If you caught Mitt Romney on "Fox News Sunday" yesterday, you might have noticed him pushing a line that's fairly common in Republican circles: President Obama said the sequestration cuts wouldn't happen, and yet, now they are. What was he referring to? This exchange from October.
Four months ago, during the final debate of the presidential campaign, Romney condemned "the sequestration cuts." Though much of the public likely didn't know what he was referring to, at least at the time, Obama briefly explained the background on the policy, and immediately added, "It will not happen."
Obviously, the president's confidence was misplaced.
What I find curious, though, is why Republicans think this reflects well on them. Obama's comment appears to have been based on a prediction: the sequester was designed to be deliberately awful, so rather than allow the cuts to happen, even Republicans would be willing to compromise to avoid imposing another self-inflicted wound on the country. The implicit point the president was making is that responsible policymakers would intervene before the deadline, ensuring that this dangerous policy "will not happen."
Except, of course, it did happen and responsible policymakers, at least in the Republican Party, were unwilling to reach a bipartisan agreement.
But what is the point, exactly, that the GOP hopes to get out of this talking point? As best as I can tell, the observation is based on a strange argument: "Obama thought Republicans would work in good faith to prevent something bad from happening to the country. What a fool!"
"If there was a miscalculation," House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said last week, "it was that a large number of people could be so irresponsible as to pursue this policy."
If Republicans think this makes Obama look worse and makes them look better, they're probably not paying close enough attention.
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Steve
Far be it from me to critique your points You are usually right in your assessments but there is one particular thing you seem to keep doing on this that I wanted to point out that I think you have a bit wrong...
Republicans aren't particularly interested in their image...at least not to the country as a whole...the only people they have to even consider placating are the radical elements in their own districts...that's it...and only those enough to avoid a primary challenge.
We need to stop thinking of the GOP as having a "national" interest because they honestly just don't.
You could make the case that this is damaging the GOP "Brand" but as long as they can still sell it in their local markets they will still be in business.
RIGHT. (pun intended) . they have NO NATIONAL INTEREST except - as dickless cheney said "When we ruled....". they are a COLLECTIVE OF THIEVES who operate in an ADHOC fashion to rape rob and pilage the country of anything and everything they can take to feed their pimps.
Since it will happen, it seems to me that it is important to understand what level of discretion the President has. The Act states that the President does not have the discretion to exempt particular budget accounts other than military personnel.
But within those accounts? Take a DOD account devoted to ROTC. Say the administrator is directed by the white house to not reduce funding evenly across institutions, but instead eliminate funding from a list of institutions that are in congressional districts that are happen to be swing or within a few points of becoming swing districts. Any further cuts come from unpersuadable Red states like Alabama and Oklahoma.
My Ezra type question is, does the Executive have authority under the act to target (within a budget account) particular localities for restriction of funding?
These states say they want small gubmint, so fine. Obama should give these states what they claim they want.
Dragoon is correct. I live in a very conservative area. Folks here love the military and Medicare--to hell with the rest of the government. In the last Congressional election, the Democrats did not even bother to field an electable candidate. I'd write my congressman about the issues of the day, but I suspect that complaining to my cat would prove more effective. (Hey, my cat sometimes throws up on the carpet. This makes him more productive than my congressman.)
Republicans represent a completely backward and insane constituency. And in this, they represent them accurately.
Isn't it funny how the gop left out those particular words......"IT WILL NOT HAPPEN" on my watch.
@JohnM in the past sequesters, the President did have the power to choose how cuts were made, but as I understand it, the current sequester specifies that the cuts must be equal, across the board. Obama's administration has no room to prioritize. Last week the GOP debate in Congress was whether to give Obama discretion, to blame him for specific cuts/non-cuts in 2014, or whether to keep his hands tied. Obviously they don't trust Obama to do their job, even as they refuse to do it themselves.
No, I understand that. The OMB report on the WH site points out that each of 1200 budget accounts must bear the same sequester percentage cutback.
What I am saying is that within a particular account, there is no statutory requirement that every legislative district receive equal cuts. So for example to achieve the 7% cut to the account covering Junior ROTC, the President could direct that the JROTC be cut by 85% in all the Red districts, while those in blue or none obstructist districts might even have their budgets increased.
Do you understand?
From what I've observed and discerned, the Republicans are living in a different America than the one I grew up in. Theirs seems to be a nation in which they are a cut above all others, and they are the only ones to know what's best for us!
Mine is a nation where a public good is a product of the social compact we've been living under for the past 235 years. Mine is a nation where elected officials work toward plausible compromise as the way to achieve policy for the benefit of our society's citizens. Mine is the United States of America.
