False choices in the House Budget Debate

Last night, Rep. Rachel Bringer (D-Palmyra) warned that the secretive, undemocratic manner in which House Republicans crafted their budget would set up a floor debate with ridiculous false choices, because so much of the federal stimulus money was taken off the table by Chairman Allen Icet, and because the House rules require any spending increases to be paired with corresponding cuts.

Bringer was right. An enormous amount of time today has been spent debating amendments to restore GOP-imposed cuts to thousands of meals on wheels for seniors by cutting legislative liaison positions. Two weeks ago, Republicans slashed the funding.  Last week, they heard from angry seniors and families.  And this week, they want credit for restoring the money they had intended to cut.

To do it, they force Democrats to make a choice between Meals on Wheels and state agencies' legislative liaisons -- the people that represent citizens who can't afford to hire their own lobbyists.

Of course, Republicans never had a problem with legislative liaisons when Matt Blunt was governor, but that sort of intellectual honesty isn't important right now.