Republican Fiscal Promises: 96 Percent Empty

Do you know why the House Republicans' "Pledge to America" does not include any proposed solutions to the impending fiscal crisis caused by exploding entitlements? Because they needed the space for pictures, which consume 12 of the document's 48 pages and help explain why the PDF file takes so long to download and scroll through. (A photo-free version is available here.) The illustrations include about 40 photos of Republican representatives rubbing elbows with commoners, a full-page photo of the Statue of Liberty, a full-page photo of Mount Rushmore, a half-page photo of the Capitol dome, a half-page photo of a lasso-whirling cowboy on horseback in silhouette against a sunset, and one-third-page shots of the Capitol, the White House, and the Supreme Court. When you consider the title pages, table of contents, and other virtually blank pages, only half of the Pledge to America is devoted to text, which is set with big margins and lots of space between the lines. Since the text is repetitive and consists largely of rhetorical flourishes, the actual substance probably could have been boiled down to a single two-sided sheet. Think of it as a metaphor for the federal budget—or for Republican promises of fiscal restraint.

I'll have more on the latter in my column tomorrow. Previous Reason coverage of the pledge here.

Comments

[Eric]

Yes, yes, more pictures of politicians with shit-eating grins instead of concrete policy proposals. You know, for the children. Ugh.

[sage]

"This is a serious document. But not so serious that you can't read it all in one dump."

[Joshua Corning]

I can read the constitution in one dump.

[sage]

Our leaders can too. Only for them it doesn't stop at reading...

[sage]

And you might want to see a nutritionist. Eat a plum.

[Fiscal Meth]

Prune

[Zero]

As a man with a small daughter I approve of either the prune or the plum method. Note: putting prune juice in OJ will cover up the taste enough to only get minor f---ed up looks from said daughter.

[Fiscal Meth]

Prune-prude

[heller]

A prune is a plum is it not?

[Ted S.]

I'm reminded of a Shoe cartoon from the late Jeff MacNelly:

One of the bird characters is sitting at a schooldesk taking a test: Define "aplomb".

Second panel, bird is thinking.

Last panel, bird writes down, "I left aplomb in the sun and it turned into aprune."

[MJ Hyoomer]

Shit or get off the pot.

[SugarFree]

Depends on the dump.

[wylie]

The illustrations include...

And not one shot of Apple Pie, fucking commies...and what's with the cowboy?

[Jack]

Snatching that Brokeback vote.

[Fiscal Meth]

No snatch required.

[PapayaSF]

Confident predictions: Will the Republicans disappoint? Yes. Will they be as bad as the Democrats? No.

[Monk]

I am going to say they will be worse.
My money is on they will keep all the same obama bullshit and declare war on Iran.

[Paul]

Obama complains that Republicans are merely regurgitating the failed policies of the past.

In all honesty, I have to agree with him.

[Greg F]

Obama complains that Republicans are merely regurgitating the failed policies of the past.

Which are the same failed policies of the present.

[ghost]

I am the ghost of the failed policies of the future. I taught Obama all he knows.

[Joshua Corning]

Because they needed the space for pictures, which consume 12 of the document's 48 pages and help explain why the PDF file takes so long to download and scroll through.

Fuck you republican idiots!!

Learn to use the series of tubes!!

[Pro Libertate]

Jesus. There's a choice to be made here--preserve our superpower status, particularly in the economic sense--or take the Decline Express. The Democrats have made it clear that they are taking the train, and it appears that the GOP is jumping on as well. Not that they haven't been riding that train for a while, too.

[Paul]

The Democrats have made it clear that they are taking the train, and it appears that the GOP is jumping on as well.

The Democrats are taking the train, and the Republicans are complaining about the panel color of the sleeper cars.

[colson]

If all they were going to give us is a picture book, they might as well have just asked Chris Van Alsburg to use illustrations from the Polar Express. It would have gotten the point across and had medal award winning art to go with it.

[Old Mexican]

Do you know why the House Republicans' "Pledge to America" does not include any proposed solutions to the impending fiscal crisis caused by exploding entitlements? Because they needed the space for pictures[...]

And they could not be pictures of naked beautiful women. This will be a hard sell...

[R C Dean]

What's with the faux-rolled-up sleeves, anyway? On everyone?

And what's with the slackjawed guy behind Boehner?

