Appearing on Friday's Andrea Mitchell Reports on MSNBC to discuss the upcoming budget sequestration, Bloomberg View columnist Margaret Carlson touted President Obama's ability "to manipulate some of these cuts so that they're going to hurt and people are going to see them," in order to put pressure on congressional Republicans. [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]
Carlson then proclaimed: "I think we'll start hearing, you know, squeals, when, as [Transportation Secretary] Ray LaHood predicts, you know, we see those first lines at the airport. And it may even hurt, you know, those wealthy Republicans who don't have private jets, when air traffic control and the transportation security lines grow longer."
Carlson began her rant by declaring: "I was wondering, who is held in lower esteem? These fallen, tragic sports heroes or our Congress? That they set up something so draconian and then go into it rather than negotiate with each other." She seemed to forget that it was the President's idea in the first place.
Here is a transcript of Carlson's February 22 prediction:
1:07PM ET
(...)
ANDREA MITCHELL: Margaret, after March 1st, who blinks first?
MARGARET CARLSON: Well, you know, as Chris [Cillizza] says, we're all assuming that they'll get on the case between – after March 1st, that Republicans have to have this for their base. But as I was watching the lead-in into this, Andrea, I was wondering, who is held in lower esteem? These fallen, tragic sports heroes or our Congress? That they set up something so draconian and then go into it rather than negotiate with each other.
The President, in putting out Republican – former Republican or Republican – Ray LaHood, you know, is able, it seems to me perhaps, to manipulate some of these cuts so that they're going to hurt and people are going to see them. Because it's now kind of kabuki theater, "Oh, well, we have this huge budget, it's not going to really hurt that much." I think we'll start hearing, you know, squeals, when, as Ray LaHood predicts, you know, we see those first lines at the airport. And it may even hurt, you know, those wealthy Republicans who don't have private jets, when air traffic control and the transportation security lines grow longer. But you know, there are real people and there are real cuts. And you know, we have to go through March 1st, it looks like.
(...)
