Democrats have been all worked up about the stunning GOP hypocrisy of blocking a conference on the budget after spending years pretending that the failure of the Democratic Senate to pass a budget resolution was extraordinarily important. Regular readers will know that I think Democrats are wrong now, after having been correct before, and that I don't really care much about the hypocrisy.
However, there is one thing that I'm curious about. After being so invested in the (supposed) importance of budget resolutions, it's sort of surprising to me that a little thing like the Senate having actually passed one would change the rhetoric.
So what I'm wondering is whether anyone has noticed Republicans still bashing the Senate for not passing budgets, even though they now have done so. I'd be sort of interested in the next best thing -- still blaming the budget impasse on the Senate failing to pass a budget resolution during the previous Congress. But the gold standard here would be someone using the outdated rhetoric without any changes at all. Especially Members of Congress.
On the other hand, perhaps they really have dropped it, which would actually be a pretty nice case of partisan rhetoric adjusting for reality. Along with, yes, a great example of partisan procedural hypocrisy. But as I've said, that's to be expected, and is practiced, probably equally, by both sides.
So a Catch of the Day for anyone who can spot great examples of this one. Mostly because I'm genuinely curious about it.
From (and within) the peanut gallery, it seems like that "not passed a budget" argument persisted a few months in comment sections and such, but after the talking point became really and truly BS, it seems to have faded.
ReplyDeleteFox isn't stoking the fire, so it died out.
This isn't exactly what you're looking for, but there are plenty of examples of what I think the rhetoric has shifted to: Oh, sure, they "passed" one, but it's not serious since it's so contrary to conservative values - so it doesn't count. E.g., http://www.teapartypatriots.org/2013/07/beltway-budget-dance-continues/
ReplyDeleteJust saw this, under a Byron York article at the Washington Examiner. It's only a user comment, but as a bonus, it also includes the "Congress exempted from Obamacare" canard (which York himself is currently peddling):
ReplyDeleteBTeboe • 7 hours ago
Our govt has not had a budget for 5 years. We've been running on continuing resolutions. I don't see how Obamacare is funded from a continuing resolution that had no provisions for it in the first place. Where is the money going to come from? Are they taking it from Medicare, Medicaid, foreign policy? Where? I think we just leave the Obamacare thing alone and let it implode on itself. Congress has some very big cojones to think they can force this law down our throats and then exempt themselves from it. Where is the ACLU or Judicial Watch on this one? I say get rid of every incumbent currently in office. We do not work for them - they work for us and they need to start remembering that.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/obamacare-or-immigration-recess-will-test-gop-priorities/article/2533904/comments#disqus_thread