Yes, granted, they haven’t even been seated yet, but Neil knows a golden opportunity when he sees one and he also knows what tends to happen to budget hawks once they’re sworn in and have special interests to answer to. That’s how we got from the 1994 wave to a GOP Congress passing Bush’s Medicare prescription drug expansion in less than 10 years.

Rand Paul, to his credit, is talking about it:

Paul (R-Ky.) wants the changes proposed by the bipartisan commission to take effect sooner, rather than over the course of several decades.

“The debt commission has some good ideas … but they are stretching it out over 30, 40, 50 years. I really think it’s going to be too little, too late,” he told Fox News in an interview to air Friday afternoon. “I tend to not think that proposals are too serious if they are over such a long period of time and they end up getting changed over that time.”…

“The report only came out a day or two ago. I guess I am just a little more bold than those in Washington,” he said. “Those in Washington think a 30-year plan to balance the budget is bold, and I think that’s still anemic.”

Yeah, me too, and Cavuto makes three. But for the moment, the earmark battle is top priority among the GOP caucus. That’s fine — the issue will be settled next week when they vote — but the fact that the outcome of a gesture as small as that is in doubt means we’re hosed when it comes scorched-earth cuts to nondiscretionary spending. Oh well: Nothing to do but keep primarying recalcitrant Republicans and hope for the best. Unless, of course, they decide to become Democrats first. Hmmmmmmm.