The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Obama Moving Right?

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Although much remains to be seen about the debt limit negotiations, it's remarkable that they've reached the point where President Obama is drawing praise from Rep. Allen West. West, of course, is one of the most conservative and outspoken GOP freshman. He is willing, however, to give Obama credit for his willingness to consider spending cuts:

"I want to take this moment to commend President Obama for facing the facts that in order for us to bring our fiscal house in order, we need to take necessary steps to address mandatory spending such as Medicare and Social Security," said West, a tea party favorite known for his withering criticisms of the president.

...

"For too long individuals and special-interest groups have used these programs to demagogue and scare seniors in order to gain a political advantage," West said. "President Obama says he finally realizes that to save these programs we need to make significant reforms, and I support his goals."

Elsewhere, the liberal Kevin Drum believes that Obama's rightward drift on the issue of entitlement spending is a product of Obama's sincere belief that reducing spending is the right thing to do:

I think it's now finally time to stop pretending that Obama has miscalculated, or blundered, or been out-negotiated, or somehow forced into a bad position. Rather, everything he's done for at least the past six months is consistent with the idea that he considers the long-term deficit a problem, he wants to address it, and he views the debt ceiling talks as an ideal opportunity to do so with bipartisan cover. Obama isn't doing this because he has to. He's doing it because he wants to.

View all comments (11) | Leave a comment

Mike 3/505| 7.7.11 @ 3:32PM

"Obama isn't doing this because he has to. He's doing it because he wants to. "

BS Flag on the play! He's doing this because he has to.

martin j smith| 7.7.11 @ 3:37PM

Obama the political animal 100%. There is NOTHIG THAT THAT OBAMA DOES THE IS NOT OF POLITICAL MOTIVATION AND THAT IS ONE THING: TO GET RE-ELECTED. Be careful of Obama bearing gifts !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jeff| 7.7.11 @ 4:36PM

I would say this to Drum ... If Obama thought the debt ceiling negotiation and the debt crisis where so important then why did he stay away for the first 2 months ? That is not the actions of a man who wants to deal with the debt ... his recent engagement is exactly what someone who HAS TO deal with it would finally do ...

c. j. acworth| 7.7.11 @ 6:36PM

And why did he submit a budget that got shot down 97-0 in the Senate? And why hasn't he been on the phone every day to Dingy Harry Reid about getting a budget out of the Dem.-controlled Senate? And why did he drive spending up to 25% of GDP in the first place?

bill glass| 7.7.11 @ 6:06PM

He's creating a perception for all the useful idiots that he's drifting right...For many reasons, the biggest being that he's ineligible because he's not a natural born citizen, with US citizens for parents, Obama's ideological allegience is to a Marxist, anticolonialist philosophy and not to our great nation...e.g., "spread the wealth", and any other fake to the right is only to be in position to be reelected, and thus further his statist goals.

Wayne | 7.7.11 @ 6:21PM

Big mistake to negotiate with Obama. Just vote against the debt increase and leave it at that.

Aarradin| 7.7.11 @ 7:58PM

Never forget: Obama is President today because his campaign promises were those of a moderate Republican. He promised tax cuts, a net reduction in spending and fiscal responsibility.

There's nothing he won't do or say to stay in power.

His words have absolutely no connection with his actions. There's absolutely no chance Obama is now or ever will "move to the right". Anytime you think he sounds like he is, wake the f up and realize you're about to be snookered.

MSpector| 7.8.11 @ 1:59AM

Obama is a master of the shell game. If anyone thinks for a moment that he is prepared to make cuts in social security after the demagogic attack on Paul Ryan, well, I have a bridge to sell you.

The so-called $2T to $4T in deficit cuts is not to come from reduced spending, it is to come from increased revenue. If Obama in fact wanted to cut spending he has had two full years to put the plan out there. He did not do so, and has not done so now.

weddingdress| 7.8.11 @ 4:45AM

Siegfried X| 7.8.11 @ 7:04AM

Obama is FAKING right, not running right.

yisong| 10.28.11 @ 2:10AM

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