Watch out, RINOS are coming… to save the GOP. Good luck.

There are now so many RINOs wandering in the wilderness. But if they band together, they might even form a critical mass. Or even a base. If only they weren’t so attractively independent. The individualist nature of those most likely to be drawn to the Republican Party is such that they tend not to gather in groups. Ostracized by their own tribe, they feel alone in their exile.

Quite the opposite is true. Indeed, as the base seeks El Savior, isn’t it time for a RINO Rebellion?

Take a cue from the tea party, RINOs. Embrace your alienation. Slap a bumper sticker on your angst and rally that dispassion. Witness how bloggers turned others’ insults into a movement. What were random basement bloggers in terrycloth bathrobes and Uggs are now the respected and influential Pajamas Media, a.k.a. PJ Media.

Own your insult, in other words. Why should RINOs hang their heads in shame and be relegated to the fringes of their party? The party is the fringe. Isn’t it time to reclaim the salt lick? RINOs need to be defiantly proud, aggressively centrist and unapologetically sane.

Agree Feisty ...

It has been less than 26 months since the Republicans took control of the House of Representatives and we are facing our 5^th self-inflicted financial crisis and by the end of March we may be facing our 6^th as the current Continuing Resolution to fund the Government expires.

Study: Hispanics a growing slice of the American pie chart

By John Lantigua

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

A new national survey shows that the Hispanic population in the U.S. rose 47 percent from 2000 to 2011 and that the rate of growth in Florida was even higher — 62 percent.

The Pew Research Hispanic Center in Washington, a respected demographic research institute, found that the Hispanic population in the U.S. during those 11 years swelled from 35.2 million to 51.9 million. The total U.S. population as of 2011 was 311.6 million, meaning that 16.7 percent of people living in the U.S. were Hispanic, compared to 12.5 percent in 2000.

And that percentage is expected to increase. Of all births in the U.S. in 2011, 23.1 percent were to Hispanic women.

The 2011 numbers are based on the American Community Survey, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, which surveyed 3 percent of the households in the U.S. and extrapolated total numbers from those interviews. The households were contacted during 2011 and the numbers were compiled over the past year. The 2000 numbers were based on the census from that year.

The center says its figures include undocumented persons. There are thought to be 11-12 million undocumented persons in the U.S., 80 percent of whom are Hispanic.

The growing numbers of Hispanics, especially the increase in Hispanic voters, is already affecting U.S. political life. In November Democrat Barack Obama defeated Republican Mitt Romney for the presidency, in part by winning the Hispanic vote by 71-26 percent.

Republicans’ hardline position against the legalization of the undocumented cost them many Hispanic votes. Since then GOP members of Congress have begun negotiating with Democrats on a comprehensive immigration reform overhaul, to improve relations with Hispanic voters.

By far the largest Hispanic community in the U.S. is persons of Mexican descent, with 33.5 million, or 64.5 percent of all Hispanics. Many persons of Mexican descent come from families that have lived in the U.S. for many generations. Two-thirds of all persons of Mexican descent in the U.S. were born here.

Puerto Ricans, who are U.S. citizens from birth, number 4.9 million; Salvadorans, 1.95 million; Cubans, 1.88 million. Guatemalans, who have a large community in Palm Beach County, number 1.22 million nationwide.

Not only did the total number of Hispanics and their percentage of the total U.S. population increase, but the percentage of Hispanics in the U.S. who are U.S.-born increased from 59.9 percent to 63.8 percent. Hispanics have the lowest median age of any population group, 27, compared to 33 for African-Americans; 36 for Asians; and 42 for whites.

Florida is home to the third-highest total of Hispanics: 4.35 million, or 22.8 percent of total state population. It is far behind California, which includes 14.4 million Hispanics, and Texas with 9.8 million. Both those states are 38.1 percent Hispanic.

The break down by country of origin is very different for Florida than it is for the nation as a whole. Among Florida Hispanics, 35 percent are of Cuban descent; 26 percent Mexican; and 23 percent Puerto Rican.

Charles Zelden, Nova Southeastern University political scientist, says he looks at his own campus and sees more and more Hispanic students.

“We are the future of America,” he says. “The Latin population is growing even faster than the common wisdom would assume.”

Zelden says the numbers contained in the report and the outcome of the November election make it evident why the Republican Party has made a Hispanic, Cuban-American Sen. Marco Rubio, the face of the party ever since the November election.

“It makes sense, although given the numbers it would make even more sense if he were Mexican and not Cuban,” Zelden says.

He speculates about whether newly-elected Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz, who is already making his voice heard on Capitol Hill, may eventually challenge Rubio as the Hispanic face of the party.

At least 10 states around the country saw increases in their Hispanic populations of more than 100 percent since 2000. In the South, Georgia and North Carolina saw large increases and both now have more than 800,000 Hispanic residents.

The survey shows that educational levels of Hispanics rose over the 11 years studied. The high school dropout rate among Hispanics 16-19 years old plummeted from 17.5 percent in 2000 to 6.8 percent in 2011. The percentage of Hispanics 18-24 years old enrolled in college rose sharply, from 20 to 32.9 percent in the 11 years.

The median income of a Hispanic household in 2011 was $39,000. That compared to $67,000 for Asian households; $54,400 for whites; and $32,600 for African-Americans. Some 13 million Hispanics live in poverty, 25.9 percent of the total Hispanic population and 22 percent receive food stamps. Only African-Americans have higher rates in those categories, with 27.9 percent living in poverty and 28 percent receiving food stamps.

But Hispanics have by far the highest percentage of persons without health insurance, 30 percent. That compares to 10.8 percent for whites; 15.4 percent for Asians; and 18.6 percent for blacks.

Palm Beach Post researcher Niels Heimeriks contributed to this story.

This timely study underscores that the stakes are very high in future elections. It most likely is fueling the GOP/TP efforts to get a larger slice of this pie, however, looking at excerpts of John McCain's Town Hall meetings yesterday and the reception he received from constituents who are not on the same page as Congress shows it will be a tough slog to get any new laws on the books. But these statistics are a real eyeopener for the future of the country.

Who's a RINO ?

The ENTIRE Republican party. All that's left is the name.

Hey, Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL

WhooHoo! I'm frist!

Yes, U R frist.

But are you related to Bill Frist...former Senate Majority leader?

Congratulations Feisty on being "frist" Yeah for girl power, lol!

Feisty

When will the Repubican'ts stop playing Russian Roulette with our economy?

When someone has the courage to say "the bullet stops here"?

The record reveals that the sequestration bill was passed by the Congress. The President signed that bill into law.

The supecommittee was formed in Sept 2012, to come up with a reasonable plan to cut spending. Super committee including Paul Ryan could not come up with a plan. The time ran out on Dec 31, 2012.

So CONGRESS kicked the can down the road until March and the new 113 Congress.

This Congress has done nothing about it, except blame anyone but themselves.

Oh, they are in recess this week. So they cannot do anything but issue blame statements.

Boehner is the worst Speaker of the House ever!

In less than a month from now Republicans WILL be voting to increase spending as they try to offset some of the spending cuts they allowed to happen (especially for Defense) by doing nothing about the Sequester.

This vote will be used against them in primaries allowing Democrats a better chance to gain seats in the midterms.

jim-1455434.......

Re: Current debate about who owns the sequester.

President Obama is out front arguing against allowing the sequester to occur. Republicans are either in favor of it or taking no position.

The story of King Solomon comes to mind. President Obama wants to save the baby (our economy). Republicans opt to cut it in half (allow the sequester to occur).

Who most sounds like they OWN the sequester?

Uh,oh, Feisty's "frist", let the yahoo accusations begin......

Pigotry, good one.

JM, one cannot lead a Congress that is never in session and speaks with forked-tongue demanding President Obama provide a plan and when he does, claim it is dead on arrival. No, the failure to govern lies in Congress because it is Congress that must write the legislation, pass the legislation and send it to the White House for signature.

Poor little Dems, all they want to do is raise taxes ....YET AGAIN ! Obamacare raised taxes on the wealthy and created a "war on those with medical expenses" by eliminating most medical deductions, lowering the amount one can put in a medical reimbursement plan and creating excise taxes on medical devices !

Then, Obama forced a raise in taxes through the "fiscal cliff deal" !! Now, Obama is mumbling about raising taxes yet a third time. It appears that all that government fraud, waste and giveaways have an insatiable appetite for taxpayer money !!!

When will Obama go over the budget ....line by line, item by item .... like he promised before his first election ?

Oh, I forget, under Obama, there have been no budgets at all !!! LOL! Bam-Bam is a financial clu$terf_ck !

Well, Jody, pun intended for my 'frist' post (#1.10).

Redhead should always be on top...of every vine. She is our liberal brain...delivering a great lib service.

Joe in Albany -- It's not Obama's sequester, no matter how many times you say it. CONGRESS signed on Joe. THEY AGREED TO IT. They did that with the idea they would work on a new alternative. Democrats came up with an alternative solution, Republicans couldn't get their alternative passed with the new Congress. Whatever impact/damage this has on the economy will be the REPUBLICANS fault. They decided to take another LONG VACATION instead of doing their JOB. Democrats have a plan that begins to reform the tax code and has spending cuts. More importantly people will not be laid off under their solution to the damaging sequester cuts.

Funny, Bill in Fairfax, forgets his party was wailing about the Defense cuts in the sequester. Where's the Republican alternative to the sequester bill? Just for Bill --

House Republicans have no plans to vote again this month on their bill to replace automatic spending cuts scheduled to be implemented in just over three weeks.

