Dueling Op-Eds! Allen on Kaine, Deficit Spending
By Shaun Kenney | Monday, July 25th, 2011 | PoliticsShows you how well I read the Daily Press. Former Governor George Allen ran an op-ed on the same day as Tim Kaine did. Not a bad read:
Washington has an opportunity to start taking the necessary steps to set things right and get us back on the path to prosperity. To get our government under control to improve job opportunities, we have to stop digging ourselves deeper and deeper into debt. In the blink of an eye, our leaders in Washington have made trillion-dollar deficits the norm. This year’s deficit is projected to a hit an astounding $1.65 trillion.
That adds up. Over $14 trillion in national indebtedness and counting. The fight in Washington these days is over increasing the debt by over $2 trillion more.
The impending debt-ceiling deadline offers us an opportunity to finally pull Washington back from the brink. Passing a balanced budget amendment would eliminate the all-too-common debt ceiling theatrics we witness every couple of years.
Some say an amendment to our Constitution is an extraordinary step. Correct, and this is an extraordinary crisis that has already done great harm to the American Dream, forcing us to borrow approximately 40 cents on every dollar our government spends.
A balanced budget amendment would force leaders in Washington to live by the same rules most Virginia families do — within their means. Beyond a constitutional amendment, Washington must make meaningful and significant reductions in spending and enact enforceable spending caps to prevent another increase of the debt ceiling in two years.
Taken together, these three steps will finally start moving us away from the cliff and into the right direction.
America is long overdue for a Balanced Budget Amendment, though whether or not we get one with any real teeth remains to be seen.
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About the author
Shaun Kenney is the Chairman of the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors, former Communications Director for the Republican Party of Virginia, and an active blogger since 2002. Shaun lives in Thomas Jefferson's backyard with his wife, six children, and a modest attempt at a farm in Kents Store, Virginia.
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11 Responses to "Dueling Op-Eds! Allen on Kaine, Deficit Spending"
So Shaun, do you recall how much of the national debt Allen actually voted for? I beleive it is a substantial part. And the argument is not longer about cutting expenditures; the President’s plan includes some three trillion in reductions in spending. But we did not get into this debt situation based on expenditures alone, we got into it by cutting revenues as well. So the solution will involve both also, but of course, the tea party republicans would rather jolt us back into recession with deep spending cuts instead of a rational solution with all sides contributing. Allen’s failure to join with those seeking a compromise solution, and his allegiance to the far right, means to me he is unfit for office.
Mike, Allegiance to the far right is not something George Allen hath not. The fiscal far right reprimanded him and protest voted for Jim Webb. The fiscal right is supporting many of the candidates other than George Allen who is supported by rinos.. and conservatives with short memories.
Mike has a history of positioning anything a little to a lot of “far left” is “far right” and “extreme”. In Mike’s world, Sen. Reid agreeing to “no tax increases” and “cuts” means that he was hypnotized and told what to do by Grover Norquist. It is refreshing that Sen. Reid and other Democrats are now marching in lock step to Grover’s instructions. Keep staring into Grover’s eyes on TV Mike because he might must hypnotize you into sanity.
Where does challenging George Allen’s conservative bona fides leave us?
We are left supporting unknown, under-funded candidates which will likely assure a Kaine victory, or we support a known commodity with the genuine potential of winning. George Allen is seeking a political future in the senate or, perhaps, beyond. Voters are proving to be intolerant of both liberals and conservatives who do not perform as advertised. Allen will have much to prove and the need to prove it..
Understanding this, knowing the Left is pulling their side back to their more extreme liberal roots (just as we are demanding our candidates remember how they got here) do we dare, at this opportunity to take advantage of a split on the Left, risk a damaging split in our own base that will also impact the presidential election? There will likely be at least two Supreme Court appointments made during the next presidential term that will transcend the 2014 senatorial election (Warner) and the 2016 elections and beyond.
There are valid reasons to question the purity of George Allen’s conservatism. But there are more reasons to question Radtke’s and Donner’s potential to defeat Kaine. We cannot allow a Warner – Kaine senate seating for Virginia with the prospect of two or more Obama lame-duck SCOTUS appointments.
