GOP Game-Playing with Budget Cuts

I read with disgust Kim Strassel's recent Wall Street Journal editorial spotlighting GOP House member Frank Lucas, chairman of the Agriculture Committee.

After spending- and deficit-hawk Jeff Flake had done some remarkable work to rein in payments to high-income farmers, Lucas

"swept in and used a procedural maneuver on the House floor to strike the Flake language. This helped ensure that an estimated $160 million in payments would continue to flow to farmers in states like his own, Oklahoma."

Strassel's piece makes the point that, if done correctly, the House spending cuts will be eliminating a lot of useless pork, thus contradicting Wonderboy's concerns that the only cuts are coming to seniors and the like.

Of course, as Strassel emphasizes, even in this era of focus on spending cuts, old GOP House bulls like Frank Lucas still don't get it. This is why voters are so angry. It's why the Tea Party gained so much momentum.

And why, if Boehner continues to let antics like Lucas' continue, the GOP could lose seats in the House next year.

It's time the GOP really meant it when it claims to hear voters and want to cut spending and eliminate nonsensical use of taxpayer funds. The Agriculture department is one which, like Education, could be wiped out and it's debatable that anyone but those collecting payments from those entities would really notice.