If President Bush is really as concerned about the budget as he claims in protesting the Senate’s $109 billion supplemental bill funding Iraq, hurricane relief and a variety of pet projects, he should finance most of the war costs through the normal budget process, and not through off-budget, supplemental bills, The New York Times argues in an editorial today. It’s a good point.
Though some costs can’t be predicted and, therefore, require supplemental funding, the bulk of the spending on Iraq is predictable — about $100 billion a year.
By using supplementals, the administration doesn’t have to count the spending when it outlines its budget plans. The Times also argues that moving the war’s financing off budget means less scrutiny of the spending and makes it “much easier for the Pentagon to duck the hard choices it desperately needs to be making between optional and costly futuristic weapons and pressing real-world needs.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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9 Comments
‘Budget process’ and President Bush appearing in the same sentence? No offense, Phillip, but can I have some of what you’re smoking? Isn’t The Decider, and his faith-based budget process, above such petty party politics?
Hehe, no kidding. I want to snort some of that faery dust too.
Hey, I got a great idea! Maybe Congress could swing by one of those Pay-Day Loan places and get the 200 million dollars a DAY we’re currently spending on the war in Iraq.
And best of all, they get to keep their cars! And tanks, and missiles, and submarines and . . . you get the idea.
Wouldn’t that require some honesty? Isn’t “honesty” a dirty word in the current administration?
Arab News:
“Hamas, Israel Once again a plague of letters has descended on Arab News, all blaming the Palestinians for the criminality of the Israeli government. Let me ask these supporters of Israel a few questions, asked before, but unanswered.
• What right do a pack of white Westerners have to invade nonwhite, non-Western land stealing it and destroying the native Palestinians way of life and then creating a “nation” called Israel on the ashes of Palestinian society? If Israel can be recognized for all that, then why wasn’t Hitler’s invasion of Poland and France recognized in the same way?
• Since when is it terrorism to resist an invasion and illegal occupation of one’s land? No one called the French Resistance “terrorist” (except Hitler) when they resisted Germany’s invasion.
• In that it was the Western nations of Europe and the US who helped found and support Israel, then it is the moral duty of those Western countries to pay for the destruction they were instrumental in causing. If Germany can pay reparations to the Jews for the Holocaust, then the Jews and the West can do the same for the Palestinians.
• Who says Hamas is a terrorist organization besides Israel? Of course, Israel would say that, wouldn’t it? What has Hamas or the Palestinians ever done to America or Europe? I must point out that AIPAC, Larry Franklin, Jonathan Pollard and Jack Abramoff who spied on America, stole from American Indians and caused the deaths of Americans aren’t Palestinians — but fanatical supporters of Israel. The Palestinians have never sold sensitive American military technology to China; but Israel has. The Palestinians have never sent the Russian mafia over to America on their passports, but Israel has on theirs.
• Hamas has been accused of wanting to “eradicate Israel.” Well, that’s no surprise now, is it? When you invade someone’s land and destroy their way of life, don’t expect the victims to greet you with hugs, kisses and an invitation to dinner. And when genocidal rabbis make statements like the following, it’s a no brainer that there’s going to be trouble. Rabbi Ovadia Yosuf said: “May the Holy Name visit retribution on the Arab and cause their seed to be lost and annihilated…It is forbidden to have pity on them…annihilate them.”• Hamas is further condemned for refusing to recognize Israel. At last the two sides have something in common! I don’t recall Israel ever recognizing the Palestinians, let alone their right to exist.
The “LOCAL” { a Swedish newspaper } has decided to throw-in with Bush and Israel and try, { do its very best } to help stave the Palestinians.
Bush enjoyed his flight around New Orleans in Air-force 1, so much, just watching the Katrina victim drown that maybe he might enjoy watching all of the Palestinians starve with his buddies the Swedes as well.
Way to go “LOCAL” and Sweden and watch from the air as you starve all those kids too.
Sounds like a “fun Party” for you and Bush.
XXX, “honesty” isnt a dirty word to this administration.
It is a FOREIGN LANGUAGE!!!!!!!
Had enough?
NO INCUMBENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Off budget supplements? You mean, they are financing a dishonest war, built on lies, with a deceitful budget supplement?
Yep, I want what the kookaide drinkers are using to get high.
Gives new meaning to the phrase “spending like drunken conservative republicans” doesnt it?
Why cant the repubs follow nancy’s advise about drugs?
Just say no to reckless spending.
Kinda like “abstinence only” spending.
I just heard on the radio today that congress will have to vote on raising the debt ceiling to 10T. This will be the 5th time the debt ceiling has been raised in 4 years. Ahhhhhhhh the soothing sound of fiscial responsibility.
But of course we all know that the reason we currently have a 9T federal deficit is because of Clinton and the irresponsible Democrats.