As the deadline approaches for congress to take action on the indiscriminate budget cuts they themselves voted for, the wailing on the part of conservative politicians and pundits is reaching ear-shattering decibel levels. While there are credible arguments on both sides of this issue that could be put forward, it seems the right-wing Tea-publican faction has chosen instead to offer only the most deranged excuses for their negligence and absolution.
The conservative blame game is frantically pointing fingers at the Obama administration for the sequestration ordeal. But what they, and their accomplices in the press, are deliberately obscuring is the fact that majorities of Republicans voted for the bill in both chambers of congress. And even more significant is the context under which the plan was agreed to. It was intended to be something so severe that neither side could stomach the notion of its implementation and would be motivated to draft an alternative – any alternative – to avoid it. So the authorship of the original idea is entirely irrelevant because it was not proposed as something that anyone would support. To say that it was the President’s idea as something he advocated is simply a lie. It was gimmick to get a bunch of lazy, gutless politicians to do their damn jobs. And it didn’t even work.
So now Republicans who voted for the gimmick are pitifully trying to run away from the monster they helped to create. In the process they are trampling all over themselves and their own messages.
First of all, the GOP is supposed to be the party of small government and identifies strongly with budget cutting and deficit reduction. So it goes against the grain when they now bitch about the cuts that will be made due to sequestration. Logic tells us that they cannot argue for budget cutting and against sequestration simultaneously, but that is exactly what they are doing. Only in a mind ravaged by disease could that occur.
Secondly, Republicans are scrambling to shift blame from themselves to the President. They want any negative repercussions of the sequester to fall solely on his back. But since they believe that deficit reduction through shrinking federal budgets is a good thing, then shouldn’t the benefits they have been insisting would transpire be credited to Obama?
Republicans have decided that it is no longer necessary for them to make any sense. They say they want profound budget cuts, but at the same time they say it would be disastrous and all the fault of Obama. They say that sequestration is good because it will reduce the deficit, but at the same time they say Obama should be excoriated for daring to propose it.
How they can maintain their balance while their heads are spinning so furiously is a mystery. But the saddest part is that media has been so negligent in reporting the most basic facts about this situation, what led up to it, and where the GOP is trying to take it now that they got what they insist they have wanted for decades. Yet somehow, when Republicans get what they want, and it has a bad outcome, they blame Obama for giving it to them. And they do so in the most repugnant manner.
Fox’s Andrew Napolitano has suggested that Obama could be impeached for implementing the budget cuts mandated by congress. Even worse, in an op-ed in today’s “Moonie” Washington Times (republished by Fox Nation), Charles Hurt makes numerous references to the President as a terrorist. He said that Obama “began shooting hostages,” when the Department of Homeland Security announced some of the measures they would be forced to take if sequestration is implemented. Then, with regard to potentially delayed Social Security payments, he said that last year, in a “drunken stupor” “Mr. Obama threatened to start shooting seniors.”
This is the hostile (and infantile) level to which the right has sunk in their battle to absolve themselves of any responsibility for the bill they overwhelmingly backed. Their obsession with tarring the President by blaming him for their own mistakes has resulted in an acute case of mental decay. And unfortunately, the media could administer a remedy by simply reporting truthfully what is going on, but they appear to be as sickened by Sequester Psychosis as the GOP regulars.
If the repubs are that concerned as they say they are about the deficit, then they should be vehemently against the sequester as the CBO has calculated it would increase the deficit. The fed chairman, Bernanke, agreed in recent testimony and said a balanced approach, as the President has advocated, is necessary to help maintain the fragile growth of the economy.
It should be evident to most intelligent observers that the repubs aren’t interested in governing or solving the problems of this country; they’re interested in gaining power and could care less about the effects their policies have on the citizenry.
We can only hope the citizens of this country are paying attention.
The republican party is NOT concerned about deficits, the debt or anything else – if they were, the large deficits run up during the Bush admin wouldn’t have happened (just look at the totally unfunded wars). When it’s time to cut anything, they are as much into big government programs as anyone – and they wonder why so many conservatives are moving away from them and the idiotic candidates they push.
On your second paragraph, it’s partially right, but I would argue it could easily apply to both parties – assuming bad government is a one party phenom is naive and close minded.
It “could” apply to both parties and it has at different times, but in this day and age (read that to be since 2000 and it could be argued substantively since 1980) it has not been both parties; it’s been the republicans whose policies have contributed to the stark downward slide regarding income equality. It has been the republicans policies which brought us the worst economic disaster since the great depression.
The reason? Arguments can be made for a whole host of credible reasons but the perception, and with good reason, is that rich people must be protected from contributing to the well being of their fellow citizens. They have been rewarded immensely since the ’80’s and most recently with the two Bush tax cuts which were aimed directly at them.
I just read the other comments and have to agree with RobJ in that the lack of backbone by the Dems was definitely one of those contributing factors.
The Sequester is just another Economic Hit Job on the Middle and Working Class. The Rich won’t be affected and that is who most of Washington DC and the entire Republican Party is concerned with protecting.
After the Sequester does its’ damage the Rich will swoop in a Vulture Capitalize on the remnants.
Exactly what damage do you expect from this “reduction” in spending that isn’t a reduction in spending? As I understand, it’s a reduction in the growth rate – typical politician double speak.
Sequestration cuts are desired by both parties. The Republicans overwhelmingly voted for them last year and now the hype machine points the finger at Obama. Democrats could be involved in this as well but that would require a backbone so I don’t see it as likely. They are complicit none the less.
Military spending will not be affected by sequestration. Our duly elected officials will ensure that, one way or another. What will be put on the chopping block are social programs since that is what they really want to decimate. We cannot continue our imperialist nation building campaigns without diverting all sources of income towards the military industrial complex and ensure the steady supply of corporate resources.
Sequestration is the doorway to American Autherity.
There are no cuts!!! It’s only a reduction in the rate of growth from the previous fiscal year – so we’ll still spend more this year than last – another giant NON-issue, we’ll see no negatives from it unless someone really tries to do some damage.