Considering what Republicans were saying prior to the fiscal cliff deal - that the sequestration cuts were too much and would gravely injure our national defense - this news from Rep. Paul Ryan, Chairman of the House Budget Committee, should raise a few eyebrows. Reuters: Automatic spending cuts postponed at the start of the year will go into effect as scheduled in March but "no one" is talking about allowing a U.S. government shutdown, the Republican House of Representatives Budget Committee chairman said on Sunday. The automatic spending cuts had been delayed by two months as part of the deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and deep spending reductions - known as sequestration - that had loomed at the beginning of this month. "I think the sequester is going to happen," Representative Paul Ryan, chairman of the House budget panel and the party's 2012 vice presidential nominee, told the NBC program "Meet The Press." House Republicans, most of whom had strongly...(Read Full Post)