The House-passed sequester replacement measure expired with the start of the new Congress, and GOP leaders would appear to face a tougher lift in passing the measure this time around.

The House barely passed the bill — 215 to 209 — in December, with 21 Republicans opposing the measure and no Democrats supporting it.

Five of the Republicans who voted "no" are no longer in Congress, but the GOP also has a smaller majority after losing a net of eight seats to Democrats in November's election.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/281347-gops-bill-unlikely-to-get-revote#ixzz2LRytFH80
Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook

The 'Sequester cuts/fiscal cliff' hype is overblown nonsense.

In 2009, Obama increased spending by $535 Billion over 2008 with his 'Stimulus' bill, and he's kept spending at that level for the last 4 years.

The 'Sequester' cuts amount to only about $85 Billion in 2013 - which is only about 16% of the huge increase in spending we've had for the last 4 years.

The TRUTH is that Obama loves to spend, spend, spend, and never saw an expensive program he didn't like.

By the way - Obamacare, which was supposed to only cost $900 Billion over 10 years, is now pegged to cost $2.6 TRILLION over 10 years by the CBO. The government ALWAYS underestimates costs on new 'entitlements'.

How many times have we heard Obama say "Shared Sacrifice"? Obama's commitment to "shared sacrifices"- 7 million dollar Hawaiian vacations, 160+ days on the golf course, ski trips to Colorado, European vacations, Girls vacationing in Cancun, White House parties, etc.. etc.. WOW what a sacrifice and all on the taxpayers dime!

Same BS, different Day

From the article above:

White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer has responded with a “setting the record straight” blog post pointing 1) Obama does have a plan to replace the sequester cuts, 2) Boehner had boasted in the past that the sequester was leverage to extract entitlement cuts, and 3) the House GOP has yet to pass a plan in this Congress to replace the sequester.

I think it’s obvious to the intelligent thinkers out there that the only thing this Mad Hatter Tea Party Congress is capable of is manufacturing crisis after crisis. First it was the so-called “fiscal curb” and now this so-called “Sequester”.

Simply amazing how they are oblivious to the day-to-day struggles of the American poor and Middle Class. Simply incredible how a handful of legislatures have made their careers and their interests more important than the needs of the People.

We all know the obstruction and pettiness will continue in Congress because the GOP refuses to keep up with the changing demographics, the changing cultural beliefs, and they refuse to understand the real challenges we face in the 21^st Century.

We can change all that with the 2014 mid-term elections. But in the meantime, we must continue to push back hard against the dinosaurs of the GOP and defeat them on every legislative battle. The poor and Middle class are depending on us majority Democrats to continue to fight for them every day.

We now interrupt this program to bring you the following message:

“All people are born alike - except Republicans and Democrats.”
Groucho Marx

PS. Ms. Redhead. You are always first in my book.

Salud

This vote will be used against them in primaries allowing Democrats a better chance to gain seats in the midterms.

Shhhh Dennis, let's not let the cat out of the bag! ;o)

Why Republicans Can't Propose
Spending Cuts

"Where are the president's spending cuts?" asks John Boehner. Republicans demand that President Obama produce an offer of higher spending cuts, and Obama replies that Republicans should say what spending cuts they want, and Republicans insist that Obama should try to guess what kind of spending cuts they would like.

Republicans think government spending is huge, but they can't really identify ways they want to solve that problem, because government spending is not really huge. That is to say, on top of an ideological chasm between the two parties, we have a thinking void. The Republican understanding of government spending is based on hazy, abstract notions that don't match reality and can't be translated into an achievable program.

When the only cuts on the table would inflict real harm on people with modest incomes and save small amounts of money that is a sign that there's just not much money to save. It's not just that Republicans disagree with this; they don't seem to understand it. The absence of a Republican spending proposal is not just a negotiating tactic but a howling void where a specific grasp of the role of government ought to be. And negotiating around that void is extremely hard to do. The spending cuts aren't there because they can't be found.

Math is hard

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2012/12/why-republicans-cant-propose-spending-cuts.html

Republicans are "UNCONSCIONABLE" !!!

GOP only know two letters in the Alphabet "NO" !!!

Where are the president's spending cuts?" asks John Boehner.

Didn't the Weeper of the House go on CBS to brag about how he got 98% of what he wanted...?

You just cannot make this @!$%# up! lol

Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL

Didn't the Weeper of the House go on CBS to brag about how he got 98% of what he wanted...?

You just cannot make this <redacted> up! lol

He should have gotten 98% of what he wanted. He's the one who brought the bill to the floor.

Oh that's right. Obama runs Congress, so it's all on the President.

I do like the fact that over the sound of our politicians arguing, I can hear the faint"clank clank clank" of the can being kicked further down the road.

*** Brace yourself for the Supreme Court to eliminate all campaign-contribution limits

=============

So here we seem posed for income inequality to be expanded again. For those who claim that Government has gotten beyond it's britches and no adequate balance exists etc., I hear you...but I'm having a very difficult time keeping my equilibrium while standing on the landscape for big business, tax policy, the world of finance and now, the potential of open limits in the world of campaign financing, in not seeing how the same charge can't be leveled at the wealthy and well connected of this Country.

For God's sake what controls in any of these areas exist to keep the absolute wills of these people from being played out on the rest of society by them simply opening their check books and just writing a number and a signature?

It's all about numbers, but what numbers am I speaking of? It's about the numbers of republicans versus democrats. The democrats are desperate to eliminate the republican party. In every speech Obama gives, he campaigns against the republicans and their stubborn ways. Well golly gee... I simply can't understand why the republicans are opposed to rampant spending, the national debt so far in a hole we can't see bottom and deficits that are never ending. Let's not forget the fact that the Senate hasn't passed a budget (as required by law) in over 4 years. Wait! The democrats control the Senate. They wouldn't do something as dishonorable as NOT passing a budget. Or would they?

Sequestration - Originated from Obama's White House. Funny how some people are believing the lie that Obama is telling passing off blame to the Republicans. I guess Obama simply can't tell the truth at all. Truth - something beyond this White House's ability to maintain. And to think there's a whole ideology falling for his words... sheep... Baaaahhhhhh!!!!

Republicans put our entire economy and Country at risk just to protect tax loopholes that benefit only the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations !!!

This is beyond being Pigheaded, if Sequester goes into effect the American people will blame the GOP-TP !!!

Guns : Democrats in WA are trying to pass a gun law that will allow a police officer to enter your home without a warrant once a year to check on your gun if you own an 'assault' rifle.

Immigration : obama doesn't want border protection to be part of his immigration plan even though the CBO's last estimate is we're only catching ~60% of the invaders.

Sequester : Defense companies are already spinning up the pink slips for 1000s of layoffs, and neither obama or congress (both parties) will do a damn thing to fix it. Let's cut our defense while giving amnesty to millions of invaders and allow them on our welfare rolls. This is on top of the money they're already costing us with medicaid, bankrupting hospitals, education, incarceration, drugs, food stamps, etc. I guess if we get in a war we can just use the illegals as human shields since we won't have a well armed, technology competitive military?

Libs on these forums : Break out the KY because it's a progressive circle jerk!

Allen -- Couple that with McConnell's flip flop on DISCLOSURE and things look even worse.

Excellent question on CONTROLS!

Great post edgarw ! Now expect to be attacked in droves !! Liberals hate reality, they thrive on extremist ideology.

Come on people Obama is screaming the sky is falling and according to the article no one is joining the chorus. Poll after poll shows the American people say let sequester happen. No one truly believes the doom and gloom touted by Obama, these are paltry cuts in future spending increases. No one believes this government is not so over bloated that 85 billion in cuts this year will even be noticed. So what if Obama is parading in front of first responders, children, teachers, or the elderly, when no one actually believes 85 billion will have the impact he claims. Obama has been crying wolf since he took office, so is it any wonder no one listens anymore? Obama should have embraced Simpson Bowles in his first term, then he could be spending time on more important issues like getting rid of the penny.

Fairfax Bill:

Of course, the idea for the sequester originated with the White House.

Of course, John Boehner said he got "98%" of what he wanted, and of course, most of the Republicans in the House voted for the sequester. You parroting Boehner's talking points won't convince anyone that the Republicans deserve at least 98% of the blame, according to Boehner himself.

And of course, the Republican House passed several bills in the last Congress that laid out a smarter way to make the cuts.

Are the cuts you're referring to the ones in the budget proposed by Loser Lyin' Ryan? Judging from the election results last November, the public seems to have thought that the cuts Ryan wanted were stupid rather than smart.

seaskip

Republicans put our entire economy and Country at risk just to protect tax loopholes that benefit only the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations !!!

This is beyond being Pigheaded, if Sequester goes into effect the American people will blame the GOP-TP !!!

I'd like to think that the American people would remember that it passed in the Senate and was signed by the President.

A screw-up this colossal takes two political parties and around 500 people to accomplish.

Ah, who am I kidding. Everyone will do what they always do, blame the other party. They can tune into their preferred method of media and get some pointers on how to frame the argument better.

Libs on these forums : Break out the KY because it's a progressive circle jerk!

Yet, you crawl over here everyday to be the pivot girl!

It is true that liberty is precious — so precious that it must be rationed.

sounds like a Barry quote...but alas it isnt, just a person King Hussein idolizes..Im willing to bet most liberals in here know this quote by heart.

Congratulations to Feisty, for assuming her rightful place of "frist". All is well with the world now. ( - :

.....and Republicans continue to slap lipstick on their pig of a party.

House Republicans caused the Sequester. They own the blame.

