GOP Governors Blast GOP House

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

A bunch of Republican governors have been in Washington the past few days for the National Governors Association meeting, just in time to chew out their fellow Republicans in Congress over the upcoming sequestration cuts. I think there's a lack of leadership," Gary Herbert of Utah groused to Politico on Sunday. "They need to stop having press conferences and start meeting," echoed Virginia's Bob McDonnell. "I think the Hill ought to be saying, 'We're ready to sit down and work on a budget,'" said Pennsylvania's Tom Corbett.

Posted by corky at 07:33 AM | 29 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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corky

Joined 2005/05/24
Visited 2013/05/18

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The drumbeat of criticism continued Monday with a press conference by Louisiana's Bobby Jindal, South Carolina's Nikki Haley, and Wisconsin's Scott Walker -- all prominent conservatives with national profiles who made it clear they had little use for the congressional GOP's approach, which has mainly consisted of sitting on its collective hands, blaming the White House, and waiting for the cuts to take effect.

"We're not here speaking on behalf of Republicans on the Hill, we're speaking on behalf of Republican governors," Walker said pointedly. "The difference is, we're providing leadership."

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The American people feel the same way...

"Gallup is out with its latest survey of Americans' attitudes toward their elected leaders. As you can see from the chart below, Congress' approval rating is still hovering in the teens, only a few ticks away from the all-time low of 10 percent registered this time last year (and matched again in August 2012):"

chart

www.slate.com

#1 | Posted by Corky at 2013-02-26 10:00 AM | Reply | Flag:

Interesting. Do you see this, O Celebrators of the Republican Gubernatorial Majority?

#2 | Posted by pragmatist at 2013-02-27 07:48 AM | Reply | Flag:

Once you've gerrymandered your way to a long term majority (or so they believe) you don't have to concern yourself with what the little people think. Just listen to your billionaire owners and protect their interests and you'll be just fine.

#3 | Posted by danni at 2013-02-27 07:49 AM | Reply | Flag:

dan, that is exactly what the dems are doing.

#4 | Posted by Sniper at 2013-02-27 10:20 AM | Reply | Flag:

Ah, the "I know you are but what am I?" retort. Brilliant.

#5 | Posted by Harry_Powell at 2013-02-27 10:25 AM | Reply | Flag:

The GOP governors need to shut up. If they want the spending, let them try to raise taxes, instead of sending Timmy or Jack around the world with a cup in his hand.

Cut. Cut some more. Then a lot more.

#6 | Posted by uglyblinddate at 2013-02-27 11:14 AM | Reply | Flag:

The GOP governors need to shut up.

The honeymoon is over.

#7 | Posted by 726 at 2013-02-27 11:23 AM | Reply | Flag:

Cut. Cut some more. Then a lot more.

#6 | Posted by uglyblinddate

Yeah cause austerity is working SO well in europe.

Let's run off the same cliff as them.

#8 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2013-02-27 11:25 AM | Reply | Flag:

No, they failed to cut their spending when it would of had an effect. But now, after they've gone over the cliff they want to slow down. We are doing the same thing here. We just haven't gone over yet.

#9 | Posted by Daniel at 2013-02-27 11:33 AM | Reply | Flag:

Sequestration is not to be compared to a "cliff" or "austerity" considering the cuts are over 10 years and are merely reductions in increases.

Jesus, people are such [...].

#10 | Posted by eberly at 2013-02-27 11:34 AM | Reply | Flag:

While Congressional GOP politicians have viewed this sequestration as a no-lose situation for everyone other than Obama, their brother and sister GOP governors throughout the country are trying to remind them otherwise.

#11 | Posted by moder8 at 2013-02-27 11:41 AM | Reply | Flag:

Yeah cause austerity is working SO well in europe.

Let's run off the same cliff as them.

#8 | Posted by SpeakSoftly

There really isn't much austerity in Europe. No cuts at all economy-wide. But do you really think that if the Greeks and Italians and Spanish could borrow more money to juice their economies along another day, they wouldn't do it?

