As Pogo would say we’ve met the enemy & he is us. In order to reduce debt with no new taxes we must 1st kill the recovery. The teapublicans have cornered the President & we can’t rectify this mess until the midterm elections next year.Obamas biggest mistake was trusting the Republicans to come to their senses & do the right thing. Big mistake.
The simple fact is, and has been, John Boehnhead and crew are out to destroy the nation if necessary to preserve the party, and profit for their corporate handlers. While the methodology for the sequester goes back to 1985 (Gramm Rudmann Holings) and was used by REAGAN, with many job cuts and RIFs intentionally driven to cripple regulatory agencies especially, contractors increased their stranglehold on budgets. Maybe it is time for Boeing, GE, and other corporate giants, and their “key investors”, to actually pay some actual taxes??
Still pushing that tired old story, Tigger? Obama naively wasted time pursuing bi-partisanship. After realizing that the GOP was dedicated to blocking his agenda, he then was forced to compromise with Blue Dog Democrats. The results weren’t pretty, but far better than anything I’d expect from a McCain presidency. If you think Obama & Congress should have spent their time in 2008-2009, cutting the Bush deficits, your top is made out of rubber…
Thank you for proving that what this country needs is a good healthy dose of voter suppression. People who are gullible enough to believe that the sequester- which is NOT a budget reduction, but rather a very small reduction of spending increases- will destroy our economy, should absolutely not be allowed to vote. Along with people who think Obama is a secret Muslim communist, or that Romney was a gay-hating white supremacist.
I suspect that the situation is a little more complicated than “if you spend MORE than you make, you WILL go broke”. There are good reasons for the government to go into deficit in times of economic contraction — I take that as established. One of the problems at the beginning of the current “recession” was that the government had already overspent, and so there wasn’t enough room to maneuver, and the stimulus that was politically possible wasn’t big enough. It was also directed in some of the wrong places. When recovery occurs, the idea is that the increased economic activity then leads to higher revenues and thus the deficit can be eliminated, and, one hopes, even some debt can be paid down. The key is economic recovery. We can hope that the sequester won’t drive the economy back down, but I don’t think it was a smart move at the moment. There is a lesson for the future, and here I agree with you. As Joseph told Pharaoh, in good times build up a surplus, in bad times spend.
I’m hoping BBC Radio 4 will have on someone who will let me know (I miss the now cancelled Americana show). I’m ever so curious as to who/what/when. It seems no-one in the states knows, nor does anyone know what they should know (and what position they should hold or are told to hold). It’s mildly amusing for folks looking in.
Simon_Jester about 11 years ago
Hel-LOOOOOO? The Tea-Party Repubs nearly caused the US to default on its debts, and you STILL thought they cound’t be that stupid and irresponsible?
onceisenough about 11 years ago
How does that cake taste Mr. President?
Dapperdan61 Premium Member about 11 years ago
As Pogo would say we’ve met the enemy & he is us. In order to reduce debt with no new taxes we must 1st kill the recovery. The teapublicans have cornered the President & we can’t rectify this mess until the midterm elections next year.Obamas biggest mistake was trusting the Republicans to come to their senses & do the right thing. Big mistake.
Dtroutma about 11 years ago
The simple fact is, and has been, John Boehnhead and crew are out to destroy the nation if necessary to preserve the party, and profit for their corporate handlers. While the methodology for the sequester goes back to 1985 (Gramm Rudmann Holings) and was used by REAGAN, with many job cuts and RIFs intentionally driven to cripple regulatory agencies especially, contractors increased their stranglehold on budgets. Maybe it is time for Boeing, GE, and other corporate giants, and their “key investors”, to actually pay some actual taxes??
thebaldtexican about 11 years ago
Obama negotiated for half the cuts going to defense… thinking no Republican would allow those cuts… R’s called his bluff, and didn’t blink.
joe vignone about 11 years ago
Never underestimate the power of the (Tea) Force. They are trying to cripple the economy so you look bad. Don’t you get it yet?
l-empress68 about 11 years ago
What we really need to do is sequester the congress, like a jury. Lock ‘em up and don’t let ’em out till they figure out how to compromise.
Uncle Joe Premium Member about 11 years ago
Still pushing that tired old story, Tigger? Obama naively wasted time pursuing bi-partisanship. After realizing that the GOP was dedicated to blocking his agenda, he then was forced to compromise with Blue Dog Democrats. The results weren’t pretty, but far better than anything I’d expect from a McCain presidency. If you think Obama & Congress should have spent their time in 2008-2009, cutting the Bush deficits, your top is made out of rubber…
Uncle Joe Premium Member about 11 years ago
PS- Bush was President through January 2008, not Obama. If you had any honesty, you’d question why we ran deficits from 2001 – 2007.
Harrison_Bergeron about 11 years ago
Ah, gotta love a Pres who uses extortion as his primary means of “negotiation”…
Harrison_Bergeron about 11 years ago
Thank you for proving that what this country needs is a good healthy dose of voter suppression. People who are gullible enough to believe that the sequester- which is NOT a budget reduction, but rather a very small reduction of spending increases- will destroy our economy, should absolutely not be allowed to vote. Along with people who think Obama is a secret Muslim communist, or that Romney was a gay-hating white supremacist.
lonecat about 11 years ago
I suspect that the situation is a little more complicated than “if you spend MORE than you make, you WILL go broke”. There are good reasons for the government to go into deficit in times of economic contraction — I take that as established. One of the problems at the beginning of the current “recession” was that the government had already overspent, and so there wasn’t enough room to maneuver, and the stimulus that was politically possible wasn’t big enough. It was also directed in some of the wrong places. When recovery occurs, the idea is that the increased economic activity then leads to higher revenues and thus the deficit can be eliminated, and, one hopes, even some debt can be paid down. The key is economic recovery. We can hope that the sequester won’t drive the economy back down, but I don’t think it was a smart move at the moment. There is a lesson for the future, and here I agree with you. As Joseph told Pharaoh, in good times build up a surplus, in bad times spend.
ConserveGov about 11 years ago
Once again O and his blind sheep fail to help the US economy and as usual they blame somebody else.
Most Americans are now realizing this. Just look at Barry’s latest Gallup poll approval rate of only 46%.
OmqR-IV.0 about 11 years ago
I’m hoping BBC Radio 4 will have on someone who will let me know (I miss the now cancelled Americana show). I’m ever so curious as to who/what/when. It seems no-one in the states knows, nor does anyone know what they should know (and what position they should hold or are told to hold). It’s mildly amusing for folks looking in.
Tue Elung-Jensen about 11 years ago
Better this way than sitting in a stale mate against a bunch of republicans that refuse to listen anyway – ofc. easy for me to say :p