Sequester will test GOP’s cut/cut/cut strategy
Unless Congress comes to an unlikely and very quick agreement, most domestic federal spending must by law be slashed by an immediate 8.2 percent on March 1, with only Social Security, Medicaid and veterans’ benefits exempted.
According to estimated from the Office of Management and Budget, defense spending will have to be cut by 9.4 to 10 percent, depending on the category. Payments to Medicare providers — doctors, hospitals, etc. — will be cut by 2 percent.
And because the law dictates that the cuts be across-the-board, rather than targeted, the impact is some areas could be severe. Agency directors have very little if any leeway in trying to protect particular programs.
James Clapper, director of National Intelligence, has warned that “the sheer size of the cut will create an immediate national security crisis situation” in the CIA, FBI and other agencies. Border Patrol agents will be laid off, as will federal prosecutors and airline security officers. (If you’re flying, you might want to double the time needed to get through security.)
On the social-spending side, to cite just a few specific examples, some 10,000 Americans will be cut off from the AIDS drugs that keep them alive; 70,000 children will be pushed off Head Start; 373,000 seriously mentally ill people will no longer have a means of treatment. The list goes on and on.
The overall economy will likely suffer as well. According to the Congressional Budget Office, that reduced federal spending will dampen growth and cut job creation by some 750,000 through the end of the year.
Unfortunately, there appears to be little to no hope in Washington that such cuts can be avoided, at least at first. Our leaders have come to the conclusion that no matter how much pain these reductions cause the American people, the political pain they themselves would suffer by having to compromise would be greater still. So instead of acting, they are preparing to blame each other when the outcries come.
The Republicans are basing their PR strategy on the claim that the sequester was actually President Obama’s idea, and they are correct: The Obama White House did propose the idea of a sequester back in 2011, believing that if the required budget cuts were painful enough, both sides would be compelled to compromise in order to avoid them.
However, the sequester — or “Obamaquester”, in the GOP’s strained terminology — was made necessary in the first place because House Republicans had made it quite clear that without a mandatory mechanism to slash spending, they would refuse to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, potentially sending the country into a disastrous default. That was back before the election, when House Republicans were so full of themselves that they seemed fully capable of doing just that.
(Just to refresh your memory — these artificial fiscal crises do tend to blur into one another by now — this particular confrontation in 2011 is the one that convinced Standard & Poors to lower the nation’s bond rating.)
In other words, the record shows that Republicans forced the crisis, and now want to blame Obama for proposing an escape hatch. I don’t believe the tactic is going to work, in large part because once again, the GOP has put itself into a position of trying to sell a hard argument. In this case, after stomping their feet, holding their breath and generally making public fools of themselves demanding harsh spending cuts, they are going to try to put the blame for spending cuts on Obama?
Good luck with that.
Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee and the GOP’s spending guru, is on record back in 2011 as lauding the sequester, and his fellow House Republicans voted 174-66 in favor of it. (House Democrats split right down the middle, with 95 supporting it and 95 voting against it). In addition, Ryan has promised House conservatives that he will soon produce a budget that will balance the budget within 10 years, and do it without new taxes. The magnitude of spending cuts required to make that happen will dwarf those being implemented under the sequester.
The sequester, in other words, can be seen as a mini test drive for the GOP’s overall fiscal policy. What happens to government services when we implement just a fraction of the massive spending cuts that the GOP is demanding? What happens to the economy when federal spending falls by a relatively minor $85 billion between March and the end of the fiscal year in October?
By already trying to put the blame on Obama, the GOP is in effect predicting that the results won’t be pretty.
– Jay Bookman
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897 comments Add your comment
Uh Huh.......The GOP are like angels dancing on the head of a pin
February 19th, 2013
10:00 am
The Republicans were holding a gun to the administration’s head and besides, the Republicans immediately voted for sequestration.
The important thing now is that outside of Fox News land, it’s an unimportant fact whose “idea” it was. The Republicans are partial owners of this idea, and as the party that now wants the cuts to kick in, they deserve to—and will—bear more responsibility for the negative impacts.
Uh Huh
Itchy Finger
February 19th, 2013
10:00 am
USinUK – former Girl Scout
“Seems to me the takers in society haven’t sacrificed one thing…”
the liberal denial…
Jefferson
February 19th, 2013
10:01 am
The GOP was for it before they were against it, see vote counts. The idea that tax increases are over is plain childish wishful thinking (Santa will pay the bills).
