Is Obama overplaying sequester hand?

politico ^ | 2/22/13 | CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN and JAKE SHERMAN

[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.

[SoFloFreeper]

Even as the Obama buttlickers at politico acknowledge he is not showing leadership or bipartisanship, the "journalists" who cover this story maintain their worshipful fantasy:

the fragile economic recovery he’s struggled to maintain.

There is no recovery, fragile or otherwise...AND he has NOT struggled to maintain ANYTHING except further demise.

I s'pose we should consider it good that at least they've realized he isn't a leader...

Of course, if BUSH were treating Demon-Rat "leaders" the same way, the headlines would be much different.

[MestaMachine]

obama has a sequestered hand?
Did reggie hurt him?

[urbanpovertylawcenter]

OK, we are to believe the 22 billion $ loss to Obama this year will shut down the Pentagon, 800,000 contractors laid off, shut down air traffic controllers, slow the TSA and lay off teachers firefighters and police and end meat inspectors all across the looted plains?

Oh that they could stretch the other 3.4 trillion $ to such efficiency, it would fund the government for a hundred years!

Did I mention 600,000 out of uniform too?

Earth to Obama, take the 3.4 trillion and make do.

[ClearCase_guy]

Obama will come out the winner here.
The GOP will come out the loser.

Obama knows what he’s doing and the GOP does not. Obama isn’t stupid — 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.

[mgist]

Politico has been singing Obama’s praises relentlessly under the guise of pretending to be critical. Last week they had another ridiculous article with a sinister headline of something like, “Obama, the puppet master”. The article went on to say that the media isn’t biased, it is Obama who is a master at working the media, understands technology, unprecedented use of social media, etc. YUK!!

[muawiyah]

He's simply too stupid for words. So are the guys and gals at Politico.

I think it's the dope ~ they were used to having it pretty heavily cut before it got to them and now they're dealing powder out of brand new tightly wrapped bricks.

[MuttTheHoople]

Obama wants the lowering in the rate of increase of Federal spending (not "cuts"). that way, he can pummel the Republicans. And, since the GOP in Washington is a bunch of spineless, milquetoast, lily-livered, rubber-backed, bulldyke-fearing pansies, they'll say "thank you" for making them the bad guy again.*

*- My theory is, the GOP in Washington, D.C. actually LOVE Obama and agree with everything he says and does. However, to get re-elected in their "backward, redneck districts" they have to pretend they disagree with his policies around election time.

[SMARTY]

Right. There is NO economic recovery, ‘fragile’ or otherwise!

The truth to tell, “O” couldn't DEFINE ‘economy’ if his worthless life depended on it!

“O” knows diddly about ‘economy’ and can't wrap his skull around ANYTHING about wealth, effort, struggle, sacrifice, etc. ... or anything at all associated with how individuals and organizations succeed, prosper and grow!!

[Cyclone59]

Someone needs to remind the rest of America that this sequestered bullcrap was actually obama’s idea.

How better to remind every one that the O in GOP stand for OLD, in age and thought processes.

A real third party is needed, BEFORE the colapse of a great nation.

[bert]

Actually, the only way to get cuts in spending is to implement the sequester and follow it up on March 2 with legislation directing specifically what will be cut. If necessary, there can be a supplemental defense appropriation specifically for the most damaging aspects of the Obama tirade shutting things down.

The House can tie him in knots retroactively

[Go Gordon]

Someone needs to remind the rest of America that this sequestered bullcrap was actually obama’s idea.

This whole thing is a ruse to provide cover for the coming collapse caused by Obamacare and his energy policies. He will predict that all the bad things that will happen will be caused by the sequester and its the republicans' fault.

No matter what happens with the sequester, some deal will get done, but Obama will then blames the republicans because they didn't do things his way. He capitulated with them and therefore, the economic chaos that will inevitably come in late 2013 (as companies cut workers hours to under 30 and layoff workers to get under 50 and cancel health insurance benefits) and into 2014 will be blamed on the republicans throughout 2014 for the mid-term elections. If Obama gets control of the House and holds the senate, Katy bar the door.

[sickoflibs]

RE :”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.
.....
That’s because Obama’s all-in on an outside strategy, doing just about everything other than holding serious talks with Republicans. 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.”

Isn’t Obama’s popular (75% approval) solution to permanently raise taxes on the rich again to pay for another 3 month delay in the spending cuts?
And he campaigns that this is the only ‘serious’ idea proposed?

It seems like the above could be shown to be phony by a competition opposition party.
But (most in) the GOP we got just repeats the same losing argument as they used last year :"If a rich guy pays any-more taxes we all die"

Werent Republicans going to demand a budget?

[Liz]

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.

[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.

[Phlap]

For Obama, the campaign never ends. Even when there is nothing to campaign for, the campaign never ends. Obama can't run again but that hasn’t stopped him from campaigning. So it begs the question: Will he ever govern? My guess is no. By campaigning(bashing republicans and blaming Bush for whatever is wrong) he avoids being responsibility for anything.

[SoFloFreeper]

You may be right, I have often wondered WHO hates the GOP more: Obama or the average “outraged” poster on Free Republic. With both sides hating Republicans instead of encouraging them, Obama is GUARANTEED to win.

[LucianOfSamasota]

This kind of talk plays well with his (Boehner's) members, most of whom represent districts where they worry most about Republican primary challenges.

These are the CONSERVATIVE House Districts, whose Washington elite Representatives are concerned they might lose power to a Tea Party or actual conservative candidate. They have to maintain the facade of opposition to Big Government.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

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.

Of course they do, they have documents, they have video and audio recordings of his own words daring them to change it.

What they don't have is:

...a clue.

[SoFloFreeper]

You may be right, I have often wondered WHO hates the GOP more: Obama or the average “outraged” poster on Free Republic. With both sides hating Republicans instead of encouraging them, Obama is GUARANTEED to win.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

A real third party is needed

Right, there are already over 50 "third parties".

You get that done and get back to us.