<https://www.scouter.com/topic/21261-rinos-and-elephants-oh-my/page/2/#comment-288182>
<http://schema.org/text>
"Nah, for all the blather about earmarking (and all of the other pork-barrel practices), earmarking doesn't amount to much in the way of real dollars compared to the deficit.  Earmarking is mostly an obnoxious practice, like no-debate filibustering or one-member holds on nominations, but it's not a real contributor to the deficit. \n  \n\nIt's entitlement programs (Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, veterans benefits &amp; other retirement), defense, and the social safety net that are the essential components of cost-side of the structural deficit.  Add to that the ballooned cost from unfunded wartime expenses and unfunded private sector bailouts. \n  \n\nSo if we're goin' to balance our books, yeh have to do it by cuts to Social Security, Medicare, veteran benefits, defense, and welfare/unemployment/etc.  If we're going to keep da Bush tax cuts, then we have to cut Social Security, Medicare, veteran benefits, defense, etc.  even more. \n  \n\nThat's why I think da Tea Party folks are denser than lead.  A vote for tax cuts and smaller government must be accompanied by serious cuts to Social Security, Medicare, defense, etc. \n  \n\nEither that, or yeh devalue the dollar and tax the middle class indirectly while also cutting programs just by reducing what the dollar can buy. \n  \n\nEither that, or yeh end up like Greece, and bankrupt the nation. \n  \n  \n"
<https://www.scouter.com/topic/21261-rinos-and-elephants-oh-my/page/2/>