They should have cut the paychecks of 535 members of congress, their pensions, and their health benefits, like along with President Obama.

This piddly amount is nothing compared just to the higher costs of products and goods due to monetary policy malpractice being perpetrated on every single American by this same administration. Enough of the "sky is falling" media people. We've been down this road before. Nothing to see here.

"…The central claim of the ruling elite and its political mouthpieces—that “there is no money” for jobs, education, health care, housing, pensions—is a lie. The American financial elite has never been richer. Even as the government was launching its attack on social programs, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was heading for a new record high. Corporate profits and CEO pay continue to soar, subsidized by trillions in virtually free loans and bailouts from the Treasury and the Federal Reserve…"

Sequester cuts: A new stage in the assault on the US working class

2 March 2013

By Andre Damon and Barry Grey

With the launching of $85 billion in domestic spending cuts this year, and $1.2 trillion over the next decade, the American ruling elite has dramatically escalated its drive to place the full burden of its crisis on the working class. The across-the-board cuts in health care, housing, education, public transit, jobless benefits, nutrition assistance and other social services, under the so-called budget sequestration that took effect on Friday, have been presented as temporary reductions pending a bipartisan deficit-cutting deal.

In fact, these cuts will never be fully restored. On top of the $1.2 trillion in cuts enacted by the Obama administration and Congress last year, they establish a new base line for even deeper cuts to come.

At the same time, the escalating impact of the cuts, including mass layoffs and furloughs of federal workers and a chain reaction of cuts and layoffs at the state and local level, will be used to generate a crisis atmosphere and soften up the population for the imposition of historic attacks on the basic health and retiree benefit programs—so-called entitlements—upon which tens of millions people rely.

No less devastating will be the economic aftershocks of the spending cuts, which are expected to cause close to a million job losses after the worst quarter of economic growth since the 2008 crash.

Absent in the phony debate and media blather on the deficit is any reflection of the social crisis bearing down on ever wider sections of the population, or any expression of the needs and interests of working people.

The sequester cuts are entirely in line with the agenda Obama brought with him when he entered the White House in 2009. The budget projection he presented that year called for a reduction in domestic discretionary spending to 7.4 percent of the US gross domestic product by 2013, and to just 6.3 percent by 2019. This compares to 7.9 percent in the final year of the Bush administration.

It was, moreover, the White House that proposed the sequestration cuts as part of the budget-cutting deal reached with the Republicans in 2011.

Obama has repeatedly boasted of bringing domestic discretionary spending to its lowest level as a share of the economy since the Eisenhower administration. Since taking office, he has overseen the elimination of 719,000 federal, state and local government jobs. If the pre-2008 trend in government hiring had continued through Obama’s first term, there would be two million more government employees than there are now.

http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/03/02/pers-m02.html

ItsAboutTime-3704531

They should have cut the paychecks of 535 members of congress, their pensions, and their health benefits, like along with President Obama.

Can't do that, it's against the Constitution. Congress has themselves covered.

starbuck49

Can't do that, it's against the Constitution. Congress has themselves covered.

I know. but I think all of America would agree with those cuts, immediately :-). It's time our leadership (Democrat and Republican Alike) make the same sacrifices that they are imposing on the American people. Leading by example.

More republicans voted for it than democrats did.

. Since taking office, he has overseen the elimination of 719,000 federal, state and local government jobs

He had no control over most of those jobs at the state and local arena.

Those surrogates on the Obama payroll should also be cut....the election is over.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Louie Bee.....why did you leave out the THOUSANDS of IRS and DSHS employees which were hired to support implementation of ObamaCare ? Heck, the hiring of these folks just kept the unemployment rate at about 8 % instead of kicking up higher.

Yeah, Louie Bee. Vote for the giveaway stuff.

For gosh sakes, don't even consider furthering your education and getting a job. Oh, the horror!

Of course they're making this as painful as possible. We're all biting at their propaganda.

This is a giant cluster F. The trickle down effect by people taking unpaid leave will affect small busines and on and on. It is just amazing how much stupider elected officials keep mutating into........

As always NBC helping Obama to move forward with his radical tactics. Barack Obama’s entire campaign strategy — and don’t forget, he’s always campaigning — is based on convincing different groups of Americans to hate each other. He tries to convince black and Hispanic Americans that Republicans hate them for their skin color, gays that Republicans hate them for their sexuality, women that the GOP is pro-rape, poor people that the rich are taking all their money, people who’ve had children killed that gun owners are in favor of their children dying — it just goes on and on. There have been campaigns of genocide across the world that have featured less vitriolic rhetoric against the people who were murdered than Barack Obama and Company have engaged in since he became President. Then they turn around and wonder why Republicans in Congress have trouble working with them. Go figure.

Does ANYONE believe the government does not have waste that needs cutting? Then why doesn't Obama, Reid, and Boehner get together and start cutting? Oh, sorry, I forgot, it's all about politics.

It's beyond me that the Senate hasn't passed a budget going on 4 years. I guess they wouldn't know where to cut waste as they don't even know where they intend to spend.

This was simply a 1/30th cut in the increased spending amount. They just want to cut the most visible programs so that people will complan about the cuts. I noticed that they cut state programs.

seaskip if you call GWB throwing our country under the bus, I guess this is Obama throwing the whole world under the bus to get what he wants.

I love the Sequester. It is a real shame it only rolls back the USA federal government spending to FY2011 levels - a 2.2% cut. The bad news is the Federal government will still grow by 6-8% for FY2013.

I would like to have the USA federal government spending reduced to the FY2000 Budget for five (5) years. Then allow it to grow by a fix rate of 3% after that time span.

This administration is unable and/or unwilling to grow the economy, much less expand it.

Louie, you should remember then that the Johnson administration opened the lock box and put the money into the general fund. I paid for mine too and I want it protected from spend crazy politicians like Obama.

I'd love to see 'workfare' instead of welfare and unemployment.

Ps. Thanks for your service to the country.

The only thing wrong with the cuts is that they are about 100 billion short. Bring it on. No more free crap, I'm out of money to pay for Obama phones and an incentive to lay on a couch and collect free everything.

MNJL170 #1.26, The only thing wrong with the cuts is " they are 13 years to late" !!!

Oh and I almost forgot... How do the republicans FEEL ABOUT 73 MILLION being cut from our embassy budgets.. Hmmmm.. They had a great witch hunt on Obama with Benghazi, but also forgot about the 54 murdered americans in 12 embassy attacks under BUSH.

Obama, a failed experiment:

Louie, you should remember then that the Johnson administration opened the lock box and put the money into the general fund. I paid for mine too and I want it protected from spend crazy politicians like Obama.

Not really. There has NEVER has been any "lock box" and/or "trust funds" for SS. The reason? It is unconstitutional for the USA Federal government to hold trust funds. The money has always gone into the general fund. The Democrat controlled Congress and the LBJ administration started the process of "borrowing" money for SSA.

Homer (Simpson?)

Your money would have returned to you far more if you had invested yourself.

You do realize that a lot of money in individual accounts was lost on Wall Street due to their not being regulated.

The reason Keynesian economics doesn't work is because after the money is invested in stimulus programs and the returns are more than the original investment, POLITICIANS can't keep their hands off of it instead of reducing the debt. The most recent example of that was when Bush gave away the surpluses that Clinton had left him.

The Sequester idea began and was promoted by the White House . Not Congress.

Obama signed it. it's his baby. Or abortion. His either way.

Oh, god. What kind of troll are you? This partisan intellectual retardation is really gross. This happens every time no matter what party the president is from... "sequestration" or any other term the corporate beneficiaries of these bills come up with then use the media to make the public think the armageddon is coming.

you republicans just can't make up your mind. first you scream to cut spending, then you scream at the guy cutting spending. I'm guessing that you have no idea how foolish you sound. your like the drowning man complaining the life saver they threw him, was not the right color.

maybe that's it. Maybe you just don't like being saved by a black man. You sure had no problem with the white guy who got us into two wars and gave billions to big pharma. you had no problem with 9 trillion in spending but are soooooo angry about the 4 trillion or so. and a good chunk of the Obama deficit is Iraq and Afghanistan. You conveniently forget that every president is stuck with at least one year of the old presidents budget. Most of the corporate give-a-ways from bush are yet to expire.

You guys really make me sick. if you don't think America is worth paying for, please leave. There are plenty of republics you can move to. CHINA, RUSSIA, NORTH KOREA, CUBA IRAN. They are all waiting for you. Maybe Dennis Rodman can get you an invite to hang out with his new buddy. cya.

@ George, I am pretty sick of folks that have to toss out the race card because you can't win in the court of ideas. The president proposed the sequester, he then signed the bill. Both parties are to blame, but as the leader fo the country it falls on him. BTW, Up until 1960's just about every civil rights legislation was brought forward by the GOP. As for Obama's spending, he spent more on Obamacare than both wars COMBINED. (1/6 of the US economy and still growing) As an American you should be concerned that the country is spending at a historic levels. As for Bush, he DID spend too much, but that doesn't make it right to spend even more. In terms of corporate give-aways, we have the second highest corporate tax rate in the first world. We also have the most progressive tax system in the first world (meaning we have the fewest number of people paying the majority of the taxes, while we have the largest number of people paying no federal taxes). There are two ways to raise revenue, have more people pay in or try to get more out a 2% minority that are already paying more than 60% of the federal tax dole. During the Bush tax cuts, in 2007, the fed collected more revenue than any year in US history. It has nothing to do with his color, it has everything to do with his lack of understanding of how an economy works and his total lack of leadership at every key point of his presidency. Just because he is a great speaker, doesn't make him a great leader.

Louie Bee:

Homer (Simpson?)

You are so funny, we are all laughing at you.

You do realize that a lot of money in individual accounts was lost on Wall Street due to their not being regulated.

Money is only won or lost when the investor sells. All investments are at risk - always. If you can not affiord to lose it, do not invest it. Where is it written that investments only make money?

The reason Keynesian economics doesn't work is because after the money is invested in stimulus programs and the returns are more than the original investment, POLITICIANS can't keep their hands off of it instead of reducing the debt.

That is funny or just plain stupid. How do you measure the rate of return of the stimulus? Where are the gains?

The most recent example of that was when Bush gave away the surpluses that Clinton had left him.

Please show me the "budget surpluses" during the W J Clinton years? The darn thing is no one can find them since they never occurred.

george pauljohn:

maybe that's it. Maybe you just don't like being saved by a black man.

??? B H Obama, Jr. is a legal Caucasian and not Negro. In the USA, a person legal race is determined by the race of the birth Mother.

Since taking office, he has overseen the elimination of 719,000 federal, state and local government jobs.

The number of federal employees has risen under Barrack Hussein. There were 2,790,000 federal workers in January 2009 when the president took office, and now there are 2,804,000 workers. The fact is that there is no month during Barrack Husseins term when the federal workforce was smaller than it was in the first month of his presidency. He took over in January 2009. Every month after January 2009 has seen more federal workers than were employed in January 2009.

Moreover, there are more federal workers under Barrack Hussein than there were under President Bush. On the other hand, total government employment, federal plus state and local, has fallen significantly under Barrack Hussein after rising significantly under President Bush. State and local governments are basically autonomous of the federal government and their cutbacks are driven at the state and local levels, not from Washington.

It’s important not to understate the federal government’s role in the size of state and local governments. The stimulus gave tens of billions of federal dollars to the states in order to prevent cutbacks in the number of state and local workers.

This money would have been better appropriated to the private sector so more productive jobs could be created. Government jobs are a burden on the overall economy. Government jobs can best be described as overhead on our economy. They are an expense. Obviously a portion of cost must be appropriated to the government to run its Constitutionally mandated Enumerated Powers. The problem we have is that it has dramatically and unsustainably exceeded that.

Young children in New York City’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods might be among those affected by sequestration as Head Start programs face a 5 percent cut,

Obviously PMSNBC is trying to pull on the heartstrings of the unwashed masses, just like Barrack Hussein.

