Comments on: The Budget Battles Begin http://www.chrisweigant.com/2025/02/25/the-budget-battles-begin/ Reality-based political commentary Sun, 19 Apr 2026 17:11:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Kick http://www.chrisweigant.com/2025/02/25/the-budget-battles-begin/#comment-216476 Kick Thu, 27 Feb 2025 03:27:05 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=26118#comment-216476 <i>This budget battle will also provide an opportunity for Democrats to make the case that Republican "populism" was never more than a mirage (or a lie) to begin with. </i> I believe the term most applicable here is "gaslighting." <i>As usual, Republicans sanctimoniously talk about fiscal discipline only when it is Democrats who want to spend money. </i> Gaslighting. <i>Trump has previously promised not to touch Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid... </i> Gaslighting. <i>Trump may try to double-talk his way out of his promises on Medicaid and Medicare by brushing off any large cuts as merely "waste, fraud, and abuse,"... </i> Gaslighting. This budget battle will also provide an opportunity for Democrats to make the case that Republican "populism" was never more than a mirage (or a lie) to begin with.

I believe the term most applicable here is "gaslighting."

As usual, Republicans sanctimoniously talk about fiscal discipline only when it is Democrats who want to spend money.

Gaslighting.

Trump has previously promised not to touch Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid...

Gaslighting.

Trump may try to double-talk his way out of his promises on Medicaid and Medicare by brushing off any large cuts as merely "waste, fraud, and abuse,"...

Gaslighting.

]]> By: nypoet22 http://www.chrisweigant.com/2025/02/25/the-budget-battles-begin/#comment-216472 nypoet22 Wed, 26 Feb 2025 17:49:51 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=26118#comment-216472 I'm not quite sure mELakON quite understands just how long-term the consequences of his political involvement will be on his bottom line. massive numbers of people across blue states and Europe are selling their teslas, and not planning to buy another. I'm not quite sure mELakON quite understands just how long-term the consequences of his political involvement will be on his bottom line. massive numbers of people across blue states and Europe are selling their teslas, and not planning to buy another.

]]> By: John M from Ct. http://www.chrisweigant.com/2025/02/25/the-budget-battles-begin/#comment-216468 John M from Ct. Wed, 26 Feb 2025 02:57:30 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=26118#comment-216468 Well, look at that. The Republican House did manage to pass its all-in-one budget resolution by a one-vote margin. And yes, according to the NBC News reporting (link below), Trump did make the calls that may have made the difference in pulling everyone together. Next step is getting the Senate on board with a similar resolution. Lively times. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-budget-vote-speaker-johnson-trump-agenda-rcna193626 Well, look at that. The Republican House did manage to pass its all-in-one budget resolution by a one-vote margin. And yes, according to the NBC News reporting (link below), Trump did make the calls that may have made the difference in pulling everyone together.

Next step is getting the Senate on board with a similar resolution.

Lively times.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-budget-vote-speaker-johnson-trump-agenda-rcna193626

]]> By: John M from Ct. http://www.chrisweigant.com/2025/02/25/the-budget-battles-begin/#comment-216466 John M from Ct. Wed, 26 Feb 2025 00:45:55 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=26118#comment-216466 Thanks for the run-down and preview of the coming attractions. I was interested to read here that Trump is working the phones to line up the votes that Johnson needs to pass the "big, beautiful" one-size-fits-all budget. Huh. When last I read about the budget issue - maybe two weeks ago - the pundit (whoever it was) pointed out that Trump had distanced himself from the nitty-gritty of Congressional votes and strategies, leaving it all to the House and Senate leaderships. The thought was that Trump cannot afford to be seen to 'lose' anything - he doesn't commit to any action he can't win in advance. And getting the Freedom Caucus hawks on board with increasing the deficit is no sure win, as you also note. They are in solid red districts, they define 'red' themselves in their political outlooks, and they are relatively immune to being primaried by a Trump-sponsored opponent. Trump hasn't a lot of leverage against representatives that are even Trumpier than he is, deficit-wise. So, as you say, what's going to happen next is an open question. I'd like to believe the Democrats will know how to leverage this dumpster fire into some good wins for contested seats in the mid-terms, but I'm not really sure they do. This whole thing (the budget, i.e.) has to be considered in light of the parallel Trump-Musk-DOGE effort to kneecap the federal government whether or not it also closes down in mid-March due to lack of a budget. Thanks for the run-down and preview of the coming attractions.

I was interested to read here that Trump is working the phones to line up the votes that Johnson needs to pass the "big, beautiful" one-size-fits-all budget.

Huh. When last I read about the budget issue - maybe two weeks ago - the pundit (whoever it was) pointed out that Trump had distanced himself from the nitty-gritty of Congressional votes and strategies, leaving it all to the House and Senate leaderships. The thought was that Trump cannot afford to be seen to 'lose' anything - he doesn't commit to any action he can't win in advance. And getting the Freedom Caucus hawks on board with increasing the deficit is no sure win, as you also note. They are in solid red districts, they define 'red' themselves in their political outlooks, and they are relatively immune to being primaried by a Trump-sponsored opponent. Trump hasn't a lot of leverage against representatives that are even Trumpier than he is, deficit-wise.

So, as you say, what's going to happen next is an open question.

I'd like to believe the Democrats will know how to leverage this dumpster fire into some good wins for contested seats in the mid-terms, but I'm not really sure they do. This whole thing (the budget, i.e.) has to be considered in light of the parallel Trump-Musk-DOGE effort to kneecap the federal government whether or not it also closes down in mid-March due to lack of a budget.

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