Presidential Bait-and-Switch What Obama once promised, and what he's delivering. »
Posted By pc25 9 months, 1 week ago in NewsBarack Obama won the presidency in large measure because he presented himself as a demarcation point. The old politics, he said, was based on "spin," misleading arguments, and an absence of candor. He'd "turn the page" on that style of politics.
Last week's presentation of his budget shows that hope was a mirage.
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Klarissa9 months, 1 week ago
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Obama has put himself between a rock and a hard place.
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If he pulls out the pork, Congress will hate him.
If he leaves it in, the citizens will hate him.
"Barack Obama won the presidency in large measure because he presented himself as a demarcation point. The old politics, he said, was based on "spin," misleading arguments, and an absence of candor. He'd "turn the page" on that style of politics.
Last week's presentation of his budget shows that hope was a mirage.
For example, Mr. Obama didn't run promising larger deficits -- but now is offering record-setting ones. He'll add $4.9 trillion before his term ends and $7.4 trillion if given a second, doubling the national debt in five years and tripling it in 10.
Mr. Obama's deficits will be much larger than he admits because he relies on rosy economic assumptions and gimmicks that mask spending and debt (like assuming popular new programs he supports won't be renewed).
Nor did Mr. Obama run promising more earmarks.
Instead, he said he'd reform the earmark culture and "scour the federal budget, line by line, and make meaningful cuts." Now he wants to wave through a $410 billion omnibus spending bill with about 8,500 earmarks. This is on top of the $787 billion stimulus bill signed into law two weeks ago." -
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pc259 months, 1 week ago
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FTA
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Last week's presentation of his budget shows that hope was a mirage. Mr. Obama didn't run promising larger deficits, Nor did Mr. Obama run promising more earmarks
Nor is it credible to claim that the spending spree on Mr. Obama's watch is someone else's responsibility, as Mr. Orszag did by saying the president had "inherited" these deficits.
Mr. Obama ceded authority to congressional appropriators, who wrote the stimulus bill that is history's largest spending increase. Then Mr. Obama got behind the pork-laden omnibus-spending bill. And Mr. Obama has also proposed $4 trillion in outlays this fiscal year and $3.6 trillion next fiscal year.
Mr. Obama cannot dismiss critics by pointing to President George W. Bush's decision to run $2.9 trillion in deficits while fighting two wars and dealing with 9/11 and Katrina. Mr. Obama will surpass Mr. Bush's eight-year total in his first 20 months and 11 days in office, adding $3.2 trillion to the national debt. If America "cannot and will not sustain" deficits like Mr. Bush's, as Mr. Obama said during the campaign, how can Mr. Obama sustain the geometrically larger ones he's flogging? -
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gamahuche9 months, 1 week ago
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"Barack Obama ....presented himself as a demarcation point."
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And which "demarcation point" was that?
Something akin to the Atlantic Ocean or the Brooklyn Bridge, perchance? [I have the latter for sale, btw, on special for rabid twerps].
I suppose if Obama stood on the White House lawn with a sign in one hand saying left and another in the other hand saying right that he COULD qualify as a demarcation point. As long as he never moved, of course.
As for the ponderings of Karl Rove they can be recycled directly back to him in the garbage can of history.
Hmmm..
I'm delighted to be in such a tolerant and benevolent mood today. -
PsychoHosebeastComment removed: Spammer, Abusive1 Reply
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