You weren't providing the mechanism he needed to attack both the Left and Right partisans.
In answer to MAS: Most people want their favorite programs to get funding, left and right. I suppose I am unique in that I think most of even the most noble causes should not be funded by the government, but should instead by funded by private charity alone. We have so many fights about stuff we shouldn't be fighting about in the Federal budget, and once you fund something nationally, you can't unfund it. Look at the Left's outrage at defunding Special Olympics. They would support a bill to kill the would-be Special Olympics participants at a young age (in the womb or shortly after birth...even if they would not do it themselves, of course), but they oppose killing that funding because they see an opportunity to make political points for election purposes. Pull out of Syria? People who would oppose us going there in the first place will then oppose us withdrawing because they see an opportunity to make political points for election purposes. It's all about appearances for elections to gain power. The Special Olympics, Planned Parenthood, etc. are pawns in the power game to placate/inflame select portions of the masses. At the Federal level, I'm skeptical that anything is ever as straightforward as a city park. But, the system is what it is, so we all have to play political games, because if the spending will occur no matter what (and it will), it might as well be spending for our favorite cause, right? And, guess what?...we apparently don't have to worry about the National Debt.
That is my best attempt at an answer. If you think I'm wrong, please provide your best attempt at an answer.