GOP Not Sweating Breaking Their Budget-Cutting Promise

Prior to taking office, the GOP made a bunch of promises to the American people about what they would do to make everything perfect again. These were firm promises! They wrote them down, in a "Pledge To America." Then they went to a hardware store, one of America's most sacred places, to unveil their promises. And there was one promise so nice that they promised it twice!

Pretty easy to understand: $100 billion of government spending cut in "the first year alone." But, as we've already documented, many of the House GOP's promises have something of a transient nature, and in this case, words seem to have no real meaning. Instead of making $100 billion in cuts, the pledge has been reduced to maybe "$50 to $60 billion." You might be wondering how this broken promise is going to play for the grassroots activists who powered the House GOP to electoral success in November, with the explicit message of getting serious about reducing government spending. Well, Dave Weigel spoke to the guy that gives the grassroots their marching orders, Dick Armey:

The former GOP Majority Leader and the current chairman of FreedomWorks was in the House today, meeting with Republicans, and I happened into him outside the chamber after the reading of the Constitution. I pointed out to Armey that the GOP's Pledge to America promised $100 billion in spending cuts this year, while Republicans are now talking about $50-60 billion in cuts. Was he satisfied with this? Well, yes.

"I believe that because the Democrats have squandered half of this fiscal year," said Armey, "because they didn't complete their work last year, it's realistically correct."

It's kind of weird, because the people who obstructed all that "work" from being "completed" were the same ones making a contemporaneous promise to cut $100 billion at a hardware store.

For more on how immunity-to-promise breaking is systematized, let's go to Matthew Yglesias:

Suppose there's some sellout that John Boehner wants to implement. Boehner recognizes that he needs to pair this with a symbolic but meaningless gesture. Now suppose he sits down in a room with Rupert Murdoch, Rush Limbaugh, Tom Donohue, and David Koch and persuades all three of those people that this is the right way to proceed. Then the next day, Boehner unleashes his symbolic gesture and his compromise, and the coverage of it on Fox News, The Rush Limbaugh Show, and the fox-affiliated radio shows is all positive. That alone gets you the three most popular talk radio shows, the television network, The Weekly Standard, a dose of influence at every single conservative think tank in America, and the important organizing efforts of Americans For Prosperity.

How far is a right-wing challenger going to get with those forces arrayed against him?

Not far. And the basic principles of elite signaling indicate that support among that group will lead to more support. It wouldn't be a smart move for Mike Huckabee or Sarah Palin or Mitt Romney to get on the wrong side of Rush & Fox. Jim DeMint might or might not find it useful to act as a rightwing defector from dealmaking, but he wouldn't actually get anywhere without conservative media to back him. In essence, coordinated action among a very small number of people can cut the oxygen off from the tea party fire any time they want to.

Smash-cut flashback to Armey mansplaining this to Weigel in real time. So ... that's how that's going to work!

RELATED:
Fear The Grasstops Not The Grassroots [Matt Yglesias]
Dick Armey: It's Okay for Republicans to Cut Less Than $100 Billion This Year [Weigel @ Slate]

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Comments

[den1953]

11:44 AM on 01/08/2011

By repealing everything they could possibly repeal the Republicans are doing their part in creating new jobs after they manage to shut down every possible job that could have been created by the new programs. Take health care for instance by saving people from gouging the public billions of tax payer money by causing runs on emergency rooms for care Americans can't afford to pay, they want to repeal the program and spend another 230 billion to take it away. More lay offs in the health care industry and by doing so they have created more jobs to outsource overseas, one thing is for sure the GOP and the Tea Party will keep unemployment agencies in business for the new year......

[elijlyn]

11:41 AM on 01/08/2011

So true, I say if tomorrow the right suddenly said Obama was a conservati­ve messiah by the end of the week the millions of Obama hating Repubs would love and worship him. Has something to do with the chips implanted in their brains at birth- only thing I can figure out...

[Allyatx]

11:40 AM on 01/08/2011

I feel safe in saying I told you so now.

[janmB]

11:30 AM on 01/08/2011

What was not said was they plan to pick and chose what they will trim. NOT trim tax relief for the wealthy, NOT trim budgets for IRAQ or Afghanistan.
Actually, they want to give small business more welfare even if the average is that 8 out of 10 fail. The corporations own 99% of the yachts parked in FLA and own the private planes so they should get a tax break as the upkeep of these frills are expensive.

