Obama’s Lapdogs

Anyone remember during the campaign that Walt Minnick pledged fiscal conservatism and he promised to join budget hawks in the Blue Dog Coalition and that he would go to Washington to fight for firmer Pay as You Go rules. Congressman Sali said the Blue Dogs caved into Speaker Pelosi with alarming frequency and were in effect “the lap dogs.” Well, looks like Sali got it right:

As Congress gears up to pass another spending “stimulus” bill, there’s one political silver lining: Democrats are being forced to abandon the pretense of fiscal conservatism known as “pay as you go” budgeting.

Late last week the leader of the House Blue Dog Coalition, Tennessee Democrat Jim Cooper, announced that with Barack Obama about to enter the White House, “I’m not sure the old rules are relevant anymore.” Why not? Because, Mr. Cooper said, “It would be unfair to the new President to put him in a budget straitjacket.”

Yeah, Heaven forbid that the President-elect be subjected to the unfairness of dealing with a huge deficit. So, rather than Pay as You Go being strengthened, it’s being demolished with the blessing of the Blue Dogs. The piece concludes:

As Congress gears up to pass another spending “stimulus” bill, there’s one political silver lining: Democrats are being forced to abandon the pretense of fiscal conservatism known as “pay as you go” budgeting.

Late last week the leader of the House Blue Dog Coalition, Tennessee Democrat Jim Cooper, announced that with Barack Obama about to enter the White House, “I’m not sure the old rules are relevant anymore.” Why not? Because, Mr. Cooper said, “It would be unfair to the new President to put him in a budget straitjacket.

For those across the country that voted for a Blue Dog Democrat expecting them to be fiscally conservative, P.T. Barnum had some choice works for you.