Newsweek's Evan Thomas: Obama's Budget a 'Profile in Cowardice'
Newsweek's Evan Thomas on Friday said President Obama's just-released 2012 budget is a profile in cowardice.
Such occurred on PBS's "Inside Washington" (video follows with transcript and absolutely no need for additional commentary):
GORDON PETERSON, HOST: The Washington Post editorial says the President's new budget has kicked the hard choices down the road. The New York Times editorial says on paper the President's $3.7 trillion budget is encouraging. Wall Street Journal editorial says the President is lying in wait to ambush Republicans when they propose their real spending cuts. Take your pick. Colby, he punted, the budget’s encouraging, he’s lying in ambush. Which is it?
COLBY KING, WASHINGTON POST: All three, and because they are not contradictory. He is playing rope a dope. What we’re seeing now taking place in Congress is really the side show. The big game under the big tent is going to be the entitlement fight which will come later.
PETERSON: Charles?
CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: One of the most cynical budgets in modern memory. This is a President who told the Washington Post before his inaugural that we can no longer kick the can of entitlements down the road. He explodes spending for two years under the guise of emergency spending because of a recession. Now the recession is over. What does he do? Nothing on entitlements.
PETERSON: Nina?
NINA TOTENBERG, NPR: Cynical? I think probably shrewd. Whatever he proposes in terms of the entitlements he observed at his press conference would have exploded immediately. There has to be a big deal. Now, there is a lot of "After you, Alphonse" going on here between the Republicans in the Congress and the President, but in the last analysis, that’s what we are talking about.
PETERSON: Evan?
EVAN THOMAS, NEWSWEEK: Only the President, only the President can break the logjam. His State of the Union was a profile in cowardice. His budget is a profile in cowardice. I hope there’s a secret plan he has here to come forward to lead us, but he hasn’t shown it yet.
KRAUTHAMMER: The budget itself admits that it adds $7 trillion in debt over the next decade. And his own Secretary of the Treasury admitted in Congress this week that it is unsustainable. He did not lead and it is a huge failing.
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Comments
If Obama has lost Newsweek,
Submitted by Free Stinker on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 2:52pm.
If Obama has lost Newsweek, he's toast.
Then again, they are only worth $1 so . . .
/// Sarah Palin Fan since July 11, 2007 /// خال
I was just going to say the
Submitted by WarEagle66 on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 4:06pm.
I was just going to say the same thing, but you beat me to it.
How painful it must be for Nina to see that "her man" is incapable of leading. We don't need politically shrewd anymore. We need leadership. That is one thing The Jump Shooter in Chief is incapable of doing.
'Profile in Cowardice'???
Submitted by killa37 on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 2:59pm.
'Profile in Cowardice'??? That pretty much sums up Boy Barry's entire life..............
everybody chips in
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 3:06pm.
The 'entitlements' like social security, medicare, etc are politically explosive items. BUT if the Republicans are seen cutting other areas as well then the entitlement cuts will be viewed as part of a larger overall budgetary process and so will be more politically palatable.
The citizens know that this country has been adrift for years. The people want real leadership and things done right not what's politically expedient.
More on Obama's "budget"
Submitted by Blonde on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 3:00pm.
And I use quotes, because obviously it's a POS budget.
This is linked at Drudge, a fabulous piece about Paul Ryan...I didn't know which "House Passes X Cut" thread to post it on, but it actually fits the best here (emphasis mine).
Has the president ever called him to talk? "Never once," he says, notwithstanding Mr. Obama's many public statements that he wants "aggressive" conversations with Republicans, especially Mr. Ryan. "He keeps saying that," says the Wisconsin native, but "they don't talk to us. It just doesn't really happen. I don't know what else to say."
So goes the reality of today's Washington, especially after Mr. Obama dropped his budget this week that does almost nothing about everything. To call it a punt is unfair to the game of football. That abdication makes Mr. Ryan, by dint of his expertise and his influence with other Republicans, the most important fiscal voice in Washington. As supply-siders used to say—and Mr. Ryan came of political age as a protege of Jack Kemp—Mr. Ryan is now the man on the margin. He says he's determined not to waste the opportunity, notwithstanding the huge political risks.
What's the White House political calculation behind its budget? "The fiscal strategy is to hang on to all the government we've grown, and hopefully rhetoric will get us through the moment. It strikes me as a posture or position to keep the gains of the last two years in place—the bump up in discretionary spending, the creation of these new entitlements—to lock in their gains, bank their wins, and then hang on through the rest of this year. And they believe they have the flourishing rhetorical skills to navigate the politics in the meantime," Mr. Ryan says.
He adds he was hoping for more, counting on at least some leadership on Social Security, but "we've seen triangulation in rhetoric, not in substance."
Paul Ryan really has a brain in his head. I love the way this guy thinks. And he's right...expect the democrats to fight tooth and nail in Wisconsin and in DC to keep what they've got. He's spot on about that.
I know he's stated he's not interested in running in 2012, but I think he'd be in like Flynt. Oh how I wish.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
You're not surprised, are you
Submitted by motherbelt on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 5:15pm.
You're not surprised, are you B?
This man is a master of saying he's doing one thing while he does the opposite.
It's like "Listen to me, don't watch what I do."
Remember "I have no desire to take over GM" and "I don't want to take over health care"
(paraphrasing)
Now we have "We can't kick this down the road any longer." (entitlement reform)
Not in the least, mb
Submitted by Blonde on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 6:12pm.
