The President’s fiscal year 2013 budget request is being released into swirling fiscal, economic, and electoral winds. Those winds promise to stall his proposals, making them little more than rhetoric to lay the political ground for his re-election run.

While the challenges facing our country should push the parties to work together for a fiscally responsible, economically sound future, politics is pushing them to talk past one another. So the President may propose billions in education increases, or tax breaks for manufacturing, or tax increases for wealthier Americans, or increasing transportation spending – he is unlikely to get any of them enacted. But he will get several planks for his reelection campaign.

Similarly, Congressional Republicans will pounce on new spending proposals as profligate, any tax increase as irresponsible, and defense cuts as unsustainable without recognizing that the economy is still fragile, we have to prioritize spending in this environment. Budgets are about more than just numbers, they represent where we as a nation place our priorities and what we believe government should do.

This year will be a series of ongoing budget, tax, and spending skirmishes. After the likely payroll tax holiday extension at the end the month, we are going to witness budgetary trench warfare. Taxpayers for Common Sense will work to bridge the gaps and advocate for responsible spending and budget policies. We hope our country’s politicians will join us.