No, that is a terrific question.
Obviously, when looking for villains in this, the Democrats are front and center. The idea for the Sequester came right out of the Obama White House (his OMB Director, Jack Lew).
Here is where the Republicans went off the tracks.
The not only agreed with the Sequester, they signed off on the formula that took the one agency that is Constitutional and represents the best of America (the military), and allowed it to bear the brunt of the cuts (it is 17% the budget and takes 50% of the cuts).
It gets better.
The Pentagon was already reeling from a $487 Billion cut that began in 2011. Those cuts are spread out over several years, but we are now 2 years into them. These were not "baseline budget" gimmick cuts either. The Army will have to cut 189,000 troops alone before sequestration - and that is just one small impact of what Obama and the Congress has allowed to happen.
These cuts go on for 10 years.
It gets even better.
During the "Fiscal Cliff" talks, the Republicans knew that they would have to raise taxes. But, that was all they concerned themselves with. The Sequester half of the Fiscal Cliff was "separated" from the deal, and even the Democrats were shocked that as midnight approached, it was they (not the Republicans) who addressed them.
This was the "old" Paul Ryan last May:
Military-Crippling Sequester Must Be Stopped
Here is the "new" Paul Ryan:
Paul Ryan insists Republicans are ready to let the sequester happen
Boehner and Cantor are the same - essentially "let it burn."
This is a new low even for the "Stupid Party."
They have chosen a path that:
1. Causes the loss of an estimated 2.1 million jobs and layoffs of hundreds of thousands
2. Harms the military and punished Constitutional national defense
3. Exempts the real cause of our explosion in debt - Entitlements
4. Hands Obama and the Democrats a political gift by allowing themselves (not the Republicans) to be seen as the defenders of the military
It is all incredibly shortsighted and wrong, but the GOP is determined to hold onto this rock as tightly as they can while they sink to the bottom of the lake.
The folks on this board who want to see it all happen are going to get their "wish." I read this morning that a GOP staffer said they will eventually agree to fund the government (read: Entitlements) ad infinitum come the end of March, but will again "separate" the Sequester from the talks and will ensure that they drastic cuts (which punish Defense the most) will happen.
Unfrickin believable.
