The senator who dared believe in 'paygo'

In January, the Senate joined the House in passing "pay-as-you-go" rules to require Congress to pay for new discretionary spending. On Feb. 12, President Obama signed the bill. "Now Congress will have to pay for what it spends, just like everybody else," Obama crowed.

Less than a month later, Obama and fellow Democrats are busily demonizing a lone senator for pushing Washington to spend responsibly. It seems this administration is all for fiscal restraint - as long as you don't mean it.

The story began last week when Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., blocked Senate passage of a bill to extend for one month unemployment and Cobra health insurance benefits, and other spending, because it did not comply with the paygo rule. As the Baseball Hall of Famer explained, "When 100 senators are for a bill, and we can't find $10 billion to pay for it, there's something the matter, seriously the matter, with this body." For that, he is Satan.

Armon Ayers wrote:The senator who dared believe in 'paygo'
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 3/2/10 | Debra J. Saunders

In January, the Senate joined the House in passing "pay-as-you-go" rules to require Congress to pay for new discretionary spending. On Feb. 12, President Obama signed the bill. "Now Congress will have to pay for what it spends, just like everybody else," Obama crowed.

Less than a month later, Obama and fellow Democrats are busily demonizing a lone senator for pushing Washington to spend responsibly. It seems this administration is all for fiscal restraint - as long as you don't mean it.

The story began last week when Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., blocked Senate passage of a bill to extend for one month unemployment and Cobra health insurance benefits, and other spending, because it did not comply with the paygo rule. As the Baseball Hall of Famer explained, "When 100 senators are for a bill, and we can't find $10 billion to pay for it, there's something the matter, seriously the matter, with this body." For that, he is Satan.