Fierce ideological fights coming on budget

WASHINGTON, March 1 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama's first budget request is likely to spark fierce ideological clashes, with its deficit spending being the main event, analysts say.

Among many political hot buttons, the central battle will be over its cost, with the White House seeking to increase federal spending by at least $500 billion in the next decade, partly paid for by raising taxes on high earners and corporations -- something that will be vigorously fought by Republican opponents and lobbyists, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

In the budget plan, Obama would allow record deficits to jolt the economy out of its worst contraction since the Great Depression, and would double the national debt in five years.

"Folks are a little skittish. It's asking a lot," an unnamed senior Democratic aide told the newspaper. "This is a tax-and-spend budget the likes of which we haven't seen in years."

"If you think with this kind of incredible growth in government that they're going to only tax wealthy people, then I have some old lottery tickets I want to sell you," added Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the senior Republican on the House Budget Committee.