I'll try to explain it slow.

The only reason tours were cut is that sequestration mandated that the White House cut a certain amount out of it's budget.

Rather than cut back on things like golfing with Tiger Woods (that alone would have paid for over a year of tours), vacations, jetting around making speeches, or just make some of the stupidly overpaid White House staff take a pay cut, Obama chose to cut public tours.

It's a pathetic political ploy to try and make the common people feel the 'pain' of cutting less than 2% of the government's budget - and it is backfiring horribly on him.

Informationalization, it would be 'slowly' that you were looking for.

The real reason that FOX News is OBSESSED with the tours is because overplaying the rather pedestrian subject masks the actual hardship that sequestration is slowly unleashing. This is not a small cut in government spending, this is a steep cut in portions of the budget that have already taken far too many beatings and few to many boosts. Once people start talking about the sequester problems, the GOP won't be so rosy.

For the Maddow Blog writers you'll probably have to explain it even slower, and probably not use so many big words.

Informationalized nailed it. Obama gets to choose. If tours to The White House are cancelled, it is because Obama chooses to cancel them, rather than cancel funding for robotic squirrels, a study on pig feces in China, or motorcades for Bo the dog. The President is kicking and stomping his feet like a spoiled child. He has already been caught lying about it too. He is putting politics and getting his own way ahead of his responsibility to do what is right for We The People. He is a disgrace, as a Leader and as a Man.

Clearly, he is not a leader.

Informationalization is DEFOMEDRATIONALIZATION. s-l-o-w-l-y so that the facts can filter in, white house tours are a matter of security expenses which the pimped outs cut with their axes. the pimped out repubes are, rabid crazed neanderthal club-wielding axe murders who simply want to withhold cash circulation to the public life support so that they can channel money into the pockets of their pimps.

repuber pimped outs depend on 4 types of persons to vote them into office;

• uninformed overdependent lazy persons who eat whatever they are fed,

• racists

• masochists who need an excuse for failing by allow the thieving sadistic repubes to steal from them.
• greedy selfish types eager to enlist with them to steal from others

your turn to refute this, DEFORMITY.

Joseph, your Race Card is declined. Clearly, you have nothing else.

Just so we're clear, your theory is that republicans cut WH tours because they are racists?

Dude, your unbelievable level of ignorance would be funny if it wasn't so incredibly sad.

This is for Joe and those like him... it's a clip from "The Morning Joe", so it shouldn't hurt your head too much, except maybe the part where they all laugh hysterically at Obama. Other media outlets have been.... less kind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VuqXEaAU7IE

So you've only got a problem with one of joseph common's bullet points?

No, Miracle, it's just that there isn't enough time in eternity to respond to all the rest of common's silliness.

Les

Did you know there is a model of the White House at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi CA? I guess those people would maybe want to see the real thing.

In the Noonan post, Les Guvamint (aka billhillie45), thinks Peggy Noonan, Reagan's primary speechwriter, compares disfavorably with Sarah Palin, calling her a moderate. 'Nuff said?

The Regan model is the Pre-stained version.

In addition, since they're in the midst of playing out a ploy of "the sequester wasn't an immediate disaster like the president said (even though he didn't)", they're desperate to portray any noticeable effects as Obama deliberately grandstanding and making "closing the Washington Monument" cuts. They're always telling their audience that there's so much waste that government could be cut without hurting anything important, or that 40% of government spending goes to foreign aid. If they were to admit that cuts in government mean something has to be cut, stuff that people actually like, they'd have to admit they've been lying all this time.

Ummmm the idea for the sequestration came from Obama's Chief of Staff at the time and now Treasury Secretary Jack Lew. It was Obama's idea and it was his signature that put it into law and he will own this.

Um, still fixated on that laughable talking point? Jack Lew was trying to figure out a creative way to pay the ridiculous ransom the GOP was demanding for raising the debt limit (ie, authorizing Treasury to pay already incurred bills), which, until that point, had been a routine act not requiring a ransom of any size or type. So, yeah, sequester was seen as a better alternative than default and crashing our economy. You got us there, Hankie.

By your logic, it is the parents paying to ransom a kidnapped child who are to blame for the resulting decrease in family wealth such that they can no longer send the saved child to college. Rational people would probably blame the kidnappers. And, so will the voters -- which party is known for its regularly-expressed desire to "cut government"? With government being cut, which party is more likely to be blamed? Answer is pretty obvious.

and it is sooooooo embarrassing to reveal the real nature of their thoughtless lying ways....

