SEAN HANNITY

A Lousy Budget Deal A budget deal has been reached in Washington to avert a government shutdown and keep the government running.  Unfortunately for the American people, the budget fails to do anything about our long-term spending problems and actually increases spending in the short-term. The negotiations have been led by Republican House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and Democratic Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray.  While there is a lot to be said for working to find common ground, unfortunately this issue of our financial future is too important to make merely minor changes. I've put some details on Hannity.com but Needless to say, the deal has generated reaction from many in Washington.  Among the most vocal and poignant were Senator Marco Rubio's comments when he said, "We need a government with less debt and an economy with more good paying jobs, and this budget fails to accomplish both goals, making it harder for more Americans to achieve the American Dream. Instead, this budget continues Washington's irresponsible budgeting decisions by spending more money than the government takes in and placing additional financial burdens on everyday Americans."  Did you hear that?  Irresponsible!  He's so right and what they're doing is so scary!   Others Weigh In Washington has been filled with people running as fast as they can from this new agreement.  Senator Rand Paul called the deal "a huge mistake" and likened it to buying a hamburger today and paying for it on Tuesday .  Speaker John Boehner called the budget agreement "modest in scale but positive."  President Obama was happier saying, "This agreement doesn't include everything I'd like - and I know many Republicans feel the same way. That's the nature of compromise but it's a good sign that Democrats and Republicans in Congress were able to come together and break the cycle of shortsighted, crisis-driven decision making to get this done."  I've often said this but we really need to take warning.  When it comes to our fiscal troubles, we are looking at having to climb Mount Everest.  What we are looking at with this current budget deal is about the size of an ant hill.   This Is A Bad Deal I think Heritage Action for America said it best when they said, "Unfortunately, the budget agreement struck by Rep. Paul Ryan and Sen. Patty Murray is a step backward." What's blatantly clear is that Washington has a spending problem.  This is something that we absolutely have to get under control.  So what is the current solution?  To increase spending!  It's absurd. There are common sense solutions, such as the Mack Penny Plan, that would start the process of getting our country back on track.  It's a simple, achievable plan that requires government to cut one penny from every dollar it spends.  If you do this, along with capping spending at a historically reasonable 18% of GDP, we could balance the budget within a decade. Right now Americans are apprehensive about "comprehensive," big deals in Washington.  I understand their hesitation, but giving up on conservative principles, even on the little stuff, won't help when we are forced to make those big decisions. Today's "Hot Topic" From the Hannity Forums: Time Magazine: Pope Francis Person of the Year I thought Rouhani would have been another good choice but I think this was, by far, the right choice to make.Rejection of the trappings of the wealthy church, embracing the diversity of humankind and an arching dedication to serving the poor. This is a good man and the best Pope of my lifetime. And that is saying quite a bit since I am Polish and having a Polish pope was a huge deal to me. Congratulations Pope Francis! >>TV Tonight ( 10PM ET on Fox News) Rep. Paul Ryan chats on the latest deals.