The Tea Party movement did America another huge favor last week.
The Democratic leadership in Congress had managed to go a whole year without passing a federal budget bill. As it did with the health care bill and others in the past two years, the party had manufactured a "crisis" with a sudden deadline (the government might shut down!) in hope of passing a humongous spending bill.
The trick might've worked thanks to Republican fondness for pork-barrel spending. Senate Democratic leadership won over lots of Republicans by rolling GOP pork projects (earmarks) from previous bills into the larger one.
But Republican leader Mitch McConnell, already chastened by the Tea Party last month for earmark support, saw a path to victory. He gave Republicans an alternative to the two choices Harry Reid was offering (a government shutdown or the 1,900-page spending bill). McConnell offered a one-page continuing resolution that would fund the government until next year, when Republicans take over the House. It worked, and the spending bill died.
The Tea Party gets another win, and the taxpayers save billions of dollars. For now. What happens when Republicans take control of the House next year is anyone's guess.
The truth is that without the constant vigilance currently provided by what can loosely be called the Tea Party movement, Republicans would be just as happy as Democrats to squander taxpayer money. They are only acting frugal now because they know they're being closely watched, so keep watching.
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