Fiscal Responsibility

An interesting bit of Senate interaction with Geitner:

"The argument that this budget doesn't have tax increases [on everyone] is, I think, an 'Alice in Wonderland' view of the budget," he said.

He challenged the budget's math on cutting the debt: "When you take the deficit and quadruple it and then you cut it and half, that's like taking four steps back and two steps forward. That's not making any progress; you're still going backwards."

Gregg questioned why any foreign country would continue to buy up U.S. debt: "Because if I'm in the international marketplace, and I'm looking at this budget, I'm saying to myself, ‘Where's the discipline? Where's the containment?' There isn't any."

In his withdrawal statement last month, Gregg said, "I expect there will be many issues and initiatives where I can and will work to assure the success of the president's proposals."

A most worthy, and actually reported, criticism of the spending spree they call a budget.

I know Media Matters and Chucky Schumer think this is nothing, but "A billion here, a billion there; pretty soon you're talking real money." I guess I would have to ask these fiscally responsible pundits, how much money does it actually take to start worrying you? If all the earmarks and other pork are so fiscally responsible, why are they tagged onto a budget that needs to be passed and don't stand on their own?