And to Mr. Barrett’s comment….. How do deep cuts in federal spending “jolt us back into recession”? It was certainly excess spending that got us into this situation. It was the political “bravado” of promising everything to garner the votes of those with their hands out and pay no federal income taxes. Lower the rates, broaden the tax base and cut the spending. Raising taxes on those already paying the bills is the other side’s plan, not ours.
@Mike –
What I do know is that the Democrats have racked up the national debt by $3.7 trillion dollars since Obama took office in January 2009.
…and they want to increase that by another $2.5 trillion.
The rational solution? Quit spending money on things we can’t afford. Entitlements aren’t just a big part of the problem — THEY ARE THE PROBLEM.
It’s disingenuous to argue that “everyone needs to chip in” while refusing to cut entitlements, reform social security, or fix the tax code. Obama has rejected every plan issued so far… that’s not leadership, folks.
Actually, I agree. Reform of entitlements, cuts in defense, and the closure of tax loop holes are all required. The trick is to cut expenditures without throwing the nation beck into recession. Frankly, corporations seem to be doing just fine, so the closure of loop holes can begin immediately. The tea party however cares not one wit about stimulating the economy so the recovery accelerates; in fact, they are opposed to that since it increases the President’s chances of reelection. They could care less about my personal savings or the health of my company. Frankly, they will sacrifice me, and by extension every american and every american business, in order to obtain their political ambitions. No thanks.
“They could care less about my personal savings or the health of my company.”, of course not because you are already being taken care of by your membership in the club of radical left wing of CEOs who are Democrat and Obama supporters because the status quo is good for your business. Just think… you are making massive profits in this economic malaise just like Immelt of GE and all those companies getting Obamacare waivers. Are you guys going to have an awards ceremony at Obama’s birthday bash for how much you have screwed the American tax payer? But hey, you are a CEO and its profit and business at the expense of any group who gets in the way.
And you are correct, the tea party doesn’t believe in more “stimulating the economy so the recovery accelerates”… been there, done that, didn’t work, unemployment at 9.2%, GDP down, credit rating down, consumer confidence down, borrowing up, spending up, debt up. It’s no wonder you radical fiscal leftists are on another planet from the majority of those workers and businesses who are just getting by, and you have no problem in continuing the suffering of the unemployed little people who you want to stay that way.
Mike,
There are times when I can see glimmers of logic in your arguments, despite the combative manner in which they are offered. However, this is not one of those times.
Do you honestly believe that members of the Tea Party Movement want to intentionally destroy our economic recovery just to defeat President Obama? If you have been reading my posts here, you should know that I am far from being a fan of the Tea Party. As a political movement I see them as naive and misguided and as individual candidates I see them as ranging from opportunists to unbalanced narcissists. But, having said that, I don’t believe that any of them get up in the morning and ask themselves, “what can I do today to screw up the economy and make life miserable for more Americans?” I don’t believe that liberals really want to transform our economy into one of socialism anymore than conservatives want to increase the personal wealth of a few at the expense of the many. Both ends of the political spectrum, misguided at times as they may be, are honestly trying to do what they believe is in the best interest of the Republic. If you think otherwise, then you are motivated more by fear and hatred than by logic and reason.
Well Tim J, we have been out of recession for almost two years, yet recovery to full strength has not occurred. The glass is half full, but that is no reason to crush the glass and put us back into recession, the two alternatives driven as the policy of the republican party by the tea party. And yes HisRoc, I stand by my comments because I fervently believe their actions will drive the nation into recession, my personal finances into near ruin, and great sacrifices in order to keep our business afloat, much less profitable. And frankly, anyone with a real appreciation, that is, boots on the ground, of the effects of default, will agree with my analysis. Those driven by ideology, myth, and political opportunism will of course think I am simply using scare tactics. I guess we will soon find out.
Mike, everything you have been saying was in Obama’s speech tonight… Everything from recession to scare tactics. Who is giving who your talking points here?
Well yes, you finally found out; I am really the President’s speech writer. But I enjoy the repartee on BR much more. Frankly, it is astounding to me that republicans in the House feel absolutely no loyalty to me, a citizen of he United States; that is, Congress passed, and the President signed, all the laws and appropriations under which we live today, yet not raising the debt ceiling will require that the U.S. Government to abrogate many of those actions. I feel sure debts to bond holders will be paid, but what about to us, the American citizen? Do we not count in the republican House of Representatives? Apparently, their extremism and zealotry is above the law. Despicable.
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