Of course the “bleeding heart” Liberals/Progressives will showcase all the hardship that the poor, disenfranchised and special education children will suffer.

Perhaps if we didn’t have the dysfunctional government run public education system we are all forced to allow our children to be indoctrinated in, we could avoid all the hand-wringing that the Liberal cabal and their complicit media encourage. We spend more than any nation, other than Switzerland, on education yet our children rank in the lower ½ to 1/3 on all OECD nations in math, science and reading.

Maybe if our Dept. of Education would address this study our schools could be run efficiently and affordably, not to mention give our children the education they will need to compete in the 21^st century economy.

According to a 2006 study by the Goldwater Institute, Arizona's public schools spend 50% more per student than Arizona's private schools. The study also says that while teachers constitute 72% of the employees at private schools, they make up less than half of the staff at public schools. According to the study, if Arizona's public schools wanted to be like private schools, they would have to hire approximately 25,000 more teachers, and eliminate 21,210 administration employees.

So, private schools cost 50% less, they employ 25% more TEACHERS, rather than administrators, and we wonder why little Johnny and Suzy graduate high school reading at an 8^th grade level from the Public School system.

More shamefully, 20% of our high school graduates CAN’T EVEN READ THEIR DIPLOMAS!!!!!!

Of course the criminal teachers goonion union is complicit in this rape of or children’s education and the Liberals/Progressives continue their irrational support of them!

Then again, we are on our second generation of illiterates being graduated from our public school systems, most of the unwashed masses don’t even realize they are illiterate.

This is the ultimate example of the Dunning-Kruger effect most Liberals/Progressives suffer from.

tired 2, Yes, there are way too many government dependent people, so with all our debt, it's time to start cutting expenses, let the sequester begin......................................................................................

waaah, waaah, waaah......Let the hair go with the hide.

I think the tragedy of this mess has nothing to do with budget cuts at all. It turns out that tens of millions of Americans haven't got a handle on economics, or on the ideas embodied in the Constitutionm and instead view the federal government as the locus of all things good. Um, so long as their party is in the White House. And so while we continue to swirl around the bowl we fight about which turd should sink to the bottom first.

How about something different instead? America wasn't made great because of our government trying to take care of as many people as possible regardless of their need for help. Maybe we were made great because the government remained fairly small compared to the private sector for most of our history? Maybe we were made great because our founders, and those who followed them until more recently, understood that spending someone elses money and calling it their own charity was immoral? Maybe, and in today's partisan climate I fear this idea is the one to make most liberal heads explode, those who came before us understood that the way to becoming better themselves was not in trying to someone else less.

What do we have today if not half or more of the people demanding that someone else pay more taxes so that more free stuff can be given to themselves, or on behalf of themselves? This idea is completely antithetical to every idea that brought America to such wealth and power. Too many people, and it seems to me to include virtually every single liberal in America today, seem to prefer to take what they did not earn for themselves rather than put into place policies which encourage the economy to grow so that more and more people don't even need the government's largesse in the first place. What to do?

Cut. Look at every government program and regardless of what you think about its need if you can't justify a federal reason with constitutional authority begin to defund it. If it's so great, but not an Article 1 power, then your state or city can do it. If it's not great, but is a constitutional power, then we should rethink it anyhow. And because the left worries that every single social program is going to be cut despite it being nothing if not perfection, begin with all corporate welfare (we should never support this anyhow, not for ANY firm or industry) and aid to the various states (making states serfs to the federal government is just as bad as making individuals the same).

Maybe as the left sees the sky doesn't actually fall, and instead they see the economy take off, they will be less inclined to oppose cutting unconstitutional social welfare programs too. My worry which is I think borne out by plenty of history, is that the left will refuse to cut any government spending because they cannot risk having Americans see that it's not the calamity they continue to pretend it is. It would be very hard to get most Americans to continue to be part of this class warfare/massive government game if it were more obvious to them that it was hurting, not helping.

YOU SCARED YET??? BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THEY WANT!!! One example is the threat that airline travel will be less safe and much more waiting involved. However, as I understand it, they are "cutting" funding from $15.9 billion to $14.9 billion...$1 billion in "cuts." HOWEVER, there were more people flying in 2008 when the budget was also $14.9 billion...were planes falling out of the skies then, etc, etc????

Just a few important true facts...

1. There was no budget surplus within the last 40-plus years in the USA. We got close, but not quite.

2. There are no real cuts in governmental spending now. It's merely the rate of growth which is being slowed.

3. The president, as candidate, said that deficits of 1/4 the level today were immoral and his supporters cheered.

4. The president, as president, says that deficits of the level we have today are moral and wise and his supporters cheer.

5. The TEA Party, despite claims by liberals, began as a response to overspending under the Bush Administration and was never a racist response to Mr. Obama's election.

6. I am not part of the TEA Party, and have been to exactly zero meetings/rallies/events, etc.

7. James Clyburn, House Democrat #3 (whip), has said and takes pride in the fact that at least 2/3 of all federal spending is not authorized by the constitution.

8. The sequester was Mr. Obama's idea. Republicans supported it. Who cares? The problem all along is that after suggesting it Mr. Obama has then lied about it, saying that Republicans did, and that he didn't want it.

9. #8 wasn't the first time Mr. Obama has been fundamentally dishonest about an issue, and it won't be his last.

If Mr. Obama was so opposed to the sequester cuts, why did he sign the order? Was he held at gunpoint?

@arch stanton: You are Very Correct in Identifying who the socioeconomic villains are and what they, TheRepublicanCrimeCartel, is doing to Americans, Their Lives and America. You are forgetting That group of elite aristocrats ARE SOCIOPATHIC CRIMINALS and Do NOT care what We think or How we vote. That CriminalClass Creates these events through their corporations, manipulating and ordering state and federal politicians and directing national armed "law enfarcement". It has come down to AUTHORITY OF THE GUN; so Don't give Yours Up. The Waaaayyy Worst has yet to come...We are entering a Civil War with this republicanCriminalClass very similar to the 1789 FrenchAristocrats and/or the 1861 confederates who attacked the North And History spelled out what happened to them.

How can the wealthy be so bad off that they can't pay more in taxes with their claims that it would hurt them creating jobs? Creating what jobs? Jobs in China or India or some other country? I can't see how the wealthy who have been paying themselves $50,000 an hour for the past 30 years can be hurting so much.

I've said on here many times that wealthy control our country and run our government. I've said many times that there is no two party system. What happened with all of this is exactly as te Republicans and Democrats planned it. They put on a good show for us and now the wealthy get to give less to the middle class, poor, elderly and everyone else - all the people they've been welching on by not paying them fair wages. Now all that tax money is going to be saved to go back into the pockets of the wealthy.

The one thing that threatens all Americans re: the Sequester----there will not be enough Food Inspectors to inspect our food!---what are we supposed to do; have test tasters before eating--this is foolish to tell Americans. Are we all going to get Salmonella, or Botulism because of this---do we need to grow our own vegetables, like Michelle is promoting?

At Least the Pres. does have "Food Tasters" so he is sure to "live". What a stupid, stupid issue. Sequestration---Obama will live to regret he started FEAR amongst his people. His Legacy will be very critical of his Policies, and threats. Dictatorship.

Unprofessional Dignified President of the US---he will be in the Category of worse than Jimmy Carter. It could have been so much better.

Well just like us common folk the Government needs to learn to live within it's means, can't spend more than what comes in Any family can tell you that one, it should have been 5 times more like 7 Trillion, the reality is We had to start somewhere I just wish it was Congresses Pay, and all the bells and whistles that goes with it that was cut. They called Obama's bluff and they lost now its time to face the piper.

Why is the White House bullying the American citizens? I swear this is like saying "oh, so not enough people see it my way yet, well then, you'll ALL suffer and blame each other...hahaha, Ill teach them"

I just don't get it, how is it that our checks and balances became so broken and dysfunctional...? Why is it that we can afford to make commercials about the sequester or what ever this crisis has been named, but we cant afford to fix the nations budget issues....hmmmmm

Oh - sure there was no surplus - WHAT do you call CLINTON'S SURPLUS? CHOPPED LIVER>

leave it to a RWNJ to try to twist the FACTS to fit themselves. HAD WE STAYED ON TRACK (without SHRUB'S "tax rate reduction" and the bastard's 2 fuc ked up military actions, we were well on our way to REDUCING THE DEBT - instead the BASTARD SHRUB HID 2 military actions and racked up a $$ SIX TRILLION DEBT (OFF THE BOOKS)

YOU RWNJs can go collectively FU CK YOURSELVES (you sure are trying to FU CK THE REST OF US)

The intention of the sequester was to put in place a "solution" SO ONEROUS )<- is that too big a word for you reichwingers?) that the collective CONGRESS would produce a systematic "solution" to the ISSUE. ALAS, the @$$ WIPE RETHUGs have deemed it unnecessary to do ANYTHING productive

The Republicans have tried to keep the ountry and our government in a cosntant state of brinksmanship on the edge to scare the average American, they do not want a strong economy under Obama. That is why they constantly hold the government hostage with shutdowns, refusal to deal with debt limits on a timely basis, etc.

They are nothing more than economic terrorists.

FYI I am easily a 1%er

put a fork in it

Oh - sure there was no surplus - WHAT do you call CLINTON'S SURPLUS? CHOPPED LIVER>

OK, show me in what year Clintons “surplus” occurred. In order for a surplus to exist one or more years must be lower than the preceding year.

1993 $4,411,488,883,139.38

1994 $4,692,749,910.013.32

1995 $4,973,982,900,709.39

1996 $5,224,810,939,135.73

1997 $5,413,146,011,397.34

1998 $5,536,193,008,897.62

1999 $5,656,270,901,615.43

2000 $5,674,178,209,886.86

2001 $5,807,463,412,200.06

Source:US Department of the Treasury

There is no such year in Clintons 8 years. He came close in 2000 but there never was any “surplus”.

And Clinton's last budget proposal for FY2001, which ended in September 2001, generated a $133.29 billion deficit. The growing deficits started in the year of the last Clinton budget, not in the first year of the Bush administration.

Keep in mind that President Bush took office in January 2001 and his first budget took effect October 1, 2001 for the year ending September 30, 2002 (FY2002). So the $133.29 billion deficit in the year ending September 2001 was Clinton's. Granted, Bush supported a tax refund where taxpayers received checks in 2001. However, the total amount refunded to taxpayers was only $38 billion . So even if we assume that $38 billion of the FY2001 deficit was due to Bush's tax refunds which were not part of Clinton's last budget, that still means that Clinton's last budget produced a deficit of 133.29 - 38 = $95.29 billion.

Understanding what happened requires understanding two concepts of what makes up the national debt. The national debt is made up of public debt and intragovernmental holdings. The public debt is debt held by the public, normally including things such as treasury bills, savings bonds, and other instruments the public can purchase from the government. An intragovernmental holding, on the other hand, is when the government borrows money from itself--mostly borrowing money from social security.

While the public debt went down in each of those four years, the intragovernmental holdings went up each year by a far greater amount--and, in turn, the total national debt (which is public debt + intragovernmental holdings) went up. Therein lies the discrepancy.

When it is claimed that Clinton paid down the national debt, that is patently false, the national debt went up every single year. What Clinton did do was pay down the public debt, notice that the claimed surplus is relatively close to the decrease in the public debt for those years. But he paid down the public debt by borrowing far more money in the form of intragovernmental holdings (mostly Social Security).

Interestingly, this most likely was not even a conscious decision by Clinton. The Social Security Administration is legally required to take all its surpluses and buy U.S. Government securities, and the U.S. Government readily sells those securities--which automatically and immediately becomes intragovernmental holdings. The economy was doing well due to the dot-com bubble and people were earning a lot of money and paying a lot into Social Security. Since Social Security had more money coming in than it had to pay in benefits to retired persons, all that extra money was immediately used to buy U.S. Government securities. The government was still running deficits, but since there was so much money coming from excess Social Security contributions there was no need to borrow more money directly from the public. As such, the public debt went down while intragovernmental holdings continued to skyrocket.

