GOP Says They Won't Be Able to Block Obama Budget

clipped from online.wsj.com Republican congressional leaders ramped up criticism of President Barack Obama's budget proposal, even as they conceded that they likely won't be able to block it. Congressional Republicans on Sunday morning talk shows described Mr. Obama's $3.6 trillion budget proposal for fiscal year 2010 as a return to an era of big government, with huge increases in taxes and spending. "It's almost as if we are relocating the headquarters of the economy [from Main Street] to Washington, D.C.," said Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, the top Republican on the House Budget Committee, on "Fox News Sunday." But, he added, "You can't stop this in the House, and it's going to be very difficult to stop in the Senate." The Democrats are expected to begin moving the budget through Congress this month with hopes of winning approval by early April. Congressional Republicans say it's unlikely that they would be able to block the budget because they don't have enough votes.

I'd say this gives the GOP free reign to go full-on crazy in their opposition to the budget. No matter what they do, it's going to pass. The initial (albeit admittedly uninformed) reaction to Obama's budget is largely positive, so Republicans will be freed up to play to their base -- who have a 63% negative reaction to the proposed budget.

(h/t to Political Wire.)