This Sequester plan and solution was all Obama's idea. He came up with the "Super Committee" Plan because he failed to lead. The other fact and hard truth that is becoming painfully obvious to America as we slip into a double dip recession with unemployment increasing and economic growth contracting; is that Obama is an economic illiterate who is Presiding over the largest economy in the Universe. We also have a problem with the veracity of our President. Obama's lack of veracity plus his Economic Illiteracy, is a toxic combination for America's future. Just today he told workers in Virginia at a Submarine building yard.
"These cuts are wrong, they're not smart, they're not fair," he said. "They're a self-inflicted wound that doesn't have to happen."Seems like the only place we need gun control is the White House, so he doesn't shoot himself in the foot trying to shirk from his responsibility for his plan.
Obama went on to blame the Republican's for the latest impasse on their unwillingness to consider new revenues and closing tax loopholes. Heard that one before? It's a broken record, Republicans are protecting the Rich, not giving the majority of American's a fair shake, they are going to make airliners crash, and babies will die because of Republicans, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.......
Sequester was Team Obama's solution to getting past the Debt Limit increase nearly two years ago when he wasn't willing to make cuts, or work out compromises with the GOP and Democrats on a framework budget passed and proffered by the House. He also failed to lead his Senate Democrats and Harry Reid to action in coming up with a plan, or to even finally produce a budget which they have failed to generate or pass for over FOUR YEARS and still counting.
Obama couldn't jeopardize his reelection at the time with his "gimmie, gimmie, gimmie Constituency" so Obama's the one that came up with 50-50% across the board defense and domestic cuts. A ratio that was patently unfair to begin with and one that only an Economic illiterate like Obama could have proposed. The current ratio of spending by the U.S. Government between Entitlements and Defense is 61.9% Domestic to only 18.7% Defense.
The OMB, (Office of Management and Budget; the White House's Accounting and Budget Agency) chart above clearly shows that cuts will affect our defense and National Security inordinately. Obama knew that, or should have know that but went on with the 50-50 ratio to put leverage almost two years ago on the GOP at the expense of our National Security and Defense. Now he has the audacity and hubris to use our Military members as backdrops and "prop's" for his "Roadshow" selling his Snake Oil solution of tax increases when he threw our brave men and women under the bus all along for the "Gimmie, Gimmie, Gimmie Constituency" that re-elected him. Ironically even the Sequester cuts do not really "cut" any programs except Defense, below the rate of scheduled increases. The mandatory back-stop Sequester cuts are cuts in growth only, not zero based reductions or real cuts that reduce prior levels of funding. So, there again is a lacking of veracity on the part of Obama, particularly in light of his presentation of spending reductions as cuts on the domestic side. So almost two years ago all Obama was able to do is kick the can down the road and get us a Credit Rating downgrade for the first time in our history and bring us to another chapter of his wait until the last minute crisis management style.
Well the Sequester and spending can has been kicked to the end of the dead end road and what does he do now? He starts with revisionist History and disowns and disavows having any part for his own "Sequestration Cuts" backstop to his Super Committee solution that he devised and implemented. At the time the GOP put forth targeted cuts for both Defense and Domestic spending that would minimize the impact and detriment as much as possible by prioritizing need, efficacy, and impacts to social and domestic programs especially to those that needed aid the most, and in the case of the Military, priortizing National Secuirty and the well being of our Service people and their families. Those plans and proposals have been out there for nearly 16 months, awaiting action from the masters of inaction, Harry Reid, Senate Democrats, and President Obama. So now we face arbitrary, unmangaged, and unmitigated cuts across the board without the thoughtful considerations that were put forth by the GOP plan(s) from the House.
By contrast we have a 'plan' by the President that decides the best action is to hit the road in "Campaign Mode" again (doing the only thing he's really good at) deciding to change the paradigm yet again by initiating the tried and true message: Crisis Plan A) Blame Bush. Ooops, can't do that now, only the most banal of Obama supporters would still believe that one. Hmmm.... OK then initiating: Crisis Plan B) Blame Obstructionist Republicans in Congress. Damn those wascally Republicans for not working with him and after giving him his tax increases on the rich he wanted and got only two months ago; they defy me by not taxing the smack out of the rich even more now! The record is clear the alternative to the Sequester was to find "targeted" cuts, within all Domestic and Defense spending to minimize and manage the impact on each and hit the goal of overall cut target amounts. It was not about nor ever was a plan to raise taxes, or to use Obamanomics speak, a "balanced approach". This cuts only Sequester back-stop was your plan proposed and laid out two years ago Mr. President. Now you seek to change the rules and paradigm by putting the goal posts back 20 yards inside the two minute warning? I can hear his response by imagining I am a fly on the wall during his crisis Sequester Cuts strategy session....."Exactly, Yeah thats the ticket.... I will blame them again and demand action from them to fix it and stop blocking my efforts to solve this! Fire up Air Force One, lets stir up the Proletariat, call the media to get our message out!
One problem though it's not the truth and the media may not be buying it. Perhaps for the first time the media won't be regurgitating Obama talking points and presenting his dubious word at face value. In fact, maybe they will rediscover their duty to be skeptical, and to be arbiters of truth with a reponsibility and role to be incredulous and confrontational with proffered bull excrement, even if it's from the White House. Perhaps they needed just one person with some Cajones to stand up and call out B.S. as Bob Woodward did from the liberal bastion of Journalism; The Washington Post and call Obama out as a liar.
So, with the House passing two prior plans of targeted cuts for the Senate and Administration's consideration, within the original framework of the Sequester deal, the ball is in Obama and the Democrat's courts. Boehner said it best in his news conference exerpts from the NBC News video click on sentence to link video.
"We have moved a bill in the House twice," Boehner said at a press conference Tuesday. "We should not have to move a third bill before the Senate gets off their ass and begins to do something."Kathy McMorris-Rodgers (R) Washington, also made the case stating the obvious with her comments.
"He has traveled over 5000 miles the last two weeks, and we challenge him travel a mile and half and come to Capitol Hill," said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers of Washington on Tuesday. "Sit down with Harry Reid and urge the Senate Democrats to take action."
The refrain of urging Senate action comes from Boehner just four days before the sequestration cuts are slated to kick in.The Sequester was the result of Obama's failure to lead nearly two years ago, just as our economy and everything attached to it is failed. Without literacy in Economic matters, and lacking in demonstrable skills and knowledge for Business, Administration, Management, or Leadership; these shortcomings cannot be overcome with his witty charm, toothy smiles, or a Czar for every problem and issue he cares about. Neither will his ability to hit the road in Air Force One and preach to his choir result in tangible results or resolutions to the myriad problems facing America and the World. There are problems that need solutions, and results; critical problems affecting the lives of Millions of Americans and Billions of souls throughout the world. Roll up your sleeves Mr. Obama, put Air Force One in the hangar, go up the Hill, and kick Harry Reid and the Senate in the Ass, as Boehner so eloquently put it, and consider the plans passed already by Speaker Boehner, McMorris, and Democrats in the House that are willing and ready to get something done.
Michael R. Bednarz
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