The state of Obama’s dis-union
My syndicated column today torches President Obama’s fiscal freeze follies. A new CBO reports says the year-old Porkulus will now cost $75 billion more than originally estimated. Which is why the White House is scrambling to de-emphasize its spending discipline pose and talk about something else. Anything else. Like new legislation “restricting foreign corporations from getting involved in federal election.” More money for schools. Bio-terrorism. The teleprompter will roll and Obama will try and muster up a “new tone.” But no matter how many times he recites his rote promise to “fight for you,” it’s obvious Obama has lost his “swagga.” He’s only one year into his tenure and already musing openly and repeatedly about being a one-term president — a rhetorical crutch that’s even annoying his ideological bedfellows on the Left. What should the GOP do? Many think he deserves praise for paying cynical lip service to cutting spending and reducing the size of government. As I note in the column below, I’m in the “bury” camp.
***
The Spender-in-Chief’s fiscal freeze follies
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2010
There are more loopholes in President Obama’s proposed “spending freeze” than in an Olympic volleyball net. Gargantuan government entitlements (Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid) are exempt. A half-trillion in unspent stimulus money is exempt. Foreign aid is exempt. The Democrats’ proposed $154 billion jobs bill (Stimulus II) is exempt.
Pet federal education programs will be exempt (including $4 billion for the White House “Race to the Top” standards initiative and an additional $1.35 billion he just requested in the 2011 budget). Green jobs spending will be exempt (Obama proposed $10 billion in new clean energy spending earlier this month). Electorally-driven tax credit expansions will be exempt. The health care takeover plan is not included. As even the New York Times reported, the “estimated $250 billion in savings over 10 years would be less than 3 percent of the roughly $9 trillion in additional deficits the government is expected to accumulate over that time.”
Which amounts to a molecule in a drop of the ocean of red ink in which American taxpayers have been drowning.
The current Spender-in-Chief unveiled details of this lofty new work of political fiction on Monday with more fanfare than a new Twilight title. It was supposed to be the centerpiece of the State of the Union address. But by Tuesday morning, President Obama’s illusion of fiscal discipline had been shredded left, right, and center. By Tuesday afternoon, irritated White House spokesman Robert Gibbs was already downplaying the gimmickry. It’s just something Obama will “mention,” Gibbs bristled.
After campaign videos of Obama repeatedly deriding “hatchet”-wielding spending freezes spread like Kudzu across the Internet, official White House blogger Jared Bernstein tried to control the widespread hypocrisy charges:
“During the campaign, you may recall that John McCain touted option 1 – the hatchet approach of an across-the-board freeze. The President was critical of that approach then, and we would be critical of it now. It’s not what we’re proposing. To the contrary, the entire theory of the President’s proposed freeze is to dial up the stuff that will support job growth and innovation while dialing down the stuff that doesn’t. Under our plan, some discretionary spending will go up; some will go down. That’s a big difference from a hatchet.”
…President Obama deeply understands the various imperatives of this moment in time, even if they don’t always point in the same direction.
So, he had a hatchet on Monday when he wanted headlines praising his return to austerity in the wake of the GOP’s Massachusetts Senate victory; a scalpel on Tuesday when he needed to mollify the big government Left. What will he wield at the State of the Union address on Wednesday night? A variable-speed Dremel rotary tool?
Some conservative Beltway analysts are cheering Obama’s fiscal freeze follies as a step in the right direction, a rhetorical victory, and a “good start.” Pardon me for not joining in the standing ovation for the latest performance of White House Kabuki theater. Praising the president for carrying on the charade of budget reform because a few piddly cuts are real is like complimenting the Naked Emperor’s fingernails: So, he didn’t have any clothes. At least his cuticles were real. It’s a start!
Moreover, who believes this freeze will last for the entire, cynically-timed three-year period that the White House announced less than 72 hours ago? McDonald’s French Fries have a longer shelf life than Obama’s pledges of fiscal accountability. All it’ll take is one more bad jobs report, one Chicken Little Congress-induced panic, to drop the budget restrictions faster than reality dad Jon Gosselin’s ex-girlfriends.
