re: #360 freetoken

According to that PDF, one of the things the GOP wants to cut is $350 million for “Customs and Border Protection - Border Security Fencing, Infrastructure, and Technology”.

Yeah, so much for all their hoopla about building fences and immigration…

Indeed, DHS looks like it is taking quite a hit overall.

I think this is probably some canny political maneuvering on the part of Boehner, Rogers, and Cantor.

Agreed. They’re saying to the rebels “This is what your cuts look like. This is how they’ll hurt your reelection chances. Still want ‘em?” The bet is that most of the Tea Party aligned congresspeople will then fall into line. Those that won’t will be of two groups:

1. Those who don’t really want to understand the situation, but just want to get their spending cuts. Those are simply delusional, and there’s not much you can do when someone is simply indifferent to reality.

2. Those who see the pain and damage to their reelection the cuts will bring, but still think they are needed. It’s necessary to give some honor to this second group: They may be wrong, but at least they have honest convictions the courage of them. That’s worth something and some of them may be brought around in time.