The net effect was that the national debt most definitely did not get paid down because we did not have a surplus. The government just covered its deficit by borrowing money from Social Security rather than the public.

This is a typical manipulation of funds by our governments. Unfortunately most Americans have no clue what the National Debt is. To most it's simply a talking point to try and make their party look responsible. Yet our national Debt has been rising for over 40 years with no constraints.

You're out of your league on this one. It must be scary living in your little Liberal world of delusions, isn't it?

Put a fork in it Spanky!

Or as you put it so eloquently, you can go collectively FU CK YOURSELF!

veteran who invested thousands of dollars into all the programs

I wish my mandatory "investment" into all of the social welfare programs was limited to only thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, the government has relieved me of hundreds of thousands of dollars over my less than 80 years of mandatory contributions.

We are sick of you sheeples......the blame lies with Obama. When will you admit that we are in a world of sh*t? You wanted him for a second term, and you got him. Reality is hitting you in the face. We that did not vote for him are forced to endure what you have brought upon all of us and this great nation. I just hope we can survive.

I think it is called moral bankruptcy when we send millions upon millions of foreign aid to other countries to fight their civil wars and neglect our children, elderly, and disabled. Our govt. has more than a problem with fiscal management...It has a problem with integrity.

Amos seems like the one with a Kindygarden mentality.

FamousAmos-3755959

Way to go PARTY OF NO!!!!!!! Thanks alot Boner!! You beady eyed little creep. And the kindygarden mentality keeps on movin' on....

you are most welcome have a great day and enjoy the Obama Sequester

"From coast to coast, states brace for sequester shock"

Whatever, media. Shut the @!$%# up about it already.

Yeah nice try the "Tea party" did not have any rallies or support any candidates till 2009. Lets face it they are funded by the same as the Republicans, they are just the ultra racist wing of the Republican party. Founded on the good principal of stupidity over all.

Government does not create jobs, they want to, but don't. If they do where does that money come from to pay for those jobs? Think of government as a brothel. Some times we need their services, most of the time we don't. The current administration thinks we need screwed all the time so they want us to keep giving them money so they can keep screwing us. We don't need screwed all the time. It's time to stop giving them money. If the government wants to keep going they'll have to give up a lot of freebies.

Really Government does create jobs, I guess all those Congress men's jobs were created by the private sector, as well as the postal workers, defense, etc... Yes they do not create most jobs, but they can pave the way, such as improving our infrastructure, which is badly needy, invest in our children's education, science, environment, but of course instead investing, the Repubs and teaparty would never have that.

We will end up like Europe and Greece, look what austity did for them, double recession. When is the right going to wake up, you have to cut, spend and get extra revenue in order to improve our economy, and create more jobs. Its called a balance approach.

The Republicans and Tea Party will pay a huge political price, especially if our economy tanks, as well as millions of Americans lose their jobs.

We are printing 85 billion a month in QE 4 and giving it to wallstreet. The tech bubble will be small compared to the pop we are being set up with. THIS is the economy growing???????

Somethin' burnin'......Greece is the word.

We must cut now or suffer. Funny, Obama isn't interested in a solution, just more spending without cutting as if the government is a good steward to your money. Got a million dollar toilet seat in your bathroom?

If republicans try and cut they are racist....the party of Lincoln racist? You mean like Byrd? The KKK is southern democrats. It was republicans that ran the underground railroad and the NRA that was northern WHITES who wanted to protect blacks freed from slavery.

Oh course the republicans were not good stewards of our money under Bush with 4 trillion in debt in 8 years. This current president has done over that in 4, yet he keeps the drones saying the same thing.

Does the leftist drones ever use any facts or just name calling? Geeee.....I dunno just read Michael Mellnick and he seems as solid as seaskip.....both are as solid as oatmeal, which they must need help with eating....through a government program, of course.

It’s laughable, how much are we talking about a measly $85 billion in spending cuts annually? That leaves just over $1 trillion to balance the budget. Also, we must not forget, our debt is around $16.6 trillion at the moment and one day we will have to start repaying it!!!

Our next few generations have their lives cut out for them thanks to our cavalier “living beyond our means” behavior.

Seaskip, the intellectual, reminds me of the person who commented on the Keystone Pipe line believing it was going to transport sand.

The next election should be interesting. After reading through this line of comments, the responses run about 50/50 for one party or the other. Both are blaming one another. All are 100% p.o.ed. What does this tell us?

It tells me that our government is clueless on how to run itself regarding finance (or just about anything else). Neither party has figured out how to balance a budget. No one is really in charge. Everyone is worried. (Sounds like my job, waddyaknow.)

Result: someone(s) is making money off the American public. The more they keep us confused and at each other's throats, the more opportunity they have to take money out of our pockets. It's what pickpockets do.

Reaction: On the next election cycle, vote every single one of them out. Get in all new blood. Obviously, the group we have now is totally and completely incapable, dishonest, shifty, incompetent, corrupt, etc. etc. etc. We CAN NOT do any worse. I'd rather see the dogcatcher as Speaker of the House than the loser we have in there now. I'd rather see the ditchdigger in the White House than the fingerpointer that's in there now, too. Every single one of them needs replaced. None is doing his/her job of getting this country moving in the right direction.

Many will argue what the right direction is, but at least we know we are going in the wrong direction now. My parents were some of the the worst parents in the world. Everything they ever told or taught me was wrong. (No wonder my childhood was so screwed up.) However, once I got a little older, I started listening to what they were saying, and I did the absolute opposite. I'm quite successful now, my budget balances, my home is paid for, my kids are grown and well, etc. Every time I have a question that I'm not sure of, I think of what my parents would have said/done, and I do the exact opposite. I haven't been wrong yet. We can do the same thing with Congress and governing this country.

Solution: Throw the bums out.

Most comments here are not factually correct or better said not analytically correct..

example - the Budget Control Act (BCA) effects specific parts of annual Federal Budget/Spending.. Specific parts of discretionary spending - with 50% split between defense and other federal program. SS and Medicare among other area are specifically exempt. The BCA had 2 rounds of spending reductions -- one implemented up front and the other called sequester implemented this year.

To be analytical correct in comments on "percentage reduction" you have to only use the dollars in the program effected == not a total budget denominator

example - the first part of BCA - for defense cuts - targeted about 45 billion a year for ten years on a a DOD base budget in the 600 billions - depending on year -- yes project budget with inflation and other reasons get larger in out years of budget planning -- This first cuts allowed target choice on application - so some part of the DOD budget saw no reductions - while other saw specific things stopped, but in targeted areas -- you saw begin 8-20% cuts.. overall of the base budget - not specific supplements for the "wars" the reduction is about 6-8% of originally projected base budget (this is true in other area of federal budget effected the reduction -- just not large area of budget is not subject to the BCA

The sequestor has more reductions target at the same effected areas -- same area are exempted

so it is another 8-9% reduction to DoD base budget -- also so far this year budget is on what is called Continuing resolution - no new year appropriation bill from congress. Just allowing spending at FY2012 level that was reduced by round one BCA.

So in targeted effect areas - the cuts are culminated 15-18%... unless modified the since these are actual targeted number / not percentage cuts as written -- sequester in FY2013 is all done in last six months for the budget year -- so percentage effect is doubled for that period of time..

I believe there are room for cuts, but the issue is a long term one and needs to be smartly and really does not be handled by balance of more revenue, properly done cuts especially long term reduction.. and despite the comments about reducing rate of spending growth not being cuts. they are and the long term cost control to flatten the increase cost curves of nearly every - SS, medicare, growth in discretionary spending are the real budget issues... anyone that actually understands budgets, inflation, and long term financial planning would understand the importance of flatten increasing cost curves

It's a shame that such a small cut in government spending hurts so many government dependent people.

Maybe it is time people stop being so dependant on government.

Good and I am glad for the cuts. Its time for us all to suffer together. There comes a point in time when we have to get off of this luxuary roller coaster we been on, and now face the hard times and reality. We need to do a little suffering for the out of control spending. You want to blame anyone , blame our people in office.. ALL of them, not just one side. These people in office are nothing like our fathers before them.

If we dont suffer now , then there will be plenty more when we have all the other nations banging down our doors, and trying to take america from us. You cant make everyone happy in this usa, sometimes some people just have to suffer.

It's always children starving to death, and a would be Einstein not having enough money for a pencil. Why don't the fearful start looking at the number of abandoned buildings which will never see habitation again, as written off maintenance cost expenses, instead of the loss of Einstein's pencil. There are other landing strips a fighter jet flying out of Chicago can be refueled at, and we're not having air to air combat over Chicago to begin with for their need to refuel. Get into the "sock drawer" of government expenditures and throw away all of the socks with holes in the toes, and face up to the facts the kids are wearing sandals and Grandma doesn't darn socks like Grandma did in the Great Depression. If the kids need some socks, get them at Walmart, and expect the expenditure to be temporary and not full time. This country has been one to overproduce, and then have the expenditure of warehousing that over production. When the cost of warehousing is greater, than the expected return on the goods warehoused, you've reached the stage of curtailing the production of the devalued product. Until that devalued product diminishes to the point where it is worth warehousing again, there's no justification of spending more money on it.

more scare tactics? good management of funds negates all this bs they are putting out,it is having the effect they wanted though. those evil republicans are to blame right? this is a reduction on an increase people,these programs were fine last year,what makes you think they won't be fine with more funding this year? remember THIS IS A REDUCTION OF AN INCREASE. Democrat= dispensement of lies to make the republicans look bad,get a grip knuckleheads,we need more cuts.

Everyone wants spending cuts! As long as it doesn't effect them then it cry cry cry.

tired2 It's a shame that such a small cut in government spending hurts so many government dependent people. the real shame is that there are so many people dependent on government hand outs!

Thank God for the house Republicans.. If not for them O'Bagger would have the debt up to $20 TRILLION by now!

I thought the sky is falling campaign might have ended Friday. Apparently not as NBC seeks to keep the fear mongering momentum going. And for the gifted writers of this article, Philadelphia is not a state.

dtrx...Took the words right out of my mouth. It is just a reduction in the INCREASE of spending. Obama seems to have left that part out of his henny penny tour.

Why does everyone think the size of our government should not be subject to cuts? Especially when we borough at least 35 cents of every dollar spent and the sequester is only going to cut less than 2 cents of every dollar spent. Higher taxes aren't the answer, cuts and reductions are. Government workers should not be immune to the terrible economy and it's high time this government is run more like a business.

Let me write slowly and use small words for the liberals in this crowd! The fact is, with the exception of defense (which liberals detest anyway) the across-the-board cuts are approximately 2%! If you made $5000/month in family income that would mean a cut of $100/month. Thus, in your personal budget, you would have to find savings of $100/month. Would you eat out less, or maybe downgrade your cable program! Maybe you would switch your insurance to Geico? (A cue to the "low information voter" which is screaming about the cuts!) How about buying less clothes or cheaper ones? Maybe you would have less in entertainment?

The problem with our government is that they have never had a SINGLE incentive to be efficient with OUR money! They constantly expect 5 - 10% increases in their budgets each year. The fact is that with most government programs there will not be cuts, just cuts in the rates of increase! Using my previous income estimate of $5000/month it would mean that you would really have ($5000 x 1.05) or $5250/month to spend! With a 2% cut in your "increase" you would really have $5245 to spend on your bills! Oh, the horror! Only having $245 more to spend is such a tragidy!

We need to tell our politicians in D.C., both Republican and Democrat, that the days of the taxpayer "gravy train" is over! We need efficiency from our bureaucracies and the ability of our politicians to say "NO" to giving away OUR tax dollars to illegal aliens, long-term non-productive members of society (not elderly or truly disabled) and to any tin-pot dictator which comes with their hands out. This is OUR money and not the government's!

