Wild-eyed zealots | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The GOP has five basic goals for the federal budget:

1. Cut the deficit.

2. Cut entitlements.

3. Protect, even increase, military spending.

4. Simplify taxes by eliminating deductions and loopholes.

5. Lower taxes.

President Barack Obama is willing to make a deal that will accomplish goals 1, 2, 3 and 4. Republicans reject that deal and prefer the draconian, mindless automatic budget cuts of the looming sequester, in which they will get less on 1, nothing on 2, 4 and 5 and the opposite on 3.

Rather than accomplishing four of their five goals, they'll be accomplishing part of one goal. Some trade.

So much for being the wise, prudent, conservative party. Now, Republicans are simply wild-eyed, uncompromising, ideological zealots.

Scott Carter

Salt Lake City