Do Republicans really want lower spending or not?

Republicans, especially Defense Department stalwarts, have spent 19 months doomsaying the reductions. The cuts have been described in apocalyptic terms over and over and over again. “Harsh.” “Brutal.” “Devastating.”…

So here sit Republicans, teeth clenched, gripping their desks, waiting for the “devastating” cuts to explode the economy and just hoping that Obama will get some of the blame for having invented the thing. They are assuming that $85 billion less spent by the government will cause devastation in an economy of some $16 trillion. What a bunch of Keynesians.

If the cuts are so bad, why not just stop them? Quit the puffery about offsets versus tax hikes and just kill the monster they helped make. The Senate would surely go along and the president would only too happily sign.

As it is, Republicans and Obama look like two firemen standing outside of a burning building arguing about whether to use water from the hydrant or the truck to put it out. “Wait until you see my press release blaming you!” screams one. “Oh yeah, well I’m going to hit you with the snarkiest Tweets ever!” screams the other.