@georgepauljohn- you sound just like I did when all the President Bush haters were complaining about going after beasts from the east after 9/11. And you all didn't move to Iraq like I suggested. So, no, I'm not leaving. In spite of the far left wing nuts and their savior, I believe in this country and I believe there is hope for it. And your argument that the Right is complaining about the cuts is a bunch of smoke . Most of the people who voted for Romney are delighted about the cuts. Bring on more cuts I say. What we are saying is obama likes to "punish his enemies" to use his words and in doing so he uses tactics for sympathy, like dragging out first responders and telling people their house will burn down because of the sequester. Or that waste pelosi saying the right is starving children. Despicable people using despicable threats to control their low information, under educated sheeple.

No Nancy Pelosi responses please: But why would our Congress vote themselves raises, when they are cutting other programs? They didn't earn them, they barely earn the pay they previously got (if even then). Since these cuts are against the increases, why did they add to the increases?

I have no problems with cuts to the increases, but we must be careful as to what is cut. Picking and choosing certain programs to take the hit is very predictable: the most vulnerable get cut first--ss, schools, children, elderly, the poor. Everyone screams about this, but the bottom line is that we must choose between taking care of people or taking care of things. I personally think we should take care of people, but that's just me. (Of course, we have some duds on the rolls, but they really are few and far between.)

Foreign aid--I don't think we should send one dime of foreign aid to anywhere. We need our funds here to take care of some of these cuts.

Lastly, we need to pull together to fix this mess. The constant congressional bickering is so old that it deserves to be cast out permanently. It's no wonder their approval rate is in single digits.

People think that the government works like their household. If you cut spending in your household, you have more money. That is not how it works. When the government cuts spending, you have less money, not more.

A cut of $85b is equal to 850,000 jobs at $100,000 each. Conservatives keep complaining that our employment numbers are unsatisfactory. How does adding 850,000 new unemployed help?

And consider that those 850,000 will now collect unemployment. But they will no longer pay taxes. And they will no longer buy stuff. Plus the services that they used to do will not get done. Your flight times will be longer. Poorer people will not get hot food for their kids at school lunches. Some of these missed services are like hidden taxes, as the middle class will need to pay out of pocket for them.

The big picture is this - we have a huge deficit, on the order of $1,000billion. Where will we get the money to make it up? Well, the combined wealth of the lower 50% of Americans is about $350billion. Less than half the deficit. The combined wealth of the top Forbes 400 is $1,300billion. More than the deficit. Our choices are: raise taxes and collect the wealth from those that have it. Or cut services and goods and jobs and try to take the wealth from those that don't have it.

That is the bottomline. The money has to come from either the rich who can afford it, or the middle class who cannot. The GOP doesn't want to touch one hair on the head of the rich, so they take every penny from the middle class. But it cannot work. The middle class cannot support it. They cannot provide more than a tiny fraction of the deficit without serious pain. And the serious pain will threaten to make the economy suffer more than any deficit gain. This is shooting ourselves in foot foolishness. All because the wealthy have so completely duped the conservative base.

We've got problems and I see no light
We gotta pull the plug , yes we gotta fight
Most folks the Government has gone go to far
Crazy politicians leading us from afar

Greece is the word
They put our wallets through growing pains
Why don't they understand, It's just a crying shame
Their lips are lying only real is real
We should stand up right now, show them how we feel

Greece is the word
Greece is the word, is the word that you heard
It's got austerity, and it is bleeding
Greece is the time, is the place is the motion
Greece is the way we are feeling

You take our earnings to throw away
Conventionality belongs to yesterday
We are lucky we have made it so far
We start saving now we can be where we were.

Greece is the word
Greece is the word, is the word that you heard
It's got austerity, and it is bleeding
Greece is the time, is the place is the motion
Greece is the way we are feeling
Politics is a life of illusion
Wrapped up in trouble laced with confusion
What we doing here?

We are disposable we are throw away
Conventionality belongs to yesterday
There's no way to fuel you car
Better buy a bicycle but you wont get far

Greece is the word
Greece is the word, is the word that you heard
It's got austerity, and it is bleeding
Greece is the time, is the place is the motion
Greece is the way we are feeling

Greece is the word, is the word that you heard
We are broke and bleeding
Greece is the time, they've done sunk in the ocean(financially)
Greece is the way we are feeling

Greece is the word
Is the word
Is the word
Is the word
Is the word
Is the word
Is the word
Is the word
Is the word

zapper45701:

No Nancy Pelosi responses please: But why would our Congress vote themselves raises, when they are cutting other programs?

They can not. They can only aprrove an incrreease or decrease for the next Congress and/or Prresident.

Foreign aid--I don't think we should send one dime of foreign aid to anywhere. We need our funds here to take care of some of these cuts.

Well, the Obama Adminstartio just gave hundreds of millions to the Rebels in Syra.

Lastly, we need to pull together to fix this mess. The constant congressional bickering is so old that it deserves to be cast out permanently. It's no wonder their approval rate is in single digits.

Not so. The representatives of the people have always bickered in session since the founding of the USA (1781-1789).

noncoms:

People think that the government works like their household. If you cut spending in your household, you have more money. That is not how it works. When the government cuts spending, you have less money, not more.

How funny!!!

A cut of $85b is equal to 850,000 jobs at $100,000 each. Conservatives keep complaining that our employment numbers are unsatisfactory. How does adding 850,000 new unemployed help?

Really??? The 2.2% cut is equal to the FY2011 Federal government spending level - one (1) year ago. Did the USA add 850,000 jobs? No, it did not.

The big picture is this - we have a huge deficit, on the order of $1,000billion. Where will we get the money to make it up? Well, the combined wealth of the lower 50% of Americans is about $350billion. Less than half the deficit. The combined wealth of the top Forbes 400 is $1,300billion. More than the deficit. Our choices are: raise taxes and collect the wealth from those that have it. Or cut services and goods and jobs and try to take the wealth from those that don't have it.

It appears you are confusing the budget deficit and the USA's credit limit (currently $16.6 Trillion). These are two (2) different items. Plus, the only wealth/rich tax in the USA is the death tax. The USA federal income tax system is based on net annual earned income and 70% is paid by the top 10% of income earners. Key word is "earners".

Louie Bee Comment collapsed by the community

Any senior citizen, latino, student, black, woman or anyone in their right mind who would vote for a Tea Party or wimpy Republican candidate in 2014 is cutting their own throat by using their own purse strings.

As opposed to tying the purse strings around the necks of their children and letting their kids worry about the mess we're in down the road. Guess you're not willing to accept the lesser of two evils if it will cut into your bennies huh?.

I don't really see a problem isn't this what the GOP wanted was budget cuts. The only thing the GOP is great at is playing the blame game. They get the cuts they where after now it is Obama fault. I'm surprised the GOP isn't jumping around yelling we won! We won!

noncoms

People think that the government works like their household. If you cut spending in your household, you have more money. That is not how it works. When the government cuts spending, you have less money, not more.

A cut of $85b is equal to 850,000 jobs at $100,000 each. Conservatives keep complaining that our employment numbers are unsatisfactory. How does adding 850,000 new unemployed help?

Ummmm, you do realize that every single penny used to pay those government employees comes out of the taxpayers pockets right???

Aside from that you are dead wrong. We don't need to fire a single person, all we need to do is stop replacing those who retire and we could cut back on programs and departments over time with no affect on unemployment at all.

Lyle Kellogg

The only thing the GOP is great at is playing the blame game.

And they place a distant second to the President in this area also.

Price of gas will now come down . In 6 months this may look good

The news media absolutely sucks!

Here they are again with their left leaning "heart breaking" stories of nothing. It's all BS and invented to make you all feel sorry for one thing or another. Not good.

How about listing all the BS pork that every senator, representative and governor is insisting on? That would open the eyes of the not so swift American public that howls about that their Dumbama does not get what he wants after he screwed everything up since 2011. Eliminate those costs and why you are at it, list the amount of subsidies and foreign aid that need to be cut out. That should be quite e tidy sum.

Stop this "heart wrenching" BS, people. Who cares?

"Head Start Programs" ? Don't they mean, day care for people who don't want to take care of their own offspring ! The kids will always suffer the acts of adults.

So lets look at this in how they voted. Democrats put the sequester in the bill to make the Republicans agree to the Tax increase. President Obama signed the bill into law knowing that this would come to fruition. So -

California - Blue state

New York - Blue State

Texas Purple State

Chicago - Blue as it gets

Philadelphia - As blue as Chicago

Florida - Blue

Connecticut - Blue

Maryland - Blue

Remember when the negotiations were on, Obama had just won the reelection and all of you Libs said he now had his agenda. Suck it up Buttercup. You are large and in charge and all of this is your doing. Can't blame the Republicans, they only own the house. For you libs to better understand, Republicans only own 1/3 of Government. You own it It is yours

"Ummmm, you do realize that every single penny used to pay those government employees comes out of the taxpayers pockets right???"

Technically, no. That money came from selling treasury bonds. The benefits of this is supposedly that we will borrow less. But that benefit will not be achieved if the combination of increased unemployment, reduced revenue, and shrunken economy add up to more than $85b. In point of fact, we may have to borrow MORE not less to cover the costs.

Look - it is a tightrope walk that we do. Spend more without stimulating the economy means we have to borrow more. Spend less but harm the economy means we have to borrow more. We need to be smart and careful. Clinton got us to that "trillion dollar surplus" state without once decreasing spending. What he did was a smart mix of slowed spending and increased revenue. It takes real smarts to get it right. What congress did was dumb. That doesn't help.

Lynn is an example of the confusion among the anti-Obama camp. Some say "Yay, we got the sequester! Spending is cut!" Others say "It's Obama's fault we got the sequester!" I think it is a sign that anti-Obama critics haven't got a clue of how the economy works, they just want to both "win" and "blame Obama."

Guess MSNBC didn't get the memo last Friday, their dear leader Odumbo was backing away from his own forecast of Armageddon faster than a speeding bullet. I refuse to believe their isn't 25% that could be cut from the federal budget, much less the 2.5% that sequester forces. That small amount should be totally invisible to everyone involved. I sense a change in the mood of the electorate and in the end it will be Odumbo and the democrats who suffer the consequences, but not until every American sees and feels the folly in Odumbo's policies and endless political posturing.

noncoms

Technically, no. That money came from selling treasury bonds

The money for those jobs comes out of the taxpayers pocket whether they pay the bill today or pay it tomorrow with interest.

My point remains valid and throws your excuses in the garbage. All we need to do is STOP replacing Federal employees as they retire, reducing the size and cost of government without any negative impact on the economy.

Backcountry: you don't understand how things work. Here is something you should study:

Sequestration 101

As part of the $85 billion in cuts in 2013, say $1billion comes from cutting a GM contract to supply tanks. The federal government fires 10 oversight people. GM says, “how do we handle a loss of $1billion?” Answer, they lay off 5,000 workers (at $100k each, that’s $500 million) and cut subcontracts by $500,000,000 million. One of those is Acme Treads, who say “how do we handle a loss of $100 million?” Answer, they lay off 500 workers and cut subcontractors by $50,000,000. One of those is Acme ball bearings. They say “how do we handle of a loss of $10 million?” Answer, they fire 50 corporate workers and close their factory at Littleton, Tenneessee. And Littleton, Tennessee, says, “How do we handle a loss of $5 million in income?” Answer, Bob’s barber shop closes, and Flo’s dinner, and Fred’s Garage closes. And Tennessee closes one of the two town public schools, and the post office closes its branch office.

And then what? All these workers immediately apply for unemployment insurance and food stamps. At least their income taxes go to zero, right? But so do their contributions to social security and medicare, which face shortcomings and must be made up by the government, etc.

And what is it in aid of? Where is the benefit? Well, the government borrowed $1billion less for the tank contract, but it finds its revenue is off and its social services is increased, and it finds that it needs to borrow maybe even more than a billion to make it up.

But what is the silver lining? The people of Littleton, and those laid off by Acme bearing, and those laid off by Acme Treads, and those laid off by GM, all realize - these Republicans are crazy! And GM and all their subcontractors say to themselves, next election, the GOP doesn’t get a dime from us!

Obama should be crying.

This is one Policy that has made him look like a "Fool". People will not forget---not enough Fireman, Police, Not enough Food Inspectors, Teachers will be layed off, and the list goes on to save a measly 82 Billion dollars out of 17,000,000,000,000 already spent only by him, and more to come--Is this Iran's Dictatorship?---or a spoof? There will be chaos in the streets, the Country already deeply divided among themselves, and a questionable solid US Government. Is Joe Biden running it?

We the Taxpayers have had it with his spending, taxing, and threats---of which are miminal compared to what lies ahead for the poor, middle class, Retireds, and the next Generation, your kids.

He and Michelle will continue to live their Regal life, while the second class citizens work in the rice fields for nothing. Thank you Mr. President. You have done nothing positive for this country.

Reading these blogs is eyeopening! Most of you liberals do not even know who is responsible for the sequester! How can the ignorant even post. You are like sheep at the edge of cliff and Obama shuing you off the edge. PLEASE EDUCATE YOURSELVES!

lol Sequester SHOCK? How about sequester JOKE? If the gov't can't deal with a 2.5 percent reduction without letting criminals out of prison (see Arizona), then we have the wrong person in charge of our gov't. But then again, we already knew that.

But of course NBC would make it look liek armageddon is upon us. Nice spin, NBC. Perhaps that's another reason why NBC was tied with the Comedy Channel for LAST PLACE when people were polled to identify the most trusted news network. And why NBC came in last place for Feb sweeps month.

Is that a flush I just heard? NBC are you there? NBC? NBC???

Realist:

Apparently thousands, not several prisoners were released. The Media and Government does not want Americans to know-=-another appeasement by the Media/Government--wonder if there was an Apology.

The Media has blocked all important information from the American people---what important news re: other Countries, or what is happening behind the scenes in the WH has anyone read the past almost 5 years---What happened to Syria, Libya, Benhazi, etc?---

It's called Censorship, just like in any other Socialist or Communist Country--America the Beautiful, is now America the land of Dictatorship and Censorship---"Cry ME a River" that we have lost many of our Freedoms, Freedom of Speech, and Freedom of an Open Country where life was happy and glorious.

no no no no no .....it was fox news, THEY caused all this don't cha know!!!!!!!!! according to the left THAT is the ONLY source of propaganda, and misleading info.....................LOL

LOL Kilroy, yes that damn Fox News - giving the facts that are so inconvenient that the libtards choose to dismiss them. If only Fox News didn't exist, we could all be blissfully ignorant to what's going on in the world.

So the 'doomsday' predictions have moved from March 1st to April 1st, and when nothing much happens THEN, I'm sure the Obama Administration will have another excuse why "The Sky is Falling" didn't happen.

Obama should get an academy award for "Best Actor" - it would look nice next to the Nobel Peace Prize that he got for giving a speech. Maybe Michelle could present it to him.

buhahahahahahahaah........no sh@t roy..........

Thousands are going to lose their jobs,unemployment claims are going to go up. Others are going to be furloughed and lose income. Nothing good is in this for the economy long run. The dems have no plans nor any ideas how to fix these problems nor can they come up with any viable strategies that would work in reality to avoid the inevitable. All they are good at is pointing the blame elsewhere and the rest of us suffer for it. Notice there's no talk of them taking any paycuts.

Obama's bluff was called - the sky is falling... the sky is falling...

Yawn

I call B.S. on the section about California. The part about education is a flat out lie!! When the people of that communist state decided to have their own lottery start back in the 80's, part of the agreement between the federal government and the state was that a portion of EVERY dollar played would go to the states education system. When the FED started to see how much money was being accumulated for education there, they decided to cutback on spending to the states system. Hence, like a balencing scale nobody noticed a difference of money going and comming through the school system until lately when their budgets were so swollen that it couldn't be hidden anylonger. So now the state relies almost totally on the gaming industry to get funds for education. This i know for a fact, because i use to work for the states lottery and it was a @!$%#ed up mess when i worked there. The theft was absolutely unbelievable, as it was impossible to keep track of the amount of money comming into the lotteries recieving center by the hour. Theft was rampant among the higher executives, so of course they had to maintain their lifestyles by skimming the pools. Next time you hear about a mega pool lottery anywhere in the U.S., just think in the back of your mind how much was stolen and how much went to the school's. I'm betting that it wasn't nearly as much as the crooked politician who got it passed in that state!

Roy Wilson:

Good comments. It is a wonderment to me how the majority of people in the US have finally opened their minds and eyes to see what is happening to our Country.

What Pres. Obama says he would do, then he actually goes through with the idea---he is not a Team Player, nor does he make any effort to consult with other Advisors close to him, the Cabinet, Congress, House of Representatives--he dictates---over uses Executive Privilege--everyone is kept in the dark as to what is about to occur. The Presidential Cabinet members are on their "Own"; making their own Deals.

Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security gave the approval along with Obama, to set over 2,000 illegal Immigrants out of jail; many are criminals; that was before he made plans for Laws for Immigration--this was in January---

Do we have a President? or a collection of filled positions?

Employment numbers will rise to new levels with the Immigrants released. They will be back doing the hard labor, (taking benefits, using counterfeit Social Security Numbers, driving,) most Americans do not want to do, or keep the Drug Trafficking in full swing---more murders to come along the border.

Is anyone "Home"?

Louie Bee

Any senior citizen, latino, student, black, woman or anyone in their right mind who would vote for a Tea Party or wimpy Republican candidate in 2014 is cutting their own throat by using their own purse strings.

Anyone in their right mind who would vote for the tax and spend democrats in 2014 is voting to bankrupt our country and bury it under a mountain of debt we'll never be able to repay, crushing the economy for ALL future generations.

Laura-3089574

Really Government does create jobs, I guess all those Congress men's jobs were created by the private sector, as well as the postal workers, defense, etc... Yes they do not create most jobs, but they can pave the way, such as improving our infrastructure, which is badly needy, invest in our children's education, science, environment, but of course instead investing, the Repubs and teaparty would never have that.

We will end up like Europe and Greece, look what austity did for them, double recession. When is the right going to wake up, you have to cut, spend and get extra revenue in order to improve our economy, and create more jobs. Its called a balance approach.

The Republicans and Tea Party will pay a huge political price, especially if our economy tanks, as well as millions of Americans lose their jobs.

Really? Are you sure? If Obama get his way the economy will implode, collapse and disintegrate with historians placing the blame on his ass. I guess it's ok if he makes a few political points though?

JimSpence "OK, show me in what year Clintons “surplus” occurred. In order for a surplus to exist one or more years must be lower than the preceding year."

You are absolutely correct - The National Debt increased for EVERY YEAR under Clinton. The so-called 'Surplus' was claimed by 'borrowing' money from the Social Security/Medicare Trust Funds, and then claiming that it 'reduced the Deficit' (talk about smoke and mirrors).

By that definition, we have never had a Deficit in our history, because when we needed more money to pay our bills, we simply 'borrowed' it.

• Saturday March 9, 2013 -
• THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW
• Just love the ominous-looking front page Capitol Building shot!

Well, you gotta laugh---Sequestration Speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c1zZ9x7UJE&feature=em-share_video_user

Doesn't anyone find it interesting that not one of these cuts will effect any politican or his or her pay at all..nor their benefit package..just everyone elses. While any of those in congress retire they do not need social security..they pay as a politican continues even after they are out...and at over 150k per member..thats pretty good considering its the tax payers that are paying for it and having their own retirement pay cut.

• 54 BILLION given to the Fossil Fuel Industry (BY THE REPUBLICANS) while they are marking record profits. Gotta love those subsidies. * Favorite example of WASTEFUL SPENDING. Thank your republican members of congress.. we get to pay HIGHER taxes, so corporations can KEEP more of their profits.

Harry S Truman said it best.

"Republicans approve of the American farmer, but they are willing to help him go broke. They stand four-square for the American home--but not for housing. They are strong for labor--but they are stronger for restricting labor's rights. They favor minimum wage--the smaller the minimum wage the better. They endorse educational opportunity for all--but they won't spend money for teachers or for schools. They think modern medical care and hospitals are fine--for people who can afford them. They consider electrical power a great blessing--but only when the private power companies get their rake-off. They think American standard of living is a fine thing--so long as it doesn't spread to all the people. And they admire of Government of the United States so much that they would like to buy it."

Republicans should BE LOVING the automatic cuts

The "Obama Bucks" line at the Social Welfare office in NYC is NOW CLOSED.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5tqH7UrzOw

What Obama Bucks? You mean Obama has his picture on money? Amazing too, that the Democrats want Americans to "EAT" while they look for jobs. The same JOBS that corporations MOVE TO other countries, and are rewarded with a TAX CREDIT by the Republicans. Gotta love the Republicans Job's program.

Oh and let's tote "WALMART" as a prime example of a great Republican Business Plan. Let's pay our works just enough to where they really can't make it, and tell them to go to the GOVT for a health care.

Yep, pretty soon he will be on the $2 bill.

Mr. Obama has had a "laser beam" on jobs since the Spring of 2009. His FAILED stimulus costing $ 862,000,000,000 was supposed to fix that. However, Mr. Obama (laughing on National TV) said the "shovel ready" jobs were not so "shovel ready". Mr. Biden also stated on National TV the stimulus FAILED.

Talk about shipping jobs overseas....Mr. Obama's Jobs Czar (CEO GE) is leading the pack for shipping jobs to CHINA. Yep, you guessed it....GE did NOT PAY ANY IRS INCOME TAXES LAST YEAR.

I didn't hear anyone from the Tea movement saying they will take a cut in their benefits & salaries, that would be unthinkable !!!

WHO allowed GE TO PAY ZERO TAXES?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/22/us-usa-tax-corporate-idUSTRE81K25N20120222

Obama offers to keep CORPORATE Taxes LOWER in exchange for closing tax loopholes. Who said NO... REPUBLICANS. Let's see.. Republicans - Move jobs to other countries, we'll give you a tax credit ON TOP of the stimulus.

Republican's in the 112th session of Congress:

"The numbers: Republicans have introduced 44 bills on abortion, 99 on religion, 71 on family relationships, 36 on marriage, 67 on firearms/gun control, 522 on taxation, 445 on ‘government investigations,’ and zero on job creation."

It's more important to: Regulate Women's Vaginas, tell us what our religion is and violate the 1st amendment, telling gays/lesbians, you pay the same taxes, but we are going to discriminate against you and tell you who you can and cannot love.

Republicans should BE LOVING the automatic cuts

We do! We do! Our hope is that more are coming before the libs start spending trillions more we don't have.

ItsAboutTime-3704531....."Obama offers to keep CORPORATE Taxes LOWER in exchange for closing tax loopholes. Who said NO... REPUBLICANS."

Corporate TAXES in the United States are the highest in the World. And Mr. "Drama" Obama wants to INCREASE THE TAXES even more.

ItsAboutTime

Oh and let's tote "WALMART" as a prime example of a great Republican Business Plan. Let's pay our works just enough to where they really can't make it, and tell them to go to the GOVT for a health care.

Not to mention that the only place they can afford to shop is at WalMart.

ldo

Corporate TAXES in the United States are the highest in the World. And Mr. "Drama" Obama wants to INCREASE THE TAXES even more.

LOL. ON PAPER they are the highest. I posted a link of MAJOR US COMPANIES that PAID NO TAXES.. WHO allows that? Republicans. Don't you enjoy paying higher taxes so the Republican Fossil Fuel SUBSIDY of 54 BILLION can continue? You talk about wasteful spending, which I agree with to a point, but when are the Republicans going to OWN UP TO THEIR wasteful spending.