Dennis, Columbus, Ohio "It has been less than 26 months since the Republicans took control of the House of Representatives"...............and some people ask "Where are the jobs you promised, Mr. Boehner"?

Well, since the Republicans took over control of the House, a total of 4,430,000 net new jobs have been created (thru January 2013). That's 26 straight months of job growth.

In contrast, during the previous 24 months when the Democrats controlled the House, the Senate and the Presidency, we had net job LOSSES of 4,030,000 net jobs.

lol

No one believes this government is not so over bloated that 85 billion in cuts this year will even be noticed

Ah, the simple Republican mind. How easy things would be if the world were as straightforward as they make it out to be.

The government spends a lot of money, therefore its spending is wasteful and unnecessary. Just like that. No inquiry on what it is that the government spends its money on. Spending is all bad and whoever says otherwise is a communist.

is now pegged to cost $2.6 TRILLION over 10 years by the CBO.

Roy Wilson - why do you insist on publishing this crap. Show us ONE piece of evidence the CBO has projected a 2.6T price tag on Obama care. You can't, because they haven't. But hey, since you love to post faux numbers, let's throw this one out there - the CBO projects the total cost of Bushies wars will be 200 TRILLION DOLLARS!! Add that to your debt and choke on it.

Now do us all a favor and quit posting your Limbaugh/Breitbart/Beck fake numbers.

The sequester passed with a majority of Republicans; Paul Ryan said it "represents a victory for those committed to controlling government spending and growing our economy."

==========

Friendly reminder for those who otherwise think Representative Paul Ryan as a 'serious' voice in Washington.

CA: Here’s a few more gems from Barry’s hero:

A lie told often enough becomes the truth.

-- Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have
sown will never be uprooted.

-- Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the
millstones of taxation and inflation.

-- Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

A system of licensing and registration is the perfect device to
deny gun ownership to the bourgeoisie.

-- Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

The goal of socialism is communism.

-- Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

ROY,

You totally ignore the recession that caused the job losses.

Without the self inflicted financial instability the jobs gained could have been 6 million over the last 2 years.

Thank you Jim. I can't help it that I live in Realityville. I'm not worried about some blind liberals. They can attack all they like. Unless they have something substantial to say, I'll just disregard their remarks. Let them argue that a $17 Trillion dollar debt is good for this country. Let them argue that deficits of over a trillion dollars a year helps this nation. Let them argue that Obama is steadfast in solving our nation's economic problems. Somehow I don't think they can muster up the words to defend these things... when based upon reality. I can't wait to see how they defend Obama when next quarter we've fallen into recession again. I'd like to hear one example of how Obama is actually governing this country instead of campaigning against republicans. Where are HIS solutions to our problems? I know - Blame the republicans. Great solution!

Its funny how the article above pointed out the "leadership" the President has shown over the gun debate, yet no leadership over the sequester issue. Rather than play the blame game a true leader leads. A true leader will sit down with both parties and work out the differences. Sadly, our leader is buying into the blame game of his party and allowing this to continue. As pointed out, the actual amount of the sequester is not that much, but it will have an impact in the coming months. The President needs to keep himself above this fray and lead our country by making this work.

Sequester …

House Vote: 269-161 with 174 of 240 Republicans (72.5%) voting for sequester

Senate Vote: 74-26 with 28 of 52 Republicans (54%) voting for sequester

Seems MSNBC would say who birthed the sequester:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/02/12/jay_carney_admits_sequester_was_the_presidents_idea.html

Carney during a newsconference admitted that Obama did.

Well, since the Republicans took over control of the House, a total of 4,430,000 net new jobs have been created (thru January 2013). That's 26 straight months of job growth.

In contrast, during the previous 24 months when the Democrats controlled the House, the Senate and the Presidency, we had net job LOSSES of 4,030,000 net jobs.

Yeah, buddy, there was this little thing called the recession, which for the most part killed all those jobs you speak of. If you look at a jobs chart, there is no obvious trend of bigger jobs gains since the Republicans took control of the House. On the contrary, it all stalled a little.

I'm going to let you in on two secrets that might shatter all your childish fantasies: (1) Santa Claus doesn't exist and (2) If a President comes in when you're having 700,000 net job losses every month, you're not going to have job gains the next month. In fact, it's unlikely you'll have one in the next 12 months. In fact, it's extremely unlikely you'll even out in four years.

How can the Republicans Exist when they go against the American peoples Will, you really have to wonder ???

I laughed out loud when I read the title of this morning's First Read. So, the Left is starting to realize you can only spread the BS so much....the truth will ultimately win out. Face it, Obama, (once again) screwed up and is hard put to find a way out of the lie. The funny thing is, I've not seen anything that shows he's willing to cut ANY spending, (except of course, the Military) and in contrast, wants to spend even more. The lame excuse of closing loop holes does not say he's cutting spending, just looking for another way to pay for run-a-way spending. Maybe some on the left are actually waking up. I heard a Liberal say yesterday she was willing to support a tax increase, if everyone received the increase, "not just the rich." Wow, equality coming from a Liberal! Personally, as a Fiscal Conservative, I don't think anyone should be given a tax increase at this time, we need the wasteful spending to end, IMMEDIATELY! It can and should be done, and before the country is teetering on the edge of permanent ruin!

What happens if the sequester sky doesn't fall?

.

The president is the Superhero in the new movie..Sky Fall

RedDevPS "Obamacare is now pegged to cost $2.6 TRILLION over 10 years by the CBO..Roy Wilson - why do you insist on publishing this crap. Show us ONE piece of evidence the CBO has projected a 2.6T price tag on Obama care."

Happy to oblige - here's a link;

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2012/07/11/obamacare_to_cost_26_trillion_over_10_years_284495.html

lol

Lets all come together and stop with the BS and start cleaning up GWB's Mess !!!

Poll after poll shows the American people favor sequester. Read the article, the American people are unfazed by the prospect of sequester. So who again is trying to go against the will of the American people? Seems the vast majority feel the government needs to cut spending, and that means Obama and the Democrats are the ones going against the will of the American people.

Poll after poll shows the American people favor sequester

Perhaps you can share a couple of them with us? I can't seem to locate any...

Thanks!

The blog mentioned that Lt. Gov. Bolling is to the left of Gov. Bob McDonald. Gee, what did Bolling do, refuse to endorse removal of universal background checks?

Lucifer himself is to the left of trans-vaginal probe McDonald.

As for the rest of the GOP, they've got themselves into a real problem. For the last 10 years they've been saying "arrest, deport, build a fence." All of a sudden they discover that the attitude of "being not white is probable cause to deport" does not go over well with CITIZENS who happen to be of Mexican and S. American heritage. Now they are trying to get away from that and they find the base of hatred they've built up doesn't want any immigration changes. Kind of like being in the Klan for 10 years and then deciding that the best thing for America is to advocate giving money to the United Negro College Fund.

The history of immigration laws in this country is a history of the racist attitudes of white males trying to hold onto power. Each version of "immigration reform" has had, at its heart, the attempt to prevent one non-white group or another from entering the country and becoming citizens. In every case, the efforts fail, miserably. Republicans do not understand that you simply can not stop people from wanting to live in a land where they or their children will have every opportunity to be the very best they can be.

The best alternative would be for the Congress to pass an immigration law which embraces the reality, allows immigration limited only by excluding criminals and anarchists, and reforms the immigration service itself to improve the ability of people become citizens. Making the process more difficult simply encourages people to avoid the system, and be in the country illegally.

Happy to oblige - here's a link;

Roy - Epic FAIL!! This link has nothing to do with a CBO projection. Try again!! Your numbers are 100% BULLPUCKY!!

Written message to the GOP-TP for 2014 & 2016 "NO" !!!

Wow Feisty on top? That is one scary thought. I have a feeling she would make "Behind the Green Door" look like a pre-school story

AndresTM "Well, since the Republicans took over control of the House, a total of 4,430,000 net new jobs have been created (thru January 2013). That's 26 straight months of job growth....In contrast, during the previous 24 months when the Democrats controlled the House, the Senate and the Presidency, we had net job LOSSES of 4,030,000 net jobs........Yeah, buddy, there was this little thing called the recession, which for the most part killed all those jobs"

Yes, but Bush also had a recession after 9/11, when 2,678,000 jobs were lost, but in the next 26 months, a total of 4,635,000 net new jobs were GAINED.

It seems as though people of a certain ideology are still trying to pass the blame for sequestration along to the republicans. I guess it's hard to smash through concrete pillars. The White House originated the plan... the republicans viewed it as a way to cut some spending... something they truly want... in an attempt to bring the country around to some fiscal sense... along comes this ideology saying the republicans are at fault. FAULT?? Since when is trying to eliminate government spending a FAULT?? Tell me... when will government overspending end? When will the government live within it's means? Are you in the belief that this country SHOULD go bankrupt?

Do people actually feel we aren't taxed enough? How much of our hard earned money do you want to give to the government? We pay Federal Income tax, state tax, property tax, hot dog tax, taxes on our vehicles, goods and services, even our dry cleaning is taxed. What percentage do you feel should go to the government? Remember, if you don't think you pay enough taxes, you can always donate more of your money to the cause of bigger government programs that don't do one thing to help you, and if you are in a really giving mood, you can donate the rest of your money to charity. Sheesh!

Obama is the crisis president... One contrived crisis after another... Yawn...

White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer has responded with a “setting the record straight” blog post pointing out... 2) Boehner had boasted in the past that the sequester was leverage to extract entitlement cuts

Yes, he certainly did, and Newsmax was very proud of him.

http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/boehner-obama-fiscal-cliff/2013/01/07/id/470324

All you Liberals have very short memories.

