It’s an annual event held each February. The President submits a budget to Congress. Congress says they don’t like it. Special interest groups cry foul when they read it because their programs are not getting enough funding. The groups that do get funding love it.

The media covers the release of the President’s budget like it’s a car chase in Los Angeles. We witness the same thing year after year after year.

The fact is that the President’s budget is just a recommendation. Congress has the final say – and if there’s enough compromise, they might just get one done.

It’s easy for members of Congress to criticize the budget submitted by the President – they have nothing to lose – and if you are running for reelection in 2012, it makes it that much easier to dislike the President’s plan.

The Montana Congressional Delegation received some media interest here in Montana concerning the President’s budget:

Democratic U.S. Senator Jon Tester, who is up for reelection in 2012, said in a press release that the “President’s budget ‘raises questions’ about priorities.”

Tester has to show Montanans that he is not Obama’s man… it’s like he’s saying to Obama, “Stay…Far… Away.”

GOP Congressman Denny Rehberg, who is running against Tester in 2012, said in a press release that the “President’s Budget Spends Too Much, Taxes Too Much, Borrows Too Much.”

Spending, taxes, and borrowing – Rehberg hit the trifecta…

Democratic U.S. Senator Max Baucus said in his press release that the “Budget Neglects Rural Areas, Favors Urban. Senator Vows to Attack Deficit While Protecting Montana Safety, Education, Ag, Transportation, Natural Resources.”

Max likes the “us against them” plan, using the “rural versus urban” scenario. Unfortunately, Max is more like one of “them.”

All three members of the Montana Congressional Delegation get an “A” for their effort in crafting press releases to get the media’s attention. Congratulations.

The National Democratic Party posted this on their website:

Today, President Obama submitted to Congress his 2012 budget plan to help America out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world. This plan responsibly trims wasteful government spending while still fueling the incubators of growth: education, innovation, clean energy, and infrastructure. It’s a strategy to create jobs right now, grow the economy for the long run, and ensure government works for all Americans.

All we needed was a pep band and some cheerleaders for this statement…

The Republican National Committee’s new chairman said this:

The President’s budget reflects a complete lack of seriousness about our present fiscal crisis. If this is our generation’s Sputnik moment, then the White House clearly hasn’t gotten the message. Three months after receiving a ‘shellacking’ at the voting booth, Democrats insist on the same failed policies of more spending, more taxes, and more borrowing.

All that was missing was saying something nasty about Obama’s dog…

The GOP folks have their talking points down to a science: spending, taxes and borrowing. Look for these three talking points to continue through 2012.

On the other hand, look for Democrats to say, “Barack who?”

In these days of mounting Federal debt, out of control spending, and with our credit cards maxed out, setting a budget for the Federal Government is really pretty easy:

-No new programs

-End Federal programs that don’t work

-Cut spending

If the Federal Government would follow these three ideas for several years, we could get out of this mess.

Meanwhile the Debt Clock is still churning along showing us the damage that has been done.