Obama answers McCain on deficit with a shrug

Hot Air ^ | July 8, 2008 | Ed Morrissey

[keepitreal]

John McCain pledged yesterday to balance the budget by 2013. Barack Obama responded by claiming that it can’t be balanced, and he can’t be bothered to try: Not only does Obama say he won’t eliminate the deficit in his first term, as McCain aims to do, he frankly says he’s not sure he’d bring it down at all in four years, considering his own spending plans.

“I do not make a promise that we can reduce it by 2013 because I think it is important for us to make some critical investments right now in America’s families,” Obama told reporters this week when asked if he’d match McCain’s pledge.

[keepitreal]

“The cost of our debt is one of the fastest growing expenses in the federal budget. This rising debt is a hidden domestic enemy, robbing our cities and states of critical investments in infrastructure like bridges, ports, and levees; robbing our families and our children of critical investments in education and health care reform; robbing our seniors of the retirement and health security they have counted on. . . . If Washington were serious about honest tax relief in this country, we'd see an effort to reduce our national debt by returning to responsible fiscal policies.”

— Barack Obama, Speech in the U.S. Senate, March 13, 2006

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/fiscal/

"I'm Barack Obama and I approve this message...until I don't."

[arderkrag]

Well, election years are always fun, and this one’s no exception. Watching this moron implode has been wonderful.

[GOPyouth]

Those weren’t the deficits that Obama knew.

[Republican Wildcat]

“Investments” in America’s families? This man is dangerous - has no concept of what America is and the role of government, or the consequences of not getting this fiscal house in order.

[Norman Bates]

POUNCE!

[isthisnickcool]

He does not care where the money comes from as long as he can take it from the people that make it and give it to those that do not.

Dumbass..

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“No We Can’t”

Now that’s real hope and change we can believe in.

[roses of sharon]

I think when you’re this dumb, you can be declared legally dead.

I’m gonna have to look into this. With the right paperwork, we might be able to bury him.

[doc1019]

Ain’t gonna happen … McCain is trying to “nice” his self right out of the presidency.

[RockinRight]

Yup.

I’m still convinced that McCain has a shot to beat Obama like a red-headed stepchild.

[kellynla]

Obama is acquiring quite a few...

[Secret Agent Man]

No offense, I don’t believe McCain can balance the budget. I just don’t believe it. All candidates that have won say they will balance the budget by a certain date. They never do. It’s a futile promise to make. It’s pandering.

[willgolfforfood]

I would love to see McCain veto ANY spending bill that contains earmarks. Over and over and over, as he’s said he would do. Washington would have a meltdown of such magnitude that it might actually START global warming.

[keepitreal]

I guess I would like pandering in the form of at least a promise of fiscal restraint as opposed to an outright promise that there will be no fiscal restraint whatsoever a la Obama.

[Norman Bates]

Remarks by John McCain
July 7, 2008
Denver, CO

"Small businesses are the job engine of America, and I will make it easier for them to grow and create more jobs. My opponent wants to make it harder by imposing a "pay or play" health mandate on small business. This adds $12,000 to the cost of employing anyone with a family. That means new jobs will not be created. It means existing employees will have their wages cut to pay for this mandate. My plan attacks the real problems of healthcare -- cost, availability and portability."

"We need to keep the IRS from taking more of your income and making life harder for small business. If you believe you should pay more taxes, I am the wrong candidate for you. Senator Obama is your man. The choice in this election is stark and simple. Senator Obama will raise your taxes. I won't. I will cut them where I can. Jobs are the most important thing our economy creates. When you raise taxes in a bad economy you eliminate jobs. I'm not going to let that happen."

"Senator Obama's tax increases will hurt the economy even more, and destroy jobs across this country. If you are one of the 23 million small business owners in America who files as an individual rate payer, Senator Obama is going to raise your tax rates. If you have an investment for your child's education or own a mutual fund or a stock in a retirement plan, he is going to raise your taxes. He will raise estate taxes to 45 percent. I propose to cut them to 15 percent. His plan will hurt the American worker and family. It will hurt the economy and cost us jobs. For those of you with children, I will double the child deduction from $3,500 to $7,000 for every dependent, in every family in America. At a time of increasing gas and food prices, American families need tax relief and I, not my opponent, will deliver it."

