Cutting muscle, not fat

Couple of very useful metaphors for prudent budget management. One is to not "eat your seed corn" as it essentially buys you some short term meals while robbing you of sustainability. Corporations rarely cut R and D for that same reason.

But another is the idea of "cutting the fat" to make us more lean. But clearly, for Republicans it is just about cutting, cutting, cutting. Well, not exactly. They voted lock step to sustain subsidies for big oil, but are more than willing to cut anything that helps the poor. But it isn't just cutting programs for the disabled and the poor, it is cutting things like National Weather Service funding and infrastructure repair. Short term benefits (though minor) that will simply mean long term expense, and possibly much higher expense.

Then there is the complete callousness of their approach. Disabled and poor? Who cares? And even after watching this horrific and unimaginable disaster in Japan, Republicans still want to cut foreign aid.

All, mind you, in a context where raising taxes on Warren Buffett by 3% is unthinkable. If anyone can explain that disconnect absent just pure heartlessness, then I would like to hear it.