I've mentioned in class that one of the items I plan to follow is how well Speaker Boehner - who leads the Republican Party in the House - can keep the Republicans (the Republican Conference) cohesive. Perhaps these stories are premature, but they suggest that its been tough already. The more conservative members of the party want to push for far more drastic cuts than Boehner has proposed.
- NYT.
- TPM Muckraker: Boehner may be "squeamish" on budget cuts.
Boehner may be concerned that if the electorate (more accurately moderates) finds out what exactly Republicans want to cut (NASA, highways, etc...) , they may decide that they like those things and turn on the party in 2012. It's one thing to think of budget cuts and smaller government in the abstract, its another to think of it in terms of losing an actual program that provides a tangible benefit.
We're already dealing with a negative response to the proposed budget in Texas. It turns out people like spending on education and health services. We'll see how much as the session proceeds.
