragon on September 8, 2010 at 2:12 PM
Words! Words! Words! I’m so sick of words!
First from him, now from you!
Is that all you blighters can do?
I will believe they are serious about cutting spending when they actually do it.
sharrukin on September 8, 2010 at 2:14 PM
Pantload is speechifiyin’ again. Ugh.
Does he really think he has a shred of credibility left?
Key West Reader on September 8, 2010 at 2:20 PM
EVEN BETTER
let the tax cuts expire for everyone…. roll’em back to Bill Clinton Levels….. Then Reduce spending to Bill Clinton levels with it….. the libtards are always talking bout how great it was under Clinton..so cut spending toooooooooo…. then watch the entertainment.
More popcorn please!
roflmao
donabernathy on September 8, 2010 at 2:31 PM
Entertaining, very much so
Schadenfreude on September 8, 2010 at 2:41 PM
Hey John…how about you and the RNC put it in writing as another Contract for America?
bhawknine on September 8, 2010 at 2:51 PM
The left is so freaking obsessed with Boehner’s tan and can’t help talking about it. So, can we start commenting endlessly on the pigmentation of the president as well? Kind of confused about the rules here.
Sugar Land on September 8, 2010 at 3:24 PM
NRO’s Danial Foster summarized and cited some highlights of OBlowhard’s speech in Ohio.
There are three points that need to be “refudiated” loudly and often:
ObaMao, that money does NOT belong to the government. It belongs to the people who earned it, the ones that you want to punish for their successes. If you spent less, no borrowing would be necessary.
The metaphor is trite and false. Failure to address unfunded mandates, Fannie and Freddie, and the burden of ObaMaocare have stuck us into a ditch that will never allow us to get back on the road to recovery. Also, we are not “slowly pulling out”. We are spiralling into a double-dip recession. Actually, it is more like a depression, and you are its chief architect.
The porkulus bill and the deficit that it caused can be laid right at the doorstep of you and your fellow Dems. In their need to prime the pump, you all did nothing to create a climate for job growth or recovery. You did, however, “finance” fantasy wish lists of your fellow Lefties and offer political payback for your and their cronies.
onlineanalyst on September 8, 2010 at 3:35 PM
Exactly! Oblowhard pulled that stunt in Ohio…again. The Dems should not get away with this lie.
onlineanalyst on September 8, 2010 at 3:39 PM
Best he’s got? Boehner sux. Try this:
(1) Eliminate the Department of Education
(2) Eliminate the USDA
(3) Roll the FDA and the food-protection parts of USDA into a new “Department of Food and Drug Safety” tightly constrained to a narrow definition of mission
(4) Defund Public Broadcasting (aka NPR).
(5) Merge the ATF and the Secret Service with the FBI.
(6) Fire every attorney working for the DOJ and force every one of them to reapply (along with everyone else) for the jobs liberated.
then cut taxes and spending.
moochy on September 8, 2010 at 3:58 PM
Ten or fifteen years ago the democratics invented their spin tactic of claiming that any amount suggested for a program that was less than the generous increase they asked for was a ‘budget cut’. Remarkably, they got away with it, and the liberal old media embraced the tactic. Now they feel completely free to reinvent the English language to suit their goals. They have done the same thing with History.
slickwillie2001 on September 8, 2010 at 5:22 PM
George wants Boehner to TELL the church not to burn Korans? Even a politician can only tell a person how the view how they exercise their First Amendment rights; they do not have the power to repeal them.
A little thought experiment: a few years back, Petreus asks ANSWER, Code Pink, et al to stop anti-war protests because they only encourage jihdists and cause more American casualties. What would be the press reaction?
When did the press turn on the First Amendment?
Laurence on September 8, 2010 at 6:55 PM
The 2008 spending levels were pushing us to ruin.
V-rod on September 9, 2010 at 2:47 AM