Try again

Yep, the Obama children certainly deserved to be designated "Senior White House Staff" on Mrs. Obama's vacation to Africa. Being designated "Senior", the American taxpayers picked up the tab.

Talk about WASTEFUL.

Wait a minute, her bangs look so good.

This is all G.W. Bush's Fault !!!

When Clinton left office this Nation was thriving !!!

When GWB left office our Country was Bankrupt !!!

You liberal idiots still don't have a clue that obozo has been in office for over 4 years. When does it start being his fault?

ItsAboutTime.

Love that Truman quote. Mind if I use it?

obama gets pix on 3 dollar bill all he is worth

ldo

I am sure BUSH felt the same way, I mean... 1000+ Vacation days.. over 171 MILLION spent that we know about for them too? When are you righties going to HOLD Obama to the same standards as your POTUS. Oh wait, we all know that Obama does have HIGHER STANDARDS

ItsAboutTime, I second that, Obama's Standards go well beyond GWB !!!

seaskip, are you really an idiot blamimg Bush. How about this...it's all FDR's fault, he created the welfare state. Wait it's LBJ's fault, he furthered the welfare state. Wait, it's Jimmy Carter's fault, he drove the country down like no other...wait, it's Hoover's fault, he sent us into the Great Depression... will anything ever be the socialist muslim's fault??

seaskip:

This is all G.W. Bush's Fault !!!

When Clinton left office this Nation was thriving !!!

When GWB left office our Country was Bankrupt !!!

What court granted the USA bankruptcy protection?

When Clinton left office we were working towards a recession, when bush left office we were in a recession.... all square... Bush didn't blame Clinton for everything that happened since he knew the President isn't the only one at fault for this... we all are. We should all try to work together to get through this, not expect the government to take care of us all.

When Clinton left office we had a surplus, get it right !!!

So you think Obama should have been able to handle the Bush economic tsunami in just four years with the GOP vowing to torpedo him on day one.

Itsabouttime, Im all for helping someone get back on their feet, the problem is getting Dems to get off their asssssssss in order to get them back on their feet.

We never had a surplus except on paper.... if we had a true surplus, we wouldn't have still had a deficit. We had a bubble waiting to happen, just like Bush did with the housing market. Clinton lucked out and the bubble burst after he was out of office. Bush wasn't as lucky... Both did good things for the country, I'm hoping Obama can try to yet as well. Someone has to finally step forward and stop this wastefull spending.

Stupid liberals worry about govt. cuts but do not care when thousands of coal miners have been given pink slips because of this administrations war on coal.

The govt. needs to cut $2 trillion in spending and start paying back the debt.

kEVIN, Why don't you buy a coal furnace for your house, then you and your kids can stand outside your house and do breathing exercises. As a matter of fact, all you republicans can do it and save the few thousand jobs while killing your kids. Coal is bad for many reasons. too long to get into. But don't let that stop you. A new Coal furnace is just a phone call away.

WHYHIDEANYTHING: Go look up the any of Clinton's budgets, then look up any of bush's budgets. math does not lie. republicans do.

@ George, yes let's look at GW's numbers, an average unemployment numbers around 5.5%, even with the greatest attack on US soil since Pearl Harber. How about that GDP growth?? Only about double that of Obama's. It's funny how you seem to forget that math.

Gotta love Republican logic. They tell you to "pick yourself up by your own bootstraps" and then their very next sentence is "Thank that rich guy over their for your job".

You've really gotta turn off the ol' brain to pull that kind of logic off and still be able to look in the mirror....(right StopFreeL's?)

As far as paying off the debt goes, we were in the black when Clinton left office...

http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2012/05/24/who-is-the-smallest-government-spender-since-eisenhower-would-you-believe-its-barack-obama/

ok - ido - what's this claim of laser beam focus. YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO that the PRESIDENT cannot DO anything ON THEIR OWN. and there is a DISTINCT lack of cooperation on the part of the RETHUGs.

you DO understand pipe that your stratistic is about as FUC KING BOGUS as it can be. The driver for those low unemployment figures were those TWO unfunded (as in OFF THE BOOKS) $$ SIX TRILLION MILITARY FIASCOES. or are YOU so uneducated as to forget them? in which case you have a minor excuse - lack of intelligence always bails someone out of the SH IT - even IF they are obviously professing BULLS HIT.

Here are a few more charts for you and only one uses spending as a percent of GDP as the metric.

http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/federal_spending_chart

If we are having a hard time closing the deficit how can you even talk about "...paying off the debt.."? "You've really gotta turn off the ol' brain to pull that kind of logic off and still be able to look in the mirror....".

The GDP going up does not curtail the government's cost and certainly does not curtail government spending. More charts.

This one is bad:
http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/spending_chart_1980_2017USb_13s1li011mcn_F0f

On this one look for the WW1 & WW2 bumps in spending and get back to be with what % of GDP they were:
http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/spending_chart_1900_2017USb_13s1li011mcn_F0f

54 BILLION given to the Fossil Fuel Industry (BY THE REPUBLICANS)

Since when did the republicans get unilateral control of the federal purse strings? You point out the giveaways to republican supporters but ignore the giveawqays to the democrat supporters. Do you honestly think the dems didn't get anything in trade for that "54 BILLION"?

There is a saying in Washington DC - "you suck my d!.. and I'll suck yours". That way both parties enjoy their bartering. The reason we hear about all of the ranting is that sometimes the dems and repubs don't like who they get paired up with.

This is all G.W. Bush's Fault !!!

When Clinton left office this Nation was thriving !!!

When GWB left office our Country was Bankrupt !!!

I'm sure you are being sarcastic. So for those who think you are serious:

When Bush took office, Billie left him a debt of $5.7 Trillion. When obama took office "W" left him a tab of $10.6 Trillion. By the last reporting day of obama's first term he had increased the debt to over $16.4 Trillion- more than a 54% increase in one term.

First Term: Obama Increased Debt $50,521 Per Household; More Than First 42 Presidents in 53 Terms Combined - See more at: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/first-term-obama-increased-debt-50521-household-more-first-42-presidents-53-terms#sthash.Aj3pQkv8.dpuf

Clinton had a surplus...Clinton had a surplus... that mantra is getting a little tired and worn out - besides being fictitious. The debt never went to zero while he was in office. Clinton also had the luxury of doing absolutely nothing and watching the economy take off... because of the internet and personal computer boom of the 90's. What Clinton did do was tie Oil to the stock market which is causing our $4 a gallon gas. Clinton is also responsible for the housing boom and subsequent crash. He is the one responsible for the free money loans to buy houses people couldn't afford... man you liberals love rose colored glasses.

Seaskip------when Clinton left office he GAVE the Chinese communists ICBM technology. Clinton had a surplus and a balanced budget yes, how many times was the government shut down to MAKE him sign the republican run congresses budget.......can you read THIS...A BUDGET! I live with one, Obama should too, and THAT is not Bush's fault. What a drone.

Clinton had a surplus...Clinton had a surplus... that mantra is getting a little tired and worn out - besides being fictitious.

It was real enough to be used as a justification for the first Bush tax cut by Republicans. Are you saying the justification for that tax cut was a lie?

Clinton also had the luxury of doing absolutely nothing and watching the economy take off... because of the internet and personal computer boom of the 90's. What Clinton did do was tie Oil to the stock market which is causing our $4 a gallon gas. Clinton is also responsible for the housing boom and subsequent crash. He is the one responsible for the free money loans to buy houses people couldn't afford... man you liberals love rose colored glasses.

And Bush did nothing to change any of those things in his 8 years in office.

Now that we've assigned blame, let's solve some problems already!!!

KevinT

primary reason for coal's problems are the dramatic domestic expanse of Natural Gas (cheap) and the secondary boom in domestic oil.... mostly NG.. Natural Gas is far cleaner and cheaper than coal -- so lots of new and conversion of electric plant is NG.. no dealing with trains, large coal yard, or piles and piles of spend coal ash and it's pollution and land requirements and the burning of the NG is cleaner

Large volumes of coal mined only has one place to go -- export to other country with little othre choices but coal use.. This market is alos shrink and other source of fuel are found

Clinton would not have had a "surplus" if you did not include the social security tax! By using a tactic, which all politicians have used, that artificially reduces your appearance of being in debt, Clinton tried to make himself look better! This would be like having $40,000 in credit card debt, but, you have $50,000 in a work 401k so you actually have a $10,000 surplus! The problem is that when you retire you will lose your income (as will most who retire) and have to live on the money in your 401K! The problem is that the people who will be getting Social Security will not have the earning capacity that they had before they retired! The issue now is that these people are retiring and their income production will not support the massive liberal programs that have been created!

Don't you enjoy paying higher taxes so the Republican Fossil Fuel SUBSIDY of 54 BILLION can continue? You talk about wasteful spending, which I agree with to a point, but when are the Republicans going to OWN UP TO THEIR wasteful spending.

We subsidize energy for the same reason we subsidize food, we can't live without it. You Mr "Its about time" wouldn't be on this site spewing your same old rhetoric over and over, and over again if it weren't for fuel. I think we should subsidize them more because you waste so much of that energy right here!

Once again I have to take the liberals to task for another lie! They constantly bring out $54 Billion in giveaways to the oil and gas industries! This is closer to about $3 Billion (according to President Obama in one of his presidential debates) per year and is there for accellerated depreciation of expensive, mainly union-made, oil field equipment! This enabled the oil companies to write-off their equipment faster so that they could afford to buy more, and more efficient, equipment. This created thousands, mainly union, jobs in this country! When was the last time you heard of an oil company taking hundreds of millions in direct government loans and then going bankrupt? How about Abound Solar (which has also left massive amounts of toxic waste at their plant which Colorado and the federal government will have to pay to clean up!) Solyndra also comes to mind.

Obama also said that over $90 BILLION was given to the green energy industry during his first term! About 30 times what the oil companies had in their tax write offs! I guess we can now just get in our solar-powered car and drive as long as we want for nothing! (If you believe this I have a nice shiny bridge for you in Brooklyn! Only a few bucks!)

I don't really see a problem isn't this what the GOP wanted was budget cuts. The only thing the GOP is great at is playing the blame game. They get the cuts they where after now it is Obama fault. I'm surprised the GOP isn't jumping around yelling we won! We won!

We need to cut Medicaid to all the southern states that hate Obama and America. Its time that we let them seceed if indeed they want to do so. Stop all trade with them, let them teach Jesus and not science in their schools, and boycott their goods and people who want jobs in the remaining United States. People are sick and tired of their anti-government, racist, and bigoted rhetoric and should just dump them while we have the chance.

The Republicans (chortle) are the ones (chortle, chortle, chortle) playing the blame (Oh my god, lol, lol,lol) game! And the liberals (Oh my side hurts) have never blamed someone else (Oh please make me stop!) for their own issues! The liberals in the government only want to give good government (lmfao on the floor) and could care less about the money that they make (please call 911, I can't breath)! I am so glad that we have liberals in government because I heard that people who laugh live much longer! (I just hope that Obama and his cohorts don't nationalize my 401K and then means test it later so that they can steal even more of my money!)

Tracontech, I guess you are one of those liberal, religion-hating, bigots! You want to take money from people just because they are religious. How about giving them school vouchers so that they can take their kids from the liberal, religion-hating public schools? I also would not have an issue with you sending your kids into classrooms which teach "progressive" ideals, but, I just want the option not to send my children to the same school! I guess "freedom of choice" is only OK if you choose the liberal position! BTW, I am not religious, but, I am sick and tired of hearing the hate spewed out by this political class towards virtually all religions. (You seem to leave out Islam, but, I think that is out of fear!)

lol Sequester SHOCK? How about sequester JOKE? If the gov't can't deal with a 2.5 percent reduction without letting criminals out of prison (see Arizona), then we have the wrong person in charge of our gov't. But then again, we already knew that.

