At the Associated Press, aka the Admininstration's Press, reporter Jim Kuhnhenn predictably and dutifully reported that President Barack Obama "reiterated his vow not to negotiate with Republicans over raising the borrowing limit."
As usual, the AP and Kuhnhenn didn't look back at how U.S. Senator Barack Obama's debt-ceiling posture in 2006 sharply differed. Today, Mark Knoller at CBS New, after setting up Obama's plans for the day, which included speaking to Business Roundtable CEOs, did so in a series of tweets (HT Twitchy; bolds are mine):
Boehner press secy @Brendan_Buck reminds that in 2006, Senator Obama was whistling a different tune about raising the Debt Limit. — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) September 18, 2013
In remarks on the Senate Floor on March 16, 2006, Sen. Obama said the need to raise the Debt Limit was "a sign of leadership failure." — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) September 18, 2013
Knoller was just warming up with his harsh "tweetment," which in essence said, "look-in-the-mirror pal":
Sen Obama said the need to raise the Debt Limit was another reflection of the "Government's reckless fiscal policies." — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) September 18, 2013
The, Sen Obama also denounced the rising National Debt as "a hidden domestic enemy" robbing cities & states of "critical investments." — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) September 18, 2013
Denouncing the ever-increasing National Debt, then-Sen. Obama told the Senate he would oppose an increase in the Debt Limit. — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) September 18, 2013
As I noted elsewhere today, since Barack Obama was first inaugurated, the government has run budget deficits totaling $5.3 trillion (assuming the fiscal 2013 comes in at "only" $645 billion; barring accounting maneuvers, I believe it will come in at over $700 billion), and increased the national debt by over $6.1 trillion (plus the unreported debt which has been incurred during the past month or so as the Treasury Department has engaged in money-shifting to avoid exceeding the debt ceiling).
If running a $248 billion deficit in fiscal 2006 was "reckless," what adjective remains to describe running deficits over four times as large for four straight years?
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
