From: sawicky at epinet.org (Max Sawicky) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2001 12:02:55 -0400
. . . The Democrats can argue -- and do -- that the tax cut has put the government back in a fiscal bind that threatens all manner of worthy undertakings, from adding a drug benefit to Medicare to building up the defense budget to increasing aid to education. But that turns out to be a greater constraint on them than on the president. They favor a generous drug benefit; Mr. Bush favors a narrower one. The tax cut having been granted, he can argue that only his is affordable.
He proposes a defense increase; they say there isn't room in the budget unless other spending is cut. But do they really want to be the party that says no to defense, he asks. And it isn't clear the answer is yes. Last week President Bush threatened to veto, as a budget-buster, $2 billion in extra farm aid that Senate Democrats wanted to grant. It was they who blinked. He likes the tight budget the tax cut has helped create. They, having rightly argued that the tax cut was irresponsible, are now forced to choose between busting the budget themselves and abandoning pet projects. It's not clear who ends up winning this argument. . . .
Editorial, Washington Post August 5, 2001