McCain unveiling his own GOP budget alternative
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Former Republican presidential candidate John McCain is unveiling his own Republican budget alternative, which he says brings the debt and deficit lower than Democrats' proposals.
Unlike Republicans in the House, Senate GOP leaders opted out of crafting an alternative budget, and instead plan to offer their ideas with amendments to the Democrats budget.
But McCain clearly disagrees with that approach.
According to a summary sent by a McCain aide, the Arizona Republican would trim spending on most programs except defense and veterans benefits, which would increase.
He would also extend President Bush's 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, which he promised to do during his presidential campaign.
McCain's plan would bring the deficit only slightly lower in the next five years than the Senate Democrats' plan.
His proposal would put the deficit at $484 billion by 2014. It is projected at $508 billion under the Senate Democrats budget.
But McCain says his plan would bring deficits much lower than the budget offered by his former rival.
He claims his plan would bring the deficit to $448 billion by 2019, while President Obama's budget leaves an estimated $1.189 trillion deficit.
It is not entirely clear how McCain arrives at those figures, since the documents released by his office were summaries.
And what about that budget is new? It's the same ole Bush plan...lookie there – President Obama was telling the truth during election season. McCain planned to be a third Bush term.
John McCain, The Shadow President. Wonderful.
The Maverick. This is the reason he is the president of the ....
John McCain is supposed to represent me. I live in Arizona and I cannot imagine why he is so proud to have never brought one dime back here to help our state. I called him to get on board the president's budget...I guess he didn't get the message. He is so out of touch with his state and after all he said campaigning, AZ knows just how much he really cares. I can't wait for the next election.
If we cared we would have voted for him!!!!
Dude, you lost......remember?
So CNN is pushing a budget that is "unclear" about how McCain arrivbes at figure and gives "summaries" rather than details!! Has the tax cuts though and military spending; so much for the same old same old!!
I'll log in and submit my heartfelt comment as soon as I manage to stop laughing and catch my breath – that John McCain is one hugely funny guy!
So now there are TWO GOP budgets? Crap. How many budgets do we have to wait for from the GOP before they feel like they participated? Shouldn't we be in more of, oh, say, a hurry? Or is this the paper version of Republicans saying 'NO' just because they are 'supposed' to?
let me guess-it'll go something like this:
"cut taxes, cut spending" – on paper.
reality – "cut taxes, but spend spend spend spend spend".
the problem with the g0p ("got 0 plans") is not their agenda. it's their execution that is abysmal.
This latest effort by McCain to undermine the Obama administration with smoke and mirrors is only slightly more respectable than the news earlier today that McCain is seeking a pardon of a black boxer who was imprisoned in 1913. Mind you, I have nothing against pardoning someone who is truly deserving, but c'mon, McCain – try to make your political pandering just a tad bit less obvious!
I don't understand, how can you INCREASE defense spending yet lower the deficit? The only way you could do that is if you basically eliminated all domestic spending.
Republicans are more interested in spending if it involves killing someone instead of helping average Americans.
Uh... McCain – You lost. Quit trying to set up a side presidency and work on actually helping the REAL president!!! No wonder you lost the election (thank god!!).
So...his plan is essentially the same as the one the Congressional Republicans released today? Extend the Bush tax cuts and increase military and veterans' spending but slash funding for everything else? And maybe John didn't get the message: it's not a BUDGET without NUMBERS!
McCain is the Party of One. The Grand Obstructionist Party. How convenient that McCain doesn't specify which programs he would cut.
GOP is clueless!