Congress passed the White House proposal, and Obama signed it into law. And in November 2011, Obama vowed, "I will veto any effort to get rid of those automatic spending cuts to domestic and defense spending. There will be no easy offramps on this one."

So how is it the Republicans fault that Obama will "veto any effort to get rid of those automatic spending cuts"?

http://washingtonexaminer.com/examiner-editorial-obamas-scare-talk-on-spending-cuts/article/2521958

BTW. The Republican House passed TWO(2) Bills that would stop the Sequestration last year. They are sitting on Harry Reid's desk. Maybe you people should be mad at him for these 'draconian cuts'.

Look up:

H.R. 5652, Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act

H.R. 6684, Spending Reduction Act of 2012

jim-1455434

This is simply too funny.... Barack Obama kicking, dragging his feet, pointing his finger at the Republicans for their supposed "Draconian cuts" ................ for something that was HIS (Obama's) idea to start with !

When will thi$ President have the ball$ to actually do $ome $erious reduction$ in federal $pending ?

I guess your memory is short. Yes President Obama is the author of the sequester cuts. However, you forget that the reason it was created was to ensure the Republicans and Democrats would rather come to an agreement then suffer the sequester. President Obama and the American people would never had thought that the House GOP would actually put their own interests and the Rich ahead of the USA.

RedDevPS "Try again!! Your numbers are 100% BULLPUCKY!!"

Here's a quote from another link;

"President Barack Obama promised his ObamaCare.htm">health-care law would cost approximately $900 billion over ten years when he first proposed it..."Since then, the price tag has continued to climb. Total spending under the Affordable Care Act will reach $2.6 trillion over its first full decade, according to a Senate Budget Committee analysis, which was based on Congressional Budget Office estimates and growth rates." The last time I checked the Senate Budget Committee was controlled by the Democrats. lol

http://dailycaller.com/2012/07/11/analysis-obamacare-to-cost-2-6-trillion-over-first-full-decade/

You can find plenty of other links by googling "CBO obamacare cost $2.6 Trillion"

It's easy - try it.

slodon

All you Liberals have very short memories.

So how is it the Republicans fault that Obama will "veto any effort to get rid of those automatic spending cuts"?

BTW. the Republican House passed TWO(2) Bills that would stop the Sequestration last year. They are sitting on Harry Reid's desk. Maybe you people should be mad at him for these 'draconian cuts'.

Those bills had to be passed through the House and the Senate in order to be signed by the President. If the House hadn't passed the bill for the sequestration there wouldn't have been anything for the President to sign. Wasn't Boehner saying he got 98% of what he wanted when the first bill was passed?

So we should let the House off the hook, because they wrote legislation that they later wanted to walk back?

Is that like me losing the right to be upset with my dog for crapping on my carpet because he wanted to clean it up but the pet vacuum was in the garage and the door was closed?

Republicans on the Sequester: Then and Now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhXXNP5WtFI

Yet, you crawl over here everyday to be the pivot girl!

Don't flatter yourself nasty. It would be more like I crawl over here (not everyday) because reading some of the liberal posters here (like yourself) makes me look like a @!$%#ing genius.

President Obama and the American people would never had thought that the House GOP would actually put their own interests and the Rich ahead of the USA.

Not really sure how you can put that on the GOP when your president and your politicians are doing the same damn thing. Do you honestly think that this president and ANY of the politicians in DC are watching out for the middle class American working folks? Right now both parties are too busy trying to cater to the illegals for votes, regardless of the fact that any plan they come up with will HURT the middle class. No matter which way they go this the sequester, 1000s of good paying middle class jobs will be lost. Toss those on top of the pile of job losses that are continuing due to ACA.

Seriously, wake up and smell the bull@!$%#.

Some of us were smart enough to stop supporting our politicians, but you libs just don't get it that what your party politicians are doing is NOT whats best for our country. Not saying that what the GOP is either..... The only way this will improve is if the democrat party loses support just like the GOP did.

I guess the GOP DID have the more intelligent supporters since lots of us were smart enough to look at the party and realize how @!$%#ed up they were.

Here is the link for the veto statement.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/examiner-editorial-obamas-scare-talk-on-spending-cuts/article/2521958

Here are the TWO(2) Bills.

H.R. 5652, Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act

H.R. 6684, Spending Reduction Act of 2012

Liberals spend more time spinning for the purpose of blame then solving problems. Sure the sequester was Obama's idea, but... Well for all you memory challenged liberals do you remember on November 21, 2011 press conference when Obama said "he would veto any attempt to get rid of the automatic cuts which are set to kick in as a part of the sequester proposition." Of course that veto threat was aimed squarely at Republicans. But like this article says, the American people are unfazed, and don't appear to be listening anymore. So when the sky doesn't fall after sequester kicks in, do you suppose then Obama will start taking credit?

RedDevPS

By the way - That $2.6 Trillion cost for Obamacare is about 31% of the entire Deficit projected by Obama over the next 10 years in his 2013 Budget.

Perhaps forcing an expensive new 'entitlement' with only Democratic support, in the middle of the night, using sneaky machinations, wasn't such a great idea in this time of extreme financial crises.

That's an extra $2.6 Trillion added to the Debt that we are passing on to our children and grandchildren.

Congratulations on that "Change we can believe in" that you voted for - again.

Ironically, those same young people that voted for Obama are the same ones that will 'inherit the Debt' that Obama has created. I guess you might call that 'Retribution'. lol

Why doesn't the President send a proposal to cut the $85b more in line with his priorities?

Because he doesn't want to cut a dime of Federal spending. He doesn't think there is a spending problem, only a revenue problem. He got his revenue in the last negotiations - now it's time to pony up some spending cuts. Time for the President to lead, not just campaign.

I must disagree with you DIRP on your comment about Lt. Gov. Bolling. He's more of a conservative than Government McDonald. Gov. McDonald actually proposed raising taxes for roads because of the problem in Va. with roads, while previous Democratic Governor's couldn't get it through our General Assembly. I find McDonald to more of a moderate than conservative and that's why he got my vote. I didn't vote for Governor Kaine, but I did vote for Governor Warner, both Democrats because I don't vote along party lines, but rather the platform each candidate puts out.

So the contentious government standoff now is because some many of the electorate have demonized one party or the other, rather than listen to the candidate's platform.

I guess your memory is short. Yes President Obama is the author of the sequester cuts. However, you forget that the reason it was created was to ensure the Republicans and Democrats would rather come to an agreement then suffer the sequester. President Obama and the American people would never had thought that the House GOP would actually put their own interests and the Rich ahead of the USA.

Then where is Obama's or the Democrat's plan for the $85b in spending cuts? You'd think that with a $3T budget you could trim a measly 2.4% without causing catastrophic pain. Where is their plan?

Also - if you want memory to serve - We wouldn't be here if the President hadn't blown the "big deal" with Boehner with a last second demand for double the proposed $800b in new revenue that Republicans had agreed upon. That scuttled months of negotiations and brought eventually brought us to sequestration.

Liberals spend more time spinning for the purpose of blame then solving problems.

Say Rick,

Did you manage to locate all of those polls where you claim support of the sequestration?

Cause I still can't find any...

We will be waiting.

Thanks Again!

It's easy - try it.

Roy, I did google it, and the 2.6T number you are trying to sell was never, ever, produced by the CBO. It was produced by the Republican side of the Senate Budget Committee, and was done as a scare tactic back in July 2012 to coincide with yet another vote to dismantle the Healthcare Act. Since the number was published, there has been nothing that supports the claim. It is simply your typical Republican pie-in-the-sky accounting, the same accounting that said the Iraq war would pay for itself.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obamacare-now-estimated-cost-26-trillion-first-decade_648413.html

As usual the paid lefty's jump on stories as these to begin their own 'cyberattacks' against their own country.

Many Obama keeps stepping in it ( my opinion )

his speech from the bully microphone was nothing more then fear mongering. He claims the cuts are worth 85 billion. CBO says its closer to a true 45 billion...

BUT lets not even get into the he said she said of this entire argument....

Last year, or the year before, Obama created that Commission to look for ways to deal with the debt. That commssion's report has been IGNORED..

Over 200 billion dollars spent on redundant programs, that could be streamlined.. 200 billion dollars is no chump change. Medicare/Medicaid/Disability/Unemployment the report found gave billions of dollars to people who should not of gotten the bennies...

This is our presidents OWN COMMISSIONED Report here people.. This is not partisan, this is not " the sky is falling " all these people will be laid off ( which wont happen because they are not paid by the Federal Gvmnt )

Look past what each party is saying, and look at the facts... Obama does not want to cut anything. He does not believe that there is a spending problem..... At least not one that raising our taxes will not solve..

There is plenty of fat to cut from our Federal Gvmnt. It will just never happen...

RedDevPS "Roy, I did google it, and the 2.6T number you are trying to sell was never, ever, produced by the CBO"

Still trying to 'beat a dead horse'?

All of the links agree that it was based on the official projections by the CBO.

Denying reality doesn't make you look very credible.

Redhead should always be on top...of every vine. She is our liberal brain...delivering a great lib service.

This statement is proof that no one on the left thinks for themselves as they share the same brain.

Jeremy-960164 "Last year, or the year before, Obama created that Commission to look for ways to deal with the debt. That commssion's report has been IGNORED."

3 of the 5 votes that killed the commission's recommendations were cast by Democrat appointees. That forced the Sequester.

