America This is What you Voted For! Or How a reporter can screw up a lot on an otherwise decent article!

I didn't follow any House or Senate races really closely but I doubt anybody who voted YEAYon this budget proposal told anyone they were going to do this:

A $2.6 trillion budget outline barely approved by Congress will cut projected spending on Medicaid for the poor, lock in tax cuts and — Republicans claim — put the country on a path toward lower federal deficits.

Democrats unanimously opposed the spending outline passed late Thursday. They said the budget reflects the president's misplaced priorities by freezing or trimming health, education and agriculture programs while cutting taxes by as much as $106 billion over five years.

The vote was 214-211 in the House and 52-47 in the Senate.

The budget resolution is nonbinding, but it sets critical guidelines for lawmakers as they make decisions on taxes and specific spending programs for the 2006 fiscal year that begins October 1. Equally important, tax and spending legislation passed under direction from the budget is immune from Senate filibusters.
That could make it easier to open the way for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and facilitate GOP efforts to reduce spending increases in Medicaid and other entitlement programs. About $70 billion of the $106 billion in tax cuts would be protected by resolution, meaning it could be approved by a simple majority in the Senate rather than the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster.

...

The final agreement accepted by Smith would shave automatically increasing benefit programs by $35 billion over five years, with Medicaid singled out for a $10 billion reduction in the four-year period beginning in 2007. That would give a new commission and the nation's governors time to recommend cost savings.

The budget resolution also directs lawmakers to cull about $3 billion from agriculture programs and as much as $6.6 billion from federal pension programs, in part through higher fees paid by employers.

The budget lays out plans and priorities for spending $2.6 trillion in fiscal 2006, projecting a federal deficit of $383 billion. The spending includes $1.6 trillion in entitlement programs, $439 million for defense and $404 million for non-defense programs. The $843 million in so-called discretionary spending was up 2 percent from the current fiscal year, in line with Bush's recommendations.

The agreement drops several billion dollars that the Senate voted to add to education spending and assumes $50 billion in extra spending next year for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ok first I will say, using words like "misplaced priorities" do not a fair and balanced reporter make. This is fuel for that famous liberal media stuff the right pushes.

Then if tax and spending legislation is immune from Senate filibusters, why would the Senate need 60 votes to break a filibuster?

Then gion on to use the famous "republicans say." Which is the reporterspeak, fro "we aren't allowed to call bullshit on this one".

Plus, is it millions or billions?

Anyway thats how the article got screwed up by the reporter.

Onto the devastating blows these Republicans have dealt with this plan.

What the hell is going on here? I don't remember anything in the Republican platform about cutting health care, and education.

I remember at least one debate where the president said education was the key to a successful economy!

The word Stagflation is running around out there and these guys think this economy is the right one for us to be in? They push a budget that cuts every program except defense? And we get ANOTHER 50 BILLION earmarked for IRAQ? This is the budget for 2006 people. That means whatever we do in Iraq this year (80 billion), we will need to do about the same next year (50 billion). Just counting dollars we ain't even trimming the level of our presence in Iraq by half?

FOLKS LETS START PAYING ATTENTION HERE. The Republicans promised like hell to keep those tax cuts. That is one thing they promised that is in this budget. Everything else is a huge frekin surprise right? Can anyone remember any of this gutting of Medicaid stuff in the campaign? This is insanity.

Here is the Senate vote. Congrats to Democrats (finally showing some unity) and Ohio Republican Senators DeWhine and Voinevich, for siding with the smart people on this one! And where the hell was Lieberman on this one? What was he out getting coffee? That's probably all he's good for anyway.

LOOK QUICK! A GAY ATHEIST TERRORIST JUDGE WITH A GAY BOMB THAT CONTAINS GAY ANTHRAX IS THREATENING TO HAVE SEX WITH YOUR BROTHER AND DOG WHILE FIGHTING TO TAKE AWAY YOUR GOD GIVEN RIGHT TO OWN GAY KILLING GUNS!