Greetings! Consti here in the secret underground bunker lounge where the staff and I have been sitting back and watching hilarity ensue! No I’m not talking about the latest comedy movie. I’m talking about the debt reduction talks currently going on in both the media and politics.
Now let me start by saying that the Republican Party doesn’t exactly deserve the mantle of fiscal puritans. Nor do they deserve the title of “fiscal watchdogs.” Since the rules were put in place in 1962 that the government had to produce a budget every year the debt limit has been raised 75 times. Under both Democrat and Republican administrations alike. They (the Republicans) are however finally seeing the errors of their ways and I am encouraged by what I am seeing.
They are learning from history.
A brief primer for those of you who do not remember. Tip O’Neil offered Ronald Regan $3 in spending cuts for every $1 in taxes that they wanted to raise. The “gipper” took the bait and raised taxes modestly. Spending cuts never materialized and Regan learned a lesson. Bush senior famously pronounced “Read my lips. No new taxes.” Only to fall for the same gimmick when it came to spending cuts. This caused him to lose to Bubba Gump. Under Bush Jr. the country accrued approximately $2 trillion in debt over 8 years. (That’s with two wars!) Under Obama’s 3 years in office he has added $4 trillion in debt. You do the math. Now Obama is trying the same sleight of hand and you can see the frustration cracking his cool demeanor because the Republicans won’t play and know the people are behind them.
So the lesson is? Don’t trust a budget cutter who wants taxes raised in return for cuts.
Now ask yourself is Obama a budget cutter?
The Republicans in the House have put forth a couple of different plans for addressing the budget mess that we are in. Their plan is modest, and addresses the debt in a mild way. (I’d prefer deeper cuts but that is beside the point.) What has Obama and the democrats proposed?
Raise taxes.
Now Obama is out there trying to present himself as “the adult in the room” in these budget talks. Yet what has he seriously offered in the way of spending cuts? Have you heard specifically what he would trim from the budget? Didn’t he at one point say “We are going to go through the budget line by line and eliminate wasteful or redundant spending.”? Yet the Democratic Party didn’t produce a budget last year when they controlled the House and the Senate. OVER 800 days since a budget has been proposed.
Instead the one is talking to the press and saying that he can’t guarantee that social security checks will go out after August 3rd. This despite the fact that the government takes in approximately $200 billion a month in revenue which would easily cover social security, Medicare, medicade. So what does “the one” resort to in this time of “serious adult conversations”? He scares grandma and try’s to position the discussion so that Republicans look “radical”
for wanting to push Grandma over the cliff.
“Don’t call my bluff!” the president is supposed to have said before storming out of the room like a petulant child. Well Mr. Obama I will call your bluff.
Obama is calculating this debt fight so that he can recreate the Government shutdown of 95 that painted the Republican Party as willing to torch the earth to get their way. Problem is the American public has seen this movie before. They are not buying the ticket this time. (Even in 3D!) Just today the President said that 80% of Americans want their taxes raised. Can you say “out of touch” tone deaf much?
Only 34% of the American public in a recent poll said they would like to see taxes raised. My father told me once when I was a child: “Son look at the people passing you on the street. One out of every four is an idiot.” Lest “the one” forget 47% of the public doesn’t pay taxes! The President is only worried about his re-election not a “serious dialog” about the debt. If any of you readers thinks the President is serious about reducing the debt let me just remind you of this fact. Obama has added MORE to the national debt than all other Presidents combined starting with Washington. That’s a cold, hard, undeniable fact. Period.
If anyone is out to “kill seniors” it’s this administration. Read any of the news articles covering this subject on the web. Then read the comments. You will see that a large percent of those commenting see the “transparent-n-chief” for what he really is. Only President Obama would be in a position to stop social security checks. And the Republicans are in a strong position to hang this whole debacle around his neck. If they hold strong that is. Obama’s biggest mistake? Telling the American public he would veto any stop gap measure that ensures we would not default on the debt.
I say the Republicans should call Obambi’s bluff. Pass a $0.5 Trillion increase to the debt (this year only!) coupled with $2 trillion in cuts and a balanced budget amendment. NO NEW TAXES! Then next year NO debt increase and another $2 trillion in cuts. Then let him veto it.
“But Consti the Republicans would lose their bid in 2012 if they did!” Poppycock! (Yes I did just say Poppycock.) The American public overwhelmingly doesn’t want to increase the debt and they don’t want taxes raised. Why? Because the American public knows that would kill the so called “recovery.” But if the Republican Party goes out with the message that in the interest of being responsible for America and its future interest this is needed. Then let the chips fall where they may during the election. Obama is desperate to keep the debt talk out of the re-election cycle. I say don’t give him what he wants. Make the debt part of the campaign and make him justify the largest increase in national debt ever! Remember Obama is currently polling 8 points BEHIND a generic Republican candidate.
While he tries to paint the Republicans as typical evil, greedy, baby eating monsters the American public sees him for what he is.
In over his head, unable to grasp the meaning of America, and completely, utterly devoid of a clue.
A child in a suit.
Consti.