The reason they can't is that no one is so retarded that they can bet the money anymore at a low coupon. But feel free, if you like. Go ahead.

The US government will literally go bankrupt if interest rates go up. We're the brokest country in the history of the world, and [...] don't even realize that the maximum rate we can afford to pay is 0%.

#12 | Posted by uglyblinddate at 2013-02-27 11:42 AM | Reply | Flag:

Republican governors want more money. I thought they were favor of "limited government."

Bring on the sequestration. Let 'em squirm.

#13 | Posted by nullifidian at 2013-02-27 11:43 AM | Reply | Flag:

So how big of a pay cut has congress agreed to take?

We're waiting,stop kicking the can,we're waiting!

#14 | Posted by truthteller101 at 2013-02-27 11:58 AM | Reply | Flag:

"The Republicans' problem with the sequester goes back to two fundamental principles: voters don't want the cuts, and they reject the GOP "cuts only" formula.

Pew examined public views on 19 areas of government spending. In 18 of the 19 cases, majorities of Americans rejected cuts. Only "aid to the world's needy" proved an exception, but even in that category a plurality opposed cuts.

Not surprisingly, Republicans were more willing to cut than Democrats, but pluralities or majorities of Republicans opposed cutting funds for healthcare, environmental protection, scientific research, energy, the State Department, food and drug inspection, education, infrastructure, veterans and in seven other areas -- nearly all of which are on the chopping block if the sequester happens.

Not only do Republicans oppose the cuts their congressional leaders seem so anxious to embrace -- GOP members are also wildly out of sync with their own grassroots on basic strategy.

Congressional Republicans shout "no revenues" from the rooftops, refusing to consider closing loopholes for corporate jets and companies moving overseas. But Americans overall -- and Republicans themselves -- favor a balanced approach.

Just 19 percent of Americans endorse the Republicans' "spending cuts only" approach, with the rest favoring some combination of cuts and revenues. Only a minority of Republicans back their party's approach."

thehill.com

#15 | Posted by Corky at 2013-02-27 12:49 PM | Reply | Flag:

Maintaining a civil society with 300,000,000 people occupying a country which spans a continent costs money. The majority of that country is owned by 1% of its population. The other 99% don't have the resources to maintain the country, considering how many are un- or under-employed, old, children or disabled. The fact that almost all new income over the last decade has gone to the top 1% (or even the top .1%) while the share of income going to all of the rest of the country continues to decrease. The wealth of the middle class was destroyed by Wall St. gamblers with no one being held accountable. At least half of the country can barely make enough money to live on, much less "save for retirement" while hedge fund managers "earn" $billions but pay a lower rate on their income than a school teacher.

Who should support the maintenance of the physical and intellectual infrastructure of the nation? It's the corporations who benefit most from it. Why is the decrease of corporate taxes (as a percentage of all federal income taxes collected) over the last 30+ years a good thing? They still aren't hiring.

The worship on the right of riches and power will be the destruction of the "general welfare".

#16 | Posted by WhoDaMan at 2013-02-27 01:00 PM | Reply | Flag:

It seems like a lot of people think the (bleeping) sky is falling. The feds are still spending more than they did last year.

In 2007 they spent $2.7 trillion. This year they are going to spend $1 trillion more than 2007.

You bet................. the (bleeping) sky is falling.

#17 | Posted by Sniper at 2013-02-27 01:10 PM | Reply | Flag:

Republicans are useless to argue over with over what to cut. Entitlements - called that because the people who payed into them over the course of their lifetime, and are entitled to them - are fair game. Foreign aid though, (which actually is fair game, unless you include *gasp* Israel) our grossly bloated military, our hundreds of bases all over the world, as well as our civil-rights stripping agencies at home such as Homeland Security, and our also militarized police/prison state at home - well, if there is a turbanned or gangsta-wannabe boogeyman anywhere they can be reminded of, then Republicans have a need for hysterics and money-throwing at the imagined problem.