Joe Hussein Mama
February 19th, 2013
10:01 am
F. Sinkiewicz — “About malpractice? What the eff does that have to do with anything?”
Well, genius, it’s in the GOP ‘compromise’ budget. And once again, what’s it got to do with the Federal budget? Your side put it *in* their budget, so clearly the GOP thinks it’s got something to do with it. How about you explain to us all what that is?
OTOH, quite frankly, genius if you don’t even know what’s in your own side’s budget proposals, then take a freakin’ hike and crack a book so you can smarten up before you speak to me again.
GT
February 19th, 2013
10:02 am
How do you budget for defensive spending? I can see cuts in reoccurring events but who predicts the wars we go to fight. I imagine the definition of what takes us into a war would have to be redefined. That alone will save us trillions. That and controlling Wall Street which has cost us trillions, and will again unless we make changes. These two areas of spending on unpredictable bombs going off are what have gotten this budget where it is.
You start letting people die at the hospital steps and even try to push that off on this president, like you have the lies you preached in the last election and not only will your party be dead at some point you will have desperate mobs roaming the streets of America. The guards you have protecting the borders will have to be reassigned to the street and the border is wide open. The right is always looking for that dramatic event, something to scare the American public into allowing them the control of this country. Looks to me like they are cooking up another mess for us to clean up. Maybe this time the American public will wise up and not let them sabotage our country for their selfish agendas. The Republicans slice and dice up like an enemy. They go way beyond the boundaries of democracy, in a belief that harming this country is good for their cause.
Escaped from Email Purgatory
February 19th, 2013
10:02 am
So Bookman you’re laying the ground work for an overall liberal argument that “Sure, President Obama is PART of the reason why America can’t get it’s fiscal house in order, but it’s actually more those spoil sport, irrelevant Republicans faultl!”
Your rationale perpetuates you wet dream: Obama’s role as the beleaguered hero – the tall thin black man left holding the bag full of business as usual in Washington, DC.
As dire as you eloquently describe the looming sequester, tell me – where was Obama all weekend? He was doing what?
Obama to Turn Up Pressure for Deal on Budget Cuts – New York Times | urbandestruction.com
February 19th, 2013
10:02 am
[...] press for stopgap sequester fixWashington PostObama agenda: Sequester crunch timeNBCNews.com (blog)Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -ABC News (blog) -Los Angeles Timesall 134 news articles » This entry was [...]
Steve
February 19th, 2013
10:02 am
I have to agree with Jefferson. Tax increases are going to have to be part of the austerity that the GOP wants as they scream for debt reduction. You can’t just take food away from poor kids and balance the budget.
Granny Godzilla
February 19th, 2013
10:02 am
Christian Conservative
February 19th, 2013
9:56 am
Granny Godzilla:
Nothing goes well for the GOP because of the Obama loving lapdog media. I hope they hold out and shut down the gov by not raising the debt ceiling too. They can’t win either way so doing what is best for the country to curtail the enormous waste by Obama and the Dems is what they must do….
.
.
.
.
Yep, News Corp, Time Warner, Disney, Viacom are fluffy liberal lap dogs……
C’mere fluffy wuffy…kisses…kisses..oogie boogie…
JamVet
February 19th, 2013
10:03 am
Whatever will become of the Republican Party when Obama finishes his term of office…?
My guess?
They will nominate yet another pathetic candidate like McCain and Romney and get crushed again.
Itchy Finger
February 19th, 2013
10:03 am
Seniors starting to suffer because of obamacare.. but its the GOP’s fault…
http://www.forbes.com/sites/aroy/2013/02/19/here-comes-the-boom-cms-slashes-medicare-advantage-disarray-for-many-seniors/
комиссар (Occupation)
February 19th, 2013
10:03 am
Recon : “Erskine Boles and Alan Simpson unveiled a proposal this morning to avoid sequestration but appears according to Simpson to include entitlement reform. Simpson said that Obama will have a failed presidency if he refuses an entitlement reform component”
Why do you speak of cutting entitlements as entitlement “reform”, when such cuts are the surest way to those programs being dismantled?
Why don’t you go ahead and admit that you want them dismantled, just as Wall St. suits like Erskine Bowles and other right wing Democrats want to do along with Republicans? You don’t want to “reform” them, you want to “cut” them, just like your Wall St. overlords do.
That’s what you really want, isn’t it?
Obama to Turn Up Pressure for Deal on Budget Cuts – New York Times | P00Y.COM
February 19th, 2013
10:03 am
[...] press for stopgap sequester fixWashington PostObama agenda: Sequester crunch timeNBCNews.com (blog)Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -ABC News (blog) -Los Angeles Timesall 134 news [...]
