Bring on the Big Stuff, Republicans
Not even the craftiest incrementalism is going to cut it with tea party types. They're still mad as hell and now griping as much about GOP leaders as they did last year about Obama.
Where's the big stuff -- such as switching Medicare to a voucher system for private insurance and raising the retirement age for Social Security? Oh there it is, lurking backstage in the planning for next year's budget.
What about blasting entire agencies, like EPA, out of the water? Or defunding NPR? This is the sort of stuff that warms the cups of your tea parties.
High Noon in April
Republican chiefs on Capitol Hill get to crunch time in about a month, when the Treasury Department loses its borrowing authority if the debt ceiling is not raised. So far, GOP leaders have claimed they would not back more borrowing unless "meaningful" cuts are made.
An undefined standard like that allows plenty of running room to trim fat and call it meaningful -- except with tea party folks, who will accept nothing less than cutting bone.
Time is running out for Republicans who privately call themselves the party's "adults." They are facing a very public split with the kids.
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