Far be it from me to defend the GOPers budget alternative. I may not like, but I’d like a little more than what The Washington Post offered this morning. Less than 12 column inches, the budget story was buried on page A6. Here’s why:
While the minority party in Congress typically offers an alternative budget plan that is widely ignored, this year’s proposal has drawn fresh attention thanks to the scathing GOP criticism of Obama’s budget plans and the president’s challenge to the GOP to offer a constructive alternative.
Two points here. One, because it has little chance of being passed, The Post decided that people don’t really need to know what the Repugs are offering. I disagree, and not only because I want it more widely ridiculed. If the positions were reversed, I’d like more people to see what the Dems were offering. If you want an informed electorate, then you need to give voters the information needed to make judgments. In the 2010 elections, it would be helpful to know how the opposition might govern. If you know what that alternative is early on, voters can make judgments along the way on how things might be different leading up to the 2010 vote. The second point is that if the situation were reversed, Dems would do well to offer full throated criticism of a GOP president’s budget. Making a lot of noise just might draw “fresh attention.” That’s PR 101, but Dems don’t seem to understand that.