Someone tweeted that shortly after the President's speech on long term fiscal responsibility.
I agree. And it is about damn time.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Obama's Long Game
I'll admit, I am as guilty of this from time to time as most of my friends on the left are.
In the aftermath of the compromise over the FY 2011 budget, many on the left, from Rachel Maddow to Ezra Klein to Christopher Hayes were excoriating President Obama for his "failures at negotiation" or his "give away to the GOP" or his "cave in." I read opinions from respected friends on Twitter accusing the President of a complete failure at negotiation, and worse.
I took these with a grain of salt, as we had yet to hear full details. I also understood the situation the President was in. The GOP after the midterm elections asked for a $100B cut in spending for the yet to be passed FY 2011 budget. The new GOP House of Representatives passed a bill approving $61B in cuts. While it is true that Speaker Boehner initially asked for $31B, this is not like haggling over the price of a new car, like I have seen some compare it to on Twitter. (Okay, maybe it is like haggling over a new car. But to complete the analogy, the salesman said he could sell the car for $10K. The buyer wanted to do it for $8K. But then the salesman learns that not only does his boss want to sell it for $15K, but the home office wants to sell the car for $18K. In that light, getting the car for $12K isn't a bad deal given that the home office was pushing for $18K).
What further clouds that analogy is the policy contained within the cuts, specifically what was cut, and what was not. Well, we're finally learning that and, well, let's just say that the President managed to do pretty well.
While those on the left who initially criticized the President over this deal have moved on to the FY2012 budget and other criticisms of the President, let us remember that at times it does seem that while we are all playing checkers, the President is playing chess. And playing it rather well.
In the aftermath of the compromise over the FY 2011 budget, many on the left, from Rachel Maddow to Ezra Klein to Christopher Hayes were excoriating President Obama for his "failures at negotiation" or his "give away to the GOP" or his "cave in." I read opinions from respected friends on Twitter accusing the President of a complete failure at negotiation, and worse.
I took these with a grain of salt, as we had yet to hear full details. I also understood the situation the President was in. The GOP after the midterm elections asked for a $100B cut in spending for the yet to be passed FY 2011 budget. The new GOP House of Representatives passed a bill approving $61B in cuts. While it is true that Speaker Boehner initially asked for $31B, this is not like haggling over the price of a new car, like I have seen some compare it to on Twitter. (Okay, maybe it is like haggling over a new car. But to complete the analogy, the salesman said he could sell the car for $10K. The buyer wanted to do it for $8K. But then the salesman learns that not only does his boss want to sell it for $15K, but the home office wants to sell the car for $18K. In that light, getting the car for $12K isn't a bad deal given that the home office was pushing for $18K).
What further clouds that analogy is the policy contained within the cuts, specifically what was cut, and what was not. Well, we're finally learning that and, well, let's just say that the President managed to do pretty well.
As a result of the legerdemain, Obama was able to reverse many of the cuts passed by House Republicans in February when the chamber passed a bill slashing this year's budget by more than $60 billion. In doing so, the White House protected favorites like the Head Start early learning program, while maintaining the maximum Pell grant of $5,550 and funding for Obama's "Race to the Top" initiative that provides grants to better-performing schools.
Obama also repelled Republican moves to cut $1 billion in grants for community health centers and $500 million from biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health, while blocking them from "zeroing out" the AmeriCorps national service program and subsidies for public broadcasting.
Instead, the cuts that actually will make it into law are far tamer, including cuts to earmarks, unspent census money, leftover federal construction funding, and $2.5 billion from the most recent renewal of highway programs that can't be spent because of restrictions set by other legislation. Another $3.5 billion comes from unused spending authority from a program providing health care to children of lower-income families.
About $10 billion of the cuts already have been enacted as the price for keeping the government open as negotiations progressed; lawmakers tipped their hand regarding another $10 billion or so when the House passed a spending bill last week that ran aground in the Senate.
While those on the left who initially criticized the President over this deal have moved on to the FY2012 budget and other criticisms of the President, let us remember that at times it does seem that while we are all playing checkers, the President is playing chess. And playing it rather well.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Obama: "No time for games."
President Obama just made a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room. In short, he indicated that the Democrats and the White House have now agreed to $73 Billion in budget cuts from the FY2011 budget, the number which Speaker Boehner originally proposed. The President indicated that the GOP now will not agree to the cuts because the White House cuts are different than the GOP cuts, despite the fact they add up to the same number.
Your turn, Mr. Speaker.
Your turn, Mr. Speaker.
Shut it down
I used to be a fan of the Fox TV show "Hell's Kitchen," where London based chef Gordon Ramsay would put aspiring chefs through their paces during a series of challenges. Each week would culminate in the chefs opening up the "Hell's Kitchen Restaurant" to diners for a dinner service. Usually in the earlier weeks, each dinner service would end with an irate Ramsay instructing the staff to "shut it down," i.e., close the restaurant because everyone sucks.
It seems today Boehner is channeling his inner Gordon Ramsay, as we're closer to a government shutdown.
Again?
This just popped up on my Twitter feed:
@AlanFisher: Obama calls on Cote D'Ivoire's Gbagbo to quit "immediately"
Alan Fisher is a journalist with Al-Jazeera English, based out of London.
As Yogi Berra once said, "it's like deja vu all over again."
@AlanFisher: Obama calls on Cote D'Ivoire's Gbagbo to quit "immediately"
Alan Fisher is a journalist with Al-Jazeera English, based out of London.
As Yogi Berra once said, "it's like deja vu all over again."
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