"My opponent believes America would be better off by refusing opportunities to sell in growing foreign markets. But protectionism not only puts a hidden tax on almost everything you buy, but it undermines American competitiveness and costs jobs."

"When I'm president, I will order a stem to stern review of government, modernize how it does business and save billions of dollars. I will veto every single bill with wasteful spending. We aren't going to continue mortgaging this country's future for things Americans don't want or need. My opponent has a very different record on this issue. He has sought millions upon millions of dollars in earmarks since his election to the Senate. In 2007 alone, Senator Obama requested nearly $100 million for earmark projects. I have never asked for a single earmark in my entire career. He supported the $300 billion pork laden agricultural subsidy bill. I opposed it. He voted for an energy bill stuffed with give-aways to oil compan ies at a time of record profits. I voted against it."

Yep. He's really kissing up here. /sarc

[Secret Agent Man]

Empty gesture vs no gesture. Outcome same. Except empty gesture lies to your face to make you feel better. If I believed the guy actually would do this, that’d be one thing. I don’t believe he is sincere about it.

[CGTRWK]

The Dems will own both houses of Congress, perhaps even a filibuster-proof Senate. The Bush tax cuts are gone whether McCain wins or not.

A massive tax increase plus no significant new spending beyond the usual entitlement growth - divided government blocks each other’s handouts, and McCain has been fairly consistently against pork for his career - will do a number on the deficit. Balanced budget in 4 years, probably not. But a manageable deficit, like 100 billion and not 450 billion doesn’t seem like much of a stretch at all.

If Obama wins, it’s game over. There won’t be a congressional check on his Marxist handouts - if anything they’ll encourage him - and we’ll have a 4.5 trillion dollar fed budget by the end of his first term. Count on it.

[doc1019]

When McCain actually beats Obama in the head with something, I will believe his earnestness in pursuit of the presidency. If he doesn’t, he will loose. IMHO

[FFranco]

I don’t have faith in any politician’s promise to balance the budget, whether Republican or Democrat. Don’t promise, just do it, and then lower the national debt so we won’t owe our children’s souls to the Chinese and Japanese.

[Norman Bates]

More?

My opponent's answer to the Lexington Project is no; no to more drilling; no to more nuclear power; no to research prizes that help solve the problem of affordable electric cars. For a guy whose "official seal" carried the motto, "Yes, we can," Senator Obama's agenda sure has a whole lot of "No, we can't." The Lexington Project will create millions of jobs, help protect our environment, improve our security, and solve the nation's energy problems.

(Remarks by John McCain, Denver, 7/7/08)

[MaxMax]

Shouldn't there be debates scheduled by now? I know Obama doesn't want them,
but still, he cannot refuse for long.

[occamrzr06]

It is pandering, I totally agree.

My big question is HOW will you reduce the debt?

Clinton did it by gutting the military. I know, I was in the Army at the time. I think they called it the peace dividend.

In 1984 I was taking an economics course in college. Our professor was arguing that Reagan had no intention of reducing federal spending, but that the increased spending would actually stimulate the economy. They called this Reaganomics.

She went on to explain that to increase capitol on had to leverage not only capitol, but debt also.

I took me a number of years to really wrap my mind around that concept.

Kinda like you owe $500 at 5% interest, but you can get 10% interest investing it. Why would you want to pay that debt off?

Now, don’t get me wrong, I have no illusion Obama wants to institute Reagans plan, he just wants to redistribute your wealth. He doesn’t care how much it hurts you.

No tax breaks for the rich means anyone who make $30k a year or more. Do you notice they never define what “rich” is?

Just my 2 cents, taxable at a real high rate I’m sure!

[maine-iac7]

well, after all, the obamination has those SS Troops - ah, I mean National Police Force he said we need...and he said it needs to be as big as our military and as well funded.

Question is, how much will the brown shirts and Jackboots cost?

[JennysCool]

Actually, McCain’s a different sort of animal than we’re used to. He has pledged to use the veto early and often. And I have no doubt at all he will.

[Secret Agent Man]

I’m right there with you on that.