[WryAwry]

11:29 AM on 01/08/2011

Congressio­nal Reform Act of 2011:

1. Term Limits: 12 years maximum; one of the possible options below
A. Two Six-year Senate terms.
B. Six Two-year House terms.
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms.

2. No Tenure / No Pension. Congressme­n collect a salary while in office and receive
no pay when they are out of office.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participat­es in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressio­nal retirement fund move into the Social Security system
immediatel­y. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress
participat­es with the American people.

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressio­nal pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participat­es in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

8. All contracts with past and present Congressme­n are void effective 1/1/11.
The American people did not make any contracts with Congressme­n. Congressme­n
made all these contracts for themselves­.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislator­s, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and get back to work.

Lets put some honor back into political representa­tion. Our political system is despicable­.

Of the people, by the people.

[mogluver]

11:46 AM on 01/08/2011

Can a child eating unlimited cookies right from the jar stop?

[Cherokee5]

09:24 PM on 01/10/2011

Great I vote for This....where do we vote?
Gettr done

[mimseyme]

11:02 PM on 01/18/2011

The "Congressional Reform Act of 2011" is not a real bill in Congress but it is a passionate plea for change on behalf of concerned citizens.

We found some of the claims from the list to be inaccurate:

Congressional representatives are exempt from paying into Social Security - Fiction!
Elected representatives are not exempt from paying into Social Security.

Congressional representatives are above the law- Fiction!

In early January 2010 former GOP Congressman Tom Delay was sentenced to 3 years in prison after being found guilty for his participation in a scheme to illegally funnel corporate money to Texas candidates in 2002.

James A. Traficant, an Ohio Democrat, was expelled from Congress after being found guilty of bribery and racketeering. Traficant served seven years behind bars in a Minnesota prison and was released in 2009.

Congressional representatives are exempt from Health Care policies- Fiction!
Congressional representatives are not exempt from the healthcare reform law.

Congressional representatives have been voting themselves cost of living pay raises- Fiction!

Members of Congress have not gotten a raise in pay in the last 2 years while the US has been facing hard economic times. Also, the 111th Congress, under the leadership of Nancy Pelosi, voted to stop the automatic pay raise for the last two consecutive years. President Obama signed the last bill into law on May 14, 2010, which will affect congressional pay raises in 2011.

[Ramon Sender]

08:45 PM on 01/27/2011

I'm writing my congresspeople. Accurate or inaccurate, the direction is right on!

[CompashCat]

11:27 AM on 01/08/2011

What I don't understand is why don't the Dems fight back hard and with persistence? Are they not as well funded? Are they not that interested in re-election? Are they not that interested in policies that will benefit someone other than the top 1%ers? It is so disheartening to see this level of immaturity go on in one of the most powerful orgs on the Planet: the U.S. Congress.

I have such contempt for the Republicans who:
- model complete lack of cooperation ("my way or the highway!" Real mature, guys.)
- demonstrate a complete lack of empathy for those who are struggling through no fault of their own ("Anyone can be rich in this great country! You bottom 90% are just lazy losers!")
- do not address the REAL problems the US (and the world) are facing here in the 21st Century ("Duh, what is Peak Oil? Climate change - it's just a big money-maker for all those devious scientists. Economic instability - just cut taxes for the rich and keep waiting for the prosperity to trickle down. Invest in education and infrastructure? Nah, that is socialism!")

I have a great deal of disrespect for our Democratic leaders, too, because WHY CAN'T THEY STAND UP TO SUCH MORALLY-BANKRUPT, IRRATIONAL, SCHOOLYARD BULLY BEHAVIOR??!

[mogluver]

11:52 AM on 01/08/2011

It's not what they say, but rather how they act every day. The nation is being played, and we have for 40 or more years. The Republicans have repeated "no new taxes" so long that the common voter believes it as truth. The Democrats are in line along with the Republicans for the dole they receive from corporate America. What happens when the middle class continues to shrink into poverty? That is the real question.

[CompashCat]

03:46 PM on 01/08/2011

You've pretty-much summed it up!

[MmeFlutterbye]

11:25 AM on 01/08/2011

Jason Linkins quoting Matthew Iglesias" "...coordinated action among a very small number of people [Fox News, Limbaugh, Rupert Murdoch, David Koch etc] can cut the oxygen off from the tea party fire any time they want to."

Told you so! It was easy to see that the Teapublicans were used ONLY to get votes. They may as well make some bucks by becoming the lobbyists' best friends. We live in an oligarchy, and the real leaders are not part of our government.