[sage]

the slackjawed guy

thought balloon

"OMG what if people think we're faking it with the rolled up sleeves?"

/thought balloon

[SugarFree]

"Uh-oh! I made a boom boom in my pants!"

[Fiscal Meth]

"Why don't you ride over here and lasso me. Yeah I've been a bad little Injun!...Whaa where am I?"

[sage]

"I wonder if Boehner can feel my right hand."

[1.5"]

I don't know, I was too busy looking at the guy in the inexplicable flannel and his fupa.

[MP]

Threadjack...no surprise that the ones most educated about religion are the ones who reject it.

Story here.

Atheists and agnostics topped a survey of religious knowledge among Americans released on Tuesday by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

[SugarFree]

Covered to exhaustion in the Morning Links, my dear man.

[MP]

D'oh!

[?]

And what's with the slackjawed guy behind Boehner?

He's hypnotized and filling his diaper, which is fine, but the way he's leaning away from the slightly hot lady to rub against the bear in the McCain-in-the-primary costume is creepy.

[PapayaSF]

LOL +1.

[Tman]

How many posts are you guys going to write about how the GOP won't discuss concrete plans to deal with the entitlement crisis?

I've seen a new one EVERY DAY for like the last two weeks.

We discussed this ad infinitum. The GOP would be borderline retarded to suggest any concrete spending proposals for entitelments until after the election because the democrats are going to spin it as "Republicans want to take away your Medicare/SS/Dog/Child/pony/Rosebud" etc.

Is this the new Ground Zero Mosque subject?

[Jerry]

Yes, and after this election, they won't discuss it because it will be too sensitive ahead of the 2012 presidential election.

[Tman]

If they don't discuss this with concrete solutions after the mid-terms or if the GOP runs and hides from Paul Ryan and his plans, then I agree 100% that they should be called out as the lying meatsacks they are.

But they would be insane to attempt to propose specific plans today.

[libertymike]

I think that you are overstating the efficacy of such democrat demonizations of concrete GOP proposals to cut spending.

[Tony]

But they would be insane to attempt to propose specific plans today.

What? "Vote for us, then we'll tell you what we're gonna do."

Um let's not be too shocked when it turns out they don't actually have a plan and are lying meatsacks.

[Nancy Pelosi]

The only way we can find out what's in the healthcare bill is by passing it. Trust us!

[TrickyVic]

""But they would be insane to attempt to propose specific plans today.""

They don't want us to know the details until after the vote? Haven't we had enough of that philosophy in the last two years?

[Barry D]

Reason, shilling for the GOP again, claiming that 4% of their promises have some merit.

[cynical]

Don't confuse substance with merit.

[Some Guy]

96% fluff, 3% lies, 1% mind numbingly obvious?

[Some Guy]

Do you know why the House Republicans' "Pledge to America" does not include any proposed solutions to the impending fiscal crisis caused by exploding entitlements?

What, you don't count, "We will make the decisions that are necessary to protect our entitlement programs" as a promise to reign in entitlement programs?

Next you're going to tell me that when they talk about capitalism or the free market, they actually mean protectionism.

[varados]

I have dreams every night (and day)in which those odious vermin are surrounded then consumed by massive hoards of cockroaches. Not all politicians are mental defectives. Some know exactly what the hinds want, and deliver it. We are told by a lady politician from Michigan that gay marriage is the single greatest threat to America. How is it that a creature like that is bipedal? Is there no person capable of stepping foward and exposing such drivel? Some of these slobbering, grasping simians are making decisions that have consequences. I hate to be such a pessimist, but I see the United States as a complete failure, with much worse to come.

[Mo]

"a full-page photo of the Statue of Liberty"

With an updated tablet that say, "Go away immigrants, batin'!"

[Tncm]

I can see the Democratic Party's slogan for the 2012 election already:

"Why change dicks in the middle of the screw? Vote for Obama in one-two!"

Internet points for any of you who know the source for that.

[anon]

Bob Roberts

[Chad]

Republicans? Fiscal discipline?

hahalollolfunnylol

After months of screaming DEFICITS until our ears bled, these utter complete hypocrites propose a budget-busting plan. Their very own Bible condemns them to Hell (not that they actually read the thing...did you all see the study that showed aetheists whooped Christians when it came to religious knowledge?)