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Subscribe to RSSWhat happens if the sequester sky doesn’t fall?... To count, we’re now on our 5th and 6th fiscal standoffs since 2011… Brace yourself for the Supreme Court to eliminate all federal campaign contribution limits… The more things change on immigration (see McCain and Rubio working on reform), the more some things stay the same (see yesterday’s McCain town halls)… On the gun debate and presidential leadership… Frank Fahrenkopf sounds off… Breaking down some of the RNC’s post-2012 recommendations… And all tied up in Virginia.
The president conducted interviews on Wednesday with eight local television news anchors across the country to get his message across and avert the sequester next Friday. The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd reports.
*** What happens if the sequester sky doesn’t fall? Another day, another back-and-forth over the looming automatic budget cuts -- the so-called sequester -- set to commence on March 1. In an attempt to try and score some P.R. points (at least with conservatives), House Speaker John Boehner has penned a Wall Street Journal op-ed placing the blame for these upcoming cuts squarely on President Obama. “The president's sequester is the wrong way to reduce the deficit, but it is here to stay until Washington Democrats get serious about cutting spending… So, as the president's outrage about the sequester grows in coming days, Republicans have a simple response: Mr. President, we agree that your sequester is bad policy. What spending are you willing to cut to replace it?” Well, White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer has responded with a “setting the record straight” blog post pointing out 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. And today, Obama is conducting interviews with eight local TV stations (including some military-heavy markets like San Antonio and Honolulu) to pressure Republicans to come to an agreement to avoid the sequester. But here’s a question we have: Is the public listening anymore?
*** To count, we’re on our fifth and sixth fiscal standoff since 2011: After all, we’re now on our fifth fiscal standoff since Republicans took over the House in 2011 (the threatened government shutdown, the debt ceiling, the Super Committee, the fiscal cliff, and now the sequester). And later in March, we’ll see our sixth standoff (another battle over shutting down the government). Each time in the past, Democrats and Republicans have come to some sort of agreement that avoids the looming fiscal disaster but that also kicks the larger can down the road. So what happens if the sky doesn’t fall -- immediately -- after March 1? In fact, the New York Times notes that while these looming sequester spending cuts will have an impact on the economy, they’re unlikely to have an immediate effect. “Rather, they will ripple gradually across the federal government as agencies come to grips in the months ahead with across-the-board cuts to all their programs.” If that’s the case, does this kind of public campaign we’re seeing (Obama arguing that essential jobs will be lost, Republicans pinning the blame on the president) actually work? It’s something to chew on as both sides begin to wage a furious P.R. campaign before March 1. By the way, check out Wall Street -- record highs all over the place. Translation: Wall Street has stopped fearing Washington. They now only hear “posturing” when the two sides talk, and if Wall Street doesn’t believe the threats coming out of Washington, then the public might not be far behind.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio arrives to meet with reporters on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013.
*** Brace yourself for the Supreme Court to eliminate all campaign-contribution limits: As NBC’s Pete Williams reported yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to delve into the controversial issue of money and politics -- again. This time, the court agreed to take up a challenge brought by an Alabama man who claims it's unconstitutional to prevent him from giving more than $46,200 to candidates and $70,800 to PAC's and political committees, Williams notes. The Alabama man doesn’t challenge the limit on contributions to an individual candidate, but he does claim it's unconstitutional to prevent him from contributing to as many candidates as he wishes. What every political observer should brace for, especially after the Citizens United decision, is that the Supreme Court could potentially eliminate ALL federal contribution limits. Indeed, note that the Republican National Committee joined the Alabama man on this court challenge. And as NBC’s Kasie Hunt reports (more on this below), one of the RNC’s recommendations after the GOP’s losses in 2012 is giving the parties a bigger role in fundraising vs. outside groups – and one way to do this is to eliminate the contribution limits.
*** The more some things change, the more they stay the same: On the one hand, the politics behind achieving immigration reform haven’t been more promising as they are right now. Yesterday, we learned that President Obama called three of the four Republican senators working on a bipartisan effort to achieve comprehensive immigration (John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Marco Rubio). And Rubio’s office issued an encouraging statement, especially after it had complained the Obama White House hadn’t sought its input on reform. "Sen. Rubio appreciated receiving President Obama's phone call to discuss immigration reform late tonight in Jerusalem," Rubio’s spokesman said. "The senator told the president that he feels good about the ongoing negotiations in the Senate." (Can’t help but wonder how much of this is both sides doing what they have to do on the theatrics front.) On the other hand, it appears that the politics also haven’t entirely changed since reform tanked in 2005-2007. Just see the reaction from McCain’s two town halls yesterday in Arizona. The AP: “Some audience members shouted out their disapproval [at McCain’s call for a legal path for illegal immigrants. “One man yelled that only guns would discourage illegal immigration. Another man complained that illegal immigrants should never be able to become citizens or vote. A third man said illegal immigrants were illiterate invaders who wanted free government benefits.”
