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Is Obama overplaying sequester hand?
politico ^ | 2/22/13 | CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN and JAKE SHERMAN

Posted on 02/22/2013 2:56:54 AM PST by SoFloFreeper

...Obama’s greatest adversary in the latest budget battle isn’t the Republican leadership in Congress — it’s his confidence in his own ability to force a win.

He has been so certain of his campaign skills that he didn’t open a line of communication with House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell until Thursday, a week before the spending ax hits. And when they did finally hear from Obama, the calls were perfunctory, with no request to step up negotiations or invitations to the White House.

...In the last two days alone, he’s courted local TV anchors, called in a select group of White House correspondents to talk off-the-record, chatted up black broadcasters, and announced plans to stump next week at Virginia’s Newport News Shipyard. Throughout, he’s talked in tough terms that signal little interest in compromise — or suggestion of backing down.

He’s navigating a thin line. Obama is convinced he’s got the upper hand on Republicans. Yet he can go only so long before he risks being perceived as a main actor in Washington’s dysfunction, threatening a core element of his political brand — and the fragile economic recovery he’s struggled to maintain.

(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: budget; jackass; keynesian; taxes
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To: TomGuy
Is Obama overplaying sequester hand?

Apparently not.

He came up with the idea, got Congress to approve it in the last session.

Now that may actually happen, he is blaming it on the GOP's in Congress -- and he is getting away with it.

The GOP don't seem to have a counter, don't seem to have a message, don't seem to have a leg to stand on, as they are getting blamed and taking the fall.

You are absolutely correct. A few minutes ago, I said the following on another thread: Every Republican lawmaker, in every public statement, interview, etc., needs to start referring to this not simply as “Sequester”, but as “The Obama Sequester.” Obama acts as though he is simply a spectator in all of this, standing on the sidelines, with no ability to do anything about the situation. Thanks to his friends in the media, he’s getting away with it, with the public thinking it’s entirely the fault of the mean, evil Republicans. Obama is the President of the United States, the most powerful figure in our government - not some helpless spectator. The Republicans need to get the message out that the buck stops with Obama, not with them. It’s the “Obama Sequester.”

21 posted on 02/22/2013 7:00:41 AM PST by GreenHornet
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To: ROCKLOBSTER

Good point! Thank you for the correction.
I should have said a REAL Third Party in which dominates the spectrum of 80% of Americans. I am a beleiver that 10% on either side is fringe and get all the attention while the remaining 80% consists of real, hard-working people, who are without real representation.


22 posted on 02/22/2013 7:03:26 AM PST by Cyclone59 (Obama is like Ron Burgundy - he will read ANYTHING that is on the teleprompter)
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To: ROCKLOBSTER
I certainly wish we would STOP listening to the media....OF COURSE the media is going to take the Democrat view of the negotiations....and there is some truth to the notion that Republicans have poor communication skills. But consider: the media, on the whole, ISN'T INTERESTED in presenting truth.

But let us not be too harsh on the GOP, especially since so far they ARE holding the line. How many news outlets are reporting this truth:

The Republicans have TWICE PASSED TARGETED CUTS to avoid these "meat cleaver" actions. The Democrat MORONS in the Senate have refused to VOTE on these measures.

The Senate and the ass in the Oval Office are to blame for the gridlock. Republicans HAVE taken action.

23 posted on 02/22/2013 7:16:22 AM PST by SoFloFreeper
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To: ClearCase_guy

Barky will be declared the winner by the media, but will come out the net loser IF ( I can’t believe I am saying this ) the republicans stay firm on the sequester.

Republicans can’t go much lower in public approval. They may even earn some grudging respect if they stand firm.

Barky may get a pyrrhic victory, but his voters will be crestfallen at the widening cracks in his seemingly state of omnipotence.


24 posted on 02/22/2013 7:41:24 AM PST by A'elian' nation (Political correctness does not legislate tolerance; it only organizes hatred. Jacques Barzun)
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To: SoFloFreeper

YES YES YES you are absolutely right, but even some female correspondent on Fox News - J.B somebody - acknowledged that the republicans have twice passed targeted cuts BUT rather than holding Barky to blame, she wants the pubs to JUST TRY one more time.

You can NEVER EVER win with these people.


25 posted on 02/22/2013 7:50:56 AM PST by A'elian' nation (Political correctness does not legislate tolerance; it only organizes hatred. Jacques Barzun)
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To: ClearCase_guy
he wants to weaken Defense, and he has found a way to do that and blame us. He has every reason to feel very confident here.

Don't think so. 40% of the sequester is non-defense...we never hear about that because the Dem/MSM axis tries to pump the defense angle to pressure the GOP into backing down.

