John Liming looks at the sequester and where the blame lies.
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Some of the Right Wingers are losing no time in making sure America will blame any sequester and it’s consequences onto President Obama – and what else could any reasonable person who has watched the Right at work before expect them to do?
We do understand, I think, that if the sequester is allowed to kick in, much of the progress we have achieved in our economic growth and recovery will be undone and there is every possibility that we will slide back into a worse recession than the one we are just now working our way out of.
But the way I see it is that there are too many Republicans who simply do not care what happens to the economy. I think they are frothing-at-the-mouth angry because they couldn’t force their will onto America and grab the vast social security trust fund and other riches waiting to be grabbed and converted into privatized money makers for millionaires and billionaires.
Before any Right Wingers start pointing fingers about sequesters, they ought to recall that Congress passed the damned idea long before the president put his signature to it. It may have been the president’s idea originally (But I have nothing to use to back that up) as some Republicans are now whining, but I am wondering how anything this president ever thought might be a good idea got past the “We’re gonna make sure this president is a one term president” crowd?
They have obstructed on everything else – why didn’t they obstruct on the sequester?
Must have thought it was a helluva good idea or something – maybe they saw a future opportunity in the potential for exploiting it – I really cannot believe they were following the president’s “Leadership” on the issue.
We know that a so-called “Super Committee” was formed to address measures that would avoid sequester but Republicans reportedly could not bring themselves to close some tax loopholes for the rich or allow for any increased revenues that might cost as few dollars in taxes, so the Super Committee was a failure – Right Wing obstructionism plain and simple as I see it. ( The old, “Our way or the highway thing”?)
If a sequester happens I think it can rightly be called a “Gift from the right wing” because it was their well-documented refusal to work on compromise in the super committee that caused that thing to go down in flames and open the door to the fiscal tragedy which is scheduled to start on March 1st, 2013.
John Liming publishes the American Liberal Times.
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See Steve Benen’s point-by-point take-down of John Boehner’s totally dishonest op-ed in the WSJ. Boehner desperately tried to make the case that the sequester is all Obama’s fault and that Republicans are squeaky clean and bargained in good faith. Boehner’s op-ed is an unbelievable rewriting of history.
These people have no shame.
I think Congress will squeeze out another temporary fix, which seems to be their only fix nowadays since they cannot make the big decisions, only adults can do that and Republicans are not adults.
If it does happen, the nation will survive I think. Both sides will get hurt; cuts to military spending and cuts to all kinds of other things, but we’d get through it, maybe better than most people think. Still, Congress will probably avert with another kick of the can.
Thanks, John Liming for another of your excellent commentaries.
Mario, your words in a recent article stayed impressed in mind when you said -
“For the most part, these people honestly believe the garbage they spew.”
That is the saddest part of this whole political picture. When Americans of any stripe, no longer accept the FACTS, search for and face the REALITY of the TRUTH, they no longer have as their goal the betterment of a Nation.
Their “goal”, knowingly or unknowingly, becomes a forced promotion on the American people, of one certain ideology (mostly proven wrong by decades of history) and what comes along with that promotion is, rising hate, fear-mongering and the division of what was once the “UNITED” States and it’s people.
Even if these people are given what they want, even if their ideas are adopted , they will never be satisfied and if, because those ideas cause, (as expected), the further ruination of our Country, they will simply blame the opposition and never take responsibility but instead double-down on their mistaken path to self-destruction.
That is a scary situation. I’m consoled, for the moment, that the majority of Americans did re-elect this President and for the most part voted for Democrats in rejection of the Republican “message” – but like our economy, that is a fragile and precarious position that can change at any time by any given event.
I believe that Congressmen should have 4 year terms just like the president and run for second term just like the president. They are up there sitting almighty and untouchable. This has to end in America, An amendment to the constitution on this issue is of utmost importance for the President to address. I hope someone reads this and starts campaigning for this. Another issue is that they should not have all these CEO benefits that the rest of the population are entitled. Why? This should be one of our first issues in the near future. Maybe they will respect the president more and the citizens if their terms are limited. I as many others are very sick as to the power of a defunct congress. I also believe that no one should have the majority or minority. I believe each party should have equal members in congress. This way there would be fairness in voting on issues. Yes Americans should vote for congress but with lets say 20 seats for republicans and 20 seats for democrats and /or independents.
This will enable an equal say and the country will move forward,
I am not an excellent interpreter of politics but even with my frailties, I have realised that more and more the Republicans are in a kind of rage because Obama outsmarted them election wise and on the fiscal cliff and they failed to make him a one term President. When one is in a rage,one does not think straight and add prejudice on top of that and you have a Tea Party ( mostly rednecks states ) on a mission of obstructionism that has but one purpose and that is to destroy Obama regardless of the countries welfare. Never will a Black American bring the USA out of recession and show the way to prosperity.According to them,Biden should be the champion and he should be credited again if there is a change of heart.
After the last election,The American people are smarter than we think and once the Republican states realise that misfortune will come to them also,they will get even in 2014. The Republican establishment is the twin of the NRA where management does not represent its membership. If the membership wants to have this calamity to prove a point,then they will experience how pointless it was when the speculators start attacking after March 1,2013.
“Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one” Benjamin Franklin
When you consider that the GOPs only purpose is to crash the economy so badly that Medicare, Medicaid and SS HAVE to be cut, doing NOTHING about the sequester is right up their alley.
The thing I’ve never understood about this sequester thing is how did the Republicans get maneuvered into accepting a deal that included defense cuts? Because they never thought it would get that far?
I’ve had a sinking feeling that the Republicans chose to “agree” with sequester knowing that they could scheme and maneuver in some way to blame the President….”HE DID IT!” they squeal. The more the President speaks with urgency at public events, the more they like it…he looks vulnerable and they think they have him backed into a corner. It’s all a pathetic game of egos to them…like on an adolescent “playground”.
I can’t imagine why, knowing the conniving ways of the Right, he ever agreed. I wish he’d wised up sooner to the depth of their brinksmanship…screw the economy, screw America, screw the black guy…”WE WIN!”
Even if the country “blames” Republicans initially, some blame will fall on the Oval Office for even suggesting the draconian cuts, using a meat cleaver, that ALL of them signed off on…and the second term agenda will be in jeopardy. So, let’s hope they take it right up to the deadline and cave…and that as the country responds in anger and frustration in the coming months as these cuts unfold across the economy, the majority opinion is still outrage against the Republicans…they certainly have the track record to support it.
Referencing: “Even if the country “blames” Republicans initially, some blame will fall on the Oval Office for even suggesting the draconian cuts, – - -
The “draconian” cuts were not originated by the white house but were a point in a power point presentation presented by speaker Boehner to his committee in 2011.
The lie that the sequester is Obama’s fault is a blame shifter.
Carol,
The idea that Republicans hope to blame the president, isn’t working. Most people think the Republicans are more responsible, not Obama.
I think President Obama has been the best thing to happen to the GOP in a long time. His presidency and his ability to be successful, even without their help, really does anger and rage them, as alwaysoccupy said. Perhaps after losing a few more elections, it might be ready to actually transform itself into a party of the People again.
As far as Tea Party, they’ve always been around, they’ve just been in hiding. I’ve known those kind of people all my life but decent society does not give those kind of people voice in the public square, at least not until the beginning of the Tea Party. These are basically not bright people, very ignorant in fact.
The Koch brothers and guys like them have just used the Tea Party to get what they want, which is more money in their pockets. The problem with using those kinds of people as a vehicle for their own agenda, is that eventually, the rest of the voting public figures out what these people are really about and the bigotry that motivates them.
John…wherever it “originated”, they ALL signed off on it. America won’t care exactly who dreamed up this mess.
Remember, I am a supporter, still involved with OFA, even if I disagree with some of the policy suggestions because they aren’t BOLD enough…and yet, as I said, I wish he’d wised up to the depth of their brinksmanship earlier than he did…all his efforts to encourage a responsible, adult conversation were for little because of the Tea Party. This is what we get when they encourage their lunatic fringe with all their BIG $.
I don’t know, fidlerten…I kind of hope for a long stretch of progressive policy before the Repugs regain their footing, even though I remember when there were two responsible parties and America wasn’t a cartoon for the rest of the world to laugh at. They’ve created enough damage to last til the end of my lifetime…and I hope for much improved for the remainder of our kids’.