ATL Tiger
February 19th, 2013
10:04 am
“Over the last few years, both parties have worked together to reduce the deficit by more than $2.5 trillion. As a result we are more than halfway toward the goal of $4 trillion in deficit reduction that economists say we need to stabilize our finances”
Straight up lie. We’ve had $1 trillion plus deficits every year of his Presidency. He might as well have said “it’s raining” while he was urinating on our legs.
USinUK - former Girl Scout
February 19th, 2013
10:04 am
What the heck is a grammatical “are”?
talk about a gymnastic use of the language.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
February 19th, 2013
10:04 am
Talk to your lib friend about grammatical are’s sport….
Haliburton = singular, therefore use “says”.
voters = plural, therefore use “say”.
Geez….
AmericaShrugged
February 19th, 2013
10:05 am
We need government for the people. With the Reps at all cuts and the Dems at half cuts and half taxes if they would both just give a little and meet in the middle we’d be pretty lose to what the bi-partisan committee recommended to begin with, which I believe was about 75-80% cuts and 20-25% taxes.
Itchy Finger
February 19th, 2013
10:05 am
Steve
I have to agree with Jefferson. Tax increases are going to have to be part of the austerity that the GOP wants as they scream for debt reduction. You can’t just take food away from poor kids and balance the budget.
But you can take away Soyndra, Light Square, and all the other failed so called “green energy” companies obama has funneled billions of dollars to…
Bobby
February 19th, 2013
10:06 am
ATL Tiger
What are you complaining about?
I read the Bloomberg article you linked to and it is a solid plan put forth by the democrats.
The only problem is that the republicans want to do only two things. Protect “war profiteering” for defense contractors and lower taxes on these profits. Last, kill the social safety network created by the New Deal and Great Society.
This is their “Two Santa Plan” in full effect.
Run up huge debts by spending and handing out tax breaks to the wealthy. Force the democrats to kill Santa, (Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, food assistance, etc) by claiming we are too far in debt to afford these programs when the dems have the power.
Obama and the democrats are hip to their game. Most Americans are hip to the republicans game. You still have a good number who don’t realize what the republicans are up to.
That is why the republicans are in the mess they are in now.
Soothsayer
February 19th, 2013
10:06 am
When we spend money we don’t have, we must print it out of thin air. This results in . . .
USinUK - former Girl Scout
February 19th, 2013
10:06 am
Kam – “Haliburton = singular, therefore use “says”.
voters = plural, therefore use “say”.
Geez….”
he cuts and pastes … he doesn’t HAVE to think … (just read his posts )
Erwin's cat
February 19th, 2013
10:06 am
sequester already!
Granny Godzilla
February 19th, 2013
10:07 am
ATL Tiger
February 19th, 2013
10:04 am
“Over the last few years, both parties have worked together to reduce the deficit by more than $2.5 trillion. As a result we are more than halfway toward the goal of $4 trillion in deficit reduction that economists say we need to stabilize our finances”
Straight up lie. We’ve had $1 trillion plus deficits every year of his Presidency. He might as well have said “it’s raining” while he was urinating on our legs.
.
.
.
.
trees meet forest
or should it in this case be “Forrest” meet trees???
Christian Conservative
February 19th, 2013
10:07 am
Lets have an honest debate. If the sequester comes it will have absolutely no effect on me and my family. So that’s why I’m for it because we must stop spending money we don’t have….
Obama to Turn Up Pressure for Deal on Budget Cuts – New York Times | Financial News One
February 19th, 2013
10:07 am
[...] to avoid cutsReutersObama to press for stopgap sequester fixWashington PostNBCNews.com (blog) -Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -ABC News (blog)all 134 news articles » ch_client = "fryedaddy"; ch_width = [...]
Soothsayer
February 19th, 2013
10:08 am
So then it becomes a matter of holding the only medium of exchange that they can’t print more of.
TaxPayer
February 19th, 2013
10:08 am
The Republican constituency needs to start feeling the pain that their Republican leaders have chosen for them. Then the whining will truly begin.
USinUK - former Girl Scout
February 19th, 2013
10:08 am
” If the sequester comes it will have absolutely no effect on me and my family. So that’s why I’m for it ”
aaaaaaaaaaaaand that’s the first honest thing CC has said today.
Granny Godzilla
February 19th, 2013
10:08 am
Itchy Finger
February 19th, 2013
10:05 am
Steve
I have to agree with Jefferson. Tax increases are going to have to be part of the austerity that the GOP wants as they scream for debt reduction. You can’t just take food away from poor kids and balance the budget.
But you can take away Soyndra, Light Square, and all the other failed so called “green energy” companies obama has funneled billions of dollars to…
.
.
.
.
