Obama opposed by Dem on spending
Indiana's Sen. Bayh calls on Obama to veto massive spending bill
Posted March 4, 2009 9:52 AM
President Barack Obama, accompanied by Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., waves as they board Air Force One in South Bend, Ind., Monday, Feb. 9, 2009, after a town hall style meeting about the economy in Elkhart, Ind. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
by Frank James
Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana is a centrist Democrat who during his days as Indiana's governor earned a reputation for making the difficult decisions necessary to balance his state's budget, including cutting Medicaid spending.
He also comes from a traditionally red state even though it went for President Barack Obama in last November's general election.
So Bayh's Wall Street Journal op-ed in which he castigates the $410 billion omnibus spending bill being debated in the Senate and calls for President Barack Obama to veto it if it passes in its current form isn't surprising but still worth noting.
Bayh writes:
"The omnibus increases discretionary spending by 8% over last fiscal year's levels, dwarfing the rate of inflation across a broad swath of issues including agriculture, financial services, foreign relations, energy and water programs, and legislative branch operations. Such increases might be appropriate for a nation flush with cash or unconcerned with fiscal prudence, but America is neither."
Drafted last year, the bill did not pass due to Congress's long-standing budgetary dysfunction and the frustrating delays it yields in our appropriations work. Since then, economic and fiscal circumstances have changed dramatically, which is why the Senate should go back to the drawing board. The economic downturn requires new policies, not more of the same.
The White House, through Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, has essentially said Obama will sign the bill. What makes Bayh's op-ed interesting is that he's essentially challenging the president in a way that will give other Democrats some political cover if they also decide to oppose the spending legislation.
It also provides fresh ammunition to Republicans who've been near unanimous in denouncing the bill.
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Add another Democrat who sees through Obama.
