The Democrats Vs. the Tea Parties Day 22: of Revolutions and Budgets

I don't want to call myself an oracle but well over a week ago I called the town hall protests a citizen revolt. So, frankly, John McCain should have given me some sourcing with this comment.











People still snicker about what the tea parties are actually accomplishing. In fact, they are here and now putting the final death blow in health care reform. It is becoming the most potent political movement in the country today. After killing health care, the movement will continue its revolution to make the government more responsible.







Now, let's take a look at this very cynical article in the Wall Street Journal.

Mr. Obama's White House and the Congressional Budget Office told us that current U.S. fiscal policy is "borrow and spend" on a hyperlink. The good news is the deficit for 2009 will be "only" $1.58 trillion, about $250 billion lower than expected thanks to less need for TARP funds. But the Obama fiscal plan envisions $9 trillion in new borrowing over the next decade, which is $2 trillion more debt than the White House predicted earlier this year. The 2010 deficit also rises by about as much as the 2009 deficit falls from January, so even the TARP windfall gets spent.

We've never fretted over budget deficits, at least if they finance tax cuts to promote growth or spending to win a war. But these deficit estimates are driven entirely by more domestic spending and already assume huge new tax increases. CBO predicts that debt held by the public as a share of GDP, which was 40.8% in 2008, will rise to 67.8% in 2019—and then keep climbing after that. CBO says this is "unsustainable," but even this forecast may be optimistic.

Here's why. Many of the current budget assumptions are laughably implausible. Both the White House and CBO

Essentially, the Journal believes that the enormous estimates for budget deficits are conservative because it shows conservative spending increase projections in programs that the Democrats will likely fund much more heavily. Their cynicism is warranted. That's what politicians do all the time.







Yet, I think we are in a different political environment. Never has the public been engaged in issues that would normally be thought to be so dry that no one would care. An engaged public holds the government accountable. Waste and corruption occurs in an environment of apathy. It would have been hard to imagine passions being enflamed by health care reform. After all, is there anything more boring than health care reform. Yet, that's exactly what's happening. Yet, this citizen revolt isn't merely about health care reform. Instead, it's about a government that's out of control on both sides.







With victory on health care, the movement only grows in strength and ferocity. The tea party movement is the most potent political force in the country today. Its first target is the health care bill. The death of this bill is very near. Yet, that is only the beginning.



Victory against the health care bill will not be viewed as the final victory. Normally, the citizens make their judgments when it's time to vote. These are not normal times. Now, the citizens are demanding change as policies are proposed. The tea party movement is demanding fiscally conservative government that respects the rights of liberty. They aren't going to wait until November 2010 to make their voices heard. The health care bill is the first target. The tea parties will have the budget and runaway spending in their cross hairs soon enough.