If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. If you have any questions, please see my policies page or if you would like to contact me, you can do so here. You can find out more about me here. I sincerely thank you for visiting!

That should be the new motto for the Democratic Party (well, really both but my particular ire is with the Democrats on this one). When running in 2006, the Democrats promised “cross my heart and hope to die” to offset any new spending or tax cuts with a counterbalance in order to hold back the deficit. I guess they only meant in non-election years.

From BNA:

House Lawmakers Edge Toward Waiving Pay-Go for Stimulus Package

A bipartisan consensus to avoid applying pay-as-you-go budget rules to a possible economic stimulus package begins to bubble to the surface as House Majority Whip Clyburn says he does not believe offsets would be appropriate. Avoiding pay-go would eliminate a key barrier in Congress to quick passage of new tax cuts or potential spending increases meant to breathe new life into the economy, economic advisers say. Clyburn also says he expects the House Blue Dog Coalition-a group of roughly 40 fiscally conservative Democrats-to accept waiving pay-go for something as important as a stimulus package. …

I figured that when the AMT patch passed with offsets (even with the bs promise to counterbalance it this year after everyone forgot about it) that was the end of PAYGO. Well, get out the Kleenex and eulogies, ’cause it’s dead and gone. It had a nice, long run of 11 months.

As always, re-election trumps principles. And that’s reason #1 why I don’t think I’d ever get into politics despite my interest in it. I’m way too principled, even when the election comes.