Washington Whispers

OMB Chief Wins in Battle Against More Tax Cuts

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By U.S. News Staff

January 4, 2007 Comment

President Bush's new push for a balanced budget by 2012 is a victory for Rob Portman, director of the Office of Management and Budget, over others who had pushed for greater tax cuts, according to associates.

"Portman really wanted this," said one associate. Insiders said that the president and some of his political allies had hoped to push for deeper tax cuts in the next and future budgets, but the election of Democratic majorities in the House and Senate killed those plans. Now, according to the insiders, the president plans to submit a "flat" budget for fiscal 2008 that will leave little wiggle room for Democrats to add on new spending projects without deeply cutting into defense spending or raising taxes.

"It will hammer the Democrats," predicted one GOP budget expert. An administration official called the balanced-budget plan "a victory for taxpayers. We can balance the budget and make tax relief permanent, continue to restrain spending."

Aides said that to make it happen, the president will push for earmark reform–something the Democrats appear open to–and the line-item veto.

Tags:: federal budget,; Rob Portman,; OMB,; George W. Bush

Bush 41 Goes Bionic

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By U.S. News Staff

January 4, 2007 Comment

Chalk up another new hip for George H.W. Bush, the 41st president and dad of the current prez.

We hear that following the Washington funeral for former President Gerald Ford on Tuesday, Bush flew to Rochester, Minn.'s Mayo Clinic, where he underwent surgery the next morning, wrapping up by 7 a.m. His right hip was replaced. Mayo spokesman Adam Brase tells Whispers that the former Navy flyboy came through with flying colors and is already in physical therapy. He should be released later this week.

Hip surgery isn't new to the 82-year-old Republican. Back in 2000, he had his left hip replaced at Mayo. He has shown no ill effects from that replacement but it might be a while before Bush straps on his parachute and starts jumping out of airplanes again, we hear. But that's cool: This time of year he likes to surf fish anyway.