Hopefully, Obama will offer up "Sequester II" soon. And the congress will accept it, and we can see another 2% cut. Eventually, we will get to a sustainable spending level in this manner.

It also explains just how small the world view is for most Repubs. There staff are complaining that constituents are upset about not getting a tour.

Maybe we should start calling their staffs and reminding them about the nuclear waste not getting cleaned up, the babies going without their formula and the border having fewer hands on deck to stop the bad guys from coming in with all sorts of contraband.

yep! the in-your-face look and feel that sticks and serves as an ongoing reminder to the public. its like a BILLBOARD!

this particular circumstance is a WORLD-CAN-SEE and IN-YOUR-FACE piss mark of the repubers way of behaving and it shames them show... damage to their image and all, illuminates their sense of ENTITLEMENT and embarrasses them to the point that they make the counterclaim that it's not an entitlement for them since they are willing to foot the bill. yet it is a government service which, if they paid for, could be privatized... as in "this tour is brought to you by....". arrogance near it's worst.

I've said it more than once, mrs. hoity toity Ann wanted the White House more than her husband did.

Were the Romney's referenced in this article because I didn't see where they were... did they comment about the White House tours?

Mitt Romney worked for "all his dreams desired". I suggest you try working for all your dreams desired.

no. for the repubes, taxes are supposed to be what is provide by us to the govt to be forwarded on to them to be placed in their pockets. i would like to see a sign that says "the closure of this tour is brought to you by john boehner and mitch mcconnell and the repuber party."

When 47% do not pay federal income the democrats could care less about their pockets being robbed by the government.

Huh?

The government will not take in less money. Tax revenues have increased and will continue to do so. The sequestration cuts are cuts in the rate of spending, not the actual amount spent.

Now justwant2bfree, don't confuse common and the rest of these MSNBC type folks with anything too complicated. Don't want them to feel inadequate.

The GOP's priorities are to reign in government spending and to stop "kicking the can down the road" so that our children and grandchildren will not be saddled with monstrous government debt.

Sean Hannity will make good on his offer like he made good on his offer to be waterboarded.

According to Politico, White House tours cost the Secret Service on average $74,000 a week.

So yes, more than a lot of people make in a year.

If the president could travel less on Air Force 1 at $180,000 and hour the president could fund the white house tours for 2.43 weeks for each hour he campaigns using it.

I didn't realize that discussing issues and topics with his constituents, the people that elected him, in numerous states, is considered "campaigning"?

Does this mean that all Congressmen, who get a government reimbursed flight, are constantly "campaigning" when they leave Washington, to go back to their districts "so they can converse with their constituents" too?

Also...you know what the magic of sequestration is? Every account gets hit for the same amount. So...even IF it were possible, since Secret Service security budgetary items are different than Air Force 1 transportation budgetary items, one cannot just shift money from one account to the other. To do so, would be to literally violate thousands of federal laws and would be to literally "cook the books." GOOD IDEA. *thumbs down*

roflol!!! yes! it must be that OB is cutting out tours to sequester the white house to move in his own loyalists. they will be mounting the gun turrets and setting up headquarters for the new dictatorship! thats not a gardener mowing the lawn, thats a watchman riding a converted rocket firing vehicle with camoflage weapons systems! watch for the moving vans in the middle of the night.

Exactly!

If the 47% who pay no income taxes would, we might have more money.

All the Fox talking heads and all their multimillionaire sponsers have to do to restore White House tours is to agree to having some of their tax loop holes closed so that the government can get enough revenue to cover such perks as White House and Capitol tours.

If they are willing to fund the tours, why not just pay their fair share of taxes.

Really54: the 47% do not have enough money to pay taxes. It would cost the government more to process their tax returns than they would get. You cannot get blood out of a turnip. The folks at Fox news and their sponsers can drop a few $100,000.00 and not feel it. How much did Sheldon Addelson and the Koch brothers spend trying to get crazy right wing candidates elected? Maybe they should just pay taxes instead.

Why not Warren Buffet, The Kennedy's, John Edward's, Al Gore, The Clinton's or the Kennedy's kick in some extra money for the tours. Oh that's right, they only like it when they use other people's money.

Because the Democrats asking for a higher tax rate with less tax loopholes would not raise the amount of money that these people would pay into the system? Last I checked, these are the type of people who were talking about taking away deductions that only THESE TYPE OF PEOPLE COULD USE. So they are talking about "raising taxes" (we aren't raising any taxes, we are limiting tax spending by closng loopholes) on themselves.

