Boehner's Dilemma

You just can't get there from here, Mr. Boehner.

You say the first thing you want to do in 2011 is have the Republican controlled House of Representatives cut $100 billion in spending from the federal budget. When asked for specific areas he plans to cut, he says he will start with the budget of Congress -- in other words, the legislative branch. So here's what you need to know. If he succeeded in cutting out the entire legislative branch, that is, fire all 535 members of Congress and their staffs, and all the people who work for them at the Library of Congress and turn off all the lights, he would barely save $4 billion. So, John, you have only $96 billion more to eliminate in order to fulfill your pledge. YOU CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE, JOHN, SO PLEASE QUIT TRYING TO SELL THIS CLAPTRAP TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

Until members of Congress tell you that are seriously ready to address the entitlement programs of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and that old sacred cow, Defense Spending, there will not be a serious attempt to get federal spending under control. He knows it, his Republican members know it, and now you know it. When are we going to stand up in Town Hall Meetings and tell these people we are NOT BUYING ANY MORE of their empty politically expedient promises?

And when are we going to tell them to quit trying to return us to the time of Washington and Jefferson, a time when we had the interests of only 4 million citizens to consider. Today we have nearly 309 million citizens, according to the latest Census, and their interests are diverse, their problems complex, and our nation's role on the international stage has changed.

Mr. Boehner, do you really want to help?

Get off the stage and take your little tea party with you.

Let some grown ups, willing to take the political heat take your place, do the hard work, make the difficult decisions and get our nation's house in order. That's what Thomas Jefferson and George Washington would want you to do.