Passing the Buck

Bob Novak writes that

Two Senate incidents during the week pointed to the failure of congressional Republicans to fulfill commitments of fiscal restraint. At their weekly luncheon meeting Tuesday, GOP senators were told there was not enough support for restrictions on spending to pass a budget this year and there would be no attempt. On Wednesday, the party’s Senate leadership beat down opposition to more money from the federal government to pay citizens’ home heating bills.

Republicans obscured these incidents by shoving to make sure Democrats did not get ahead in playing to public hysteria over an Arab-owned company managing U.S. ports. Terrified by the prospect of a midterm election disaster, Republican lawmakers stoked public discontent with the Dubai ports deal rather than contemplate their own failures.

If the Republicans lose Congress this year, they’ll have earned it.