Please compare and contrast the failure rate of green energy investments with average
failure rates in industry.
I’ll wait..
Uh Huh.......The GOP are like angels dancing on the head of a pin
February 19th, 2013
10:08 am
@Steve
February 19th, 2013
9:58 am
Gas prices increase when the economy turns around. DAMN YOU OBAMA!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
DAMN OBAMA???
Don’t BLAME Obama because you are too STOOPID to find the truth.
High gas prices are caused by high crude oil prices. These prices fluctuate daily, and account for 72% of the price of gasoline. The remaining 28% comes from distribution and taxes, which are more stable. When oil prices rise, you can expect to see it at the gas pump six weeks later.
Like most of the things you buy, oil prices are affected by supply and demand. However, oil prices are primarily controlled by oil futures contracts, which are traded on the commodities futures exchanges. The price depends on what investors think the price of oil will be in the future. When traders think oil will be high, they bid it up even higher. In this way, commodities traders create a self-fulfilling prophecy by bidding up oil futures prices. This leads to an asset bubble.
Unfortunately, the one who pays for this bubble is you!
Uh Huh
AmericaShrugged
February 19th, 2013
10:09 am
Jamvet – How about Kerry vs Romney in ‘16? The race will be known as the biggest loser!!!!
JohnnyReb
February 19th, 2013
10:09 am
Conveniently missing from Jay’s finger pointing is this -
Obama and Harry have not passed a budget in 4 years. If they had passed a budget, perhaps the current crisis could have been avoided.
Not passing a budget has moved us from one crisis to the next.
The Republican House has passed two bills that would have avoided this crisis but Harry and Barry would not bring them to the floor.
So, Obama would not agree to the “big bargin” with Boehner and wanted sequester. He got it. The House has put forth two alternatives; the Senate has done nothing. Now, Barry was far it before he was against it, but surely, but without doubt, it’s all the Republican’s fault.
Credibility anyone?
Steve
February 19th, 2013
10:10 am
How “Christian” of you, ChristianConservative. What would Jesus think of your selfish viewpoint? You only care about yourself while others suffer? So Christ-like! Wow, you people are beyond immoral. You are selfish hypocrites. Disgusting!
TaxPayer
February 19th, 2013
10:11 am
The sequester will most certainly affect a lot of people but clearly the self-proclaimed unaffected Republicans are willing to suffer through it.
Steve
February 19th, 2013
10:11 am
@ Uh Huh – you completely missed the sarcasm and irony of my post. And you missed how I explain how Obama doesn’t control gas prices in other posts.
F. Sinkwich
February 19th, 2013
10:11 am
I don’t believe those gloom-and-doom statistics Jay posted up top. Not at all.
O’Bozo’s biggest fear if sequestration happens is not granny freezing, it’s that no one notices.
Granny Godzilla
February 19th, 2013
10:12 am
JohnnyReb
February 19th, 2013
10:09 am
Conveniently missing from Jay’s finger pointing is this -
Obama and Harry have not passed a budget in 4 years
.
.
.
.
snicker
St Simons - he-ne-ha
February 19th, 2013
10:13 am
git em ‘Corbin’ – mrsstsimons says “take the physical therapy, and do
what they tell you to”
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
February 19th, 2013
10:13 am
The race will be known as the biggest loser!!!!
No political contest with that name would be complete without Sarah of the Tundra front and center.
ATL Tiger
February 19th, 2013
10:13 am
Bobby,
First, I didn’t post anything from Bloomberg.
Second, you’re rambling about Dems being hip and GOP wanting to kill Santa is irrelevent.
Dems and Obama already got 41:1 ratio of taxes to spending cuts.
MiltonMan
February 19th, 2013
10:13 am
Just ignore that the original idea for sequestration was proposed by none other than Gene Sperling & Jack Lew. The same Gene Sperling who received $900,000 from Goldman Sachs for his “advice on charity” & Obama’s pick to be on the wonderful “National Economic Council”. The same Jack Lew who is Obama’s nomination to replace tax cheat Geithner
Itchy Finger
February 19th, 2013
10:13 am
USinUK – former Girl Scout
Kam – “Haliburton = singular, therefore use “says”.
voters = plural, therefore use “say”.
Geez….”
he cuts and pastes … he doesn’t HAVE to think … (just read his posts )
You must be a genius? twit…
JohnnyReb
February 19th, 2013
10:13 am
Granny, when you get through snickering, perhaps you can convey to your Moonbat friends just why there has not been a budget passed.
TaxPayer
February 19th, 2013
10:14 am
Obama and Harry have not passed a budget in 4 years. If they had passed a budget, perhaps the current crisis could have been avoided.