[johnb123]

11:07 AM on 01/08/2011

The sheep believe anything you tell them. It's why we have a one party system. Democrat/ Republican Sheep party.

[justsomeguywhocameby]

10:57 AM on 01/08/2011

If you haven't done your homework, just deflect.

"The Democrats ate it."

[Marcel2010]

11:24 AM on 01/08/2011

I miss your point here?

[flacpa]

10:53 AM on 01/08/2011

The real issue is what is the definition of the "one year" they were talking about. When does it start. On the day they all, except for the 2 having an illegal fundraiser in the capitol, took offoce. Is it from the day all of them were sworn in? Maybe its the first full fiscal year they are in office. Perhaps the first fiscal year they can propose a budget. Or is it the first calendar year year they are there which would start next January 1. I know its the first Jewish year they are there which starts next September. Oh well I give up so some one please ask Cry "Boehner" for the answer. Which of course is subject to change at any time.

[justsomeguywhocameby]

11:02 AM on 01/08/2011

Asking the Bohner will only make him cry.

[MmeFlutterbye]

11:22 AM on 01/08/2011

It may be in God years i.e. a thousand ages.

[humanbeing-rick]

10:50 AM on 01/08/2011

You hit the nail on the head when you said "GOP's promises have something of a transient nature, and in this case, words seem to have no real meaning".
So is the Tower of Babel repeating itself here now? Words have no meaning?
Why does anyone listen to the GOP when "words have no meaning"?
Liars and cheats deserve no honor, and like bad boys and girls they should be ignored.
Stop paying any attention to the words that they write or speak, they are meaningless.

Kick the bums out, and vote in some real Americans with honor and maturity!!!

[axollot]

11:08 AM on 01/08/2011

Sadly kicking the bums out and voting in "real" Americans is impossible with the money bombs. The only candidates that will make it to the voting booth are the ones that MONEY buys.
We just need more real human beings.

[johnb123]

11:08 AM on 01/08/2011

Sheep don't know what "honor and maturity" are. They just believe what they are told.

[tim mcmillan]

10:42 AM on 01/08/2011

hmmmm. Let's see if this is what I am reading. A few days after reps come to the hill they are accused of breaking a promise to do something in one year. I heard time flies but this is a bit rediculous. Why are those accusing unable to wait one year, or at least until they get to make a budget before the accusations fly? That would actually be the honesty that is being touted as not coming from the other side.

[sfpolarbear]

11:03 AM on 01/08/2011

A perfect example of what the column is about. They come out and say that they aren't going to keep their promise and yet who do you fault? The people pointing out that they're breaking their promise on day one.

[motoGpifupleez]

10:41 AM on 01/08/2011

Since when has the breaking of a campaign promise harmed a politician? Their followers are trapped in the "what's your alternative?" tar pit.

Americans are so entrenched in their hatred of all things "other side" and both parties know it. Look at how the Democrats have treated those who put them in power. They are perfectly content to spit in the faces of the Liberals who sent them messages by Scott Brown and then the mid terms because they are banking on the notion that the Republican alternative will so disgust us that we will, once again, pick the "least worst" option.

Look at the RightWinger. Time and again hey are willing to rally around candidates that openly promise to work for the business interests at the expense of the people and their people cheer it on and vote for them because they would rather suffer than to admit a Democrat might be a better choice.

If politicians ever had to pay the price for their misdeeds, this would be an entirely different ballgame but alas, this is America: Home of the willfully ignorant and darn proud of it voter.

We have EXACTLY the government we deserve.

[ahumbleopinion]

11:12 AM on 01/08/2011

"Liberals" who send a message by electing Republicans are as much a tool of the GOP as the Tea Party. Both believe the right wing propaganda and vote against their own self interest.

[Alex Moschopoulos]

10:40 AM on 01/08/2011

Let's add in how Rush and FNN can cut off the TP from the media. You all notice the HP has given Meckler a voice while all of his recent complaints were not shown on Rush or FNN.

Same old broken record. Tell everyone that all can come into the nightclub, then put the bouncer and velvet ropes back in place after election day...only allowing those with money to come in.

The TP I'm sure will make noise, but the conservative media won't give them any press or coverage UNLESS they're attacking a Dem.

[YouTubeJEFF9K]

10:38 AM on 01/08/2011

It doesn't matter that the GOP breaks its promises. People who vote for them aren't rational.

[humanbeing-rick]

10:52 AM on 01/08/2011

Scary isn't it? Idiocracy!