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The Spectacle Blog
Cuts from the dreaded sequester are so small that they need not require substantial reductions in government head counts, early-released illegal alien prisoners, or aircraft carriers consigned to port instead of patrolling the seas.
The Obama Administration has so wildly overplayed its hand, threatening not only all of these things, but also teachers and firefighters (even though almost none of their costs are funded by the federal government), air traffic controllers, border patrol officers, and meat inspectors.
Even many “low-information voters” will understand that the impacts being suggested by parading cabinet secretaries would require spending cuts far greater than what will actually occur.
Therefore, the “mainstream” media, which may at first try to go along with the Obama team’s faux panic, will soon realize that they are making fools of themselves, even in the eyes of many who usually swallow their tripe unquestioningly.
Look for The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart to skewer the administration’s claims that the economic sky is falling; that will be the sign that Obama has jumped the shark in his desperation to keep a penny from being cut from government spending.
The question of “who will be blamed politically” assumes that the public will see sequestration as a negative. I suspect that, at least after the first few days, that assumption will be invalid. It will not turn into a question of the parties trying to blame each other, but rather of Republicans taking credit for not allowing it to be replaced with tax hikes. They should be careful not to crow over it as great policy because it’s not and because it was Obama’s idea. Instead, they need to make clear that Republicans made the best of yet another terrible situation created by this president’s remarkable unwillingness and inability to lead.
Republicans also should talk about the sequester in very measured tones, calmly putting it in the perspective it deserves:
- Actual cuts to spending this year will be a bit more than 1% of the federal budget
- Defense spending will still increase by over $100 billion over the coming decade
- Federal spending and the national debt still grow enormously in the next decade
- Claims that sequestration is a massive cut to government spending rely on a definition of the word “cut” that no rational person would accept
- To avoid this sort of thing in the future, it is time to get serious about entitlement reform
View all comments (6) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Ross Kaminsky
http://spectator.org/blog/2013/03/01/sequester-obama-overplays-his
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Stan Redmond| 3.1.13 @ 12:53PM
Ross,
You are far more optimistic than I. Obama has back tracked and now will LOVE the "sequester" taking place. (I wish I had such tough financial problems)
Obama's clown car of advisors KNOW the economy will tank any time during his next 4 years . This is Obama's new suit of teflon protecting democrats from ANY blame of the soon to be worse economy. EVERYTHING and I mean everything bad will be blamed, even more so on, the republicans. And now it has a name "sequester." Obama is actively colluding with unions to shut down air travel, as admitted by Ray LaHood. Obama is gonna relish tormenting the American people with his new found freedom this sequester is giving him. He's going to find the most painful way to make sure ALL americans know the republicans are to blame. Even though we are still gonig to spend more money then ever Obama will make 'us' pay for anyone daring to stand up to his temper tantrum. The Republicans had better get their message straight and take thir balls out of the GOP leadership's purse.
Ross Kaminsky| 3.1.13 @ 3:33PM
Stan,
You could be right. I wouldn't bet a lot against your scenario.
The big question for me is how hard the administration will try to hurt people in the name of the sequester just so they can try to blame Republicans.
JP| 3.1.13 @ 3:38PM
Get ready for the other institutions to drop bombshells in coming days. It wouldn't surprise me if the Commerce Department suddenly "adjusts" its GPD data and suddenly declare that we are now in Recession, and it was first the threat of sequestration followed by the real deal that casued it. Next, the BLS will also readjust unemployment information and declare boldly that the sequestration caused unemployment to spike from 7.8% to 8.5%. And finally, the MSM and Homeland Security will for once take the threat of terrorism and foreign dangers seriously, as they report how the evil GOP is preventing Team Obama from protecting our interests. Heck, the MSM may again start the Daily Body Count. Each soldier that dies in Afghanistant will have been killed not by the Taliban but by Rep Boehner.
Let's rumble| 3.1.13 @ 4:29PM
Common folks, your buying into his faux concerns. He is doing this because he KNOWS the economy will crater under the weight of his policies and his buddy Ben is having a hard time holding up the world on his shoulders. He knows the real numbers are worse than they admitted and trending down. He wants to survive in his non governing, irresponsible fashion. In the end, it won't work. He can't have it both ways. He's the wrong medicine at the right time. Ripe for cater time. He's either going to get this country moving or not. We here knew the answer to this 4 plus years ago. If D-day is this year then he will have to ask for another big stimulus package of printed money. He's boxed in, if the economy doesn't improve this little charade is a side show. He really has no other options, hasn't the sack to ask for tax increases so he will play the continuing resolution game and finger point. It's very old to educated voters by now and even the low info folks might get a wiff soon. It will only take a few commie journalists to break rank and all hell will break loose. I think the MSM marxist are whispering amongst themselves, starting to sweat bullets. Woodward is very close to leaving the reservation and doing a hit piece on the mob.
Oldefarte| 3.1.13 @ 9:52PM
Even Democrats Pat Caddell and Doug Schoen are laying out the truth about what this domestic terrorism is aiming at, which is the political destruction of the Republican Party. This is a joke and the American people are stupid as hades for putting up with it. How dare this poor excuse for a POTUS be allowed to crow his lies and prevarications. Someone mentioned the """""I"""""" word the other day, which should be initiated but which is a waste of time and taxpayer money. It's simply a matter of the American people being stupid as hell for voting for him twice. As proof, fourth and eighth grade public school test scores shouldn't be the judge, but simply the results of 11/4/08 and 11/6/12!!!!!!
Oldefarte| 3.1.13 @ 9:54PM
PS: Know why the """""I"""""" word will never be mentioned? Simple because the """""R"""""" word would immediately follow same. G-D this country is stupid!!!!!!!!!