*** On the gun debate and presidential leadership: While the Obama White House has taken sort of a backseat in the immigration debate -- at least for now -- to let Congress work its will, it’s striking to note the active role it has taken in the gun debate after Newtown. Ask yourself this question: Where would this issue be, even the chance at getting universal background checks, without the president putting his shoulder behind the issue. This is an example of why presidential leadership does matter in politics. The irony in all of this: Guns were never an issue Obama campaigned on during the 2012 election. Every two or three days, there’s a new gun event being pushed by the White House. Yesterday, it was the Biden Facebook townhall, which gave social media its quote of the day: If you want to protect yourself, get a double-barrel shotgun,” he said, per Roll Call.
*** Frank Fahrenkopf sounds off: Speaking of the 2012 election, don’t miss one of the old-guard Republican establishment figures -- former RNC Chair Frank Fahrenkopf -- sounding off on his party, Washington, and the media during a talk in Las Vegas. As Nevada political reporter Jon Ralston writes, Fahrenkopf “presented a blizzard of by-now familiar statistics of how Mitt Romney had his clock cleaned by President Obama among minorities and young people.” (“And I thought McCain’s campaign was the worst I’d seen in modern history,” Fahrenkopf said.) More: “Fahrenkopf said the GOP should take the position that the country needs ‘sensible, fair, immigration reform.’” And: “Fahrenkopf couldn’t resist a criticism of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s embrace of Obama during Hurricane Sandy, providing this cringe-worthy description: ‘He kissed him. He didn’t have to French-kiss him. I think he went overboard.’”
*** Breaking down some of the RNC’s recommendations after their 2012 losses: Meanwhile, NBC’s Kasie Hunt reports that Republican Party officials studying how to rebuild the party in the wake of 2012 losses are hoping to release their set of recommendations by mid-March -- and the list of fixes is already beginning to take shape. Some of these recommendations, per Hunt: 1) expanding the map and increasing voter contact; the party needs a plan that's not dissimilar to former DNC Chairman Howard Dean's 50-state strategy as it tries to expand the map beyond traditional red states; 2) changing campaign finance. The GOP team worries about how much new campaign finance law has weakened the national party structure, handing more power to outside groups on both sides of the aisle -- and giving a louder voice to both the left- and right-wing; and 3) limiting presidential primary debates.
*** All tied up in Virginia: Finally, turning to this year’s gubernatorial contest in Virginia, a new Quinnipiac poll finds the race is pretty much tied – whether or not GOP Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling decides to mount a third-party challenge. In a straight head-to-head match-up, the poll has Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Ken Cuccinelli tied at 38% among registered Virginia voters. And in a three-way race, it’s McAuliffe at 34%, Cuccinelli at 31%, and Bolling at 13%. Folks, Bolling is polling at 13%, and he hasn’t even announced. If he gets any kind of serious financial support, he can become a real threat. Do NOT take this candidacy lightly. This is not some spoiler in the works. Democrats shouldn’t be rooting for Bolling to get in because they simply think he’ll split GOPers and indies with Cuccinelli. Bolling is positioning himself to the left of some of the state’s more mainstream GOPers, including Gov. Bob McDonnell.
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I guess the next thing is obama will blame the GOP for obamacare. He has already tried to blame the GOP for Benghazi, violence in Detroit and Chicago, Hurricane Sandy, Fast and Furious, the rise of Al Qaeda in Africa and the fact that the sun rises in the East.
Just wondering.. when Michelle first told him she was pregnant... Did he blame that on Bush too?
Bush, like you, couldn't get laid in a Texas cathouse with a fist full of c-notes.
Markinbecker you never have anything intelligent to say..its always just a series of stupid childish insults..you are wasting our time
But I enjoy it so.
The Republicans’ bigoted logic.
Black people have bad debt. The president is black. So therefore this country will have bad debt.
Oh. The Republicans just love this sequester mess. This is a dream come true. There best opportunity to bring this country to its knees, blame it on the President, and say, look, I told you so, a black President created bad debt.
I’ll be surprised if half of the predomenately old white Republican establishment is around after 2016.
Can't win on the facts so you hurl the race card..look at my post from 10:20 and respond to some facts for a change..everyone on the left on here just hurls insults...do so work..recite some facts..make a cogent argument that is on point if you have the intelligence to do so..if not..go play somewhere else.
Wow, you have your facts seriously twisted. How did you get that way? You should try doing some rersearch for yourself instead of taking NBC as gospel.
yes just like Flaming, Feisty, Pigotry,Markinbecker etc...never any content..just the same old childish rants and insults
Yay! I made the "Axis of Evil" list!!!!
the main difference being that feisty and pigotry are first read plants.