One year after riding into town on a wave of adulation and ambition, Obama has lost his “swagga.” His pre-State of the Union appearances have been listless and perfunctory. His dependence on a teleprompter – even for a standard, 6-minute stump statement at an elementary school — is now the butt of universal mockery. And his political machine has been forced to lay down enough fake Astroturf support to cover a football field. This is the time to nail the phonies in the White House, not to beg for meetings in hopes of bipartisan problem-solving. There’s little triumph in Obama’s empty “concessions” on the need to cut spending. They are fueled not by sincere commitment to reining in Washington’s appetites, but by craven political self-preservation. The president has lately regressed into his “I will fight for you” campaign sloganeering — by which, of course, he means, “I will fight for me.” There will be no hands reaching across the aisle. Obama’s too busy using them to point fingers at everyone else for his own political meltdown.
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In short… ‘fail‘.
FIFY
the state of the union teleprompter driven line of bs, will be more of zero’s lies. two things zero can be counted on being consistent, lying and accepting responsibility for nothing.
I will point out that there never has been a hand reaching out across the aisle from Obama – unless it’s been balled into a fist.
I heard someone a couple weeks ago (Beck maybe?) say Obama running the country was akin to the captain of the Titanic backing up after hitting the iceberg and then going full speed ahead to ram it again and claim “we’re moving forward.”
That’s what it feels like to me.
I won’t be watching the STFU speech from Obama tonight – because that’s what I’ve been getting from his regime since even before day 1.
I wonder if he’ll wear a tie this time.
Once again: You Lie! –
The chickens are coming home to roooooossssstt! Oh, if only the media had asked even simple questions of this unknown from the cesspool of Chicago politics instead of being cheerleaders.
HOW TO START EACH DAY WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK
1. Open a new file in your computer.
2. Name it ‘All Politicians’
3. Send it to the Recycle Bin.
4. Empty the Recycle Bin.
5. Your PC will ask you: ‘Do you really want to get rid of ‘All Politicians?’
6. Firmly Click ‘Yes.’
7. Feel better?
We will get another hour of lies from Obama, 15 munutes of the State of the Union,and 45 minutes of his insufferable ego. Then another two hours from the media pundits telling us what he said. All you have to remember is the “you got me” attitude of this clown.
Did anyone else hear that even Christopher Buckley has appearently come to his senses on Barry O? Here is a link to his satirical look at tonight’s State of the Union Speech: The Audacity of Oops
by Christopher Buckley
… and he announced canceling the moon mission. They’ve spent over $30 billion in climate research in order to scare us into believing the hoax that the world was going to end if we didn’t stop burning coal and gasoline but a mission to return to the moon? Naaa, in Obama’s ‘mind’ money spent on NASA’s REAL job wouldn’t do anything for him so it’s a waste.
You lie!
Joe Wilson
All together now.
Note to Obama: Next time you go pointing fingers of blame, note how many of your own fingers are pointing right back at you…
http://www1.free-clipart.net/cgi-bin/clipart/directory.cgi?direct=clipart/Hands&img=12
I—-I—–I—–I—–I—-I—-I—-I—-I—-I—-. and George Bush sucks. Thank You and —-Bless America. Fill in the blanks. I can’t stand seeing or listening to this lying sack of s###.
How about a ‘Slap Chop!’ from the ShamWow Guy?
He’ll be doing the put your right foot in, hokey-pokey thing tonight attempting to fool all of the people all of the time with his “moderate” stance on issues. The “populist” thing.
The hot air that kept this empty suit standing in place has vacated and I think the suit is about to crumble to the floor.
Obama will try to spin and will end up making a total fool of himself. This can’t possibly go well for him. I plan to watch. I don’t want to miss a single minute of this buffoon’s demise.
I don’t plan to watch, I’ve already seen the “Hindenburg”
“Oh, the humanity!”
