Michael Hiltzik: Billionaire anti-deficit hawks are already attacking Biden's spending plan. Ignore them

I'd say that you could set your watch by how quickly the anti-deficit crowd piled on President Biden's Build Back Better program after its first component, the infrastructure bill, moved toward passage, but I'm not sure there's a timepiece on Earth that can measure time spans that small.

The infrastructure bill was passed by the House and sent to the White House for Biden's signature on Friday evening. That very morning, even before the vote, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) sent out a tweet labeling it a "socialist spending scam."

This was about a bill that would bring California, the state McCarthy ostensibly represents, the largest share of funding in the country for road and bridge upgrades, healthcare enhancements, public transit and much more.

It would relieve economic pressures on the 13% of McCarthy's congressional constituents living in poverty and improve services to the 55% of the residents in his district's Tulare County and 45% in its Kern County who are dependent on Medicaid (known in California as Medi-Cal).

But, sure, it's a "socialist scam."