We need to start cutting all money flowing OUT of the nation long before we start cutting money into it. Nation-building at home, instead of some heap in the Middle East. Investing in education and R&D in companies that hire here, and taxing companies that hire outside the US until they are as third-world status as their employees. Of course, suggest such a common sense approach to most Republicans anymore, and you hate 'Murica and bidness.

#18 | Posted by zeropointnrg at 2013-02-27 01:11 PM | Reply | Flag:

Of course, suggest such a common sense approach to most Republicans anymore, and you hate 'Murica and bidness.

#18 | Posted by zeropointnrg

As far as Republicans are concerned, 'Murica is a bidness! The People are merely employees and/or customers to be managed to produce the largest profit for the "owners". Of course, that's not what the Constitution says, but hey, it's just a piece of paper, right?

#19 | Posted by WhoDaMan at 2013-02-27 01:18 PM | Reply | Flag:

oh PUULLLEASE...

getting the summation that this is all about gop attacking the gop is total silliness.

#20 | Posted by afkabl2 at 2013-02-27 01:19 PM | Reply | Flag:

It's not silliness. GOP governors, who have to deal with the practical matters of running a state, sometimes have to be pragmatic, while GOP congress critters in "safe" gerrymandered districts can afford to be ideological. It's just like Chris Christie in the hurricane. He's directly responsible for taking care of the citizens of his state and he had to take help from wherever he could get it. We have a Federal Government for a reason, one of which is to spread the cost of natural disasters over the larger "pool" of the whole country, since no matter where you live, there is some kind of disaster that can befall you (there but for the grace of God...). It's just like insurance. The larger the risk pool, the less the individual risk. If it's good for the "private sector" why not for the "public sector"?

#21 | Posted by WhoDaMan at 2013-02-27 01:36 PM | Reply | Flag:

Uh huh. Except there is no natural disaster we're talking about. The subject is cutting 1% of federal expenditures for the year.

#22 | Posted by uglyblinddate at 2013-02-27 01:48 PM | Reply | Flag:

Good grief even the governor of Utah is now calling out the house GOP?

#23 | Posted by Tor at 2013-02-27 05:44 PM | Reply | Flag:

As Howard Dean would say; YEAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW, "LET IT HAPPEN".

#24 | Posted by matsop at 2013-02-27 05:55 PM | Reply | Flag:

Uh huh. Except there is no natural disaster we're talking about. The subject is cutting 1% of federal expenditures for the year.

#22 | Posted by uglyblinddate at 2013-02-27 01:48 PM | Reply

And that's after a zero budgeting increase of 8%. What a crock.

#25 | Posted by matsop at 2013-02-27 05:57 PM | Reply | Flag:

As far as Republicans are concerned, 'Murica is a bidness! The People are merely employees and/or customers

Republicans view people as sheep to be sheared. Many gladly follow their judas goat, but even those who don't (especially those who don't?) need to be sheared so their corporate shepherds can get their take.

#26 | Posted by northguy3 at 2013-02-27 06:46 PM | Reply | Flag:

The subject is cutting 1% of federal expenditures for the year.

I seem to remember when you righties were willing to die (at least that was the gist of your posts here and elsewhere) to save 5% for the 1%.

But, like matsy said, bring on the cuts!

#27 | Posted by northguy3 at 2013-02-27 06:48 PM | Reply | Flag:

Want to know the future of the Red Neck GOP? Check out California repugs. They were doing the extreme wingnut thing way back 2 decades ago. The result: super majority for the other side.

#29 | Posted by TurnLeftb42late at 2013-02-27 10:32 PM | Reply | Flag:

#26 | Posted by northguy3

it's amazing this poster pranced down to the voting booth and voted for Obama thinks he didn't cast a vote for Corporate America and then comes on to this site pointing fingers at others he think did.

BTW, I noticed the Dow finished today at the highest point in 2013.

Gee....I thought sequestration was going to be calamity, off the cliff, disaster, dire consequences, etc.....

I guess Wall street disagrees.

could it be because that has always been crap and there is nothing to fear from these very small changes in spending?

#30 | Posted by eberly at 2013-02-27 10:50 PM | Reply | Flag: