http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/senator-obamas-golf-weekend-tiger-cost-much-341-federal-workers-furloughed_704915.html#sthash.IqIqtHFH.dpuf

The silence from the Left is deafening...

Michale

Our government forced a 2% tax hike on EVERY employed American last month.. Obama and the Democrats forced every employed American family to adjust their family budget to account for a 2% cut..

And that SAME government CAN'T find a way to do it themselves!!???

If Obama and the Democrats can't find a way to live with the EXACT same budget cuts that they themselves forced upon Americans.....

Well, that tells me it's time to fire our government...

Michale

Amen to THAT!!!!

Michale

A respected and veteran journalist who is revered as a hero in the field..

And he goes up against Obama and is tar'ed and feathered...

And yet, there are STILL people who believe that the majority of the MSM is NOT in the bag for Obama..

Amazing...

Simply amazing...

Michale

I do indeed.. :D Yer the closest thing to me Wegantia has..

And that's NOT an insult, no matter WHAT they say!! :D

however, just because obama and duncan are fear-mongering about sequestration doesn't necessarily make it a good thing.

True....

But the CBO saying that only a little over 1% must be cut from the Budget makes it not NEARLY even CLOSE to as bad as Obama and the Democrats are making it sound..

And the GOP has offered to give Obama and the Democrats carte blanch in handling the issue..

They get a free ride..

And they are quaking in their boots...

Michale.

I guess, if it's from the Left, it's perfectly acceptable...

no, it's not acceptable at all. but then, you know what i think of arne duncan. however, just because obama and duncan are fear-mongering about sequestration doesn't necessarily make it a good thing.

What do you think about the GOP giving Obama carte blanche with regards to the Obama Sequester???

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/senate-gop-ponders-shifting-power-to-obama-88149.html?hp=l1

I think it's a grand idea..

Obama and the Democrats think they can do it??

Let them have at it...

Michale.....

More baseless fear mongering from Team Obama...

Didn't ya'all use to bitch and moan about Republican Fear Mongering??

I guess, if it's from the Left, it's perfectly acceptable...

:^D

Michale

In what military capacity has Buchanan ever served??

Near as I can tell, he was a draft dodger..

I rest my case... :D

Michale

I'll let that well-known liberal hippie tree-hugging peacenik Pat Buchanan (yes, that was a heaping dose of satire) answer you on the Iran subject:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/02/26/infantile_conservatism__117165.html

Heh.

-CW

CBO has just released figures that show all that is required for Obama's sequester is to cut ONE PERCENT of the federal budget..

Are you fraking KIDDING me!!!

Obama and the Democrats are all gloom and doom and Armageddon and "THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!" over one fraking percent!!!???

If Democrats can't find ONE FRAKING PERCENT of their spending to cut...

They don't DESERVE to be in power!

Michale

I bet The Professional Left is re-thinking their love of Bob Woodward...

Ideological loyalty trumps principles every day of the week and twice on Sunday... :D

Michale

Now THAT's what I am talking about!!!

Let's see how Obama does when he has carte blanche...

Give him enough rope to tie himself in knots...

Michale

As I wrote what I wrote, I was thinking the EXACT same thing, I shit you not!! :D

Good point.... :D

Michale

I would say the same in matters of finance/economics/commodities or anything to do with numbers to you but then we'd lose half the entertaining posts you make around here and it wouldn't be any fun...

The Obama Doctrine (as adopted from Bush) is that pre-emptive self-defense or pre-emptive defense of others is a legitimate reason for directed offensive action..

Like I said, best if you left military matters to those that have the experience to speak intelligently of them..

Just a suggestion. :D

Michale

It was also only a symbolic vote because the Dems who DID give the bill an AYE were on their way out and it didn't matter if they kissed Obama's ass or not..

If it had been a vote BEFORE The Great Democrat Shellacking Of 2010, you can bet that it would have been ZERO votes in favor..

One only has to see how other Obama ideas have fared to know this is true...

Budgets, immigration the list goes on and on...

Obama simply doesn't know how to lead.. Period..

Michale

Well, Obama should make it easier on everyone and just hand deliver some nukes to Iran..

Because THAT is exactly what we're going to have with a Hagel SecDef..

Unless Israel flips Obama a well-deserved bird and takes action themselves, Iran will be a nuclear power by years end.

A nuclear armed Iran and a nuke race in the Middle East..

"Yer doing a heckuva job, Obama".... :^/

Whatta a run-up to the 2014 mid-terms.. I hope Israel still exists then. :^(

Michale

An outlier.. And, since we're talking about budgets, not quite relevant..

How has Obama's budgets faired in the light of day?

Not so good..

Michale....

According to a very wise Weigantian, the sequester IS the compromise.. :D

So, everyone is happy, right??

Dems got their taxes and the GOP will get their cuts..

"We dance, we kiss, we smooze, we go home happy. Whadoya say?"
-James Woods, HERCULES

:D

Michale

It's gotta be hard for our POTUS when his own Party recognizes the incompetence....

while that may well be true, a more likely reason is that boehner would never allow such a vote to take place, and all taxing and spending bills have to originate in the house. if by some twist of fate it actually happened, any real vote on a real budget from the white house would be supported by all but a few dems.

i'm not judging whether that would be a good thing or a bad thing, but no one would suggest otherwise unless they were ill-informed or disingenuous. obama's 2011 jobs bill got a 51-48 procedural vote in the senate, not enough to overcome the everlasting filibuster, but still a majority, and that was right after the 2010 election where the dems were shellacked.

The Democratic Party Seal

http://joatmoaf.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/the_new_democratic_party_symbol.jpg

:D

Joshua,

to my knowledge, it's never come up for a vote one way or the other.

Apparently, there is a reason for that.. :D

I don't think Obama wants to be embarrassed again by the lack of support...

It's gotta be hard for our POTUS when his own Party recognizes the incompetence....

Michale

The ONLY couple times that Obama released a plan, he couldn't get ANYONE to vote for it!! Not even from his OWN party!!!

you're probably thinking of the bill cb cited, but as michty pointed out back then, that bill was a political stunt by jeff sessions of alabama - not in any way shape or form an actual obama policy.

the actual white house budget is here:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Overview

to my knowledge, it's never come up for a vote one way or the other.

Cite??

I don't see it anywhere..

If true, Iran will have nuclear weapons by years end..

As David would say, "Yay!!" :^/

A nuclear arms race in the Middle East..

WHAT could possibly go wrong!??

Michale

Yea, that's what I get for relying of HuffPo!!

Never again!!!! :D

Michale

Not at all.. I was not making ANY comparison whatsoever..

I was simply referring to the historical reference that, had the US not engaged in "video games" (as ignorant people would call them) then it's likely that Nazi Germany would have overrun Europe. And the UK would be the pride of the Nazi Empire..

If there is a fault in my logic or reasoning, then.....

"I am all ears."
-Ross Perot, 1992 Presidential Debates

:D

most of the "unwanted" houseguests are cooking and cleaning and weeding and shopping and doing all manner of things to keep our family in comfort, in spite of how poorly we tend to treat them. perhaps you're right and we don't need all that, but we sure are accustomed to it.

And we don't...

if he were the "adult" in the room, he'd follow CW's advice and send the misbehaving children to "time-out."

Agreed.. However, the problem is he would only send the children he DIDN'T like to TimeOut...

The ones he DID like would be re-warded for their actions..

There is empirical evidence to support such a conclusion...

CW,

I don't notice Boehner saying "Me first!" -- so is he a bad leader?

DO I really have to sell THAT opinion??? :D

I think I have agreed with that consensus on MANY occasions, along with the rest of the Republican bums...

The GOP are truly the children in this debate, because they refuse to say what they want to cut.

And the Democrats are truly the children in this debate because they stick their fingers in their ears, stick out their tongues and go, "Nyaaa Taxes Nyaaa Taxes Nyaaa Taxes Nyaaa Taxes"...

Which is even made MORE ironic by the *fact* that Democrats GOT their Taxes a month or so ago..

And it's ALL GONE!!

So, now Democrats want MORE taxes, but the country is still waiting for the cuts that Democrats promised from the PREVIOUS round of taxes..

And you are saying it's the REPUBLICANS that are acting like spoiled brats!!???

An adult way to do it would be to come out with a plan and lay it on the table next to the Obama plan, and duke it out.

WHAT "Obama" plan??

The ONLY couple times that Obama released a plan, he couldn't get ANYONE to vote for it!! Not even from his OWN party!!!

As long as Democrats are not willing to specify the CUTS they owe from the LAST round of taxes, they have absolutely NO MORAL AUTHORITY to lay the blame on Republicans..

This entire sequester is Obama's idea...

He can own it.. And ALL the fallout it entails...

Let's see if he is man enough to stand up and be responsible...

A million quatloos says he doesn't have the balls..

Speaking of a million..

What's your take on the Administration selling access to Obama for a half million dollars???

:D

OK, that was a cheap shot.. But it's just so damn easy!!!

On another note, I have the 2002 vrsn of LATHE OF HEAVEN if yer interested.. :D

Michale

Almost forgot... looks like you blew it on the Hagel nomination call, eh? Whichever news outlet you heard "Hagel is toast" lied to you, pal. Maybe you should consider not listening to them in the future.

Heh.

-CW

Yeah, maybe I was too generous. Heh.

nypoet22 -

I think Congress' budget is adminstered by them, so Obama wouldn't be able to do this. It would be fun to watch, though!

Michale -

I don't notice Boehner saying "Me first!" -- so is he a bad leader?

The GOP are truly the children in this debate, because they refuse to say what they want to cut.

"But..." I hear you say, "the House passed the Ryan budget twice!" Ah, but that doesn't count because Ryan refused to specify what he was going to cut. He said "the committees will figure that part out later," because he didn't want to come right out and say what he wanted to cut. His budget had big holes in it which said "we'll cut a bunch of money here" with no details at all.

Mitt Romney ran an ENTIRE CAMPAIGN on the idea "just trust me, I'll cut a bunch of stuff later, but I'm not going to tell you what." He and his running mate Ryan REFUSED to say what they'd cut. For the whole campaign.

Since the new Congress was seated, Boehner and the House have done exactly nothing on the budget. Nothing. Oh, they punted the debt ceiling down the road, but that doesn't really count. Obama has a budget cutting plan out -- the Senate is working on it right now. What do the House Republicans have? Nada. Where is their budget-cutting plan? Nowhere. The Ryan budget passed in the last Congress, so it is now legislatively dead. But they've done precisely nothing.

Here is how the situation stands:

GOP: "Cut! Cut! Cut!"
Dems: "OK, what do you want to cut?"
GOP: "I'm not going to tell you. You have to bring cuts to me, and I'll tell you whether I like them or not."
Dems: "Seriously? Your biggest issue is cuts, but you refuse to say where we should cut?"
GOP: "That's right. It's our issue, we're pushing it hard, and we want Obama to come up with the Republican budget-cutting plan, because we're too chicken to admit to the public what we really want to do."
Dems: "?!?"

Republicans have been screaming for cuts for years now. Also for years, they have refused to say what they want cut. That is, in a word, childish. An adult way to do it would be to come out with a plan and lay it on the table next to the Obama plan, and duke it out. Republicans are too scared to do this. Period. Until they do, I refuse to take them seriously.

-CW

The family does indeed live in a dangerous neighbourhood and need to spend some of their income on their protection - of that no-one is in denial.

All down the street similar families realised this and their solution was to put a gate around their house and maintain this - a reasonable expense for a result that works well. Their families are fine.

However 'Family USA' decides this isn't enough and constructs a massive lazer-beamed satellite controlled metal wall. It is patrolled 24/7 by armed, well trained guard. They have surveillance equipment everywhere.

Then they decide to go and attack other families and houses because 'they gave them a funny look'. Also the people selling them the lazer beam controls constantly fill their minds with propaganda to make them spend more money and invade other families.

It turns out that they spend almost half their income on this, unlike the other families who spend much smaller amounts of their and are doing fine.

It turns out this spending has got them deep into dept. When someone suggests toning it down they scream 'how dare you!'. We'd be better off to not eat or let sick people in our family die and use the savings from this rather than cut back our crazy family defence expenditure...

Just now there is no-one on the offence against America. It would literally be impossible since America's military is 10 times bigger than everyone elses.

But naaaaaaaaaa spend MORE on it.

michale, meet godwin. if we're going to go in that direction then the discussion is over.

most of the "unwanted" houseguests are cooking and cleaning and weeding and shopping and doing all manner of things to keep our family in comfort, in spite of how poorly we tend to treat them. perhaps you're right and we don't need all that, but we sure are accustomed to it.

as to your earlier question, i would not agree that obama sequestering himself would be good leadership. it would be read as attempted martyrdom, which plays even more to some of the stereotypes of him as self-appointed deity. if he were the "adult" in the room, he'd follow CW's advice and send the misbehaving children to "time-out."

