"Cut, Cap and Balance" is the New Republican Mantra

Part of the GOP's problem in selling
unpalatable products is their unpalatable
salespeople. Image of Lindsey Grahm fromThe Washington Times

The obvious new GOP buzz phrase is: "Cut, Cap and Balance." I heard Jim DeMint, the blustery Congressman, repeat this phrase like an actress plugging her movie on NBC's Meet the Press this morning. Oddly, while the Republicans are usually great at using Frank Luntzian phraseology to name things with flair, this one sounds like a second rebranding of "Cap and Trade." When Republicans were for Cap and Trade--a badly named policy if ever there was one--the name was fine. When they decided they were against it, they renamed it "Cap and Tax."

But Cut, Cap and Balance is apparently something new, so I looked it up on the Googles. Here are the links I found, in order:

• FreedomWorks' website
• Pledge from FreedomWorks at cutcapbalance.com
• Republican Study Committee's report
• A Huffington Post expose on CCB
• Lindsay Graham looking mightily verklempt while pushing CCB at Washington Times
• National Review's coverage
• The Hill's coverage
• A story stating that Mitt Romney will sign DeMint's CCB Pledge

Okay, so other than the HuffPo piece--which I'll read and report on later--just the links tell a story. Looks like Cut, Cap and Balance is a GOP/FreedomWorks joint, with a push from right-leaning publications. The "balance" portion is a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, which has ZERO chance of passing, and would--according to every economist I've heard discussing it--be disastrous. The ability to deficit spend is crucial in certain areas. Apparently World War II could not have been fought if we'd had a balanced budget amendment then.

So basically, we currently have a "raise the debt limit" crisis that has been unjustifiably tied to deficit cutting, tax cuts and spending cuts, making the whole argument about something more complicated than it should be. And now, the GOP is throwing in this stupid new "pledge." Do we have time for this crap?  Didn't the ridiculous "marriage" pledge in Iowa teach GOP candidates anything about pledges?

Whether or not this is a new, big GOP policy push was answered when I fired up the DVR for FOX "News" Sunday, where the first whole segment put Cut, Cap and Balance front and center. As though this new pledge is the A#1 priority in American policy. Question answered.