For Democrats, GOP budget is Christmas in March

[babylonsister]

For Democrats, GOP budget is Christmas in March

By SEUNG MIN KIM | 3/19/12 11:25 PM EDT


To Democrats, the release of the House GOP budget is like Christmas in March. And they’re planning a celebration of sorts.

Democrats are organizing media blitzes, House floor speeches and town halls back home to seize on the changes to Medicare that Republicans are expected to propose Tuesday. To blunt GOP talking points that only Republicans are willing to confront the debt, Democrats intend to unveil their own budget next week calling for a mix of spending cuts and tax hikes on the rich.

The Republican budget plan last year was a political winner for Democrats, and party leaders expect nothing less this time around.

“They can run, but they cannot hide from their Medicare plan, which ends the Medicare guarantee at the same time they’re providing big new tax breaks to millionaires and protecting special interest tax loopholes,” Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) told POLITICO in an interview Monday.


more...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/74206.html

[gratuitous]

1. Wait; what?

The Democrats are going to use the Republicans' own proposal against them? That's just so partisan! Don't the Democrats know they're supposed to knuckle under, give away the store before they even sit down to negotiate, and then wave the 2% they denied the Republicans as if they won something. Now they're all up on their hind legs, fighting back. I wonder how this has come to occupy Democrats' time?

[Hatchling]

4. If I had wanted bi-partisanship

I would not have voted a stright Democratic ticket.

[nxylas]

5. Yeah, it would be nice to give Occupy the credit

But I think the fact that this is an election year has more to do with it. Come next year, the DC Dems will be back to their spineless selves, I'm sure.

[deacon]

2. Hey, they want to end medicare and that needs all the publicity it can get. n/t

[cindyperry2010]

3. Were it me

I would use it to beat them in the head with it. Scare the seniors like they did with Obama's health care reform and beat them in the head with it again