JReb,
If you tie a string to that thing, you can swallow it and pull it back up and swallow it again and just keep regurgitating it for as long as you can extract some flavor from it.
Steve
February 19th, 2013
10:14 am
So, Uh huh – my sarcastic point is this – the economy is improving (shouldn’t Obama take credit?) yet the conservatives complain about gas prices increasing, which is directly related to the increase of demand for gas/oil due to an accelerating economy. Yet conservatives never credit Obama when gas prices fall. Irony. Sarcasm.
TaxPayer
February 19th, 2013
10:15 am
Not to worry though, cons. Your Republican leaders in Congress must be paid. It’s the law.
Doggone/GA
February 19th, 2013
10:15 am
“snicker”
I’ve got beyond “snicker” – I’m now up to “chuckle”!
MiltonMan
February 19th, 2013
10:16 am
“How “Christian” of you, ChristianConservative. What would Jesus think of your selfish viewpoint? You only care about yourself while others suffer? So Christ-like! Wow, you people are beyond immoral. You are selfish hypocrites. Disgusting!”
Wow! Bash someone for being judgmental then turn around and be judgmental??? Is there any hope for humanity?
JohnnyReb
February 19th, 2013
10:16 am
OK, let’s cut to the chase. Obama does not want to stop spending. It’s clear. The “balanced approach” rhetoric is BS. He wants more tax increases to support more spending.
Peadawg
February 19th, 2013
10:17 am
“Tax increases are going to have to be part of”
Democrats already got their tax increases a month or two ago.
Jay
February 19th, 2013
10:19 am
ATL Tiger, that ratio of 41 to 1 was reported incorrectly by Fox and Breitbart. It was actually 10-1, according to CBO. Fox ran a correction to that effect.
Furthermore, you can’t look at that one deal alone, because it was just the most recent of several deficit-cutting deals. Since fiscal 2011, the deficit reduction achieved in those deals has amounted to 62 percent from spending cuts, 26 percent from revenue and 12 percent from reduced interest costs.
You may also recall this chart that I published earlier on federal spending:
http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2013/02/13/so-this-is-obamas-fault/
Itchy Finger
February 19th, 2013
10:19 am
F. Sinkwich
I don’t believe those gloom-and-doom statistics Jay posted up top. Not at all.
O’Bozo’s biggest fear if sequestration happens is not granny freezing, it’s that no one notices.
You hit the nail on the head with the above statement Frank. It goes for the other horrendous numbers that obama and the media simply ignore. Unemployment is higher since he assumed office, Gas prices have skyrocketed. Food stamps and welfare have exploded. The number of people in the workfirce is at a 40 year low… These are things they ignore because they don’t want the uninformed to hear about it….
ATL Tiger
February 19th, 2013
10:20 am
Anyone equating gas prices with any President is a moron.
Now, the FED printing more money (stimulus & Quantitative Easing) devaluing our dollar most definitely impacts what we pay for the same amount of gas.
MiltonMan
February 19th, 2013
10:20 am
Must stop cuts so that Pelosi will not be hurt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAtazrPdeGw
TaxPayer
February 19th, 2013
10:20 am
Democrats and Republicans got the elimination of certain temporary tax cuts a month or so ago. That’s all.
USinUK - former Girl Scout
February 19th, 2013
10:20 am
“You must be a genius”
yes.
Obama to Turn Up Pressure for Deal on Budget Cuts – New York Times | Information About Haiti
February 19th, 2013
10:21 am
[...] Journal (blog)White House: GOP will take blame for sequesterWashington Post (blog)BBC News -Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -ABC News (blog)all 137 news [...]
Butch Cassidy (I)
February 19th, 2013
10:21 am
Itchy Finger – “Seems to me the takers in society haven’t sacrificed one thing while the working middle class continues to suffer…..”
Facebook says what???
teacher
February 19th, 2013
10:21 am
cc,
what do you do for a living? take 85 billion out of the economy and it will slow down. think of the multiplier effect.
MiltonMan
February 19th, 2013
10:22 am
“Anyone equating gas prices with any President is a moron.”
Where were you when Bush was getting slammed over and over and over again for his “war to control oil”, for his fault for higher energy prices, etc., etc.???
Granny Godzilla
February 19th, 2013
10:24 am
JohnnyReb
February 19th, 2013
10:13 am
Granny, when you get through snickering, perhaps you can convey to your Moonbat friends just why there has not been a budget passed
.
.
.
