Judd Gregg

This story from The Hill about New Hampshire Senator and former Senate Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg's latest change of mind has to make you wonder whether even he believes anything he says these days.

Gregg, who admits that he's voted for debt ceiling increases in the past "because that’s what you have to do,” now says he's voting against the one the Treasury says is needed now because "this limit increase comes in an entirely different context."

"Different context" is one of those wonderful phrases politicians use to say something without actually saying anything.  Since he doesn't define it, we're free to make an assumption about what it really means.  My strong suspicion is that the "different context" is really just another way to say that the president is now a Democrat instead of a Republican and Gregg doesn't feel the need to support debt ceiling increases that are needed during his administration the way he felt he had to when George W. Bush was in the White House.

The Bush fiscal 2009 budget was released this morning.  Senate Budget Comittee Ranking Republican Judd Gregg (NH) has already been telling reporters that it's a sham full of gimmicks and unsubtantiated savings.

If the ranking R on the Senate Budget Committee isn't pulling his punches, the criticism from Democrats later today is not going to be pretty.