WASHINGTON – In his fifth annual budget proposal to Congress on Wednesday, President Obama once again has put forward a fiscal mix of investments in infrastructure, education and research with further deficit reduction through tax increases and spending cuts. But for the first time he has included changes to Medicare and Social Security intended to entice Republicans back to the bargaining table.
The main new element of the budget is his proposal, offered previously in private negotiations with Speaker John A. Boehner, for a new cost-of-living formula that would reduce future Social Security benefits. On the spending side, Mr. Obama wants to help states make prekindergarten available universally, paid for by higher taxes on tobacco products.
Mr. President, they don’t care. They. Don’t. Care. If you propose it, it’s bad. You could repeal taxes on everything and Republicans, Inc. would still find a way to try and paint you as a tax-and-spend liberal. You could declare war on Islam, and Republicans, Inc. would still find a way to call you a Muslim. Hell, you could resign your office today, and they’d start impeachment proceedings!
They are not going to come back to the negotiating table, not now, not ever. You need to offer a budget proposal that realistically reflects your values and then persuade what few Republican senators that you can to your argument.
You did it in the fiscal cliff negotiations and you can do that again.
And look, the deficit has already started to decline – despite the fact that if the economy tanks again, it will balloon – and you’ve already essentially achieved the Simpson-Bowles target of four trillion in deficit reduction over the next ten years.
Why won’t they negotiate? It’s really simple: they were literal when they said they want to kill the government. They weren’t kidding. That wasn’t a negotiating ploy as a moment’s reflection on the past decade will show. If it hadn’t been for the economic collapse proffered by their greedy bankster buddies, they very likely would have succeeded.
They want to turn the nation into an island of little habitats, each more vile and brutal than the last. They don’t give a rat’s ass about the people living in it, except that they be just healthy enough to serve as fodder for corporate profits.
Please get your head out of your ass and start dealing with them for the traitors they are. Your daughters will thank you.
Posts