How different would your life be today if our "family", back in 1941, decided to "quit playing video games"???

You would likely be speaking German.. Assuming you survived what the Nazis do to conquered regimes...

So, maybe a little more respect is in order for the "video game playing", eh??

I'm just sayin'....

Michale

Because of your innate inexperience with anything military or self-defense, you view the family's activities as "playing video games"...

The reality, however, is that the family lives in a very dangerous neighborhood.

So dangerous that constant training is required and every now and then the family must go out into their neighborhood and help OTHER neighbors who have problems..

In essence, the family is the Neighborhood Watch for that area of the city and, as such, extra expense is required...

So, all things considered, I think it's best to KEEP the training and the assistance and GET RID of the house guests from hell who are a drain on limited resources and contribute nothing to the welfare of the family..

The family can get their own drinks and wash their own clothes.. They don't need servants like the White House family does...

Wouldn't you agree?? :D

Michale....

Actually, an even BETTER context would be this:

A family has a budget of $380 a week. The have an enforced "sequester" that requires them to cut $8.50 from their weekly budget.

Are you telling me that our government can't find $8.50 to cut!!????

Hell, do without cigarettes!! That right there would save a bunch!!

Get rid of the "guests from hell" that stay and stay and stay and never contributes and never leaves...

Maybe have the missus cut back on her wardrobe and her facials and her binge shopping and socializing...

There are TONS of ways that our "family" can save some money..

All it takes is the will to do the right thing..

Yea, asking out politicians to do that!????

What was I thinking!!???

Michale

Well, at least Obama will still get paid..

Whew!!!

I was worried about that for a moment there...
:^/

Michale

That's what *adults* do... Pick up after their kids...

The alternative is for the "adult" to leave the toys lying around so that someone comes in, trips over them and kills/injuries themselves..

All I am saying is that, if Obama *IS* the leader he would like us to THINK he is, he should be the adult...

Lead by example...

Again.. Wouldn't you agree???

Michale

I would say it's a DAMN GOOD start..

A GOOD leader leads by example..

Obama's leadership is more of a "Do As I Say, Not As I Do" type leadership..

It will take more than that for Obama to be a good leader..

But, as I said, it's a wonderful place to start...

Wouldn't you agree??

Michale...

Sequester White House domestic staff and White House travel...

there are two problems with that. one, this is a problem that was directly caused by the legislative branch - both parties mind you, but still, that's like you spilling out the toybox and making it my responsibility to pick them all up. two, since congress are the only ones who are legally allowed to clean this mess up, obama sequestering himself won't accomplish anything. if he did, i seriously doubt anybody would care. i mean seriously, let's say obama sequesters himself, would you seriously start to suddenly think he was a *GOOD* leader?

A *GOOD* leader would say "ME first!!!"

Which is why the "good leader" and "Obama" are mutually exclusive terms and should never be part of the same sentence structure..

Like "Military Intelligence" or "An Ethical Lawyer" :D

Michale

As you are wont to do.... :D

Would that such fairness rub off on the denizens of Weigantia... :D

Joshua,

why stop there? sequester the janitors, maintenance crews and security at the capitol building. sequester the kitchens. hell, sequester the gas, water and electricity so congresscritters must bear the full brunt of their sequester personally.

Actually a GOP CongressCritter suggested something along those same lines.

Sequester White House domestic staff and White House travel..

Maybe Mrs (does she prefer Ms?? Who cares..) Obama can drop some of her beauty staff and the other crap like putting in an appearance at the Oscars.. Word is there were loud groans of disappointment at the Oscars when she showed up.. :D

I think the American public is getting sick and tired of seeing the Obama's everywhere they turn.

in all seriousness, i don't think the public has any illusions about the sequester being potentially harmful.

Actually, it's really not that bad..

This country has a 3.8 trillion dollar budget.. The sequester will require to trim 85 billion off that budget...

To put it in a more understandable context, it's like a family that has a $100 a week budget. If they were to have to "sequester" along the lines of what this country must sequester, it would mean they would have to cut $2.35 from their budget..

Now, how RIDICULOUS is it that Obama and the Democrats can't find $2.35 to cut!!??

Hell, get rid of all the White House servants and perks and THAT will likely meet ALL of the cuts required by the sequester...

As usual, Obama and the Democrats are using fear-mongering to push their agenda...

I say, call their bluff...

Michale.....