Is anyone surprised, really?

When President Obama finally released his proposed budget this week –more than two months past the deadline – it was met with resounding opposition from conservatives, including Alabama’s own congressional delegation.

“President Obama is still on a mission to raise taxes,” U.S. Rep. Martha Roby, R-Ala., said in a statement.

And U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., called the proposal “not merely reckless” but “unthinkable.”

Citing increased spending – including a $154 billion spending increase next year, $1 trillion in new taxes, and a nearly $750 billion shortfall, the congressional leaders panned the plan and the president’s attempts at balancing a budget.

Most of America would agree.

It seems the simple act of balancing a budget escapes most in Washington, whether in the White House or on Capitol Hill. And while we’ve spent ourselves into such a hole as a nation that we can’t expect to climb out in one year, or even two, we must as the old adage says “stop digging before we can start climbing out.”

As one of our local elected officials is fond of reminding us, spending is the problem.

And we have a spending problem, compounded by the politics of Washington, that puts our nation’s budget and fiscal security in play.

The president has offered up his proposal. So have congressional conservatives.

Now, let’s see who’s willing to do the work necessary to put a real budget in place for our nation.