.
double dawg snicker
philosopher
February 19th, 2013
10:25 am
Jay
February 19th, 2013
9:44 am
“Cuts food stamps, cuts heating aid for the poor, cuts job training, cuts nutrition assistance, abolishes health-insurance exchanges, cuts public health, cuts health insurance for poor people ….”
And this is where the Christian Conservatives come marching out in force to protect and feed and demand help for “the least of these”…right???
Peadawg
February 19th, 2013
10:25 am
“Democrats and Republicans got the elimination of certain temporary tax cuts a month or so ago. That’s all.”
Um…no. The SS payroll tax increase wasn’t the only thing.
“The bill will raise taxes on individual incomes over $400,000 and household incomes over $450,000, on investment profits and dividends, and on the portion of estates that exceeds $5 million.”
alex
February 19th, 2013
10:25 am
Repubs can point to a tax increase which they agreed to, ..deficeit going up…..no spending cuts proffered by Dems…plays into GOP hands in 2014, UNLESS the economy is bounding north. Unemployment is stable at 7.9%, manufacturing is down. No sign of a significant recovery, but we “snicker” and speak of Sarah of the Tundra and haliburton, perhaps this IS what the Dems want……
ATL Tiger
February 19th, 2013
10:26 am
“Where were you when Bush was getting slammed over and over and over again for his “war to control oil”, for his fault for higher energy prices, etc., etc.???”
Laughing
Peadawg
February 19th, 2013
10:26 am
“Seems to me the takers in society haven’t sacrificed one thing while the working middle class continues to suffer…..”
Is Facebook included in that?
barking frog
February 19th, 2013
10:26 am
The GOP will not allow sequestration to take effect, it hits
the military too hard. The President is aware of this and
was when he proposed it. Chess-Checkers again.
Christian Conservative
February 19th, 2013
10:26 am
teacher
cc,
what do you do for a living? take 85 billion out of the economy and it will slow down. think of the multiplier effect.
I have a job and make a nice living. Again this will have absolutely no impact on me and my family. It is nothing but an illusion put forth by the Obama administration and the Dem party to try and divide people even more…..
комиссар (Occupation)
February 19th, 2013
10:27 am
JohnnyReb: “Obama and Harry have not passed a budget in 4 years. If they had passed a budget, perhaps the current crisis could have been avoided.”
But the two-party game of misdirection wouldn’t have worked under that scenario. There would have been mass upheaval and protest, and Obama might well have lost the election. So instead we had to have the current theatrics.
“Not passing a budget has moved us from one crisis to the next.”
Yes, but it has helped to dull the sensibilities of the people and inure them to what is going on. Finally, it is hoped, the people will just throw up their hands in resignation and let Washington carry out its slashing campaign, or just check out from apathy and disgust over Washington “gridlock”.
“The Republican House has passed two bills that would have avoided this crisis but Harry and Barry would not bring them to the floor.”
You don’t really get how this thing works, do you? You’re still invested in the partisan ‘game’, just like Jay.
TaxPayer
February 19th, 2013
10:29 am
Um…no. The SS payroll tax increase wasn’t the only thing.
Pea,
Um… perhaps you can point out in my post where I said any such thing that you claim.
Christian Conservative
February 19th, 2013
10:29 am
philosopher:
Again this is simply rhetoric put out by the Obama administration. None of this will happen… You people are amazingly gullible or perhaps just uninformed.
Granny Godzilla
February 19th, 2013
10:30 am
alex….snicker
Escaped from Email Purgatory
February 19th, 2013
10:30 am
@Johnny Reb
I don’t know what brought you to Bookman Land, but me? I needed answers. How in the wide world of sports could a mope with a record like Obama’s get reelected? November 4, 2012 I awoke a depressed, dazed and confused man.
One thing that I thought might help me cope is to think like an Obama voter. I gotta solve this puzzle. Repeatedly asking myself “WTF?” while I beat my head against the nearest hard and flat surface hasn’t enlightened me a lick.
So I found Bookman. A personable enough fellow, Jay. He posts multiple blogs on a daily basis. And he rarely takes a day off. In fact, since I started adding my IP address to his guest list, I haven’t seen one “gone fishin’ ” blog yet.
As left-leaning as Bookman is, he’s a John Bircher compared to about 80% of his regular commenters. So me, I figure I can lurk among these devils for a bit and learn what makes them tick.
They hate Fox News. Old white men are anathema – and good riddance as attrition rids the planet of our sorry hides. Obama Care is rarely mentioned. Neither are any accomplishments Obama – other than the revenge he’s exacting on their behalf.
Gloating over the election results predominates still. And ripping anything NRA or GOP or non-Obama simply because it is NRA or GOP or non-Obama seems to represent the bulk of the content of the posted comments.