I really liked Ryan's take on it, though.
I think it's great that he's putting it out there, calling Obama out on his hypocricy..."I want to have serious negotiations w/Republicans"....and then Ryan exposes the lie and says "Dunno wazzup w/that".
P.S. Brietbart.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Oh....NS
Submitted by Blonde on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 3:05pm.
You are on fire today, fella!
Thanks, xxx ooo.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
JJ
Submitted by Noel Sheppard on Sun, 02/20/2011 - 1:15am.
JJ,
That's a lot of kisses and hugs. People will talk. :-)
Target rich environment today. Have another piece to write sitting in the queue, but I'm tired and thinking of taking the rest of the night off to actually relax until the morning. Sundays are always busy as you know.
Where are you guys now? Back in FL or still in CR? ns
Not too many, NS
Submitted by Blonde on Sun, 02/20/2011 - 2:07am.
3 x's and 3 o's was standard fare, per my Grams. Just wanted to give you a shout out today, though, you ROCKED!....it was a fun, fun morning, you just kept putting up good news, better news, even better news, and then some just plain delicious fare! For a non-football Saturday, totally worthwhile. Again, gracias. X's & O's, too.
We've been back in Florida since late August...I am quite missing the road tripping. Although with all of the miserable news from Mexico (latest awful murder, well, we drove over that bridge and through that town, and quite frankly, if I were in Costa Rica today, I'd sell the car on the black market and fly home, Mexico is insane) I think perhaps our next road trip will be to New Mexico. We watched a NatGeo thing on Chaco Canyon, Blonde Mom is wanting to see the southwest.
You're going to have to work really hard tomorrow (well, later today) to beat Saturday's output. Enjoyed, and much appreciated! Noches.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Come on now!
Submitted by stunned on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 3:13pm.
Obama-Leadership? Who in God's name expected leadership from this shmuck? He couldn't lead his way out of a paperbag. He never made a mark as a leader, his strenght had always been, as he wrote in his autobiography, that he always adopted an aloof ambiguous persona that others pinned their hopes and aspirations on. He does not have the instincts of a leader but more like the instincts of a follower who makes himself likable to those around him. He has liberal instincts without being backed by well articulated principles. His foreign policy is a perfect example, it is a mess because of his inability to come up with a short and long term strategy which is why he is always reacting instead of leading. His has always been able to manipulate those around him. A machiavellian personality yes; a leader no.
tired of liberal lies
Yeah, Evan...........I'm sure
Submitted by killa37 on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 3:14pm.
Yeah, Evan...........I'm sure that there is a 'secret plan ..........to come forward and lead us'!!!! And you DID use the right phrase - 'I hope'. Wasn't that the big mantra coming from Boy Blunder during the election?? 'Hope and Change'..........'the politics of HOPE'..........bla bla bla??? Seems like you're still 'waiting, hoping, wishing'...............to paraphrase an old Buddy Holly song.
He did not lead because he is
Submitted by bkeyser on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 3:16pm.
He did not lead because he is unaware of how the concept works. Simply put, Obama is not, nor will he ever be a leader. He is a rabble rouser, nothing more.
Boy Barry IS, WAS, and always
Submitted by killa37 on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 3:36pm.
Boy Barry IS, WAS, and always WILL BE a lightweight!!!!
Evan knows cowardice...he
Submitted by d1carter on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 3:25pm.
Evan knows cowardice...he looks at it everyday in the mirror.
They're not?
Submitted by CobraMan on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 3:41pm.
"All three, and because they are not contradictory."
They're not? Excuse me, but "punting" or "kicking the can" is hardly "encouraging." It's actually discouraging as it is a sign of desperation! For example, you don't punt a football if you believe your next run or pass will be successful. You punt only when you're out of any other options.
A budget proposal which is given only to "ambush" the opposition is WORSE than "punting." It's totally distorting the purpose of proposing a budget, that purpose being giving us an outline of how to FIX a problem. Obama isn't proposing to fix a problem, he's proposing attacking anyone who actually carries out a "fix." It's equivalent telling your offensive line to use a certain play and then changing that play without telling anyone and expecting to achieve a goal. That, in itself, is contradictory.
We need better budget options than just punting the problem away, or waiting to "ambush" the opposition. We need actual, demonstrable, achievable results, and we need it NOW, not 10 to 12 years from now!
Only a liberal would think that using a budget proposal to "ambush' Conservatives while forgoing any real reform to achieve a balanced budget is actually encouraging and is not contradictory.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Let's face it, Obama himself
Submitted by Miss_Me_Yet on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 4:28pm.
Let's face it, Obama himself is a ' Profile in Cowardice '.
Liberals ... we can't live with them, they couldn't survive without us ...
Totenberg is a moral nitwit
Submitted by Paul B on Sun, 02/20/2011 - 6:22am.
Shrewd? What a jerk. She exemplifies the moral cowardice Thomas speaks of.
Obamao has lost his base
Submitted by johnsonl on Mon, 02/21/2011 - 9:38am.
Obamao has lost his base voters and the MSM. Only the unions remain. That is why the Soros/Obamao/Dem team is pulling out all the stops in Wisconsin. If they lose, the socialist dream is over for at least another 25 years. It's Soros' M.O., to the letter.
Nice try, boys.