But of course NBC would make it look liek armageddon is upon us. Nice spin, NBC. Perhaps that's another reason why NBC was tied with the Comedy Channel for LAST PLACE when people were polled to identify the most trusted news network. And why NBC came in last place for Feb sweeps month.

Is that a flush I just heard? NBC are you there? NBC? NBC???

Those programs are untouchable. We must continue to fund the Pakisatani military so they can build their nuclear weapons to threaten India. This is more important then meals on wheel!

sdpaulson #3, this crazy foreign aid is destroying us as a Nation, the world is Laughing at us, !!!

Sounds exactly what Obama is allowing to happen......remember how Bush was blamed when it was on his watch......well now it is Obama's watch.....let the blame be the same for both.

1.5 percent of the budget is foreign aid. 83 percent is social programs, defense is 14. WAKE UP, it ain't Israel, or even the Muslim brotherhood, it's our social spending. The waste fraud and abuse overlap is MORE that the 44 billion the next few months, and the total 85 billion overall that will according to Obama CRIPPLE our country.......85 billion is the EXACT amount we print off every month and give to Wall street in QE 4 ad infinity.

I have an idea on how to properly fund our government. How about going back to the 2008 funding levels for all parts of government. Then we only increase funding by the rate of inflation plus the rate of increase in our population, less 1%! This would be set in stone and bureaucrats who actually found ways to save money in their budget would be rewarded not fired!

lol Sequester SHOCK? How about sequester JOKE? If the gov't can't deal with a 2.5 percent reduction without letting criminals out of prison (see Arizona), then we have the wrong person in charge of our gov't. But then again, we already knew that.

But of course NBC would make it look liek armageddon is upon us. Nice spin, NBC. Perhaps that's another reason why NBC was tied with the Comedy Channel for LAST PLACE when people were polled to identify the most trusted news network. And why NBC came in last place for Feb sweeps month.

Is that a flush I just heard? NBC are you there? NBC? NBC???

lol Sequester SHOCK? How about sequester JOKE?

Those who make it look like armageddon is upon us (NBC and the libtard sheep) are trying to deceive. Nice spin, but if the gov't can't deal with a 2.5 percent reduction without letting criminals out of prison (see Arizona), then we have the wrong person in charge of our gov't. But then again, we already knew that.

Perhaps that's another reason why NBC was tied with the Comedy Channel for LAST PLACE when people were polled to identify the most trusted news network. And why NBC came in last place for Feb sweeps month. Is that a flush I just heard? NBC are you there? NBC? NBC???

Yep, and Mr. Obama doesn't know how many States he visited during his 2008 campaign:

• 47, no 48, maybe 49 and one more to go.

Heeeerverd sure knows how to "preach" Liberalism though.

Oh yes... Obama makes one mistake... on the total number of states.. and suddenly... Hmm.. BUSH admits IRAQ was a MISTAKE;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spXMfBud0lQ

How many republicans does it take to change a lightbulb? NONE. They'd rather sit in the dark and BLAME OBAMA for it.

Well, we know what our mistake was. Electing the great divider as president.

hjack

What does BUSH have to do with this? I know we are still paying for his legacy but...

Cry me a river libs....you guys just hitched your wagon to a loser and you don't like it.....

GWB dumped two unfunded Wars on a incoming President was just Nasty, that is just Nuts !!!

COYOTEHUNTER

Cry me a river libs....you guys just hitched your wagon to a loser and you don't like it.....

And Romney was such a great candidate? How long did you cry or are you still at it?

Seaskip We have over a $ trillion in unfunded stupid crap we do not need. USDE is the worst idea anyone ever came up with. (Carter) Kids can't spell or read, they can't multiply or add without a calculator. They have no idea where Zambia is on a world map. Cash for clunkers was a waste. All it did was put a higher demand on used vehicles and the price of them went up. Yeah that helped the poor, it made it harder for them to buy a dependable used car. Then there is Freddie and Fannie, a project that cost the country with a downgrade in ratings, cost more then the last 3 wars combined.

You complain about 2 unfunded wars. Why are we spending more with only one war going on now? Apparently you think the military operates for free during peace time. You can't just ground the planes, put the submarines and aircraft carriers in the dock, that costs more.

Louie, lol the only crying i hear is from republicans. when Obama won a second term he went nuts. i have fun busting his horns daily. Just like I have fun reading the pain in this and other blogs. your tears empower me, lol Just reading all the made up figures and BS that republicans use to justify the destruction of Bush and Chaney. How desperate the republicans are to blame the guy who saved us from depression, makes me giggle.

here's some fun facts: the DOW, which is the biggest gauge of capitalism, was 7k under Bush and is now 14K. the trade deficit is down 20%, the housing and unemployment numbers are improving very slowly, BUT ARE IMPROVING, Most of the Banks and insurance companies that were bailed out, have paid the money back already. lol AIG not only paid back the money but is making great profits again.

So in closing, all your trolling is not having any effect on me or my fellow liberals. But if at first you don't succeed, cry cry again.

Cry me a river libs....you guys just hitched your wagon to a a loser and you don't like it....

Lol....that's a good one. I think the candidate I voted for, who is our President, is the winner! And you're right, I don't like it....I love it!

Here's the deal....you lost and you're flailing for some legitimacy (and you're doing so while using a phrase such as "hitched your wagon"...lol).

is that your brain cell count ido? C'mon - join the rest of the INTELLIGENT community (oh, but wait - that would necessitate voting DEMOCRATIC and your minor function BRAIN would think there some attempt at "perversion")

Just three days ago I saw the clip on the number of states obama had visited - he has only been to 57 states so far - one more to go.

Interaffairs.....If you think our president is the winner.....then prove it, because as far as I can tell, the only ones who are winning are the gimme...gimme...gimmes....that Obama wants. The 47% that don't pay any federal taxes, they MIGHT be the only ones who are winning. It dang sure isn't the ones who work their asses off to pay for the ones who do not.

To make the President, any president, a scapegoat for our financial crisis is just plain immature and ignorant. Congress allocates funds and let me tell you they have a passion for pork. Laying the blame on one person when 535 (or so) are failing to do their jobs and getting very rich at doing nothing but bitch slapping each other between recesses is indefensible.

To make the President, any president, a scapegoat for our financial crisis is just plain immature and ignorant.

It is because the president can't do much to directly stimulate the economy, except hire more federal workers (and only if the budget is there from Congress) or give fancy speeches. The problem is that Presidents historically have taken the credit for good economic conditions. So they also get the blame.

IDO- obama claimed to have visited 57 states,not 47,and also said there was one more to go. How the hell did he get elected with this kind of foolishness,oh yeah low information voters, there is a reporter asking people who voted for obama questions,and none of them even knew anything except what the liberal media told them. go to utube and type in idiots who voted for obama, it's funny but at the same time it hurts.

seaskip

GWB dumped two unfunded Wars on a incoming President was just Nasty, that is just Nuts !!!

GWB started two wars in his first term, Obama ended two (sort of) in his first. Yet Obama still managed to increase "defense" spending almost as much in his first term as did Bush. Sooner or later you libs are going to have to accept the reality that the whole "unfunded wars" BS that tops the lists of your approved talking points is just a con used to give sheep something to whine about. The dems are no better than the repubs when it comes to unfunded military spending. Or have you somehow failed to notice the President sending trrops everywhere even with the massive deficits our gov is running on every year?

"Austerity breeds more austerity." Louie Bee

Sounds good to me Louie....finally, fiscal responsibility,even if it is miniscule.

Austerity is the European solution. And it isn't working. They've slid back into recession. Why on Earth would we adopt socialist Europe's fiscal policies? There is a strong distaste, especially among conservatives, for doing anything that Europe does. But that's what they want for America. It blows my mind.

Pragmatic-3918582

Austerity is the European solution. And it isn't working. They've slid back into recession. Why on Earth would we adopt socialist Europe's fiscal policies?

Europes fiscal policies forced them into a position where they had to accept austerity. The reality is that they put it off as long as they possibly could and once they were forced to bite the bullet it was too late to make a difference. Our current administration models it economic policies after those that led some European countries into their current mess. If we can't get our spending under control NOW we will be in the same boat. We are literally 10 years from a debt to GDP ratio that matches that of Greece now.

Europes fiscal policies forced them into a position where they had to accept austerity. The reality is that they put it off as long as they possibly could and once they were forced to bite the bullet it was too late to make a difference.

Let's look at the consequences of accepting austerity. These things are measured as a public debt to GDP ratio. Greece in 2010 had a problem: that ratio was 143%. They implemented massive austerity and got their budget deficit down for 2011. It went from 10.4% of GDP to 9.6% of GDP. But their public debt to GDP ratio increased to 165%. The GDP growth was slower than the growth of the debt. Unemployment contributed to this. The story plays out over all of Europe with a couple of exceptions. Germany is the major one and they manage to decrease their public debt to GDP ratio, but only slightly. And that is likely due to Germany being one of the only European counties to enjoy a declining unemployment rate. Whether the trend will continue remains to be seen.

I'm just curious as to why we think it will work here during a recession. We had an example of it working here in 1946, but times were VERY different then. (Also one of the most damning examples of Keynesian economists being flat-out wrong.)

Our current administration models it economic policies after those that led some European countries into their current mess.

Here's some empirical considerations for you. In the US from 1980-1989 discretionary spending increased 77%, mandatory spending increased 85% and revenues increased 94%. For 1990 - 1999 increases were 14% discretionary spending, 58% mandatory spending, and 77% revenue. For 2000 - 2009, increases were 101% discretionary, 101% mandatory, and 4% revenue. Why do you think revenue grew so slowly while all other forms of spending increased? The last two years of the decade were rough, but not that rough.

We are literally 10 years from a debt to GDP ratio that matches that of Greece now.

In the year 2000 we were pondering the global economic implications of completely paying off the national debt by 2010. We were on track to do it at the rates of spending and revenue we had. Lesson is: 10 years is a long time. Markets aren't static. Government turns over quickly.

Obo The Clown thinks he's so clever starting with these first. Surprisingly the "revolt" he thought would happen hasn't. Insightful people (libs excluded of course) realize the game Barry is playing.

People won't revolt, we love the propagnda too much.

DRman. lol listen to Glen Beck much???? lol you think you are insightful? I hope when judgement day comes that i'm standing right behind you. i imagine God sitting there and saying "OY, another republican' and then laughing.

How the heck do you know what is going to be eliminated yet....alan static.....more of your democrat drivel?

People won't revolt, we love the propagnda too much.

I know you're being a bit tongue in cheek, but I thought I'd address the real reason people won't revolt. The people won't revolt as long as there is something on TV and something for dinner.

Guess it doesn't effect you so it must be worthless. So sad

Yep, NOW Mr. "Drama" Obama wants ALL KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN access to HEAD START (SOTU speech).

I wonder if his Progressive friends in Bollywood are going to provide the funding.

head start is nothing more than a government baby sitting service we need more parents teaching thier children morals and responsibility than we do a bunch of dumb head start babysitters teaching poor children socialist system get it from the government

How about starting a Head Start program for the Tea Party? Maybe they will learn a three-letter word like "Yes" instead of "No" to everything.

Why do republicans hate old people and children so much?

Bee, another government program will solve the problem? No!

Louie Bee....Your YES, that you granted to Obama when you voted....is why we are in this mess. HMMMM, a bit of an unentional rhyme. ;)

tooelemom,

Since you either don't know or don't seem to care, here's the history on Head Start.

The original Head Start bill required that a percentage of the money be set aside to study the outcomes of the children. They did that for a few years and couldn't find that it did ANY GOOD! The bureaucrats fixed that problem by eliminating the studies.

More recently, there have been other studies including an extensive one conducted with more wasted taxpayer dollars. No one has EVER BEEN ABLE TO FIND THAT HEAD START DOES ANY LASTING GOOD!

Head Start is not just worthless, it is "yet another testament to failed (liberal) government".

