Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Reach Out to the Blue Dogs

Look at blue dog conservative Dem victories, and look at Northeast liberal GOP defeats. The changeover in the House may well be a conservative victory, not a liberal one.

Blue dogs are rabid budget balancers.

At today's news conference, President Bush should reach out to them, and to the Republican base, with a spending limitation pay-as-you go proposal that gets to a balanced budget in a couple of years. Any spending increases (defense) must be offset with spending cuts (domestic pork).

A spending limit paygo was used effectively by the Gingrich Congresses between 1995 and 1998, the high tide of their limited government period. And, this approach will head off a revenue paygo advocated by Pelosi, Spratt and Rangel that would lead to tax hikes.