Close Commerce and Energy

Marshall Wittman makes an interesting suggestion for dealing with latest mockery of a farce of a sham that is the Bush budget:

With the unveiling of the Bush budget, the predictable debate will commence. The elephant will suddenly attempt to cross-dress as a deficit hawk after creating the problem with tax cuts for their donors. The left will justifiably decry the savaging [of] programs that assist the poor. And the center will cast a pox on both of their houses for fiscal hypocrisy.

The Moose suggests a third way for the donkey. Democrats should move to the right of the Bushies on deficit reduction. Embrace the spirit of the betrayed Republican Revolution of 1994 and call for the closing of Federal departments. The Moose suggests two Federal behemoths to put on the chopping block - the Departments of Commerce and Energy.

Commerce and Energy are the targets because they are primarily conduits for corporate welfare. Along with these two agencies, the donkey should launch an "end corporate welfare as we know it" campaign. Then, Democrats can hold news conferences at the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute and urge Republicans to join them in this great cause to cut welfare for the comfortable.