Editorial, Baucus on the deficits

Senator Baucus recently sent out an email touting his appointment to what he called the “debt reduction committee,” officially known as “Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.” Here are some excerpts: "…I'm working with my colleagues to come up with a plan to cut our nation's debt." 

Excellent. It’s an issue conservatives have been hammering for decades. But let’s define some terms. The deficit is the yearly budget shortfall, while the national debt is the total of all deficits. Senator Baucus, as you will see, conflates the two. His email included a deficit projection, which shows an immediate large reduction in the deficit, then continuing smaller deficits over the next 10 years. He explains: "...we've already taken major steps out of [the recent large deficits]… the leveling out we see over the next ten years is because of the Budget Control Act we passed in July." 

The Senator is certainly proud of that budget deal, but it was vociferously opposed by the political left, accompanied by their routinely hyperbolic rhetoric about children starving and people dying. I suppose it’s racist and homophobic as well. And lest we forget, conservatives and the TEA party also opposed the deal because it continues to furiously add to the national debt. By the Senator's own admission, there will be deficits for the forseeable future. Unfortunately, these continuing deficits mean the national debt will INCREASE. 

Deficits must be eliminated and a surplus achieved to reduce the debt. Remember, that is his stated goal. "...the 90's we were a time of surplus. Our budget was balanced with money to spare. And we were not adding to the total debt." This persistent myth about the Clinton “surplus” is contradicted by the government's own website: http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo4.htm. A quick review reveals the national debt increased all through the 90s. 

"The Budget Control Act cut $1 trillion in spending right away and created the debt committee I'm now working on. It's our job to come up with a plan reduce our deficits…” ”Right away?” Um, no, the budget deal raised the debt ceiling and spending immediately increased. And projecting reduced deficits is not the same thing as cutting the debt or reducing spending. But notice he now says his job is to "reduce our deficits." Can we ask, Senator, are you clear on what your mission is? 

Regardless, it is nice to hear a Democrat talking about cutting spending. Usually the left tends to not worry about deficits, and even claims they’re a good thing. And they love tax increases. It’s all they talk about. I suppose if all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. But tax increases have never reduced the national debt. Tax increases have never solved any budget problem. Tax increases are always eaten up by even more spending. 

 And when conservatives complain about spendthrift government, we get accused of selective outrage: “Where were you when Bush was running up the debt,” they nonsensically ask, offering no solutions themselves. I guess they fail to realize that the TEA party started during Bush’s presidency, and that conservatives have opposed deficit spending since Buckley. But little facts like this never seem to get in the way of the leftist template. 

So anyway, this talk of spending cuts is a victory for conservatives and the country as a whole. Nevertheless, I remain skeptical, given government’s inauspicious track record. Is there any evidence that anyone in government today, including Baucus, knows the first thing about reducing the national debt? They’ve never done it before. Actually, I think the best thing the Senator and most of his colleagues can do to reduce the debt is to resign.