Well then dial down all of it Mr. B, because at ten percent unemployment (~18% actual), none of it is working!
Timely article, MM!
***
I don’t see how Comrade Obama (PBUH) can present anything meaningful about his first year in office. His statist / socialist / communist actions have damaged our economy and prolonged our recession. His actions on national security have emboldened our country’s enemies and made more terrorist attacks more likely. His wild spending on worthless projects continues to damage our financial situation. No meaningful action on achieving energy independence has been taken–but the money is being thrown down the “green” energy toilet. And don’t mention the 10+ percent unemployment rate.
***
Now The Messiah will try to convince us that after increasing government spending by 20 percent and racking up $Trillons more in future debt–in a recession yet–that a few percent “reduction” in spending will fix everything!
***
Any car dealer doing this stuff would be put out of business for violating the truth in advertising laws. And he might end up in jail also.
***
Yes–I am going to watch another great Messiah Teleprompter event. And I won’t believe a word of it. EPIC FAIL! And this C**P SANDWICH won’t go down better with hot sauce or spicy mustard either.
***
John Bibb
***
I don’t plan to watch. I’d rather have a root canal….on all my teeth. What’s he going to say? More “uh” and lies. I’ve heard enough of his lies.
So much is going here.
Yep, the spending cuts do not amount to much, but it is a spending cut. Maybe, just maybe, spending cuts will begin to feel good, and it might become a habit for both the Administration and Congreed and transfer to earmarks, also not much of a percentage of spending, but a journey that begins with one small step.
As for the the hatchet thing, he has been consistent. Calling it hatchet Monday and scalpel Tuesday is more about how the media characterized the leaks. Notice the abscence of quotes about what ‘he wanted’.
Everyone has their own agenda and puts forth their spin based on that agenda. Heck, there were tax cuts associated with the stimulus but they are often ignored. Yep, they were small, but they were still tax cuts.
I wish there were a media outlet that said, we were leaked information on what the President will say at the SOTU, but we are withholding it until he actual delivers it. We will not be spun, nor will we spin, or be used as a flag pole to raise that flag and see who salutes.
I assume you are joking…right?
#25 was not an inadvertent, premature click.
Rather, it was an accurate, pithy statement.
Zyzzyg,
Raising the spending limit, twice, and then freezing it is not much of a cut now is it? Don’t fall for the BS. Here’s a clue, when his lips start moving he is lying.
It is important to remember that, as with water, when you freeze some things they actually expand. I am looking for a serious contraction in government spending, not a freeze on the highest limits yet.
But that is not all! He’ll double this monstrosity for FREE! Just pay separate shipping and handling.
And Christopher Buckley can pound sand-the wimp made his choice-let him live with it. “I was for Bambi before I was against Bambi” does not impress.
During the speech tonight the networks need to have someone in a corner of the screen ring a bell everytime he says (I).They can call it a created job.
Hey, Rogue
Get the tools!
Don’t assume because it makes an . . . well, you know the rest.
And, no I am not joking. The longest journey does begin with one step. Maybe, this small cut will lead to other cuts, maybe even larger cuts.
The State of the Union “Rescue,Restore, Rebuild. Mr Spock makes his move.
“When the men on the chessboard
Get up and tell you where to go”
Obama is a TOOL!!!!
Problems with the link above. Couldn’t write a comment.
Only in liberal fantasy land can a president be invited to the House of Reps. and not say you’re sorry for not doing what needed to be done and, not be fired.
My Dem-leaning local paper usually publishes just one MM column a week. I doubt if this will be the one. Too bad.
I assumed LSD.
I planned on throwing away a million dollars this year! I decided not to do that because I don’t have it. I saved a million dollars this year already!!! I am so smart, I can hardly stand myself!!!
Here is the best way to sum up the so called spending cuts:
Liberal programs = exemptions
The only thing that will get spending cuts will be things that Obama disagrees with or that disagree with him. Here is a start to the list:
1. CIA = cuts
2. FBI terrorist investigations = cuts
3. Abstinence education = cuts
4. Imigrationn enforcement = cuts
5. Justice Department prosecution of liberals conducting voter fraud (ACORN) or voter itimidation (NBPP) = cuts
Feel free to add to the list
You have a valid point. I agree that larger more substantiative cuts would be a good thing.