Seems the vast majority of Bookman’s blogs rip what he calls the shameless behavior of conservatives, post-Jubilee 2012.
“Spoilsports” and ‘irrelevant” are favorite adjectives used to describe those of us who are being left behind as the righteous swell of America’s new utopia envelopes our great nation.
I guess I’m saying that there is no substance behind Obama’s appeal. He’s all flash and dash and anger and unspecified change. And he pisses off old farts like me. Not to flatter myself much.
So when you get “snicker” as a response to a valid point made, take it for what it is. “Snicker” is all they got.
Butch Cassidy (I)
February 19th, 2013
10:30 am
Escaped from email purgatory – ” where was Obama all weekend? He was doing what?”
Didn’t you hear? He was with Tiger Woods playing golf and plotting to overthrow the free world by using guns confiscated from the American people and financed by using your 401k and IRA..
Peadawg
February 19th, 2013
10:31 am
“Um… perhaps you can point out in my post where I said any such thing that you claim.”
Sure thing – “Democrats and Republicans got the elimination of certain temporary tax cuts a month or so ago. That’s all.”
You’re welcome.
TaxPayer
February 19th, 2013
10:31 am
“Where were you when Bush was getting slammed over and over and over again for his “war to control oil”, for his fault for higher energy prices, etc., etc.???”
Actually, some of the cons posting here were claiming that Bush lowered gas prices and they were expressly dissatisfaction with Obama for not putting us back into a deep recession so their gas prices would return to the low level under Bush. That con logic is something else, isn’t it.
Jay
February 19th, 2013
10:32 am
Not just Facebook, Peadawg. How about this one, from the company that brought us the Triumph cruise:
“The Carnival Corporation wouldn’t have much of a business without help from various branches of the government. The United States Coast Guard keeps the seas safe for Carnival’s cruise ships. Customs officers make it possible for Carnival cruises to travel to other countries. State and local governments have built roads and bridges leading up to the ports where Carnival’s ships dock.
But Carnival’s biggest government benefit of all may be the price it pays for many of those services. Over the last five years, the company has paid total corporate taxes — federal, state, local and foreign — equal to only 1.1 percent of its cumulative $11.3 billion in profits. Thanks to an obscure loophole in the tax code, Carnival can legally avoid most taxes. “
Redcoat
February 19th, 2013
10:32 am
Third world we are catching up………..
Granny Godzilla
February 19th, 2013
10:33 am
Escaped from Email Purgatory
February 19th, 2013
10:30 am
.
.
.
.
Chortle and guffaw
USinUK - former Girl Scout
February 19th, 2013
10:33 am
“Where were you when Bush was getting slammed over and over and over again for his “war to control oil””
well, I don’t believe he manipulated the market
but, you can’t disagree with the basic economic facts that unrest in the ME = higher gas prices. He invaded Iraq without provocation, thus causing increased unrest in the ME … thus raising gas prices.
Road Scholar
February 19th, 2013
10:34 am
President Obama may have proposed the sequester as a solution, but didn’t another party agree to it? So who is to “blame”?
jconservative
February 19th, 2013
10:34 am
As Goodman correctly noted, the sequester passed both houses of Congress with comfortable, bi-partisan votes and was signed by the President. That makes it community property, so to speak.
From day one I have not objected to the sequester going into effect. Primarily because of the Defense cuts. Defense has had the luxury of “hands off” for about 35 years. It is time that ended. And, like the refusal to increase taxes is now a thing off the past, so will defense cuts be a thing of the past.
Next target, entitlements.
Slowly but surely we are getting there.
Peadawg
February 19th, 2013
10:34 am
Jay
February 19th, 2013
10:32 am
Stupid takers.
Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)
February 19th, 2013
10:34 am
Erskine Boles and Alan Simpson unveiled a proposal this morning to avoid sequestration but appears according to Simpson to include entitlement reform.
That reminds me. I was walking thru a WalMart last weekend and I come across the cat food section. Y’know, they got some pretty good looking food in those cans. You can have it in pate, shredded, and filet form. They got Chicken in Gravy, Chicken and Tuna, Turkey and Cheese, Oceanfish, and a whole bunch of others. And best of all, it’s only 50 cents a can—at least for Friskies.
And I got to thinking. I figure a can of that stuff would make a pretty good meal for a geezer or a laid-off bum or a welfare queen. And the guvmint could probly get it at a discount. Think about it—three meals for $1.50. Heck, you could feed a family of four for 42 bucks a week.
So what are we waiting for? We need a Cat Food Commission right now to start working on big savings for programs like WIC, food stamps, SS, unemployment, etc.
