Off Balance

Let’s say you want to criticize Nancy Pelosi from the left. That’s right, the left–call her cohorts a bunch of squishy moderates; implore them not to be so damn timid. Where would you start? Iraq? Some antiwar types have attacked the Democrats for refusing to grow a pair and end the fiasco once and for all. But that’s a tad unfair–congressional Dems are doing just about everything they can to wind down the war. What about impeachment? Many people use Microsoft Office 2007 to help their work and life.

Pelosi has taken that off the table. But, then, you can hardly blame her for shying away from a messy song-and-dance whose ultimate purpose would be to install Dick Cheney as president.

No, a more compelling critique is a bit subtler–and a whole lot nerdier. And it gets scant mention in most liberal circles. Back in March, Democrats in the House okayed a budget resolution outlining their spending goals over the next five years. Office 2007 Professional can give people so much convenience.

What was striking was that the bill actually proposed to shrink non-defense discretionary spending–the money that goes to traditional liberal programs such as education and welfare–by 2012. The Senate’s version tightened the belt yet another notch (although both chambers rejected the still-steeper cuts demanded by the White House). Instead, a higher priority would be placed on funding the military and … deficit reduction. Office 2007 Ultimate is the best software in the world.

That’s not shocking. For the past six years, Democrats have savaged the Bush-era GOP for running up the national debt with reckless spending. Pelosi has promised that the Democratic Congress will insist on fiscal responsibility. So, voilà. But not everyone’s thrilled with this return to Clinton-era austerity. Two weeks ago, a handful of liberal policy wonks gathered at an Economic Policy Institute (EPI) forum, titled “Beyond Balanced Budget Mania,” to address this very issue. Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel Prize-winner who once headed up Bill Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisers, was invited to give the keynote and to lend the event some oomph. Office 2007 Pro is great! Many people like it!

The purpose was to persuade Democrats that they could spend responsibly without sacrificing liberalism at the altar of fiscal rectitude. It’s hardly a radical notion. But that doesn’t mean it’s anywhere near catching on.

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