Another Democratic Politician Goes After Conservative Media: The Idea of 'Out of Control' Spending Is a Fox Thing

Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) speaks at a panel discussion during a meeting of The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling September 28, 2010 at a hotel in Washington, DC. (Photo: AFP)

Over the weekend, President Barack Obama targeted conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh and Fox News as the source of disharmony in Washington.  Now, Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) appears to be following the president's lead, if not taking it a step further.

In a fiery speech on the Senate floor, the senator declared:

"I am not going to keep cutting the discretionary budget, which by the way is not out of control, despite what you hear on Fox News.  It's mandatory spending that is rising rapidly, because the greatest generation that gave us the greatest nation the world has ever heard is dying and they need hospice care, they need Social Security, and they need hospitals.  And if they want to cut them go right ahead, I'm going to be a little more gentle.

It's unclear why Landrieu thinks Fox News limits itself to discussions on discretionary spending-- when the issue comes up, normally "spending" in general is the topic.

Watch video of the senator's remarks via The Weekly Standard, below:

Commentators are already beginning to weigh in on Landrieu's statement.

Robert Laurie wrote on former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain's website:

We'll set aside the fact that we just passed a massive, unpopular, [health care] law which was supposed to lower the cost of all those things.

In 2009, non-military discretionary spending skyrocketed thanks to the Obama stimulus package.  It's since settled back down but, in 2013, it will still be roughly 10% higher than it was before he took office. It's true that mandatory spending is increasing six times faster than discretionary.  However, at a time when the nation is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, no cuts should ever be taken off the table.

Despite what Landrieu believes, it doesn't matter that mandatory spending is "rising rapidly" and that discretionary is rising somewhat less rapidly. We're broke. We should be decreasing the size and scope of government across the board.  Not protecting our discretionary sacred cows.

Click here for a Heritage Foundation graph breaking down Laurie's statistics.

Meanwhile, an article on the left-leaning Daily Kos applauds Senator Landrieu for "calling out Fox News' propaganda."

"Thanks to Jindal and the LA GOP's stupidity and cruelty, it's motivating Landrieu even more to fight back against them and get ready 2014," article concludes.

(H/T: WeaselZippers)

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Related:

• Obama Attacks Fox; Find Out Which Host Fired Back Here
• Listen to Limbaugh’s Response to Obama’s Slam: ‘He’s Trying to Goad Me Into Saying Something Extreme’
• Is Obama Ignoring Fox News At Press Conferences?