NAME THAT BUDGET BILL

The compromise hatched between Republicans and Democrats yesterday prevented a governmental shutdown at midnight, but did nothing to slow America's slide to irrelevancy on the world's economic stage.

The GOP majority in the House has used their 13 weeks of power to do the opposite of what they campaigned on: creating jobs. Not only has Job 1 not been created, their $38 billion in budget cuts has insured tens if not hundred's of thousands jobs will be lost in the rush to defund critically needed infrastructure projects and services to the needy. President Obama, who called the cuts "painful", at least reduced them from the original GOP target of $100 billion, or the $61 billion in the GOP House passed budget version, and he kept funding for Planned Parenthood's reproductive services to women while keeping the government operating.

But cutting back investment on job training, education, health care services, infrastructure, and environmental protection at a time when the reverse in needed to stimulate an economic resurgence is a recipe for failure. On a positive note, the real GOP agenda of starving government to pay for obscene tax cuts for their super rich base was a smashing success.

If Congress wants a truthful name to attach to the budget being hammered out next week, I offer: "The 2011 US Banana Republic Budget Bill".