Obama has outsmarted himself by forcing the Sequester, and now he's trying to backtrack and find someone to blame. He's been our most effective President in history when it comes to shifting blame.

Harry Truman said "The buck stops here", but with Obama, it's always "Pass the buck to someone else".

A 'Leader' LEADS. Obama follows and then blames others when it doesn't work out.

By the way - Here are some 'inconvenient FACTS' about the Debt - from Obama's own 2013 Budget projections;

National Debt at the end of fiscal 2008 (Bush's last year in office) = $9.986 Trillion.

National Debt now = $16.549 Trillion.

National Debt projected in 2016 (Obama's last year) = $20.392 Trillion.

What a great 'legacy' to leave our children.

What spending are you willing to cut to replace it?

Um, no Mr. Tan and Cry. The GOP asks for cuts and then hands the knife to the guy who didn't want to make them and blames him for it?

What kind of moronic reasoning is this?

The GOP just wants Obama to make the cuts so they don't get in trouble for pushing for them in the first place.

Roy I could really careless who voted it down..

the point is that we have hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts that could be done and wouldn't do ANYTHING but trim the fat of the Gvmnt, and they will not do it..

Hell the report even lists hundreds of " programs " that have had no oversite in years... We do not even know if these programs are doing anything. Start trimming the waste people.

What spending are you willing to cut to replace it?

Um, no Mr. Tan and Cry. The GOP asks for cuts and then hands the knife to the guy who didn't want to make them and blames him for it?

What kind of moronic reasoning is this?

The GOP just wants Obama to make the cuts so they don't get in trouble for pushing for them in the first place.

Exactly!!!!!! The Democrat and Obama position is that we can continue to spend 160% of the revenue we bring in FOREVER!!! No cuts for anything! We'll just keep printing more and more money - FOREVER!!!

At least we are clear which side is the side of brain dead morons.

ROY WILSON-336103

Ironically, those same young people that voted for Obama are the same ones that will 'inherit the Debt' that Obama has created. I guess you might call that 'Retribution'. lol

What they're going to inherit is a ruined climate because Republican climate science deniers blocked all possible ways to deal with it. They won't care much that the government has a balanced budget if the money they have can't buy food during the famines caused by climate change drought. And they won't care if their mortgages are not underwater if their houses are underwater literally due to climate-change induced sea level rise or superstorms.

Typical Obama toadies.

This sequester is Obama's idea, and the liberals blame everyone else!

Hey, maybe you can get Jesse jackson, Jr. to manage this......oh, wait. He's going to jail for stealing $750,000 in campaign funds.

Gee, where are the headlines, NBC sycophants????

Houston! "ROY WILSON-336103 What they're going to inherit is a ruined climate because Republican climate science deniers blocked all possible ways to deal with it. They won't care much that the government has a balanced budget if the money they have can't buy food during the famines caused by climate change drought. And they won't care if their mortgages are not underwater if their houses are underwater literally due to climate-change induced sea level rise or superstorms."

OMG, the sky is falling - let's spend $Trillions to hold it up.

I agree that mankind has had a effect on rising temperatures, but without the help of China (World's largest emitter of carbon gases) and India, nothing we do individually will make any difference at all.

But on top of that, consider the following;

Let's get real (scientific) about 'Global Warming' for a moment.

The average temperature has been consistently rising for the last 20,000 years – for example, here's a quote from Wikipedia; “"Sea level reached 120 meters (394 feet) below current sea level at the Last Glacial Maximum 19,000-20,000 years ago." (Link below) In other words, sea level has been rising fairly consistently for the last 20,000 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_level#Sea_level_and_dry_land

As the temperature rises, it creates a natural 'feedback loop' wherein the ground releases massive amounts of Carbon that had been trapped, which further increases Greenhouse gases, which accelerates warming even further. This has been going on for the last 20,000 years – long before the 'Industrial Revolution', and it follows a very consistent pattern of Ice Age cycles that repeats itself about every 100,000 years, with temperatures rising quickly over about a 20,000 year period, and then peak before a dramatic drop in average temperatures, remaining very cold for about 80,000 years before starting a new 'cycle'.

We are currently near the point where the Earth seems to naturally 'cycle itself' into a very dramatic cooling period, which will devastate civilization on a massive scale that dwarfs recent events such as the 'Little Ice Age' that caused tens of millions of deaths from starvation and disease. (Link below);

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ice_Age

If you LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE GRAPH BELOW, and consider where we are in this current cycle, you should ask yourself “Do we want to interfere with this natural cycle in an attempt to SPEED UP the cooling process, when that might actually start a new Ice Age that could kill billions of people?”

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ice+ages+charts&qpvt=ice+ages+charts&FORM=IGRE#view=detail&id=C1EE90F2F0D6C7B90186B717BE365116A3DA8EF3&selectedIndex=12

This sequester is Obama's idea

Because he was expecting the GOP would come out and say what they wanted to cut before the sequestor. He never wanted any cuts, but figured putting this in would make the GOP happy. Now the GOP doesn't want to say what cuts they would like to make so they can put the blame on the guy who didn't want to do any cuts.

So first they are for cuts, now there are going to be automatic ones and they want Obama to take the fall for it.

Not buying it.

GOP: We want cuts.
Obama: Okay, what do you want cut because I don't want to cut anything.
GOP: We want cuts.
Obama: Okay, how about we have automatic cuts and before then you can tell me what you want.
GOP: Sounds good.

FLASH FORWARD

Obama: Hey, that sequestor is coming up soon, so what about those cuts you wanted?
GOP: YOU ORDERED THE SEQUESTOR, YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE CUTS!
Obama: What?

Roy Wilson -- What's your EXCUSE for the poisoning and of killing people with pollutions poured into our waters, land and air? Yeah, we know that's the price of business in your book. Keep eating the seeds Roy, one day you'll starve.

Houston -- Couldn't agree with you more. Adding to your comments, the severe economic impact that these changes are costing us TODAY are lost on the MATH challenged anti-SCIENCE crowd as well.

Dont_carry_it_all "Roy Wilson -- What's your EXCUSE for poisoning and killing people with pollutions poured into our waters, land and air?"

I don't see millions of Americans being killed with pollutions right now, so I think we should focus on improving the economy, which will provide the money to address environmental issue in the future.

Despite your hysterical rhetoric, the 'Sky is not falling' right now, and we have cleaner air and water now than in several generations. Can er make improvements? YES, but first things first.

ROY WILSON-336103

OMG, the sky is falling - let's spend $Trillions to hold it up.

And the Republicans have been screaming"the sky is falling" over the deficit. They want to make the middle class and the poor hold it up. And you're just parroting their screams. The Republicans' real agenda is obvious. They've been lusting to get rid of all of FDR's New Deal and LBJ's Great Society programs for decades. And of course, now "Obamacare" is on their kill list.

As to climate change, you link to a Wiki article showing the alarming acceleration of sea level rise that started precisely at the beginning of the Industrial Age. The overwhelming majority of climate scientists have concluded that the current rise in temperatures and sea level is not natural and that it is due almost entirely to greenhouse gas emissions. But they're mere scientists. What do they know compared to Roy Wilson, a renowned far-right Internet ranter?

Regarding China, they indeed are a serious source of CO2 emissions that rivals the US, but they are also now investing more to develop alternatives to carbon-polluting energy sources:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jackperkowski/2012/07/27/china-leads-the-world-in-renewable-energy-investment/

China was responsible for almost one-fifth of total global investment, spending $52 billion on renewable energy last year. The United States was close behind with investments of $51 billion, as developers sought to benefit from government incentive programs before they expired. Germany, Italy and India rounded out the list of the top five countries.

So it's settled then, republians eat raw eggs and pork chops and smell like garlic?

Roy Wilson --

Maybe not millions but thousands. That has an economic impact. DESPITE your hysterical rhetoric the SKY IS NOT FALLING Roy. We can address the debt and deficits in a smart way. In a way that doesn't implement austerity which leads to very bad outcomes like hIgher unemployment, lower revenues and NEGATIVE growth.

ROY WILSON-336103

Despite your hysterical rhetoric, the 'Sky is not falling' right now, and we have cleaner air and water now than in several generations. Can er make improvements? YES, but first things first.

The sky is truly falling for people without jobs and whose unemployment compensation has run out. The sky will fall along on many more people and so will the stock market and people's 401Ks after the Republicans impose the sequester on the country that they extorted from President Obama during the phony deficit ceiling hostage crisis in 2011.

Dont_carry_it_all

Roy Wilson --

Maybe not millions but thousands. That has an economic impact. DESPITE your hysterical rhetoric the SKY IS NOT FALLING Roy. We can address the debt and deficits in a smart way. In a way that doesn't implementausterity which leads to very bad outcomes like hIgher unemployment, lower revenues and NEGATIVE growth.

You mean like the 200 billion over 10 years we would save JUST from streamlining our Gvmnt.. Ya know the report that Obama asked to be done, then ignored....

Obama and the Dems do not want to cut, they want to keep the rate of growth of Gvmnt spending, and just tax us to death.

Don't carry, so if the current policies, higher taxes and continued tax threats, obamacare, EPA, Dodd Frank, Regulations like EEOC, etc keep us chugging along at 1.4% GDP do we never attempt to cut anything? As right around the corner we will be at 20Trillion in debt in no time. This isn't a bad outcome? We have got to stop this administration's spending 2 trillion a year we don't have. (1 trillion deficit spending and 1 trillion FED printing)

Under sequester do you know what defense will spend in the out years? It increases at 10.6%. This is what DC calls a cut. We will be back to current levels in no time. The current cuts put us at 2011, was that devistating? All of the sequester doesn't happen this year as half of it won't take place until after 2013.

