I watched it. I know I am in the minority here, but on this issue Obama makes more sense than House Republicans who have already decided to throw Defense on the sacrificial altar to make a point.
The Sequester is bad policy. It was Romney and the Republicans who were shouting that very message loud and clear during the campaign.
It is bad for Defense, for the economy, and for the nation. Anyone remember the 3rd Presidential debate?
Panetta went on the Sunday shows with General Dempsey and made more sense than Paul Ryan did the week before. That should be a clue to the GOP that they need to be part of the solution.
We need entitlement reform, not another $600 Billion in new cuts to a DoD that already absorbed $450 Billion in cuts. The Tea Party is a great movement. I agree with it. But the "Well, burn it all down then" approach is stupid. They are going to marginalize themselves and the movement if they stick with that.
Obama gave a HUGE hint to both parties. He told the GOP that the entitlement reform he proposed before Christmas was "Still on the table, I repeat, those offers are still on the table."
That offer included a reduction in the Social Security Cost of Living increase. A huge savings over time, and one that made Harry Reid so angry he literally burned the proposal that Obama was considering in his Senate office fireplace.
Obama is going to travel around the country to gin up support for the delay to Sequester, and the talking heads at MSDNC were going nuts, saying that also meant he was going to "go around" Congressional Democrats who have vowed to step on broken glass before they would agree to slow our nation's explosive entitlement programs.
I wonder if the Republicans will realize this is an opening, or if Boehner will retreat to the bar and waste more time formulating "Plan B Two Redux the Sequel."
You do realize that fully 1/2 of the Sequester is not DoD? It’s cuts to discretionary social programs. Why don’t you want this to proceed?
“We need entitlement reform, not another $600 Billion in new cuts to a DoD that already absorbed $450 Billion in cuts. The Tea Party is a great movement. I agree with it. But the “Well, burn it all down then” approach is stupid. They are going to marginalize themselves and the movement if they stick with that.”
Cuts are inevitable at this point. The sooner the spending cuts come, the better.
Why do you think Obama’s trying to do his damndest to avoid sequestration?