Tea is for Turnaround

"So, here's to the men who did what was considered wrong, in order to do what they knew was right--what they knew was right."
--Benjamin Franklin Gates (National Treasure)

In the mid 1990s, a Republican-led Congress would not sign off on a Clinton-sponsore budget bill, which subsequently led to a brief shutdown of various govt operations. Subsequently, the GOP was 'blamed' for the shutdown and Dems got some voting mileage out of it.

Today, it seems, many Republicans are gun shy w.r.t. aggressive budget cut proposals out of fear of a repeat of 1995. And Democrats have been none too shy of reminding them that it could be deja vu all over again in hopes of winning a cheap compromise.

Old school Republicans seem to be listening, as many have been careful to state that they don't want to shut the government down.

But a portion of the freshman Congressional class, many associated w/ the Tea Party movement, are not lugging that historical baggage. They are exhibiting the understanding that, given our fiscal field position, a govt 'shutdown' of some degree is inevitable. It's a matter of whether we proactively turn this thing around while the situation is still in our control, or whether we wait until market forces take Leviathan apart in uncontrolled fashion.

Tea Party budget proposals, which are more aggressive than mainstream proposals, seem to be gaining more attention. One data point: the normally spineless House majority leader John Boehner has exhibited some backbone and spurned a sweetened compromise deal offered by Democrats.

Before the incoming Tea Party class matriculated, skeptics opined that many freshman would be quickly coopted by the status quo. That may still happen. But as of now, it is heartening to observe many standing their ground for what they know is right.