Bush's Looming Political Deficit

[stevedeshazer]

http://opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110004605

<snip>

WARSHINGTON--For 30 years, the foot soldiers of the conservative movement have gathered here for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. It is the only major conclave in which all elements of the conservative movement--from home-schoolers to antitax crusaders to missile-defense advocates--are represented.
What should worry President Bush is that at the CPAC meeting that ended Saturday there was a clear undercurrent of discontent with his administration. "The people here will vote for Bush, but their friends could be dispirited and stay home just as Karl Rove said some did in 2000," says Don Devine, who served as President Reagan's director of federal personnel. "We all know how close that election turned out."

That's one reason President Bush is scrambling to quell a conservative revolt. In his State of the Union Address, Mr. Bush called for fighting wasteful spending and also tried to placate his base by announcing support on several issues important to his core constituency. The president gave tacit support for a constitutional amendment to protect traditional marriage and backed modest Social Security reform as well as expanding individual retirement accounts. To address the spending issue more directly, as CPAC was meeting the president announced he'd hold the line on spending in the budget he'll submit to Congress early next month. Mr. Bush promises to ask for an overall increase in discretionary spending of less than 4%. For spending not related to defense and homeland security, he says he'll hold the increase to 1%.

That didn't quiet the grumbling at CPAC. What nearly everyone seemed concerned about is the 36% increase in nonentitlement spending since Mr. Bush took office. From the farm bill to the new Medicare entitlement, spending lobbies have never had it so good since the heyday of the Great Society.

White House aides were busy calling reporters last week disputing that record. They argue that President Clinton's last budget authorized a massive spending increase as he left office. True enough, but Mr. Bush has never tried to rescind any of those increases. They also point out that much of the spending increase can be linked to the exceptional budget needs of homeland security and the war in Iraq. Also true, but as National Journal points out, "a policy isn't exceptional if it goes on forever." Besides, controllable federal spending outside defense and terrorism protection went up more than 11% last year--double the rate it increased under Bill Clinton.
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Excellent news. Bush is alienating a big chunk of his base.

[leftyandproud]

1. QUESTION

how are we going to fight his tiny 1% proposed increase in non defense spending this year???? Our people will NOT accept it...and will look like the "big spenders" as a result. Obviously a (evil and brilliant) political ploy on their part...Spend the country into oblivion, then in an election year, propose an impossibly small increase in domestic spending...making our guys look like they are against "fiscal responsibility"

does anyone else have thoughts on this?
How do we push for a more fair 5-6% increase in social spending without the pukes successfully blaming us for the debt...???

[stevedeshazer]

2. good question

I doubt most people are aware that such a small percentage of the budget is outside the defense budget and entitlement programs.