That means the GOP will face a challenge negotiating a budget conservative enough to pass the House without proposing politically unpopular cuts that could cause heartburn for Senate Republicans, whose states often represent a broader political spectrum.
The upshot: Given existing trends, by 2009 and 2010 it will be impossible for Bush's successor Republican or Democrat to extend the tax cuts without either adding substantially to the massive national debt run up during the Bush years or proposing politically untenable cuts in social services and entitlements.
Republicans threaten to filibuster and propose politically charged amendments, Democrats fill the amendment tree, and Republicans filibuster in retaliation.
Mr. Ryan, 43, has immense credibility with conservatives for his "Path to Prosperity" budget, which proposed politically risky Medicare changes and deep tax cuts.
The hesitation by top Republicans and the prospect that they would want to propose politically charged amendments made Democrats question whether the opposition was serious about cooperating and reminded them of Republican overtures on health care that later fell through.
A13 NATIONAL A18-25 Report Says States Face Sweeping Financial Crisis A survey released at the National Governors Association found that "nearly every state is in fiscal crisis" and that the problems will force governors, many of them newly elected, to propose politically sensitive tax increases or drastic cuts in services.
The co-chairmen of President Bush's Social Security commission said today that they would probably have to propose politically difficult steps like raising the retirement age and reducing cost of living adjustments when they make recommendations to the White House for restoring the system's long-term financial health.
[A1.] Difficult Steps for Social Security The co-chairmen of President Bush's Social Security commission said that they would probably have to propose politically difficult steps like raising the retirement age and reducing cost of living adjustments to restore the system's long-term health.
There is no need to ponder the possible implications, and, ergo, no reason to propose politically unpopular remedies.
Some have long argued that despite Republican intransigence, Obama should have proposed politically impractical programs, including stimulus, and then when the economy slowed, he could blame the Republicans for fouling it up.
John Cork Los Angeles, Dec. 15, 2008 To the Editor: I commend Randall Lane for proposing a politically viable mechanism for making more voters relevant to the presidential election process by having solid states on each side of the spectrum allot their electoral votes by Congressional district to increase local attention.
