Republicans feeding on Republicans, not a pretty sight at all. GOP Leaders Try to Soothe Conservatives Drive Planned to Defuse Ire Over Spending By Jonathan Weisman Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, September 27, 2005; Page A04 Squeezed between a conservative clamor for spending cuts and the rising cost of hurricane relief, Republican congressional leaders will respond this week with a public relations offensive to win over angry conservatives -- but no substantive changes in budget policy. Republican lawmakers and leadership aides conceded that the wholesale budget cuts envisioned by House conservatives are not being contemplated; the Senate is moving toward approving a temporary expansion of Medicaid for hurricane survivors, estimated to cost $9 billion. Nor are GOP leaders considering tax increases. And Hurricane Rita's blow to a politically sensitive region of Texas could add more pressure to spend. "Many communities, faith-based entities and the state of Texas have drained assets to save lives and help with the enormous multi-state national emergency, and they will need reimbursement to avoid massive financial failures," warned Rep. Louie Gohmert, a freshman Republican whose hard-hit East Texas district was drawn with the help of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) to take it from Democratic control. Since Hurricane Katrina struck Aug. 29, Congress has approved spending bills and tax cuts worth nearly $71 billion. An additional $5 billion in housing, education and small-business assistance cleared the Senate, even before the Medicaid bill was considered. A united Louisiana congressional delegation is seeking $250 billion more. Republican leaders say the overall cost could be $100 billion to $200 billion. Although mindful of criticism, the leaders contend that such one-time expenditures -- albeit huge -- should not harm deficit-reduction efforts. Prodded by conservatives, President Bush and GOP leaders have said they are willing to offset those costs with spending cuts. But realistically, the political will does not exist to vote through the cuts that have been proposed, said House leadership aides and sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. Nor have Republican leaders given serious thought to reversing course on tax cuts, lawmakers said yesterday. "I don't see any change in fiscal policy," said Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), a former vice chairman of the Budget Committee. The leadership has, however, felt the political sting of the recent deficit spending, which began with huge new transportation and energy bills this summer and cascaded into debt-financed hurricane relief this month. Republican leaders plan appearances this week on the syndicated radio talk shows of conservatives Sean Hannity, Tony Snow, Mike Gallagher and Lars Larson, as well as local radio and television shows, leadership aides said. DeLay set the tone in a Washington Times opinion piece yesterday. "It is clear that the recent political discussion focusing on the government's spending priorities and overall economic platform in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita has introduced a valuable forum to promote the triumph of our ideas and solutions for government over the crumbling and outdated policies of the Democrat-controlled Congresses of past decades," he wrote. In private meetings last week, GOP leaders sharply criticized rank-and-file Republicans for taking issue with the surge in spending, pleading instead for unity. But neither the public relations offensive nor the private upbraiding has quieted conservatives. "This leadership group is so out of touch, it's unbelievable," said one House lawmaker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid inflaming leaders further. GOP leadership officials say the conservatives are the ones out of touch. The hurricanes may have raised anxieties about the federal deficit, but they have pricked the conscience of a nation confronted by its own undercurrent of poverty. Of the $509 billion in cuts proposed by the House Republican Study Committee, nearly half would come from health care for the poor. Yet Katrina knocked out eight charity hospitals in Louisiana that were helping to keep people off the Medicaid rolls, one House GOP leadership aide said. Other targets would rekindle political battles that have already been fought and lost, such as eliminating federal support for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. "While I like their idea of offsetting things, I wonder how productive it is," said Rep. Michael N. Castle (Del.), a Republican moderate. Further complicating such cuts is the unabated spending on defense. A House Appropriations subcommittee yesterday completed a $440 billion military spending bill for 2006 that includes $50 billion for the war in Iraq. If anything, the pressure could be for more spending. Congress has appropriated $62.3 billion for hurricane relief operations, by far the largest sum for a natural disaster. As of yesterday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency had allocated about $18.3 billion, said House Appropriations Committee spokesman John Scofield -- $2.5 billion in the past four days, as funds were sent to prepare for Hurricane Rita. But $44 billion remains in FEMA's disaster fund, which can be tapped for relief from either hurricane. That should be enough to push back the next hurricane relief bill until late October, and it could keep total hurricane costs to about $100 billion -- about half of early estimates, G. William Hoagland, a senior Senate budget aide, said yesterday. But politics could intervene, lawmakers warned. Two of the House districts hardest hit by Rita are represented by freshmen Gohmert and Ted Poe, both of whom owe their seats in part to DeLay's redistricting. Leaders have encouraged the spending of federal largess in freshman districts to solidify House gains, said Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), an outspoken fiscal conservative. "We hear the rhetoric, that nobody wants earmarks, but the truth is, the leadership likes them," he said. "They like to get you hooked. They make freshmen believe they are the ticket to reelection."
Any public spending program that requires bazillions and brazillions of dollars will be a huge political issue. Sprinkle in all the other social and territorial matters, and it's got potential to get pretty messy (and expensive).
you're right...but i think there is legitimate debate about whether or not NOLA SHOULD be rebuilt in the same place again. that debate is labelled as insensitive, of course. i think it's going to be a very, very hot issue...with lots of expert testimony.
I get quoted twice and nobody caught my Brazillions reference!!! Sorry...still laughing about that joke in the hangout yesterday NOLA will get rebuilt. It will be a very short debate. Perhaps a legitamate debate is warranted...but it ain't gonna happen. Easier to sign the cheques.