Roy Wilson: You can find plenty of other links by googling "CBO obamacare cost $2.6 Trillion"

Call me crazy but since you keep trying to claim that the CBO estimates "Obamacare" to cost 2.6 trillion, perhaps you can site where on the CBO site they make that statement.

You keep pointing to other sources so it should be easy for you to actually site the CBO directly.

Houston you apparently don't read the papers as it is Obamas proposal crafted with Jack Lew that put this sequester together. Not the Republicans. On Nov 21, 2011 he threatened to veto any attempt to stop it. Now he wants it stopped. How does that work for you? The Reublicans have put forth legislation to change it and Harry Reid just put it on the shelf. Although the Senate talked tough on it in committee they NEVER put anything up for a vote. Why is that? The Senate rarely does anything and i'm surprised they haven't tried to replace Reid. Or maybe thats what they want?

Yep, Mr. Obama's plan is going on schedule......initiate the sequestration, come to agreement on legislation to avert the sequestration, then Blame the Republicans when he doesn't get his way. Wait a minute.....he wanted to decimate our military anyway and this is the way he will do it.

Another photo-op yesterday with "first responders" (wait a minute.....UNIONS) and try to use that as "leverage" to get HIS agenda through Congressional procedures. Then he will blame the Republicans if he doesn't get "HIS WAY or the highway".

If that doesn't work, he will just make another campaign tour to garnish public opinion then revert to Executive Orders or have his Progressive Cabinet Members re-write regulations. BTW: how many times has Mr. Obama even met with this Cabinet Members the past FOUR YEARS ?

And, the same thing will happen when the National Debt Limit, and other financial issues, comes up. Then he will blame the Republicans AGAIN if he doesn't get HIS WAY.

Wow, talk about this administration working in a "Crisis Management" mode since they block everything until the last minute. But what does the American people think when we still have a community organizer sitting in the Oval Office.

Yep, break out the popcorn. I am so sure FLYesity will put a ton on Wisconsin butter on top. And maybe even have some boxes of Twinkies available.

Jeremy -- All for cuts here, especially in Defense, all other cuts can be done so as not to hurt the economy. Spread the cuts over a longer period of time. Have no problem with tweaks to SS and have no problem means testing Medicare as well as raising the tax to pay for that entitlement. It's been decades since they raised the TAX that PAYS for our health care when we retire. The Republicans don't believe in paying for Medicare. If they did they'd have adjusted that tax to cover the huge increase in health care costs over the decades.

Big ATC -- All for streamlined regulations. With one caveat DO NO HARM. They gives us plenty of room to to prosecute and throw their butts in jail when they commit fraud and steal our money. Republicans want to kill regulation. That's what led to the HOUSE OF CARDS crashing. As far as higher taxes, get over it. It's half of what is was since 1980. Revenues are the lowest they've been in decades. Time for major TAX REFORM too, put an end to corporate welfare.

Correction:

Yep, Mr. Obama's plan is going on schedule......initiate the sequestration, CANNOT come to agreement on legislation to avert the sequestration, then Blame the Republicans when he doesn't get his way.

There, maybe the Progressives can read that.

Not sure why anyone would be surprised at the increased Obamacare projection. The original projection included 3 years in which the law wasn't even in effect yet (no costs) and 7 that was. Now they are are using a full ten years of projections. Listentome ..........this was out last summer. And from the same guy that told us he would cut the deficit in half and keep unemployment under 8%. He had no idea on those so why should we be surprised?

Not sure that includes the excise tax on insurance companies that is over $100 Billion which just came to light. Which will of course be passed on to us. CBO projects $720 per year per family. All the pro Obamacare pro tax people should be happy about this, so open your wallets and fork over another $60/month to uncle Sam just for this one provision.

Hello folks, the American public has grown so apathetic that they could care less about how much debt we accumulate, how many wars we get into or how many civil liberties are stripped from them. The timer on the boiling frogs is about to go off, go ahead stick a fork in them because they are done!

Don'tcarry .... fraud is not a new regulation.

You think lack of derivative regulation is the republicans fault?

How about the EEOC regulation that has businesses hire criminals or get sued? Yes you read that right. A business does a background check and they have to write an assessment of why they SHOULDN'T hire a criminal. Take the case in Pennsylvania when G4S secure solution didn't hire a felon and it's also against the law there to do that for security positions. The EEOC proceded a suit against G4S even though its against the law there to do so. Google "G4S secure solutions EEOC" and read all about it if you want.

It's this type of attitude against businesses along with Obamacare and taxes (uncertainty) that caused me to pass on a business opprotunity. I already have one. I have NO DESIRE to risk my capital when all these little goodies keep popping up under this administration. NONE!

BigATC

Houston you apparently don't read the papers as it is Obamas proposal crafted with Jack Lew that put this sequester together. Not the Republicans.

So if this was such a bad idea and Republicans were so against, why did it pass in the House? The Republicans obviously saw something they liked when it passed the House. Obama and Jack Lew and Jack Frost may have sat down and wrote it in secret, but there was enough there that Boehner wanted to bring it to a vote and have it pass. Then he stated he got 98% of what he wanted.

But then the Republicans bear zero responsibility for it now?

Houston! "ROY WILSON-336103 The sky is truly falling for people without jobs and whose unemployment compensation has run out."

Precisely my point - We need to get the economy back on track, so that more people can have jobs.

Focusing on more more 'environmental regulation' right now will result in FEWER jobs, not more jobs.

Obama got 100% of what he wanted with the sequester in 2011. One Hundred Percent. What is Obama griping about now?

BigATC -- Don't know the specifics on the EEOC regulation you site. Until I do, I'll pass on commenting. As for uncertainty, that happens when Congress refuses to THEIR JOB. Heck, with all the vacation time the HOUSE takes it's no wonder all we see from them is bills to name post offices. Remember, all this brinkmanship is CAUSING the uncertainty. Congress needs to collaborate and compromise not OBSTRUCT and postpone.

If someone had such an awesome sure-fired buisness opportunity with lots of money to be made and they passed on that, then I'd say they are not very business oriented. Many people are creating and succeeding in opening new businesses today. Those that don't are just looking to blame someone else.

My answer to you on any and ll regulation is put a blanket caveat on all regulations that states, first and foremost DO NO HARM. They'd only have themselves to blame if they cause harm to our planet or our economy. Might just keep the greedy and polluters in check knowing they will lose the right to operate a business and be thrown in jail to boot. Fines are not working. Not only that they can write off the fines and we the taxpayer pay for that as well.

Houston! "Regarding China, they indeed are a serious source of CO2 emissions that rivals the US, but they are also now investing more to develop alternatives to carbon-polluting energy sources:"

'Rivals the US'?

In 1990, China accounted for about 700 Metric Tons of Carbon, and in 2010 they accounted for almost 2,300 Metric tons, an increase of about 320%.

In 1990, the US accounted for about 1,300 Metric tons, and in 2010 we accounted for only 1,500 Metric tons, an increase of only 15%. In fact, US emissions have actually been REDUCED since 2000, whereas China's have increased by about 1,400 Metric tons. Here's a link;

http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0812-chart-carbon-emitters.html

I think that clearly identifies who the REAL problem is - CHINA.

As for China's development of 'alternative' energy sources, let's tell the truth - China is manufacturing 'alternative' energy equipment to sell to other countries - mainly the US, undercutting our companies and driving them out of business (ie; SOLYNDRA).

listenToMe "Call me crazy but since you keep trying to claim that the CBO estimates "Obamacare" to cost 2.6 trillion, perhaps you can site where on the CBO site they make that statement."

Gladly - You're crazy.

I gave you many links that said the data was from the CBO. If you want to dispute the CBO data, contact them and complain.

I think it's time to move on and let other readers make their own judgments.

Bye, and 'have a nice day' :)

Andre...

to funny!! BTW what % is your $85 billion spending cut of Americas estimated $16 trillion economy? Somehow I think that if he could, obama would go out of his way to make sure that the $1.2 trillion dollar sequester over 10 years would weigh heaviest on the end user. Seems that all of his past talk on eliminating waste in the federal government was just that...TALK!

Libs will sure be surprised to learn that for all of obamas and the democrat controlled senates attempts to just increase revenues off of the 2% as a solution is just plain bogus.

What obama and company refuse to understand is that all of their "longterm plans" can be put on the back burner with private sector growth taking precedence. Once growth is strong and underway, increased revenues will be there to fund wisely thought out long term investments.

I have reveiwed the FR editors links to obamas plan of action on spending cuts. What a bunch of hot air, especially on reducing small business owners payroll taxes. Really Mr obama throwing seniors under the bus by ensuring that medicare and SS will continue to be underfunded? A $trillion savings in the afghan and irag wars? Really, last I knew we were no longer in Irag and what were the financial deals you made with Karzoi?

Golly Mr obama why do you think increasing regulatory pressures on the business community is such a wonderful thing?

Repojam, didn't say the republicans are faultless. If one wants to place blame for sequester i say give it 50/50. If one wants to change it there have been 2 bill passed in the house to do so. Have the Senate either make changes to it and go to conference committee or pass their own. Senate has done neither.

I agree don'tcarry Washington inaction can and is causing uncertainty. Both sides. Congress can also cause uncertainty with passed bills. Such as passing an outline Bill and having the rules written as they go (Obamacare). They are STILL writing rules for this.

There is no such thing as a sure fire business with lots of money to be made. There are people creating and succeeding in businesses today and i applaud them. The 15% stake i was going to take wasn't worth the risk and headache to me. I hadn't, and still don't have, the full compliance cost to Obamacare to a comfortable level. They are still writing it. We would have been a little over the 50 employee margin and fallen in that range. A big uncertainty.

Every time any negotiation takes place the first thing out of BO's mouth is raise taxes. He did it for sequester and said it again for the debt ceiling. Another uncertainty.

We would have inevitably had a felon apply and i am not comfortable either hiring or denying someone in that spot. Depending on what the person did i could very well see hiring someone with a bad record, but having the choice doesn't seem to be there. I would like to think the odds are slim to get sued by the EEOC, but that is another risk to add on. Another uncertainty.

I don't call it blame, it's simply risk/reward with me. I wasn't comfortable with the risks mentioned so i passed. Also not comfortable with what i perceive to happen in the economy.

Dontcarry i'm with you on the do no harm issue. There are many times legislation has unintended consequences that people just don't see. Although well intentioned. I'm sure you and i could sit down over a piece of legislation a year into it and probably agree if there are harmful things happening not intended. The only problem is someone in DC would be making that call and would have to admit they messed up. Fox guarding the henhouse.

BigATC

Repojam, didn't say the republicans are faultless. If one wants to place blame for sequester i say give it 50/50. If one wants to change it there have been 2 bill passed in the house to do so. Have the Senate either make changes to it and go to conference committee or pass their own. Senate has done neither.

Very fair assessment, down the board. I didn't want to copy the entire post because pretty much what you're saying is in line with what I am seeing. The reason I specifically had to point out that no one is blameless is because if you look up and down this vine, too many are pointing at one side and conveniently forgetting it took two sides to create this current mess.

I'm also going to definitely have to chime in with the whole "The Senate has done neither" because they certainly haven't. One of the things that I rail against the most is when parties pass legislation that is effectively DOA (such as the 30+ attempts to repeal Obamacare), and when the Senate ignores legislation passed by the House and vice versa. With the amount of issues that we have, it seems frustrating to me that the House can come to order, work on a bill, pass it in their chambers and have it sent to the Senate where it collects dust. To me that is as big of a problem as passing legislation you know has no chance of going anywhere.

As for the situations with business, it's hard to say what the full implications will be. As is, the biggest issue I have with the new healthcare bill is that I think that our approach seems goofy with requiring it from individuals but it isn't a tax, except that the Supreme Court decided it was. I would prefer an approach like many others have where it was a single payer system. The glorious part of compromise is that all sides seem unhappy with the current version. The worse version of the compromise is that I think that the healthcare bill is not going to truly solve the problems with Health care and only make it worse.

Thank you for the reply. I do appreciate the insight on the why as you see it, as it makes it a lot easier to understand your position.

BigATC -- Despite the disagreements there are things we can agree on. Wish you the best in your business endeavors.

Don't carry it all...

You are wishing to only blame congress for uncertainty? How utterly droll.

As long as POTUS obama keeps on throwing out a myriad of programs for congress to act on "right away" rather than focus on one event and getting it done before moving to the next event business uncertainty will continue as will private sector growth. Pretty hard for obama to be considered a leader if he can't even recognize how to move forward gracefully.

Let's reveiw just a few points shall we on the big legislative achievements of his first term...

Obamacare and financial reform were passed in the 1st half of 2010.

Will obamacare really be affordable? One can only wonder until the exchanges are in place and 2014 arrives. If the implementation of dodd-franks is a reasonable gage on the affordability of obamacare is surely in doubt. After all dodd-frank and the "to big to fail" regs are still being written 3 years later and was drafted as a "one size fits all".

Heck, the regulators are still writing the laws governing his jobs plan of last year.

His 2009 stimulas plan had little $$$ set aside for private sector growth, but government payrolls were heavily subsidized. Interesting on him not realizing that it is only the private sector that makes it possible for government payrolls and handouts possible. I repeat "ONLY THE PRIVATE SECTOR". Even obama cited that his "shovel ready jobs" were an utter failure while the public sector sucked up most of the money.

Who was POTUS when America got a downgrade.

Who was the POTUS that signed off on the sequester? I guess he didn't really care much about it as after all it was cutting into his re-election campaign.

Interesting on how he pretty much ignored economic growth his first term and now only gives it lip service or still blames the republicans because he is clueless.

ROY WILSON-336103

Houston! "ROY WILSON-336103 The sky is truly falling for people without jobs and whose unemployment compensation has run out."

Precisely my point - We need to get the economy back on track, so that more people can have jobs.

Then you must agree that the sequester must be stopped. It's estimated that it will kill 700,000 jobs. Even the temporary 20% cut in defense spending in January caused the economy to contract, subtracting over 1% in GDP growth rate. If the Republicans were REALLY interested in reducing the deficit, they would agree to the tax revenue increases combined with spending cuts that Obama wants. But like I said, they're really not at all worried about the economy. They see wrecking the economy as a way to get rid of New Deal and Great Society programs that they hate. Chris Matthews also suggested that letting the sequester happen is the Republicans way of imposing sanctions on America in order to get the "regime change" in Washington they couldn't get from an honest democratic election. It really does appear that they intend to punish Americans for electing Obama.

ROY WILSON-336103

Houston! "Regarding China, they indeed are a serious source of CO2 emissions that rivals the US, but they are also now investing more to develop alternatives to carbon-polluting energy sources:"

'Rivals the US'?

In 1990, China accounted for about 700 Metric Tons of Carbon, and in 2010 they accounted for almost 2,300 Metric tons, an increase of about 320%.

In 1990, the US accounted for about 1,300 Metric tons, and in 2010 we accounted for only 1,500 Metric tons, an increase of only 15%. In fact, US emissions have actually been REDUCED since 2000, whereas China's have increased by about 1,400 Metric tons. Here's a link;

Since China's population is more than 4 times larger than the US population, it's not surprising that they would have 1.5 times higher emissions than the US. The US emits 2.8 times the CO2 per person that China does according to the numbers you have and the fact that the China population is 1.35 billion and the US population is 314 million. The Chinese contribution will increase as the size of their middle class increases -- unless they do something about CO2 emissions along with other industrial nations.

american #'s -- You write:

Who was POTUS when America got a downgrade

Who held the economy hostage CAUSING THE DOWNGRADE is the real question. Or was that a question you were attempting to ask?

Who was the POTUS that signed off on the sequester?

Everyone signed on to the sequester with the understanding and agreement they would work out an alternative plan with the extension of time to negotiate. Republicans walked away from that agreement and the negotiations. They now OWN IT. Boehner got 98% of what he wanted anyway. Don’t forget that fact.

Interesting on how he pretty much ignored economic growth

Ignored economic growth? When this President entered office GDP growth was somehere in the range of NEGATIVE 5%. It’s now been in positive territory for years. Not surprised the math challenged cannot do the math!

BTW -- Wouldn't recommend you use Dodd-Frank as a gage for anything, Republicans have watered it down to nothing. They don't believe in regulating anything. They think it's perfectly okay that banks, Wall Street and polluters reign unimpeded.

One more thing - it’s OUR tax dollars.

As usual, politicians are so busy, they are only able to call press conferences to blame the other side.

Congress (opposite of Progress) does nothing to solve problems, only pushes them off to a later date.

What ever happened to people in Congress actually governing ? That has not happened since 2010.

Still trying to 'beat a dead horse'?

Roy - you posted a lie, through and through. I called your bluff, and then you spent 6+ more posts doubling down on your lie. You still cannot provide a link to the CBO claiming Obamacare will cost 2.6T. When it comes to beating dead horses, you take the cake.

RedDevPS "Roy - you posted a lie, through and through.:

Still trying that silly argument? Here's what I posted;

"By the way - Obamacare, which was supposed to only cost $900 Billion over 10 years, is now pegged to cost $2.6 TRILLION over 10 years by the CBO."

Here's the statement from just one of the sources I linked;

"President Barack Obama promised his ObamaCare.htm">health-care law would cost approximately $900 billion over ten years when he first proposed it. Since then, the price tag has continued to climb. Total spending under the Affordable Care Act will reach $2.6 trillion over its first full decade, according to a Senate Budget Committee analysis, which was based on Congressional Budget Office estimates and growth rates." Here's the link - again;

http://dailycaller.com/2012/07/11/analysis-obamacare-to-cost-2-6-trillion-over-first-full-decade/

You can call it 'a lie, through and through' all you want, but if a Senate Budget Committee, controlled by Democrats, issues an estimate that says exactly what I stated, then we'll have to let other readers decide which is a 'lie' and which is a silly argument.

Wha?

No comment from Boozy RH about how her Chicago buddies, fellow Democrats, Jesse Jackson Jr. & his wife pleading guilty to stealing $750K and tax fraud.

...I guess in Chicago, and for Boozy RH, that is called business as usual.

Come on, Boozy, you know you wanna heap a whole lotta loving onto Junior.

Roy - there you go again, telling more whoppers with the intent to misguide. The Senate budget committee is comprised of Democrats and Republicans. Why, a visit to their site lets you look at data published by the republicans or by democrats. Try it, you'll like it. Now, behind the Republican Door, you find your link to the 2.6T REPUBLICAN forecast. No Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee endorses that finding.

but if a Senate Budget Committee, controlled by Democrats, issues an estimate that says exactly what I stated, then we'll have to let other readers decide which is a 'lie' and which is a silly argument.

http://budget.senate.gov/republican/public/index.cfm/charts

Here's the deal, they were so deeply entrenched in their fantasy that Willard was going to win, they never bothered to think of the consequences of the sequester

Another ignorant comment from the fisting deadhead.