Think back to all the hyperventilating that went into cancelling the Jet that was not used in Iraq or Afghanistan, (the name of the Jet escapes me at this point).
We, yes the America people and our representative, are like crack addicts. We have to be weaned.
Sometimes it is two steps forward and one step backwards. I prefer to be positive and support the decision. And, will continue to be positive and continue to support cuts, and more cuts, and more cuts. And yes, even when it might be my sacred cow gets gored.
We must get used to cuts and this is a small step. Albeit a very small step, of hopefully larger cuts to come.
and soon there will be unicorns frolicking in the grassy fields with rainbows and butterfly’s were the children play and a chocolate river running nearby where the children can stop and have a tasty treat while sitting on gumdrop cushions….
This is why lawyers shouldn’t run the economy. We need business people in those chairs.
Did you cut and paste that from Ellie Light’s next letter?
only thing I’d add is ‘All Politicians 2010/2012″ otherwise excellent!!
I agree with your overall optomism, but my point was this is not really a “cut.” If I stole $100 from you then gave you $20 back, would you thank me for the $20 or have me arrested for the $80? If your answer is thank me, please include your banking information.
I doubt many citizens tune in for another b/s teleprompter address. The media can’t even resell it with their endless “recaps”. The whole Obambi mess is headed in the right direction; Down the toilet. Now, if only we had real Patriots in leadership positions, people that actually cared about the country, not just about their own careers and staying in office.
Who are you kidding! Teh Awesome Won and the rest of the Dems would rather take a cheese grater to their nethers!
Hey! That’s another tool! Maybe he’ll use a cheese grater!
He cancelled the moonlanding project.
Obama:
Yes we can.No we can’t.He does realize he just lost the state of Florida in 2012, doesn’t he?
One area Obama will cut spending and will have as much effect as freezing white house salaries will be closing all DOJ investigations against Democrat or Democrat supporting crooks.
As for the White House freeze, he didn’t go far enough – he could cut the entourage for the lady in waiting and quit paying his czars.
I’m going to a free Blues Concert tonight at the Catholic boys school, Subiaco Academy, at Subiaco, Arkansas. It’s Michael Burks, and starts at 7:45 PM.
SOTU avoidance at it’s best!!
I assume you mean other than the Spending Cut Czar he’s going to appoint. Of course, he’ll need a staff of his own and office space, and a travel budget to actually see what the effects of the cuts would be. About $25 billion a year should do it.
and if that doesn’t work out there’s always….
And now – the final indignity! The people of Indonesia are petitioning to tear down the Little Barry Statue…
3% is NOT a good start, its a passive-agressive FOff.
Hurry up…Obama needs help filling his ice cube trays.
At the end of this year the U.S. manned space program will end…permanently.
Way to go Mr. Obama, I’m sure John F. Kennedy would be proud of you.
A dismal day in American history.
I assumed LGM.
zyz…..You seem to be one of those people who, no matter how many times they have listened to obvious and provable lies, they are always willing to believe the next lie might actually be the truth.
Perhaps this still works on people like that?
Slowly I turned…..
Another try at the link:
http://www.internet-grocer.net/hypnosis.pdf
Wow! So now we know WHY the teleprompter is so essential; it would be almost impossible to concoct stuff like that extemporaneously.
LOL
No.
He’s more of a swoop and poop, rather than the endless drubbing.
I have fond memories of Niagara Falls.
Niagara Falls!
Yep, that was funny. Though to put out a fire that large it would require major cuts to defense and entitlements. I doubt there are the votes in Congress to accomplish that. We can’t even get individual members to stop earmarking, and those aren’t even cubes but shaved ice.
I’ve got no problem with starting small as long as the cuts continue and grow.
Hidden hypnosis? LOL.