George Pauljohn,

Why do republicans hate old people and children so much?

Republicans don't have even the hate that you show in your comment.

Republicans hate the Great Society program because of what it did to the black family (and whites, too). Three hundred years of slavery couldn't destroy the black family, but the Federal government did it in a generation. It paid teenage girls to have children out of wedlock provided that they never worked or married. The plan worked beyond all expectation. The illegitimacy rate for black women went from under 25% to over 70%. It has been a disaster for everyone involved.

Re senior citizens: It's the right side of the aisle that is trying to save senior programs. There's not enough wealth in the country for all the boomers to retire and live well. The liberal ignorati are trying to pretend that if they bury their heads in the sand that everything will be OK. They're wrong - yet again.

Left to Obama's paradise, there will be an ugly inter-generational struggle. The outcome will be that the old will get health care rationed by "death panels", and the young will live their lives will oppressive taxes and diminished opportunity. As far as I know, Republicans want better for everyone.

Keep saying the same old same old alan.

Eg.ltnm, though you may not like the facts, Alan is completely right. And we should ALL keep saying it until it changes.

For sure, Oblama is not to blame. He has only spent us into bankruptcy.

What part of the problem do you libtards think might belong to Harry and the dumbocrats?

You want to blame the only ones trying to quit this over spending this country is doing? That is like blaming the doctor that is trying to help the drug addict. But you liberials want the doctor to keep the addict not only addicted but to increase the addiction to get more money. Sad, very sad since the grandchildren will have to pay for the addiction. The joke is that this only cuts 1/30th of the yearly deficet this country is running. It is time we started to be responsible and cut the spending levels by 1.4 trillion each year.

Your name say's it all...loser

Obama does not allocate funds...That is a Congressional responsibility--oxymoron that.

I BLAME OBAMA.....he is our Prez and Dirty Harry is the leader of the Senate. We fiscal conservatives are the minority.....in case you haven't noticed.

OK....If you need someone to blame...Obama is a good as anyone, but it won't change the fact that our Congress has the responsibility to allocate funds and does little more than taking pot shots at each other between recesses. Obama can't do his job if they don't do theirs...and they haven't...at least not the one they signed on for...They are doing a great job at getting rich and love the taste of pork.

If the Republicans would win by making the people suffer the people would suffer,if the Democrats would win by making the people suffer the people would suffer.Put the blame where it lies the politicians on both sides,they are putting there party first and the people second,if you can't do the job you should be fired! plain and simple.

Ron, I blame the American society for not firing the most incompetent president of in our country's history. And why? Because he promised them free stuff while punishing the easy target (so-called millionaires and billionaires) for their success. By the way, since when did somebody making $200k become a millionaire or billionaire?

Yet, our society voted him back for another four years of failure. There will always be the Obamas of the world running for office on the same platform. If our society has eroded to the point of being dumb enough to keep voting for them, our fate is sealed. See Detroit.

All except your tax dollars which all go to Chicago that is!

I hope not Nforest.....we can't give up on this great nation. We have to get rid of those that have only their interests at heart instead of the nation. We must have faith that right will prevail.

No real cuts nitwits.............

Scare tactic by the head Ubangi. It is a reduction in projected spending.

Last year we spent 100 pennies, this year we were going to spend

110 pennies but we only get to spend 108..........

Now we need 0ur ass kissing oblamo droids to figure out if

108 pennies is more that 100 ??

I want my 110 pennies, even if I do not work for them, I am entitled to them. I should get more year after year even though I do less. These are not the droids you are looking for... do you see that droid in the back. Watch him work....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7l8rWfLAus

“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure.
It is a sign that the U.S. government can’t pay its own bills. ...
I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt limit.”

— Then-Sen. Barack Obama, floor speech in the Senate, March 16, 2006

The Budget Control Act of 2011 (Pub.L. 112–25, S. 365, 125 Stat. 240,
enacted August 2, 2011) is a federal statute in the United States that was signed into law by

President Barack Obama on August 2, 2011.

The Act brought conclusion to the 2011 United States debt-ceiling crisis,
which had threatened to lead the United States into sovereign default on or about August 3, 2011

he isn't even close to being a great speaker. Without his speech writers and his handlers telling him via teleprompter what to say, he couldn't say @!$%# with a mouth full.

But seeing he was a regular at the infamous Chicago bath houses I'd say his mouth was usually full of something else! Most likely Axlerod!LOL

Respect is a two way street. One way streets are always going the wrong direction.

“It’s something that I think was unfortunate,” Holder said. “I think it’s a result of this kind of partisan sport that I think we engage in here in Washington far too often.”
Holder said the votes it didn’t bother him, considering who cast them.
“But I have to tell you that for me to really be affected by what happened, I’d have to have respect for the people who voted in that way,” Holder told ABC News. “And I didn’t, so it didn’t have that huge an impact on me.”

Two things two keep in mind. Nobody elected Holder for anything. Seventeen Democrats voted to hold him in contempt. If if an appointed cabinet member does not respect the duly elected Representatives of the people then then what does that say about the administration that appointed, and continues to retain, that cabinet member?

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/02/eric-holders-contempt-for-contempt/

Divide and Conquer.....and we are certainly divided.

GREAT SPEAKER!

The credit goes to the organ grinder and not his performer out front.

... plus the wheels !

Rave on tooelemom. I just closed down both of my businesses and 11 jobs. I worked hard for what I have and I will get by, but I'll be damned if I am going to continue to have the government constantly sucking my business dry to support others. I now am self employed, working part time, doing the same thing and actually making about a third more money than I was with eleven employee's and don't have to put up with the government constant suction. I worked hard for what I have and if some of you lefties want what I have you can get it the same way I did...earn it.

On its face, any plan to increase employment that centers on attacking the individuals that provide the jobs is destined to fail. Obama has already shown that. If you think businesses are making millions than than stop bitchin, get off your ass, and go start a business. But you already know that takes intelligence, initiative, willing to work your tail off to succeed and that eliminates close to half the working age population.

I think a better idea is to get rid of some more tax and spend dumbocrats.

I say split the country in half, I have no desire to live with liberal morons like you

We have created a culture of elitists with our elected officials. If you think one party has more credibility than the other you are delusional. Granted this culture is not absolute and there exist many credible lawmakers and govt employee's, however, this monster bureaucracy serves only itself and is not interested the well being of our Country. How ironic is it that our Government has become our worst enemy in America? When growth of the bureaucracy is threatened it cuts services to the citizenry they are supposed to serve. The men and women that work for big government, lawmakers ET AL will stop serving the citizens and protect their paychecks with no second thought. Govt should exist only to pass laws and serve the common good, not as the failed and reckless bureaucracy it has become.

I hate to say this. Please do not take this in the wrong way. But we should fire everyone in Congress. The senate & the house. Then Tar & Feather President Obama. And send them all packing.How is it we can send $60,000,000 million in non lethal aide to the Syrian Rebels. But we cant fix Americas deficet.

Wouldnt it be nice if the United States would stop giving money to Countries that want to kill us all off. And pay our bills. So that the United States Of America could once again stand its own ground. We the people could all be well off and a prsoperious nation again. If the president and congress would stop pissing away all the money that we dont have.

Ive got an idea. Lets send the President & Congress to North Korea. They along with Denise Rodman can be Kim Jung twerp Uns bed partners.

777 and Lupo...Right on target....They give more money away to themselves and other countries than they do to poverty stricken children and the elderly. Why? Because there are no paybacks from the poorest in our nation and a lot of money gets lost along the foreign aid high way. Good posts.

This is why I call Obama the GREAT DIVIDER....when the rich, who by the way create the jobs, are vilified and the gimmes are rewarded....then we know that something is wrong with this picture.

Some of the Foreign aid money has always appeared to me as being more like "hush" money or ransom. Look at North Korea. Almost every year as Winter approaches, they start sabre rattling. I don't know how many times we have given them food, heating oil and cash. Then every thing quiets down again and they go away. For several years it has been like clockwork. If the American people ever really knew the true total aid we've given them, we'd probably all faint.

Since Texans pay more then thier share of the federal tax payments, I can see them having trouble with it. The one place you won't see cuts is D.C. If we had smaller federal government then they would not suck so much money from the states to support thier addiction to spending.

I say the better place to start cutting is California and all the New England states. Just cut them right out of the union, we will throw in Illinois but you have to take all of D.C.

I LOVE THE CUTS......CUT SOME MORE. YOU THINK 2% OUT OF TRILLIONS IS TOO MUCH.....only in Obama Land, keep on cuttin.

1.2 trillion over 10 years and we increase the spending 1.6 trillion

a year? Yep! We should have this debt paid of before I regain

my virginity again.

“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure.
It is a sign that the U.S. government can’t pay its own bills. ...
I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt limit.”

— Then-Sen. Barack Obama, floor speech in the Senate, March 16, 2006

The Budget Control Act of 2011 (Pub.L. 112–25, S. 365, 125 Stat. 240,
enacted August 2, 2011) is a federal statute in the United States that was signed into law by

President Barack Obama on August 2, 2011.

The Act brought conclusion to the 2011 United States debt-ceiling crisis,
which had threatened to lead the United States into sovereign default on or about August 3, 2011

Federal spending has increased by about 30% the past 6 years, I can't see why they just don't return to the those pre 2007 levels, Or better yet go to a flat tax, then maybe they would get people to work to increase thier ability to spend more, by increasing the worker paychecks.

Several problems with your comment: A) the increase in spending since 2007 has been to carry an economy since capitalism shat the bed, if we cut back to 2007 levels we'd fall into a depression. B) the flat tax is dumb on several fronts- it accounts for less revenue (which is the problem now) and it is regressive by design. This country is already in a near crippeling wealth-gap status and you want to increase the gap? Then how do people live? Making credit too available (by eliminating regulations on lenders and over-incentivizing risky behavior in finance) will only increase consumer debt load resulting in another implosion. What this country needs to do is incentivize increasing wages by increasing the capital gains rate. That way employers will be less likely to hand out golden parachutes and beholden only to shareholder value. Fewer Wallstreet investments= more investments in the company and its workers. If cutting taxes on the rich actually worked the way GOPers claim it does we wouldn't have the Great Depression and the Bush Great Recession to look at. The largest problem we have is rising prices and flat wages and you aren't going to fix that equation by doing what Dubya did (because it didn't work when he did it, either).

“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure.
It is a sign that the U.S. government can’t pay its own bills. ...
I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt limit.”

— Then-Sen. Barack Obama, floor speech in the Senate, March 16, 2006

The Budget Control Act of 2011 (Pub.L. 112–25, S. 365, 125 Stat. 240,
enacted August 2, 2011) is a federal statute in the United States that was signed into law by

President Barack Obama on August 2, 2011.

The Act brought conclusion to the 2011 United States debt-ceiling crisis,
which had threatened to lead the United States into sovereign default on or about August 3, 2011

I am looking out for our nation...first and foremost. Which we should all be doing.

IDO...Seems Obama isn't interested in cutting spending, and fights Congress when they want to reduce spending in the ridiculous and fraudelant ways you cite. Obama just wants mo money, mo money.

In this day and age there is no excuse for people to be poor unless they choose to be.There are grants and scholarships available and have been so for decades.If people keep getting a handout instead of a hand up poverty will continue for many.That is their choice but should not be my responsibility.The elderly and the disabled I am all for helping.The able bodied do not have my sympathy.

Seaskip, you really sound like a FOOL! I can appreciate that you and your friends like Obama Claus but how the heck do you think we are going to continue to pay for you to sit on your lazy backside and do nothing. Despite the fact that Obama has mastered the art of printing worthless money, it has to stop or else our economy will collapse. You can hate the rich, you can think that you are entitled to free healthcare, $9 hourly wages, and the like, but you are not. These are all things that you have to work for and earn. Get over yourself as you are the problem. Tell you what, why don't you move to a socialist country and stop destroying America.