Now, everyone knows defense is making most of the sacrifice (and some think all because of the headlines). Hereafter, the GOP can now make a case for something else to be cut in future aka entitlements.

26 posted on 02/22/2013 7:53:43 AM PST by what's up
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To: what's up
Hereafter, the GOP can now make a case for something else to be cut

I won't hold my breath.

27 posted on 02/22/2013 7:56:20 AM PST by ClearCase_guy (Nothing will change until after the war.)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Whether Obama’s demogoguery can defeat the argument remains to be seen, but in general that is a logical argument for the right going forward.


28 posted on 02/22/2013 8:08:24 AM PST by what's up
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To: what's up

The community organizer has bull sh%t his way into the presidency and now he thinks he can do the same with the sequester issue.

He is a “campainer” not a problem solver. Hopefully, he has reached his brick wall with this one and gets what he deserves. Unfortunately with all the lies he is spreading minute to minute, once again his camaigner style will get his message to those who think he is God himself.


29 posted on 02/22/2013 8:18:36 AM PST by DaveA37
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To: Liz; Impy; SoFloFreeper; stephenjohnbanker; ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas; Gilbo_3; NFHale; ...
RE :”The Dem/Obamanations are driven-—as all tyrants are-—by their obsessive need to exert absolute control.
They need to get back the House majority-—so they can run rampant over the citizenry.
The Dem/Obamanations eat, sleep and drink “mid-terms.”
Every move Ohaha makes has one end in mind-—t-o-t-a-l c-o-n-t-r-o-l.”

As impy pointed out he wont get the house back anytime soon. But he would like to pick up more seats in the Senate in 2014 by forcing GOP Senators to vote against popular (from polling) stuff like ‘background checks’ and ‘closing wealthy loopholes to save the troops and the teachers’. "Gabby deserves a vote"

Too bad we dont have a side who actually wants to beat Dems in elections anymore.

Obama’s long string of victories the past two years (since the GOP took the House) and his ability to get public opinion behind him on every fight that he had decided to take a stand on, has blown his already huge ego up even bigger like the size of a major city.

It is nice to see some in the MSM tiring of the ‘Obama run around and campaign and blame the GOP for everything again until they cave’ game repeated again and again.

30 posted on 02/22/2013 8:18:58 AM PST by sickoflibs (Losing to Dems and Obama is not a principle! Its just losing.)
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To: sickoflibs
what campaign, exactly, is bambam workin on ???

rin-o-ps are soon to be shown as fully complicit in this kabuki...

31 posted on 02/22/2013 9:46:52 AM PST by Gilbo_3 (Gov is not reason; not eloquent; its force.Like fire,a dangerous servant & master. George Washington)
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To: Gilbo_3
RE :”what campaign, exactly, is bambam workin on ???
rin-o-ps are soon to be shown as fully complicit in this kabuki... “

on #2: That is part of why they are getting blamed, on q1 : the 2014 campaign I assume.

In 2011 Boner said “I got 98% of what I wanted in this deal” (in sequester bill)
Now he says “The whole thing was the President’s idea”

I guess the sequester was that 2%.

So when do they cave again?

32 posted on 02/22/2013 10:04:24 AM PST by sickoflibs (Losing to Dems and Obama is not a principle! Its just losing.)
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To: sickoflibs

The Obamanations KNOW they can’t win the House-—but they’re probably raising millions w/ lies——saying that they CAN.


33 posted on 02/22/2013 1:40:47 PM PST by Liz
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To: Liz
RE :”The Obamanations KNOW they can’t win the House-—but they’re probably raising millions w/ lies——saying that they CAN.”

as Rove did last year....Rove humiliated himself election night when he had a fit over FNC calling OH for O, on camera.

Yet they fired Dick Morris (who was equally wrong as Rove) and kept Rove.

I think Rove does a better job of sounding serious and sounding analytical on TV than Dick Morris does.
Morris sounds like used car salesman on TV really sleazy.

34 posted on 02/22/2013 2:23:08 PM PST by sickoflibs (Losing to Dems and Obama is not a principle! Its just losing.)
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To: SoFloFreeper
that Republicans have poor communication skills.

They need to forget about the "media" and make massive ad buys on all local cable stations whenever messaging needs to occur.

While they're at it, they should explain to the public why they have to do it this way, and completely discredit the network "news" organizations and newspapers.

35 posted on 02/22/2013 6:12:31 PM PST by ROCKLOBSTER (Hey RATS! Control your murdering freaks.)
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To: sickoflibs

Fox’s first wave included axing Morris AND Rove-—but I guess Kystal and the pukeneos were miffed-—so they pulled strings to get Rove back.

Has also been reported that his agitated donors were asking what Rove did w/ the $300 million he raised.


36 posted on 02/23/2013 5:36:29 AM PST by Liz
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