But, way to totally deflect from anything. Also...how many times are you gonna say "The Kennedys" in one 40 word post? Got nobody else? Oh...and NONE OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE EVEN IN POLITICS ANYMORE AND ARE NOT ADVOCATING ANY POLICIES, PARTICULARLY TAX POLICIES. With the exception of MAYBE Bill Clinton. Good job on having a completely empty talking point.

Ah. I love shredding moron in the morning.

Guss - you should put your statment on a billboard - better yet, send a copy to each republican congressman - even better, read it on youtube - it would be an overnight sensation!!!!

Dear Mr. President;

Do what you were elected to do, lead not blame.

Dear Congressman/Senator: Do what you were elected to do, lead not blame.

Guss Dolan,

Yes, you do own your neighborhood schools and local bridges. I suggest you and your neighbors take care of yours, and I'll do the same with my neighbors. The federal government adds no value when it comes to things like this. We can take care of it ourselves, and if we do it ourselves, we'll be more careful with our money, we'll tailor the solution to our needs, and we'll rise or fall on the success of our efforts, so we'll have better incentives. If we let the federal government get involved: we'll have more Bridges to Nowhere as people waste OPM (other peoples' money), there will be fewer checks and balances from competition to keep us in line, and things will be more expensive because we'll have to cover the cost of the fed gov.

As for nationalizling banks, insurance companies, and Big Pharma, OK, but where's your evidence that socialism works? I thought we tried it in the 20th century and it was a huge bust whether it was pure socialiism like the USSR or nationalization a la the UK. It has a bad track record. Not sure whey we want to follow it here.

In fact, Big Pharma is a victim of its own success. If it weren't doing such an amazing job developing new drugs, no one would care about getting access to its products.

Mike Connors (aka dufus) you want evidence that circulation of cash for goods and services for the life support for all people who are alive and ENTITLED to live and that hording constitutes the deprivation of life as it says in the Bible and also in everyday science? or do you want the pimped out repuber fox version of delusionalism?

capitalism works for business. SOCIALISM WORKS FOR PEOPLE.

nationalizing life support (not luxury) is a good thing. you are free to offer competing enhanced services but you are dont free to kill or attempt to kill or cause to kill the lives of people. and if you attempt to do so, i will defeet you.

Guss- you need to elect school board members and other local officials who have guts enough to raise property taxes and/or local sales taxes to fix those things in your area. I find it amazing an area like yours would not demand more from your local officials. My community, with little resources, has decided to add an additional percentage point to the local sales tax and that revenue supports a local bond event- our schools are being rebuilt- including geo-thermal heating and cooling. I voted for that tax.

Dude. These are the crew who started began a war after enacting tax cuts for the first time, ever as far as I can tell. Then they started another, optional, war. And cut taxes further, claiming deficits don't matter.

Which crew would that be? Would that be Obama's first Secy of State who voted for both wars? Maybe his second Secy of State who also voted for both wars? Or maybe his VP who also voted for both wars. How about the last two Dem Chairmen of the Foreign Relations Comm who also voted for both wars, or the Dem Majority Leader of the Senate who also voted for both wars.

Say what you want about the wisdom of the wars in Afghanistan (supported almost unanimously by both parties) or Iraq (supported by 58% of the Senate Dems), but understand that under our Const, the president can't go to war alone. It's a cop-out to suggest otherwise.

"They" don't just "dispense these perks to donors and other VIPs", regular old constituents can request a WH visit from their Senators or Rep (usually a few months ahead of time). You must submit to an FBI background check, and you can't bring anything into the WH except keys and cell phone (no bags, purses, cameras). And you must go through a metal detector. And you are escorted by a Secret Service agent with a loaded gun who gives the tour (our agent was quite entertaining). You may not touch anything, sit on the furniture or take photos with your phone's camera, and your phone must be turned off/no calls. There are no restrooms one can use. There is much information dispensed by the guide. But your point about people being upset (with their congress critters) about the tours being cancelled stands.

$120,000 a year to groom the White House dog, paid for by ....us

Or the White Houses: "Chief Calligrapher," Patricia A. Blair, who has an annual salary of $96,725, and her two deputies, Debra S. Brown, who gets paid $85,953 per year, and Richard T. Muffler, who gets paid $94,372 every year.

We know it won't be Joe Biden and his wife gave an average of $369 a year to charity during the past decade, his tax records show.

Or Al Gore who came under fire when his 1997 tax return showed only $353 in donations to charity.