The amount to be cut is paltry and lop-sided to the defense side. It amounts to 45 billion cut from 3.5 trillion. Our elected imbeciles should not even be talking about this non-issue; they should be discussing how to cut about a trillion a year off (easy) and get our nation prosperous again.

It's not going to happen with an incompetent ideologue hack as President.

Bill, Fairfax VA

The Big Lie Continues

Good ol' Bill; was totally off about the election, and is now going out on a limb to get revenge.

OMG, the sky is falling again. Yes sir, if the sequestration cuts go through the economy will tank, first responders will be fired, our food will be poisoned and kids throughout the land will go to bed hungry. All of that because of $85 billion taken out of a $16 trillion economy. Good grief, Obama's left wing propaganda machine isn't even bothering to make up credible stories anymore. They've learned they don't need to, just spreading a thick layer of fearmongering bull$hit is enough for the low information dolts that hang on his every word.

You obviously don't understand the impact of spending cuts on the economy. The problem with the cuts is that they are across-the-board and were never designed as a serious deficit-reduction plan. Assuming GDP growth will be a tepid 2.5% (around $400 billion), the $85 billion in cuts will reduce growth to around 2%. Adding in a multiplier of 1.4, and you have growth reduced by more than a third to a sluggish 1.6%. In a depressed economy, that's like taking the wind out of the sails. The consequences are not deadly, but they are a painful ordeal that we simply do not have to go through.

Of course, the idea for the sequester originated with the White House. And of course, the Republican House passed several bills in the last Congress that laid out a smarter way to make the cuts. But the House bills died in the black hole of Harry Reid's Senate, and Obama just chuckles as he bobs and weaves around the origin of a policy that has his fingerprints all over it. But hey, that's what happens when our government is controlled by folks who don't have the slightest interest in addressing our spending problem.

First of all, the idea came out of the White House because your buddies on the Hill REFUSED to accept any deal that even had a few dollars of tax hikes in exchange for preserving the nation's full faith and credit. Had you taken Obama's final offer during the debt ceiling debate, none of this would be happening and we would be focusing on GROWTH instead of AUSTERITY. Secondly, the House did nothing but shield defense and throw more of the cuts on social programs without considering the fact that Democrats would never vote for such bull@!$%#. And thirdly, we DO NOT have a spending problem; we have a DEFICIT problem. Anyone who says that we only have a spending problem is an @!$%#.

Oh, and the prez is beating that "balanced approach" drum again. Except there has been anything but "balance" in the administration's approach. Let's see, there was that tax increase for the "rich" in the fiscal cliff deal, the termination of the payroll tax holiday, and a ton of new taxes coming online via Obamacare – all of that and not one red cent of spending cuts. And on top of that, now Obama insists on raising taxes yet again by closing some loopholes. That's the kind of "balance" only a tax and spend liberal could love. Too bad more folks aren't paying attention.

What you fail to realize is that (A) there are already $900 billion in spending cuts already on the books thanks to the Budget Control Act back in 2011; (B) Obama offered a 3:1 deficit deal in favor of spending cuts TWICE and you couldn't stomach that; and (C) that the President WON the election; that means he ought to get at least 51% of what he wants (as you got 98% of what you want in 2011).

Because Obama is full speed ahead on his crusade to remake us into a European style social democracy. And the higher taxes and even more government spending he wants will ensure the sluggish economic growth and high unemployment of his first term will become permanent features of the American lanscape. At it's core, that's what this spending debate is really all about. Because conepts like debt and deficits are abstractions, it's the real world consequences of those abstractions that hold the bite that will do us in.

First of all, I would love to be a European social democracy, as they have the most efficient healthcare and education systems and are hotbeds for manufacturing and broad-based economic prosperity, so that "epithet" doesn't bother me at all as a European socialist. Secondly, spending is GOOD for the economy, as it creates jobs via demand and consumption (which are the drivers of economic growth). Spending is the only thing keeping our nation afloat; if we joined the austerity cruise we'd be in bed with the sluggish Eurozone. And thirdly, if you want austerity, you need to do it in an efficient way. That means spending cuts AND tax hikes so you don't cut too much spending and end up hurting the economy in the long-run.

That's why Republicans are digging in their heels on the sequester issue. And that's why they are the last best hope for the future of the country.

The Republicans wouldn't know what's best for the country if the American people dropped it on their lap, which they did in the elections. They still hold on to the failed idea of tax cuts for the rich and deregulation that didn't work under Reagan and won't work now.
______

P.S. The sequester cuts amount to around 2%-3% of federal spending for the year. Yet the president and his pals in the MSM routinely characterize these modest cuts as "massive" or "draconian" or "chaotic" or "brutal" or (my personal favorite) "akin to being hacked with a meat cleaver." Only in liberal la la land would would a cut of 2 or 3 cents on the dollar be seen as a catastrophe.

It's not "draconian" on the federal budget, at least the overall budget; it does ax discretionary spending and defense, but the entire budget remains relatively wholesome. It's "draconian" on the economy, which is sluggishly expanding and could be easily derailed by the cuts. The cuts are an estimated 10-20 cents out of every dollar in projected GDP growth, and could send unemployment back up above 8% (which I know you Republicans would just love).

I think what everyone fails to realize is that the sequester will not help balance our budget. We are still growing our spending and not making the tough choices that need to be made. So why not pass a bill to stop this from happening and then actually start cutting spending and closing loopholes. The problem in my opinion is that nobody really wants to fix this problem I can even see it on here, people bashing both republicans and democrats. It is both of our faults. We can not have our cake and eat it too. The defense budget is over inflated, and they need to cut progams and people. If you are actually concerned about our country, you would know that we are going to add approximatly 4 trillion dollars to the deficit in the next 6 years. Ref the CBO website. That should scare you!

Rahm Emanual: "Never let a good crisis go to waste"

Don't be deceived: Just like Iraq's "WMD" in 2003, the "Fiscal Cliff" and now "Sequester" are manufactured crisis' intended to scare the public into accepting completely unnecessary cuts to Medicare and/or Social Security. It is also designed as political cover for both parties (but especially the Democrats) because these programs are the must popular and successful in our history. And they should be popular because together they keep millions of americans out of poverty.

http://www.dropshots.com/GCaplan#date/2013-01-20/08:18:15

http://www.dropshots.com/GCaplan#date/2013-02-19/21:26:16

You'll notice our politicians never worry about the "deficit" when they are giving tax breaks to corporations and the richest people in the country. They never mention the effect on the budget when they bailed out the banks or when they wanted to invade Iraq under false pretenses.

It's only when there is federal money that that helps the average working person (or poor person) that "we just can't afford it".

Don't fall for it.

If they wanted to avoid the cuts in the Sequester legislation all they would have to do is dismantle it.

Our politicians and the media tell us we need to follow the example of Europe and cut spending significantly. The Obama administration's Simpson Bowles commission advised the U.S. to do this to save or improve our economy.

This is what the "Fiscal Cliff" and "Sequester" legislation is all about. Trying to force the public into accepting big cuts to popular and successful government programs like Social Security and Medicare.

Both Democrats and Republicans say we need to do it.

REALLY?

Then how do you explain this?

Japan's Debt to GDP ratio is over 200% and has been over 150% for 12 years.

Here's the graph:

http://www.financialsense.com/sites/default/files/users/u121/images/2012/japanese-debt-gdp-1980-2010.jpg

So if deficits are so destructive to the economy why didn't their economy collapse years ago?

And why is the Japanese Unemployment rate so low? It's about half of the U.S. unemployment rate and their Debt to GDP ratio is over twice ours:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B7bSes0OqMM/SZJV8R2tjvI/AAAAAAAABIs/lavboWFIPIw/s400/Japan+unemployment+rate+since+1999.png

Neither has the value of their currency suffered. As a matter of fact they are trying to DEVALUE it to get an edge on international trade:

LAST UPDATED AT 12:17 ON Mon 24 Oct 2011

JAPAN may be forced to devalue its currency after the yen hit a record high of 75.78 against the US dollar on Friday. The Foreign Minister Jun Azumi has warned that "decisive action" might be needed to avoid damaging export figures, after which the yen fell in Monday trading.

http://www.theweek.co.uk/world-business/35517/japan’s-foreign-minister-ready-devalue-yen

On the other hand we have the Eurozone which has been forcing it's members to cut government spending, especially social programs (health, pensions, unemployment insurance, etc).

Wikipedia: During the European sovereign-debt crisis, many countries embarked on austerity programs, reducing their budget deficits relative to GDP from 2010 to 2011. For example, according to the CIA World Factbook Greece improved its budget deficit from 10.4% GDP in 2010 to 9.6% in 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austerity

Here's their unemployment rate as a result of cutting government spending (This is an average, some countries like Greece and Spain have over 20% unemployment):

Read more: http://www.theweek.co.uk/world-business/35517/japan%25E2%2580%2599s-foreign-minister-ready-devalue-yen#ixzz2LVhcSxuf

Don't believe everything you hear from Republicans and Democrats (including Obama) or the media. As a matter of fact don't believe MOST of what you hear from them.

In 2011, President Obama said, “I will veto any effort to get rid of those automatic spending cuts.” But now in 2013 President Obama is saying, “These cuts are not smart, they are not fair, they will add hundreds of thousands of people to unemployment roles.” So which one is it, or does it depend on it being an election year.