This thread is discussing the SOTU and specifically the ‘leaked’ small cuts Pres Obama will propose.
Since the SOTU has not been given yet, exactly what lies are you talking about? Please, come back to the topic at hand, and contribute to it with substance. I will do my best to respond to you, and that is not a lie.
SpeakEasy et al: Recall that in the past the D’s labeled the R’s smaller increases in government spending as “cuts.”
Thus, they will argue their smaller increases (5-10%) vs what they believe is necessary (say, 10-20%) are, in reality, cuts.
That’s called a pre-emptive strike!
I remember fondly the many lies of the Clinton Administration and look upon those as the ‘Good Ol’ Days’.
NASA OUTSOURCING future projects!
I guess welfare’s more productive and inspirational than space.
Talk about eating your own high-technology seed-corn!
James Greenidge
Queens NY
Who’s going to tune in tonight?
I’m not.
OT a little but related to blowback against Obama and the Dems.
As good citizen of the Soviet I will watch Blue Lips w/ears deliver “You Lie” tonight-digitalis and Pepto Bismol at the ready. It will be interesting to discover just how many times a grown man can refer to himself in one speech.
“My fellow Americans and you Typical White Folks I come to tell you about Me!”
===
God Bless America except for the Blue States- with special dispensation for Massachusetts at the moment.
Nor I. That’s what we have Michelle for — ordinarily I don’t like saying things like “I’m glad it’s you and not me!”, but in this case I’m glad someone else will be working on developing an ulcer and high blood pressure when Hope-a-Dope gets on stage and lies his a@@ off some more.
I can’t wait to hear the edicts and proclamations tonight from Barack the XIV and Michelle Antoinette. I am sure that tomorrow we will all awaken with a renewed vision of America courtesy of our little monarch
Let them eat cake
Yes, it looks like if we ever have a project to return to the moon we will have to pay the Indians to do it for us. We could do it ourselves but it looks like all our NASA engineers and scientists will be tied up studying global warming. Pathetic.
So much for the spending freeze (like we ever really beleived it anyway):
The Russians said they will transport our astronauts for $51million a piece.
more like a pile of crap….
Too busy to watch. I need to watch some paint dry.
if any of you have Dish Network go check out the menu for Fox and the SOTU….part of it is in spanish!! say what??
“Presidente Barack Obama se dirige al Congreso y a la nacion”….
Shame on DISH Network…
Good grief, politicians are so dang full of ****. Once again liberals depend upon the uber-stupidity of their constituents to lap up this crap, and smile and ask for more. Thank God for the internet, and people like you Michelle to expose these phony schemes. Is it any wonder people are so cynical of government? How about this instead for the State of the Union speech:
Announce that the remaining $550 billion of “stimu-less” will be returned to the Treasury to pay down the soaring national debt.
Announce an across the board 20% cut in the budgets of every single department of federal spending except defense, and social security. The baseline will be the budget figures from the year before O-Spender got into office and raised federal spending through the roof.
Announce that the Bush tax cuts will not be allowed to expire, and announce tax breaks on small businesses, and individuals.
That would be change we could believe in.
I would like to see a coherent Republican response for once hammering home these points. Ronald Reagan used to show us charts…how about reviving that again?! Communicate with the people!!
I agree sbw999. It’s about control and has nothing to do with helping the economy. If they wanted to stimulate the economy, they’d give every American a big fat check to spend as THEY see fit, and then cut taxes. When our state has a tax free weekend, people spend money like crazy. Gee it’s just not rocket science.
Obama, congress et al. want total control of our lives.
*PREDICTION ALERT*
I predict that the MSM and all the loyal socialist progressives will be falling over themselves immediately after to declare this the greatest SOTU address in the history of our country. No! The greatest speech in the history of mankind!! Tingles and chills will be felt by all.
The blithering idiots on MSNBC will be orgasmic over every word uttered by The One, B.H. Obama. The chants of YES WE CAN will ring across the airwaves once more. It will be said that Obama has once again proven that he is the salvation of the world and anything that’s wrong today is STILL the fault of GWB.
