Fiscal Conservatism

My my, look at the fucking mess the President is planning to dump on the next crew-

President Bush unveiled a $3.1 trillion budget proposal on Monday that supports a sizable increase in military spending to fight the war on terrorism and protects his signature tax cuts.

Bush called the document "a good, solid budget," but Democrats, and even a top Republican, attacked the plan for using budgetary gimmicks to project a budget surplus in four years...

Boy, you'd think that seeing the largest budget proposal in American history would mean that we're getting universal health-care, a major public works project, or some other big program. But no. It just means Bush is protecting that mom-and-pop operation known as the Pentagon and hoping to protect his poor, beleaguered tax cuts. You know, top priorities for the future of America.

What's even more disturbing, though, is that this record high budget includes numerous cuts in many programs. Don't worry, it's all just stuff people won't miss. Let's take a look-

[I]t forces the rest of government to pinch pennies. It seeks $196 billion in savings over five years in the government's giant health care programs — Medicare and Medicaid... Those savings are achieved by freezing payments to hospitals and other health care providers.

And more-

To achieve such a small boost, Bush would hold hundreds of programs well below what is needed to keep up with inflation. He also seeks to eliminate or sharply slash 151 programs he considers unnecessary...

...This year, the largest number of program terminations — 47 — are in education including elimination of programs to encourage arts in schools, bring low-income students on trips to Washington and provide mental health services.

You know, useless pork like that.

If you can propose cuts to/reigning in spending on some of the most popular and competent government programs around and still come up with the most ridiculously bloated budget in U.S. history, then you must be almost be gunning for that worst president ever prize.

Finally, a little GOP honesty. "Let's face it. This budget is done with the understanding that nobody's going to be taking a long, hard look at it," said Sen. Gregg (R-NH). Indeed. Now where's my damn stimulus check, I have shopping to do.