Top seated Republicans in management roles in both houses of Congress are in for a rude awakening if they drop the football with the mission and mandate they’ve been given by worried conservative and independent voters. They blew it two days ago in their refusal to block passage of a continuance of government bill that contained 105 billion dollars to fund Obamacare. Hugh Hewitt takes to task Republican Congressman, House Appropriator Jack Kingston. KGS
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Hugh to House Appropriator Jack Kingston: Do You Think We’re Stupid?
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
HH: I’m joined now by Jack Kingston, Congressman from Georgia. Congressman, how are you? It’s always a pleasure to talk to you, but I think we’re going to have to quarrel today.
JK: Hugh, I understand that you and I have to have a little discussion. And you know what? I really appreciate the fact that you are willing to call a guy like me to task. But I also appreciate the fact that you’re going to let me debate back. And so I’m looking forward to this, and I appreciate the opportunity.
HH: Let me put it to you bluntly. I do not believe you guys have a plan. I believe the appropriators are selling out the party. I don’t believe you’ve made any real cuts, and I believe you’ve disappointed the Tea Party and the conservative activists. And when I read in Politico and in the Daily Caller that you and other Congressmen are criticizing deficit hawks, I see red, Jack Kingston.
[…]
JK: You know what, I fought as a member of Appropriations to get it to $100 billion. As you know, the $60 billion is something like $120 if you pro rate it. And there was a discussion about okay, is it pro rated, or is it off the top. And you know what? And I think you’re right on that, it should have been $100 billion, and no discussion of pro rated. So we’re in the same camp on that. You know, it’s still, the situation is we want to reduce spending. 60% of spending actually is in three areas – retirement, military and health care.
HH: Congressman, we all know that. I mean, that’s the other thing. Everything you say, this audience has heard a hundred times. And it sounds like a filibuster. Just tell us this. Planned Parenthood will be defunded or you won’t vote for it, NPR will be defunded or you won’t vote for it, and regulatory enforcement of Obamacare and the carbon regs will not be funded or you won’t vote for the next C.R. Tell me that, Congressman.
JK: Well, let me say what I’d rather do, because I think they’re bigger. I think on the debt ceiling, we have got to have entitlement reform, which is a bigger enchilada. We really need to bloc grant Medicaid. We need to move Medicare from a defined benefit plan to a defined premium plan. And I would love to see a Gramm-Rudman type spending cap in place that says we are going to hold spending to 20% of that.
HH: Congressman, we’ve got thirty seconds. That’s all nice. Are you not going to commit to those goals that I talked about?
JK: You know what, Hugh, I will tell you what I will commit to. I will commit to coming back on your program, letting you raise hell. We’ll raise hell back and forth. I’m committed to the process. The big argument I think you and I are having is that I don’t think this is the fourth quarter yet. I can promise you…
HH: I think we’re down 45-0, and it doesn’t matter what quarter it’s in, and I’m leaving the game, Congressman. I look forward to having you back, but I’ve just had it with appropriators. You guys have just done it to me for the last time, making us all look like dummies, because we keep letting you pull the football away from us. Thank you for coming on, Congressman, we’ll have you back.
If the Republican establishment does not heed the mandate put forth by the voters, via the Tea Party Folks, they may find themselves out in the street trying to gain a majority for 1 or 2 decades. The old line Republicans, whom I call ‘country club’ or checkered pants’ Republicans’, have always been more concerned with staying in office, holding the seat , compromising and making deals rather than passing legislation that truly benefits “We The People”. Most of us want them to be fighters not butt kissers, or ‘good guys’. We as a nation in the US need thrift and austerity now not more debt placing the burden on future generations, changing the USA into a second rate power and a third world nation.