Mid-Session Merry-Go-Round and Tussle over Nussle The OMB Mid-Session Review today announced yet another expected reduction in the administration's earlier implausibly inflated federal budget deficit projection for the year. Senate Budget Committee chair Kent Conrad, in response, sounded like a man dizzy from too many turns on a not-so-merry-go-round: We have seen repeatedly that they overstate the February deficit estimate in order to claim improvement later in the year. It has been a very consistent practice. You can see they started doing this in 2004 and it has been a very consistent pattern. And once again [Bush] has played this game of inflating his February deficit estimate so that he could claim an improvement now and later in the year. I will predict to you today that there will be more improvement by October. There really won't be any improvement. It is just that they have not correctly estimated the amount now so that they can claim progress later. We noted this stunt in 2005, 2006, and predicted it for this year as well. Bear in mind that Conrad will have a chance to confront the administration directly on this and other budget issues when OMB Director nominee Jim Nussle comes before Conrad's committee for confirmation.... eventually. Conrad has not set a hearing date for Nussle amid threats of spending bill vetos, holds, and recess appointments swirling through the humid mid-summer atmosphere on Capitol Hill -- and Conrad ("there are going to be issues with this confirmation") was already steaming mad as soon as he heard of Nussle's nomination.