President Obama finally came in front of a camera to address the American people about his budget. Or so we all thought. What we got was a campaign 
speech to kick-off his 2012 run for re-election. There were no specific plans to add to or counter the Ryan proposed 2012 budget. What there was were talking points, class warfare, age warfare, scaring seniors, and scaring families with disabled children.
Once again, the President missed an opportunity to lead. Instead, his teleprompter was in campaign mode.
Headline reads “Obama: Cut spending, raise taxes on the wealthy.”
“We have to live within our means, reduce our deficit and get back on a path that will allow us to pay down our debt.” That was after he passed an $800 billion stimulus package that was only designed to stimulate government jobs and save union jobs. And after he and congress rammed the un-Affordable Health Care Act down America’s collective throat. And after the national debt quadrupled to over $14 trillion dollars, unemployment jumped way over his promised 8%, and housing foreclosures are still going strong. It crossed my mind that he was rehearsing for a Saturday Night Live skit with his ‘we have to live within our means’ line.
Obama also wants to raise taxes by allowing Bush-era tax rates to expire for individuals making $200,000 or more a year and couples making $250,000 or more.
That was after, in December 2010, he said that increasing taxes would be counter productive to economic recovery. That was four months ago.
President Obama was all about ignoring the advice of the special debt commission. And saying about the Ryan plan that they (Republicans) want to “end Medicare as we know it,” he said, and to extend tax cuts for the wealthy while demanding 33 million seniors pay more for health care.
If we don’t ‘end Medicare as we know it,’ it will bankrupt the country all by itself. The same as Social Security will do all by itself if that is not overhauled to some sustainable level too. And when that happens, the only seniors that will have medical insurance or medical care will be the ones that can pay for it themselves. But that’s his story and he’s sticking to it. Not leading, but campaigning.
On the Ryan plan to reform Medicare, Obama vowed “That’s not right, and it’s not going to happen as long as I am president.”
What are the American people supposed to take from a comment like that? Sounds to me like he is committed to failure. Committed to his base instead of the health and welfare of the American people.
Sorry Ross, one more, then I promise you I’ll let you go.
Isn’t it amazing the amount of money and lives we spent attacking a country that had NOTHING to do with 9/11, a war based on a complete fabrication (wmds). As someone that seems more concerned over money than anything else, that should really upset you (I know it doesn’t).
Instead, it took good intelligence and special ops to do what a war could not. What a waste.
One more response.
“The truism that seems to escape Democrats is that for sixty-eight years, they continue to ignore the will of the people.”
The american people do not want tax breaks for the rich. The american people do not want medicare cut. The republican party is trying to do both. Why want you listen to the american people?
“That socialized medicine is one thing that Americans do not want, and it’s time to move on.”
Go ask 10 people on the street what socialism is and I PROMISE you that 9 will get it wrong. That’s what amazing to me. You’re a smart guy, so surely you realize this, but you ignore it.
You treat socialism as a dirty world, but you’re a dying breed. Young people don’t see it that way. The american people don’t want socialized medicine? Take two polls, one with those that have insurance, one with those that don’t have health care. The answers will be different.
But you have health insurance right? Screw those that don’t. Probably their fault anyway. Probably lazy…
Take care.
“I always thought that if the facts bear it out, then it’s OK for a fact to be a talking point.”
But of course, that’s the only answer that makes sense. If the scare tactics and talking points are based on fact, that’s okay. The only problem is your truth is different than my truth. Palin, and even very lately, has continuously told lies when describing the health care bill. I can’t fathom how you can’t see this.
As far as public polls, it’s true that the health care bill isn’t popular. However, when more direct questions are asked about the bill (ex. do you think children born with defects should be allowed to buy reasonable health care) the polls almost completely switch the other way. In other words, a poll based on ‘health care’ goes one way simply because the average american doesn’t know what the health bill consists of. But when broken down, the poll changes.
And by the way, I don’t fully love the bill, but it’s something. It’s trying. Health Care is absolutely broken, and all the republican party can do is say no. They have no answer. They are the party of ‘no’ (there’s a talking point).