Hmmm. Is anybody else wondering why all of a sudden Republicans are concerned with the budget? I mean we are running a $500 billion annual deficit. What is another $100-$200 billion, one time expense?
Fiscal Conservatives aren't sure we should be giving money to our own people who have suffered from these hurricanes yet we have and are spending up to $250 billion for Iraq? What a time to start worrying about the budget.
I would like to vote for DO NOT REBUILD THE CITY. Get the O&G stuff back online and have a community to support that, and refit the quarter as a tourist hole but the rest of it needs to disappear from earth.
Somebody take a leak on your bowl of cornflakes this morning? New Orleans will be rebuilt....as a Tillman Fertitta inspired "Las Vegas South". The city will lose all of its charm and soul, and will be nothing more than casinos and chain restaurants. So....Chance....you got your wish!!
Does this mean the rebuilt New Orleans will smell better. Maybe they could include several million Glade plug-ins in the rebuilding process.
I think it should be rebuilt, but ONLY if changes are made and they don't rebuild in the really low-lying areas anymore, because that would just be utter stupidity and few decades (maybe less) from now we'll be dealing with another 'tragedy'. Rebuild, but be smart, don't go against the force of nature.
the whole city is "really low-lying!" i love NOLA. truly, i do. always considered it a sister city to my hometown. rooted for the saints when the oilers left town. have been there more times than i can count. but i think there needs to be real debate on this before we throw billions at it.
NOLA will get rebuilt. It is the ideal situation for the fed govt right now. Pure govt spending to reflate the economy and prime opportunity to line corporate buddies' pockets with no-bid contracts. Congress will put together a fat bill and the white house will no doubt rubber stamp it. Bush has not vetoed a single spending bill since he came to office. On the contrary, spending has gone wild and the feds have added $3 trillion (a more than 50% increase) to the national debt in just a few short years. Reflate today, cut taxes, make ceo's and corp boards of directors happy, and let somebody else worry about the balance sheets and consequences down the road.
I heard a guy being interviewed on the radio, Raymond Arroyo. He described New Orleans as one of the most active Catholic cities in America. People think of NOLA as a Mardis Gras town but the biggest chunk of those revelers are out-of-towners and tourists on a first-time visit. Here's the review of the book: Mother Angelica : The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles (Hardcover) by Raymond Arroyo Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly In a comprehensive and engaging biography, Arroyo chronicles the life and faith of Mother Angelica, the nun who almost singlehandedly created a religious media empire through her Catholic cable network, EWTN. Born in 1923 to unstable parents (a cruel father who later abandoned the family and a chronically depressed mother), Mother Angelica—then called Rita Rizzo—is an unlikely person to have redrawn the landscape of Catholicism in America. The strength of Arroyo's biography is what he calls his "unfettered access" to records, associates and the nun herself; as an anchor and news director for EWTN, he's known her for years. But this is not purely a sweetness-and-light portrait; she comes across as outspoken and sometimes hot tempered, arguing with cardinals and even hurling a knife at a sharp-tongued uncle when she was 17. Overall, Arroyo gives a strong sense of the woman who enrages liberals, delights conservatives, but is respected by almost all Catholics. (Sept. 6) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review ADVANCE PRAISE FOR MOTHER ANGELICA “In this dramatic page-turner, Raymond Arroyo has captured the life and lessons of Mother Angelica, a woman who may well be the patron saint of CEOs. Buy this book and be inspired.” —Lee Iacocca, The Iacocca Foundation, former chief executive officer of the Chrysler Corporation “Raymond Arroyo masterfully captures the complexities, humanity, and tenacity of Mother Angelica, who has long been one of my own personal heroes. The founder of the Eternal Word Television Network, Mother Angelica is a woman who dared to dream, to stand up for what she believed in, and whose faith showed that anything is possible. In Arroyo’s hands, she becomes someone you wish you had the opportunity to know and love. Read this book and believe.” —Nicholas Sparks “This is some woman. What a wonderful story Raymond Arroyo has written—wonderful because it’s true, because he got the facts, because she chose him to tell them, and because he’s a born storyteller.” —Peggy Noonan, author of When Character Was King “Mother Angelica’s personal words to me, her courageous example, and her constant prayers helped inspire my portrayal of Jesus in The Passion of the Christ. No one could have captured the essence of this modern-day saint better than Raymond Arroyo. His narrative gifts and understanding of Mother are clearly evident in this truthful and often candid depiction of one nun’s struggle to bring God to the multitudes. Surely this book, and Mother’s life will have an incredible enduring legacy.” —James Caviezel, actor “Mother Angelica is one of the greatest entrepreneurs of all time, and is truly one of my heroes. With his “insider” perspective, Raymond Arroyo has done a masterful job capturing not only Mother’s immeasurable accomplishments but also her remarkable personality. Like Mother herself, this book has the unique combination of being both inspiring and entertaining.” —Thomas S. Monaghan, founder of Domino’s Pizza and Chancellor of Ave Maria University “A rattling good story of fear, faith, courage, and bulldog tenacity, beautifully told. The drama of Mother Angelica’s life is a powerful reminder that the extraordinary lies just beyond the ordinary—if we have eyes to see and ears to hear.” —George Weigel, author of Witness to Hope:Tthe Biography of Pope John Paul II
