11:11 AM
Julio Barreto
President Barack Obama and congressional leaders have demonstrated a failure to lead in their respective approaches to tackling the budget. Both the president and the Republican leadership are more concerned with positioning themselves favorably with the public than they are in reaching a bipartisan solution to our mounting deficit.
The president’s decision to present a deficit reduction plan was opportunistic, simply to distinguish himself from the proposal presented by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). Ryan’s plan was approved by the House of Representatives along party lines. While a clever move it only occurred because Obama has an eye on reelection which would be in jeopardy if he appears disinterested in tackling such a thorny issue.
He passed on a leadership moment when he decided not to endorse the recommendations submitted by the Deficit Reduction Commission which he created. The bipartisan commission members demonstrated tremendous leadership by submitting a set of recommendations which left nothing off of the table: cuts to politically popular programs affecting all segments of society and even proposing tax increases.
Ryan’s plan avoids serious discussion about defense spending and tax increases. Republicans insist that the cure to our problems is to eliminate domestic spending and let the free market reign. Since it didn’t work in the housing market why should anyone expect it to cure our budget problem. Republicans need to be honest and admit their decisions to enact tax cuts, Medicare Part D, and pay for two wars with no regard for the deficit helped create the problem we are facing. Like it or not, they need to recognize that tax reform, even if it means tax increases, must be part of the deficit reduction plan.
Republicans today are acting like the Democrats did before welfare reform was enacted. Democrats knew the problems inherit in the welfare programs and did nothing about them when given the opportunity. They could not accept that the program created a level of dependency that was ruining communities. Republicans took control of Congress and passed legislation changing the program as it had been structured for generations.
The deficit is the Republican version of welfare reform. They (Republicans) know it needs to be addressed but are unwilling to sacrifice ideology (no tax increases) to agree to part of the solution (tax increases) most experts agree must occur.
The politics of the Federal budget tends to force our elected officials to shy away from making hard decisions. The thought of reducing benefits to the elderly, the poor and the ill or cutting defense spending is not pleasant. The truth is the 800 pound gorilla called the trillion dollar deficit needs to be cut down to size. It will be bloody and leave behind many wounded. Leadership isn’t made, it is found. Hopefully, the nation will become stronger because of the debate and we find the leaders we are lacking.
Interesting Read
GOP escalates debt-limit demands
By Jake Sherman & Jonathan Allen
Politico
Tax the rich! OK, but then what, Mr. President?
CNN Money
Sorry, GOP: Tax revenue needs to go up
CNN Money
Death Wish? Republicans pushing to revamp Medicare could find themselves voted out of office in the next election.
By Charlie Cook
National Journal
Obama’s Young Mother Abroad
By Janny Scott
New York Times Magazine
The Crystal Ball’s First 2011 Take on 2012’s Electoral College
By Larry Sabato
Crystal Ball
Florida may be do-or-die for 2012ers
By Alexander Burns
Politico
The president’s decision to present a deficit reduction plan was opportunistic, simply to distinguish himself from the proposal presented by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). Ryan’s plan was approved by the House of Representatives along party lines. While a clever move it only occurred because Obama has an eye on reelection which would be in jeopardy if he appears disinterested in tackling such a thorny issue.
He passed on a leadership moment when he decided not to endorse the recommendations submitted by the Deficit Reduction Commission which he created. The bipartisan commission members demonstrated tremendous leadership by submitting a set of recommendations which left nothing off of the table: cuts to politically popular programs affecting all segments of society and even proposing tax increases.
Ryan’s plan avoids serious discussion about defense spending and tax increases. Republicans insist that the cure to our problems is to eliminate domestic spending and let the free market reign. Since it didn’t work in the housing market why should anyone expect it to cure our budget problem. Republicans need to be honest and admit their decisions to enact tax cuts, Medicare Part D, and pay for two wars with no regard for the deficit helped create the problem we are facing. Like it or not, they need to recognize that tax reform, even if it means tax increases, must be part of the deficit reduction plan.
Republicans today are acting like the Democrats did before welfare reform was enacted. Democrats knew the problems inherit in the welfare programs and did nothing about them when given the opportunity. They could not accept that the program created a level of dependency that was ruining communities. Republicans took control of Congress and passed legislation changing the program as it had been structured for generations.
The deficit is the Republican version of welfare reform. They (Republicans) know it needs to be addressed but are unwilling to sacrifice ideology (no tax increases) to agree to part of the solution (tax increases) most experts agree must occur.
The politics of the Federal budget tends to force our elected officials to shy away from making hard decisions. The thought of reducing benefits to the elderly, the poor and the ill or cutting defense spending is not pleasant. The truth is the 800 pound gorilla called the trillion dollar deficit needs to be cut down to size. It will be bloody and leave behind many wounded. Leadership isn’t made, it is found. Hopefully, the nation will become stronger because of the debate and we find the leaders we are lacking.
Interesting Read
GOP escalates debt-limit demands
By Jake Sherman & Jonathan Allen
Politico
Tax the rich! OK, but then what, Mr. President?
CNN Money
Sorry, GOP: Tax revenue needs to go up
CNN Money
Death Wish? Republicans pushing to revamp Medicare could find themselves voted out of office in the next election.
By Charlie Cook
National Journal
Obama’s Young Mother Abroad
By Janny Scott
New York Times Magazine
The Crystal Ball’s First 2011 Take on 2012’s Electoral College
By Larry Sabato
Crystal Ball
Florida may be do-or-die for 2012ers
By Alexander Burns
Politico
