GOP attack on National Labor Relations Board and White House Response

link here to article

The House GOP budget proposes a 18% cut in the budget for the NLRB. Since the 18% cut in the budget would be implemented over the next 7 months the impact of the cut would be amplified and it would curtail much of the planned activity to the NLRB. Some commentators have linked the GOP attack on the NLRB to its campaign against public employee unions.

The NLRB posted a protest against the GOP budget plans on its website. The White House told them to take the post down (it is published in this article). The rationale for the White House's action is that White House will lead the negotiations with the GOP and that agencies affected by the GOP budget proposal should not mount separate defenses of their budgets. Some democrats have criticized the White House for a lack of leadership and a willingness to compromise with the GOP over budget cuts. It would appear that the GOP and the White House are both thinking about the budget in terms of the 2012 elections. The GOP will use spending cuts as a central plank in its platform. The White House does not want to be viewed as indifferent to cuts in spending when households have been forced to cut spending due to income shortfalls.

Many economists argue that GOP imposed spending cuts and those proposed by the White House will slow our economic recovery.
Its easy to understand why the GOP would like to have a poor economy prior to the 2012 elections. The White House must believe that public opinion has been influenced by GOP claims and that it would rather not run against public opinion.