|
Libertarian
Party...
Press falsely credits
Republicans with “deep cuts”
WASHINGTON - The mainstream press is falsely crediting Republicans for
proposing “deep cuts” in federal spending. To fight back, the
Libertarian Party is promoting its “Republican Wall of Shame” with an
online ad in the Washington Post.
Libertarian Party Chair Mark Hinkle said, “I can’t believe the press is
saying Republicans are making deep cuts. It’s just false.”
On February 20, the Associated Press wrote, “The Republican-led House
has approved a spending bill with deep cuts that Democrats call
unacceptable.”
On February 21, the New York Times wrote, “...the Republicans’ fervor
for the deep cuts adopted by the House.”
On March 5, an NPR caption read, “The House was debating the continuing
resolution (HR 1) that contained Republican-proposed deep cuts in the
budget.”
On March 8, the Los Angeles Times really went overboard: “For some, the
House-passed GOP budget plan, with the deepest spending cuts in
generations, goes too far in slashing jobs and programs.”
Hinkle continued, “This phrase, ‘deep cuts,’ keeps appearing. But it’s
just comical to describe the Republican budget plan as ‘deep cuts.’ It
would be more accurate to say ‘microscopic cuts,’ or even ‘no cuts.’
It’s a spending bill that will result in discretionary spending of
$1.356 trillion this year. That’s higher than last year’s $1.349
trillion. When did higher spending become a cut?”
Libertarian Party Executive Director Wes Benedict said, “Sure,
Republicans want to attack a handful of Democratic pet projects. That’s
such a narrow sliver of the budget that it doesn’t matter. It’s
political game-playing. It won’t do anything to address our large-scale
fiscal disaster.”
Benedict continued, “Republicans and Democrats constantly try to
pretend that they’re on opposite sides of a huge chasm. Unfortunately,
the mainstream press cooperates and hypes up that false notion. In
fact, there’s not a dime’s worth of difference between them.”
Overall federal spending is expected to be 7 percent higher this year
than last year, even with all of the Republican “cuts” in HR 1.
To help set the record straight, the Libertarian Party is promoting its
“Republican Wall of Shame.” The Libertarian Party has purchased online
ad space in the Washington Post, to help inform the public that
Republican rhetoric about “cutting government” is hypocrisy.
Benedict continued, “One of my pet peeves is hearing all this nonsense
about Republican House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan being a budget-cutter.
Paul Ryan is a typical big-government Republican. He supported the
giant Medicare expansion in 2003, the hugely expensive wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan, the expensive No Child Left Behind Act, the TARP bailouts,
and on and on. Paul Ryan is one of the prominent Republicans featured
on our Wall of Shame.”
For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive
Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.
The LP is America’s third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The
Libertarian Party stands for free markets, civil liberties, and peace.
You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.
Read the story at the Libertarian Party web site
|
|
|
|