I know it’s late - capitol = head of government, capital = money :)

[Prokopton]

This man is dangerous - has no concept of what America is and the role of government, or the consequences of not getting this fiscal house in order.

You make him sound like your typical Republican politician.

[maine-iac7]

No offense, I don’t believe McCain can balance the budget

Well he'd make a good start by axing pork barrel spending bills, snuck into other bills.

Is there any other Senator, like McCain, that has NEVER once put in for pork barrel money?

He vows to veto pork barrels

[exit82]

Every candidate since Nixon has made the pledge to reorganize government and slim it down. Balanxce the baudget, and pay down the debt.

It has never happened.Hearing McCain expound on how he was going to do it was deja vu all over again.

And this guy has been part of the gang responsible for this mess for the last twenty five years.

Oh yeah, it’ll be different this time.

[JennysCool]

You make him sound like your typical Republican politician.

How do you feel about Democrats?

[stockstrader]

“I do not make a promise that we can reduce it by 2013 because I think it is important for us to make some critical investments right now in America’s families,”

I just love the way that liberals call hand-outs, wealth redistribution, bigger government programs, agencies and bureacracies--"INVESTMENTS"!!!!...lol

It's just amazing that so many people buy into that BS!!

[JennysCool]

How well do you think Obama will do?

[Prokopton]

How do you feel about Democrats?

Your description covers them pretty well too.

[exit82]

He’ll do no better.

Both have no understanding of economics.

And neither will be able to stop the financial tsunami of underfunded government liabilities headed our way.

[SunkenCiv]

"I do not make a promise that we can reduce it by 2013 because I think it is important for us to make some critical investments right now in America's families," Obama told reporter

...y'know, as long as it isn't Stimulus Payments or income tax cuts. Reparations, maybe...

[JennysCool]

Eh? Which description?

[Go Gordon]

Shouldn't there be debates scheduled by now?

Neither guy is the official nominee until after the conventions.

[PGR88]

Every time a hear Obama use the phrase “making investments in our families” my skin crawls.

[weegee]

What is the price tag on all of Obama’s new promised spending programs?

There is no way in hell he will attempt to “balance” the budget as he saddles the US taxpayer with more entitlement programs that will never go away.

[Prokopton]

Eh? Which description?

I guess it was actually Republican Wildcat's description. Could describe a typical Republican or Democrat politician.

"This man is dangerous - has no concept of what America is and the role of government, or the consequences of not getting this fiscal house in order."

[karnage]

The best “investment” government can make in “American families” is to get the hell out of the way and let Daddy do his job.

[karnage]

“I have never asked for a single earmark in my career.”

If true, that is amazing. And laudable. Actions speak louder than words.

[tina07]

he's got more important business...

[tina07]

one more try at posting a pic...

[tina07]

crap

[tina07]

Tried to get a larger pic, but this is all that I have. I use shutterfly and they changed their site and shrunk all my pic :(

Obama doing more important things...

[PugetSoundSoldier]

If true, that is amazing. And laudable. Actions speak louder than words.

It is true. There's a lot of things people can attack McCain for, but trying to attack him for not being a budget hawk is demonstrably wrong.

He'll even vote against tax cuts if they're not also coupled with spending cuts. He's the only politician in DC who has been true to a smaller budget. And that is the best way to tame the Federal Government beast - starve it.

[vanishing liberty]

“If Obama wins, it’s game over. There won’t be a congressional check on his Marxist handouts - if anything they’ll encourage him - and we’ll have a 4.5 trillion dollar fed budget by the end of his first term. Count on it.”

Forgive me if I fail to see how we could do much worse than we have done the past eight years. Our so-called Republican leaders inherited a balanced budget and turned it into massive deficits. It’s going to be tough now for Republicans to win the election based on promises that they will be the party of financial restraint.

[Irish Eyes]

Do not think that the majority of the voting public know what “earmarks are. McCain and others would do well to explain earmarks.

[arderkrag]

No doubt. For all his faults, McCain has a LOT of experience at winning. And in a national race, winning is what matters.

[whatshotandwhatsnot]

A balanced budget may not be attainable soon, but I’d rather McCain say he’ll try rather than listen to how much of my money Obambi is going to give away to anyone or any country with their hand out to receive it.