Congressional GOP Targets DC Commuters

The DC region's Metro system is already facing a $72 million budget gap. Now, to close .01% of this year's federal deficit, Republicans in the U.S. House want to slash another $150 million from this year's Metro budget:

House Republicans have proposed a "continuing resolution" to fund the federal government with deep cuts, including no federal payment for Metro repairs and cuts to many federally-funded DC services including the courts.

The list of cuts removes the entirety of the $150 million annual capital contribution to WMATA, which just began last year. The federal government makes no other contribution for Metro beyond general formula transportation dollars that go to states and localities.

But hey, why should House Republicans & their staff worry about Metro? Taxpayers fund their free parking.

And if Metro breakdowns force more commuters onto the roads? That's not really such a big deal for the GOP either - they have to come into work less these days anyway. Under Speaker John Boehner, the GOP is taking fewer votes & spending much less time in session than did their Democratic counterparts.

Of course, the Metro cut is just the tip of iceberg of suckitude that is the House Continuing Resolution. It slashes funding for education & health care while protecting billions in subsidies for Big Oil & hundreds of millions more in pork barrel spending for Speaker John Boehner's district.

John Boehner Contradicts John Boehner on BP Oil Disaster

John Boehner is a formidable opponent. For John Boehner.

You see, John Boehner thinks President Obama is doing too little to respond to the BP oil disaster. But John Boehner, on the other hand, thinks President Obama is doing too much.

It depends on which John Boehner you're talking to. Is it the John Boehner trying to pander to voters? Or the John Boehner trying to suck up to Big Oil?

Pandering John Boehner appeared on Hugh Hewitt's show on May 27th to complain President Obama was doing too little:

It’s becoming increasingly clear that the Administration is not fulfilling their responsibility to the people of the Gulf Coast area or the people of the United States.

But Friend of Big Oil John Boehner told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review today that President Obama is doing too much:

Boehner said Obama overreacted to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The spill might warrant a "pause" in deepwater drilling, but Obama's blanket ban on drilling in the gulf -- which a judge overturned last week -- could devastate the region's economy, he said. Louisiana State University scientists estimate the ban could have affected more than 10,000 jobs.

While every job is needed on the Gulf Coast, it's important to remember that even those 10,000 jobs pale in comparison to the estimated 16,000 jobs lost and $1.15 billion taken from the area’s gross domestic product by the BP oil disaster -- and that's in the best case scenario, according to Moody's.

If there's anything both John Boehners agree on, it's that the GOP won't be trying to make a comeback by delivering fresh ideas & solutions -- they're sticking with bashing President Obama, no matter how incoherent that turns out to be.