Budget cutting

At some level all politicians, right or left, are fundamentally the same. They try to steer government funding toward favored constituencies or projects that they think are political winners. If they need to cut spending (or be seen as cutting spending) they will spare their favored projects and look for cuts elsewhere in the budget. But I do believe the Republicans take this principle to an extreme that Democrats don't match.

Exhibit A: the House Republican budget proposal. One often reads Republicans saying how these are tough, painful cuts, but we really have no choice given our fiscal difficulties. But look at the list of proposed cuts: Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Legal Services, Amtrak, Community Development, high speed rail grants, green technology grants, aid to District of Columbia, funds to implement health reform act, EPA, repeal Davis-Bacon act, no taxpayer-funded union activities by federal employees... Come on, how painful are those cuts really for a Republican Congressman?

Exhibit B: Obama Administration budget proposal. Sure, Obama wants to maintain funding for education and "investment" programs that he thinks are political winners, and he pays no political cost among his base for going after defense spending. But he's also proposing to cut home heating aid to poor people, grants to community action agencies, Great Lakes cleanup, plus imposing a salary freeze for federal employees and a freeze on overall discretionary spending. Every one of these cuts is a challenge to some element of his political base.

The Obama Administration has proposed some cuts that should irritate its Republican opponents - reduction in agriculture subsidies, defense spending cuts, and so on. I wish he'd do more, and I wish he didn't feel compelled to throw some of his own people overboard to demonstrate his sincerity. Republicans don't feel that need and don't seem to pay a political price for it.