US Budget Battle Reflects Sharp Divide Over Government's Rol

In U.S. politics, there is no issue that divides Democrats¹ and Republicans more than their vastly different views on the role and size of the central government. That political divide is at the heart of the intensifying² debate over the federal budget.
Republicans made significant gains in last November's midterm congressional elections, and many of them saw the election results as proof Americans want to sharply cut the size of the federal government.
That is why Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and others were quick to dismiss President Barack Obama's $3.7-trillion budget proposal for 2012 that includes a mix of spending cuts and tax increases.
"The people who voted for a new direction in November have a five word response - 'We do not have the money,'" said McConnell.
Republicans are putting forward a budget blueprint³ of their own that calls for far deeper cuts in federal spending to reverse the course of soaring budget deficits⁴.
This battle over how much to cut from the federal budget will dominate the Washington political scene for the foreseeable future and also sets the scene for the 2012 presidential election campaign.
The gap between the two parties over the budget seems huge, but President Obama says even in the wake of last year's elections, most Americans want to see the two sides find common ground.
"The key thing that I think the American people want to see is that all sides are serious about it, and all sides are willing to give a little bit, and that there is a genuine spirit of compromise as opposed to people being interested in scoring political points," said Obama.
Public-opinion polls indicate Mr. Obama's political standing⁵ improved after he reached a bipartisan compromise with Republicans on extending tax cuts late last year.
Political strategist Mark McKinnon said that spirit of cooperation, which was largely lacking during Obama's first two years in office, could continue this year. McKinnon is co-founder of a group called 'No Labels' that promotes bipartisan cooperation.
"Even though there are different points of view on it, I get the sense that Americans and the political class (politicians) are really committed to working together to find solutions in a way that they have not been in a long time," said McKinnon.
Some newly elected Republicans, however, are not in a mood to compromise on the budget. Many of them were elected with help from supporters of the so-called Tea Party movement, a grass-roots uprising of conservative and Libertarian activists⁶ who want to roll back the power and size of the federal government.
Newly-elected Congressman⁷ Bobby Schilling is a Republican from Illinois who owes a lot to Tea Party activists. Schilling told NBC'sMeet the Press that many newly-elected Republicans will think twice about angering voters back in their home districts who expect deep cuts in federal spending.
"They are going to hold people accountable on either side," said Schilling. "And I was told, 'Hey, you know what, if you go against the things we sent you there for, we are going to work just as hard to get you out.'"
Political analyst⁸ Charlie Cook said Schilling and others elected with Tea Party help may find it hard to compromise on some of their core beliefs.
"They would be defying their base (supporters). They would be defying the people that elected them a majority. They really would be betraying their supporters," said Cook.
Veteran Republican political operative Scot Faulkner worked for former President Ronald Reagan and for Republican congressional leaders.
Faulkner sees a protracted⁹ political debate over the budget this year that will easily carry over into the 2012 presidential election campaign.
"I think we are already seeing some danger signs that Republicans see the next two years as a preamble¹⁰ to 2012 and they want to basically put (political) points on the board against Obama, as opposed to points on the board showing that Republicans can govern."
Experts say the budget debate could easily polarize advocates on both the political left and right, which could leave an opening for Obama.
Richard Wolffe, who has written two books about President Obama and is a political analyst for MSNBC television, said "But it also opens up an opportunity for the president to get back to where he was in 2008 as a candidate, which is to say, 'I am above the fray¹¹. There are all these children fighting, there are these extremists on the left and the right, and I am the reasonable guy in the middle.'"
The debate over the budget and the size of the federal government also is expected to be a major issue in the battle for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination¹², which officially will begin early next year. Several potential Republican presidential contenders are expected to announce their plans within the next few months.

1 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 intensifying   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的现在分词 )；增辉

参考例句：

• The allies are intensifying their air campaign. 联军部队正加大他们的空战强度。 来自辞典例句
• The rest of the European powers were in a state of intensifying congestion. 其余的欧洲强国则处于越来越拥挤的状态。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史

3 blueprint   

n.蓝图，设计图，计划；vt.制成蓝图，计划

参考例句：

• All the machine parts on a blueprint must answer each other.设计图上所有的机器部件都应互相配合。
• The documents contain a blueprint for a nuclear device.文件内附有一张核装置的设计蓝图。

4 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

8 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

9 protracted   

adj.拖延的；延长的v.拖延“protract”的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The war was protracted for four years. 战争拖延了四年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We won victory through protracted struggle. 经过长期的斗争，我们取得了胜利。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 preamble   

n.前言；序文

参考例句：

• He spoke without preamble.他没有开场白地讲起来。
• The controversy has arisen over the text of the preamble to the unification treaty.针对统一条约的序文出现了争论。

11 fray   

v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗

参考例句：

• Why should you get involved in their fray?你为什么要介入他们的争吵呢？
• Tempers began to fray in the hot weather.大热天脾气烦燥。

12 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。