Compassionate Conservatives

"By the narrowest of margins, the Senate today approved the first major belt-tightening in federal spending in nearly a decade. Vice President Dick Cheney was needed to break a tie, giving President Bush a toughly-fought victory.

The budget measure, portrayed by Bush and congressional GOP leaders as part of a new, more determined battle to trim the federal budget deficit, would cut about $40 billion over five years from Medicaid, Medicare, student loans and other fast-growing domestic programs.

Democrats denounced the measure as hurtful to the poor and contend its savings will be wiped out by GOP plans to seek approval early next year of an additional $60 billion or more in tax cuts."

Let's see now. The Republicans cut $40 billion from programs that benefit the most vulnerable people because it is needed to cut the deficit while advocating giving $60 billion more to the most fortunate, least vulnerable members of society, even though it adds to the deficit they profess to be so concerned about.

This is a classic demonstration of one of the few remaining, distinct differences between the two parties and who they see as their real constituancies.