I don’t know the reason why I didn’t mention it till now other than somebody brought up the Simpson-Bowles gang.
USinUK - former Girl Scout
February 19th, 2013
10:35 am
“I have a job and make a nice living. Again this will have absolutely no impact on me and my family.”
aaaahhhhh, “christian” righties and their “I got mine” philosophy
TaxPayer
February 19th, 2013
10:36 am
Pea,
You said I said: Um…no. The SS payroll tax increase wasn’t the only thing.
I did not. You said that. You’re welcome. Take your sophistry elsewhere.
There.
Itchy Finger
February 19th, 2013
10:36 am
Road Scholar
President Obama may have proposed the sequester as a solution, but didn’t another party agree to it? So who is to “blame”?
dems control 2/3 of gubmint… So they obviously shoulder the most blame… Not to mention it was their idea…
barking frog
February 19th, 2013
10:36 am
Commissar
Sometimes you just can’t see the forest for the trees.
There are only two players in U.S. politics. Democrats
and Republicans. That will remain for a long time to come.
The Republicans are moving to being an obstructionist
player which does not mean they will be totally ineffective.
Party politics is the only game in play.
St Simons - he-ne-ha
February 19th, 2013
10:37 am
“The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have
no such concern.” –Proverbs 29:4
now, for a game of pin the tail on the donkey…
St Simons - he-ne-ha
February 19th, 2013
10:38 am
and of course, the great Creek Indian corrollary –
“Never insult a person until you have walked a mile in their shoes.
That way, you’re a mile away, and you have his shoes”
Christian Conservative
February 19th, 2013
10:38 am
USinUK – former Girl Scout
“I have a job and make a nice living. Again this will have absolutely no impact on me and my family.”
aaaahhhhh, “christian” righties and their “I got mine” philosophy
I give to charity and tithe to my church. I give plenty…. Unfortunately I feel most of the taxes I pay are wasted….
JohnnyReb
February 19th, 2013
10:39 am
Escaped from eMail purgatory – I have posted here for over four years now. It was much more enjoyable back then as lately it has become infected with hard left regulars who, as I have posted before, would defend Obama if he crapped on the Resolute Desk while on National TV.
The only answers you will find here is how looney the Left has become.
As for me, I enjoy kicking the ant hill.
Granny Godzilla
February 19th, 2013
10:39 am
“I have a job and make a nice living. Again this will have absolutely no impact on me and my family.”
~ CC
Well, frankly my family won’t suffer either…however some of my fellow American surely will.
I am my brothers keeper, why aren’t you?
Cheesy Grits is gone but not forgotten
February 19th, 2013
10:39 am
What it basically comes down to is that Republicans will protect the wealthy from more taxes no matter what.
If they have to throw the entire country under the bus in the process so be it.
Peadawg
February 19th, 2013
10:40 am
TaxPayer
February 19th, 2013
10:36 am
You DO realize the SS payroll tax increase is one of, if not THE, “certain temporary tax cuts” you were talking about, right?
Now you’re playing on technicalities and moving the goalposts now after you got called out. Go try that crap somewhere else.
Thomas Heyward Jr
February 19th, 2013
10:41 am
No matter how bad things get…………………I’m just glad that I’m not an Obama apologist.
.
Gawd.
Can anyone imagine how awful it is for progs like Granny Godzilla to have to look n the mirror to shave in the morning?
.
sad
Cheesy Grits is gone but not forgotten
February 19th, 2013
10:41 am
Unfortunately I feel most of the taxes I pay are wasted….
They aren’t. But your tithes probably are.
Can you say missionaries giving circumcisions ????
indigo
February 19th, 2013
10:41 am
It is Obama’s idea but House Republicans VOTED FOR IT.
It’s no surpirse they will now conviently forget that and blame Obama as it he, and he alone, put it in place.
It will be interesting to see how many of the tool electorate will be just as conviently blind.
Judging from the con comments here, that number will be legion.
Granny Godzilla
February 19th, 2013
10:41 am
Johnny Reb
YOU ARE WRONG
we’d all be mad if any President “bowed up” on the resolute desk…Mr. Silly Pants.
Just like we got mad when the GOP “bowed up” all over our economy and national security.
and they call it trickle down…..
philosopher
February 19th, 2013
10:42 am
Christian Conservative
February 19th, 2013
10:29 am
philosopher:
Again this is simply rhetoric put out by the Obama administration. None of this will happen… You people are amazingly gullible or perhaps just uninformed.
Whew! I guess you’re off the hook for any of that “anything you do for the least of these, you do for me” stuff.