The Republican nation seems to be one where certain citizens count more than others, laws should protect profit and not people, and government itself is the enemy!
I am working toward 2014 to unseat the anti-government incumbents and to deny election to anti-government challengers! It's time we elect candidates who want to solve problems, not create more! -Kevo
Agree.
The "rest of us" are not a Repub concern.
lmao.... they live in a different america all "right". different planet too. they are the holdovers of the missing links who were never dug up because THEY LIVE in the mindless morons of the GOP BODY.
All the sabotage and subterfuge being done by the GOP centers on one particular theme: "Obama doesn't know what he's doing and he's dangerous to the nation." Therefore, any time Obama's caught looking as if he has no idea what's going on, it is inherently A Good Thing.
Honestly, if Obama had said "Republicans will never drop a dirty bomb in the middle of Manhattan at Christmastime," you can be sure the Rockefeller Center tree would have been a small pile of radioactive ash before Boxing Day.
lol... funny and not funny. also scary. what is worse is that the pimped out repubes real objective is a masquerade. their real objective is to plunder america. they figure if they can get people to reject President Obama, they will inherit the power to run their privateering operation to steal everything. the attempts to mar President Obama IS A CON GAME.
I seem to remember the Republican line at the time saying that sequestration would not happen, because they did not want their favorite jobs program, formally known as defense spending, to be cut. Now of course, they want it to happen because Obama recognizes that indiscriminate cuts are not a good thing for this country. The Democrats need to replay the tapes from various Republicans saying that they were looking forward to the cuts to happen.
http://thegavel.democraticleader.house.gov/?p=5700
over and over and over....
"... even Republicans would be willing to compromise to avoid imposing another self-inflicted wound on the country."
Let's realize a few truths:
1) President Obama is the only reasonable adult in Washington.
2) The GOTP have NO plans for "cuts" and figure that if the President proposes the suggested "cuts" they will not be blamed.
3) The GOTP also realize that their policy positions are NOT supported by a majority of Americans, but since WE voted for President Obama - then WE need to suffer rather than their corporate masters.
4) This is about lie, lie, lie, than lie some more - after all the ignorant sheeple will believe them rather than understanding CIVICS 101.
"if the President proposes the suggested "cuts" they will not be blamed
GOOD ANALYSIS!
I really hope that President Obama does not fall into this trap. President Obama needs to lead but not quite like that. I would suggest to him that at this point what President Obama must do is KISS. ie... "John boehner, you have a job to do. to legislate. to draft and pass laws for america. john boehner - you take $274,000 a year from this country! do your damn job!"
UNPRESIDENT ROMNEY is gearing up for a coupe. thats what all embarrased egotistical sociopaths do. he wants his victory and has nothing else to do but to "save america from the tyranny of President Obama" and then he can finish his pirating escapades on businesses people and communities to please his wealthy pimps.
Time to write checks to fund Democrats running to unseat Tea Party sorts. Stop whining about gerrymanders and fund them.
Wait, wait, I'm confused...
People still pay attention to Mitt Romney?
Hee"s Baack. Now that Romney has returned to the spotlight he should be asked again to show us his tax returns. We need to find out if he is or has been contributing his fair share to bring down the deficit and debt. We, the dregs of society the 47% are still waiting.
The flawed assumption many (including President Obama) have made is that the Republican party of today actually wants what is in the interest of our country and/or its people.
Those controlling the Republican party actually wish to make this country so ungovernable that chaos will erupt which they can exploit much as the fascists are attempting to exploit the chaos in Greece.
These folks have only feigned allegiance to democratic principles. In reality, they believe that democracy only serves the interests of their opponents (Democrats) and are implementing a plan to end democracy in this nation as we have known it since its constitution.
They are in a race against time, and they know it. Woe be unto us should we misunderstand their real intentions.
How to make a Million dollars a year.
1) Have a thousand employees and skim a thousand dollars from each.
2) Have a thousand investors and skim a thousand dollars from each.
3) Shut down the government, lay everyone off, start your own personal country and then just write one million dollars on a blank piece of paper.
The president didn't believe the GOP would be so foolish. He should know better now. This is the GOP game plan for his 2nd term. We're going to be subjected to one manufactured crisis after another. And when he goes out to tell the American people the truth, the GOP will accuse him of constantly campaigning. They can call it whatever they like. I just hope he keeps doing it!
You know Mitt what's another thing that will not happen? You being elected President of the United States!
Well with a little more Gerrymandering and who knows !?