Ask most americans if the rich deserve tax breaks and they will say no. If we’re going by polls some of the time (public doesn’t support health bill) shouldn’t we do that with everything? Or aren’t we then ‘ramming it down the public’s throat’?
I was looking at your latest post regarding bin laden, and I see no mention at all of obama. None. And while the most credit should go to the soldiers that completed the raid, it is from the top that the directions were given. That it wasn’t under bush kills republicans, and you’re complete ignoring of the president is telling.
Anyway, I won’t take up any more of your time. I appreciate the long response, but it makes no sense to refute each point (and I do disagree with every point). You’re an ideologue, a rush limbaugh clone, and we couldn’t be more different.
Keeping fighting for the rich. God knows they need the help. right?
What there was were talking points, class warfare, age warfare, scaring seniors, and scaring families with disabled children.
Scaring? And the republicans don’t do the same thing? Don’t vote for Obama, he’ll turn the country socialist. Don’t vote for obamacare, you won’t be able to keep your own doctor, you’ll be left to die if you’re a senior. Gay marriage? It’ll destroy the family.
Scare tactics?
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=republican+scare+tactics&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
Talking points?
And after he and congress rammed the un-Affordable Health Care Act down America’s collective throat.
Sounds very familiar.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389×8039408
I mean, come on. If you’re going to accuse the other side of using talking points you might not want to include a blatant one in your post.
Regardless of side, you might want to look in the mirror before throwing accusations of scare tactics and talking points.
I always thought that if the facts bear it out, then it’s OK for a fact to be a talking point.
Except for seniors being left to die, that is all true. It’s not meant to scare anyone. It’s meant to tell people what Obama won’t admit to.
The democraticunderground is puzzled, “How do we disarm the notion of “rammed down our throats”? What do you say to someone you know who uses this Fox-induced turn of phrase? . . . insurance reform is just legislation they dislike, and they have worked themselves into a perpetual tantrum over it.”
And this too “The GOP media machine is using it to describe health care reform.”
What “0rganism” at the democraticunderground blog is saying is how do we tell the people that what just happened did not happen? That’s a tough nut to crack.
I didn’t know that ‘The GOP media machine’ is using that phrase. I know I use it and probably for the same reason that other republicans or conservative, and even democrats (and media machines) use it. We think that taking control of about 1/5 of the economy is not only unnecessary but not the government’s job or responsibility to do. And most likely un-constitutional.
I have an idea as to why I call it ‘ramming Obamacare down America’s collective throat.’ What would you call it when Republicans were not permitted to participate in the drafting and writing of the bill, AT ALL? It was all done behind closed Democrat doors.
According to Obama, this bill would not increase the debt. So he took half a trillion dollars out of Medicare and called that a saving. Twice. It would, he said, save money. He also said that he wouldn’t sign it if it would increase the debt. You still buy that? Obama also made the point that it would only work if everyone participated. Half of America didn’t believe him. Now all of America knows he failed in that objective.
What would you call it when there were not enough Democrat votes to pass the bill, Democrats were bribed with taxpayer money for their districts and exemptions from Obamacare? The Cornhusker kickback and the Louisiana purchase made the headlines but there were more than those two. That is the only way they got enough votes to pass it. Americans are not used to Obama’s community organizer presidency. (And since then, over 900 health plans and four states have been exempted.)
When then Speaker Pelosi proudly announced “We’ll go through the gate. If the gate’s closed, we’ll go over the fence. If the fence is too high, we’ll pole vault in. If that doesn’t work, we’ll parachute in but we’re going to get health care reform passed for the America people.” What would you call that?
That went over real big with the half of America that had no participation in it and, didn’t want it. But they got it passed. But it wasn’t made BY the American people nor is the result of the bill FOR the American people. It was made by Democrats and is FOR government control of our health care. Something the American people have rejected for almost 70 years since John Dingell Sr. started introduced it in 1943. The truism that seems to escape Democrats is that for sixty-eight years, they continue to ignore the will of the people. That socialized medicine is one thing that Americans do not want, and it’s time to move on.
That’s why I call it shoving Obamacare down America’s collective throat.