The White House Cancels the White House

by | BLOG, ECONOMY, OBAMA, POLITICS

This is out-and-out manipulation of public opinion and playing on the emotions of Americans for political gain.

The Washington Times reported that the White House announced in an email, (more…)

Sequestration Anagrams and White House Narratives

by | BLOG, ECONOMY, OBAMA, POLITICS

This entire week has seen a whole gambit of sequestration blame and doomsday scenarios (no more bacon!) from the White House administration. However, over the last few days, we’ve also seen the White House changing its tune on sequestration. (more…)

Are We Being Set Up (For More Taxes?)

by | BLOG, ECONOMY, OBAMA, POLITICS

Picture the all-too-familiar scenario: it’s nearing a fiscal decision deadline. Congress is deadlocked over action — in this case, it’s Sequestration (large budget cuts). It’s possible that there will there will be no decision on Sequestration by March 1, because deadlines mean nothing in Congress – as we just witnessed with the Fiscal Cliff debates running over the edge.

Or are we being set up for more taxes? I’m getting a little nervous about the media dribble from the last couple of days.

First, the Weekly Standard reports that Obama said in Virginia today,

“You know, the one thing about being president is, after four years, you get pretty humble. You’d think maybe you wouldn’t but actually you become more humble–you realize what you don’t know. You realize all the mistakes you made. But you also realize you can’t do things by yourself. That’s not how our system works. You’ve got to have the help and the goodwill of Congress, and what that means is you’ve got to make sure that constituents of members of Congress are putting some pressure on them, making sure they’re doing the right thing.”

Put pressure on members of Congress? Like….Boehner? Which leads me to my second rollout:

Last night on Fox News “Special Report”. Real Clear Politics posted the video of Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) telling FOX News about what would happen if Boehner “caves” and agrees to tax revenues to avoid the sequester:

“I don’t quite honestly believe that Speaker Boehner would be speaker if that happens. I think he would lose his speakership,”

And if that’s not enough, much of the the Sunday “Meet the Press” roundtable was a shill for more taxes.

David Gregory read Bob Woodward’s opinion piece pointing out that sequestration originated with Obama, the point of the article. But Gregory makes sure that he gets in their Woodward’s opinion that Obama’s “call for a balanced approach is reasonable and he makes a strong case that those in the top income brackets could and should pay more. But that was not the deal he made.”

But instead of “moderator” Gregory focusing on the point of the piece –that Obama is currently lying when he blames the GOP for Sequestration — Gregory cherry picks the revenue part (those in the top income brackets could and should pay more) and blathers on that the White House has always included revenue in any “deal”. Yet Gregory fails to remind his audience that Obama got his revenue during the Fiscal Cliff, the original Sequestration deadline.

What’s worse is that Gregory further opines, during an exchange with Former Rep Harry Ford Jr (D-TN), that “they have only rescinded something like 18 percent of the Bush tax cuts. So there is more room to go”.

So folks, over the last three days, we’ve seen discussion about the 1) reasonableness and room for more tax increases; 2) a scenario where Boehner “caves”; and 3) the President talking about putting pressure on Congress to “do the right thing” and “goodwill” and all that.

Are we being set up? Is a narrative being shaped to soften the blow over a last minute “deal” that avoids *gasp* sequestration cuts and adds in new taxes?

The thought of this potential reality is nauseating, especially knowing that tomorrow, Wednesday, February 27, we will be 1400 days without a budget.

Politifact and WaPo Claim Sequestration was Obama’s; Obama Once Vowed Veto to Keep It

by | BLOG, ECONOMY, OBAMA, POLITICS

Is anyone else getting a little bit tired of the President of the United States continuing to blame Republicans for sequestration?

Time for some flashback — (more…)

State of the Union — Read Between the Lines

by | BLOG, ECONOMY, OBAMA, POLITICS

Here’s a rundown of the top Obama lines from the State of the Union, along with the appropriate responses:

“After years of grueling recession, our businesses have created over six million new jobs” — Mainly for the government and IRS (more…)

Obama Calls For New Revenue & New Spending Cuts — Bring Back Simpson-Bowles?

by | BLOG, ECONOMY, OBAMA, POLITICS

Perhaps the Republicans need to revive the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles package as their Republican bargaining strategy over the next few months since it contains the very things Obama is now calling for. Just before the Superbowl, Obama conducted a CBS interview. During that discussion, Obama claimed that “There is no doubt we need additional revenue, coupled with smart spending reductions in order to bring down our deficit,” he said. “I don’t think the issue right now is raising rates.”

Consider this: during earlier debates regarding Simpson-Bowles, the main stumbling block for Republicans was the tax increase for highest income earners. This sticking point, however, was settled during the Fiscal Cliff deal when the tax margin was raised for the $400K/$450K threshold.

Meanwhile, while the Democrats claim to despise the spending cuts in Simpson-Bowles, it could be/should be argued (as it was previously debated in 2010 and 2011) that such cuts are the necessary counterpart to the tax increases which the Republicans have now yielded to –a true “balanced approach” (the Democrat’s favorite buzz word).

The virtues of Simpson-Bowles are that it includes entitlement reform, actually reins in spending, simplifies the tax code, and most importantly, is a bipartisan commission that originated from President Obama. And because Simpson-Bowles originally had more Democrat support than Republican support, it would put the Democrats in a tough spot if they rejected it once again — especially since Obama made the remarks he did earlier this evening.

Coming off the miserable Fiscal Cliff deal and treading water in the debt ceiling and sequestration debates to come, offering the Simpson-Bowles package may be just what the Republicans need as a rallying point for true reform. The economy is contracting. The Simpson-Bowles package is already written. We all know what is in it. Republicans — just do it!