Hmmm. I must have misunderstood the proposal this AM. My understanding was he was proposing to FREEZE about 3% of the total budget. Not cut anything. There is a huge difference. Most folks in the business world would jump for joy at spending freezes. Instead we are seeing job cuts and spending reductions in the 8-10% ranges. Did I misunderstand?
I’m shocked, SHOCKED at all of you. How could you possibly not watch when the most important concerns of modern times will be made manifest? The mesmeric question of whether Michelle O will show up in a sleeveless dress in January. What designer and color? And for the love of Pete, what about bling?!? This could rock the free world, and you guys are bugging out?
I think it is time that Obama resign. He is even incompetent for Leftist. He has nothing to offer.
who cares what this (_*_) says, it’s all bullcrap. he isn’t even a good or convincing liar like clinton. this trainwreck is going to continu for 3 more years.
Here’s a great way for conservatives to enjoy the speech tonight!!
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
There will be so much bull coming out tonight that Mike Rowe should be called in. Lordknows that cleaning up Washington is a “Dirty Job.”
Not just Obama. Liberals have nothing to offer but big government tyranny.
*If P-BO were to be given some truth serum before the SOTU address, his speech would consist of, “Thanks to all for coming to see ME here tonight, and, oh yes, Death to America”; Nothing more, nothing less!
Just so I have it correct, when you listen to Obama tonight, you will begin listening with the assumption that what Obama says is going to be the truth..is that correct?
If the Marxist has any brains, he will not wear his UN puke blue tie!
Based on the mood of the country (ugly), this isn’t going to be a SOTU speech, it’s going to be a PITW speech.
(Pissing-In-The-Wind)
this is all you’ll be seeing tonight….
http://www.psbandit.com/obama_doll.jpg
ZZ:
That would be the F-22, the most advanced fighter the world has ever seen. Decades ahead of the Russians and Chinese. Wonderful Jet.
As to your reference to Afghanistan and the F-22, as that is all you seem to recall about the jet (not even the name), no, it was not used there, nor should it have been.
We have other assets designed for that role (CAS). The F-22 is an Air Dominance fighter.
It is 5th Generation and will dominate the airspace if we encounter a peer or near-peer adversary. That is its primary role.
I caution, do not get stuck in the-war-we-fight-today-will-be-the-war-we-fight-tomorrow mind-set. The military is always being accused of this when in fact, that accusation could not be further from the truth.
It takes decades to conceive, design, develop, manufacture and field a fighter. It is not something we could do over-night. The time to find that out is not when you have American troops being killed by adversary aircraft, aircraft that were designed and built while the US sat by and flew 4th generation (or 4.5 generation) F-15′s well into their 3rd decade of combat service.
The Air Force had to make a choice, the JSF (F-35) or the F-22, and the JSF seemed to be the answer because it is multi-mission rather than single mission. The JSF is also 5th generation AND costs nearly as much as the F-22, and will likely cost the same as we move beyond OTD&E and LRIP.
Just so you know the facts.
I think I will have to pass on the TOTUS SOTU.
Yes, as a technology driver, NASA was one of best investments this country’s ever committed to! In fact such research and exploration has its grass roots back to the founding Fathers; The Lewis & Clark Expedition was Thomas Jefferson’s equivalent of Project Apollo, and he’d no idea what wonders that’d reap! Myself I’m so TIRED of hearing the ignorant anti-NASA crowd! In the late 1960s the libs and ghettos were all crying “Stop the space program so we can spend to build paradise on Earth!!” Well, we haven’t been to the moon for almost fifty years now. See any entitleme– er, “paradises” anywhere??
James Greenidge
Queens NY
OK, let’s review:
1. Obamacare — doesn’t support job growth
2. Cap & Trade — doesn’t support job growth
3. Amnesty for illegals — doesn’t support job growth
Start dialing down, BO. IOW, time to stick a fork in ya. You’re done.