Here you go Flaming...something more your speed.
www. melissaanddoug. com/shape-sorting-cube-learning-game
Now remember, square pegs go in the square holes, ok cupcake??
Please ignore me.
The President wants the country his way or none at all. The President says he is open to all points of view from both parties but yet refuses to listen to dialog and claims he will veto anything and call executive privilege. What kind of President is this?
You know when the debt debacale was gonig on, Bonehead had everything he wanted. Rat boy Eric messed it all up and it has been down hill every since. Now if the President Obama wasnt re-elected the sequester issue wouldn't exist. Since he was, it is still a problem. This isnt about politics, its about the President and only that. Now that he was re-elected doe the GOP make any sense for voting on the Sequester Bill than not? The GOP for a group that likes to drive in reverse down a one way street think today that perhaps they are still going the wrong way.
Let's not forget record debt and unchanging unemployment.
Obama...the do nothing but blame everyone chief
leftisfascist well I guess things are okay here were getting that storm in Tucson here. We'll be at $17T for the deficit fairly soon with no end in sight. Sure President Bush probably started the deficit but he was faced with 911 something that no president has ever gone through. Obama could have stopped a lot of the illegal programs but didn't, such as the Patriot Act. Now Obama is expanding the patriot act and taking more of our rights away.
Well then Mr. Pfeiffer, you're another administration sympathizing LIAR who perpetuates public deception!! The house has passed TWO bills to avoid the sequester, and the senate Democrat majority let them die, AS USUAL.
Secondly, Obama was quoted saying, "the answer to the republican's attempt to avoid the sequester is NO, I will veto any bill that attempts to avoid the sequester"
And of course, without a frikin leg to stand on, WITH NO credibility left, Fisty and Pig are at the front of the line spewing their political polarized nonsense. They should just quit trying because Obama and this admin have royally screwed up any credibility from the left on any debate regarding fiscal responsibility and deficit reduction seriousness.
More taxes? PPSSHH! idiots!
The liberal Democratic mouthpieces at First Read have spoken about the Virginia Governor's race, and not surprisingly, they are pumping up a potential third party candidate, Lt Gov. Bill Bolling, which would hurt the GOP candidate, Ken Cuccinelli.
"Do NOT take this candidacy lightly. This is not some spoiler in the works.."
Translation: Bolling is a spoiler in the works . First Read and the Democrats (but I repeat myself) hope and pray for the spoiler Bolling to hand the Governor's chair to the Democrats , notwithstanding First Read's incredible claim that Bolling could win the election outright.
Hey, at least now David Axelrod doesnt have to email the White House talking points every morning, he can call a leftist-to-leftist meeting at NBC.
Why don't you guys go over to Fox and post? Oh wait, they won't let you. Welcone to our "Big Tent" boys.
Flaming- such a child....go play in the sandbox..still waiting for you to cite some facts and make an intelligent argument
I'm in my sandbox. You are just visiting. Try not to make too big of a mess. Fox won't let you play in theirs any more. Waaaahhhh!!!
Larry...you have to feel sorry for him/her.
He/She forget his/her helmet back in grade school long ago.
He/She doesn't know facts. Just that playing with crayons are cardboard paper is niiiiicccceeee.
Won't find any critical thinking skills there. No facts either. Waste of time.
Yo, Guy, please get back to ignoring me.
Not to these weak minded, name calling, GOP'ers on this sight today. You have your marching orders and you are in the wrong place to ask someone for facts that you ignore. Here is a fact, Sequester was a bill that the GOP controlled House passed. So it became law. If they were so smart they wouldn't have passed it. They thought they had the President over a barrel but today it isn't a good idea.This muti front poticial war they are wagging benifits no one, not even the GOP. At the end of the day the President will make history and all of our enemies will see how stupid we are arguing about something that must be done.
Flaming..like the rest of the world that views you as insignificant..we shall honor your desire to return to peon status
No offense, Lar, but we're all pretty insignificant. Being here proves that.
you have a point
We have the biggest defense budget in the world! With the Wars finally scaled down after 10 YEARS of draining the treasury, there should be enough money to cover future expenses even with the cuts. Of course we still have to payoff the no bid contracts.......Now let's start on immigration reform. No automatic citizenship for babies born in the U.S. to non-citizens! OMG, Amend the Constitution. That would stop a lot of illegals from staying or coming here to have their unborn babies. And this is from one of those so-called "liberal lefties". Everyone take a 3% cut straight across the board, all entitlements, government pensions and all of Congress has to help pay for their health care, and no healthcare for life after serving in the Congress. If you are going to make the rules for the rest of us, start by being an example FOR THE REST OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS! Do it for one year and see what happens as a temporary trial period, but eliminate lifetime healthcare for all of Congress! And the other bloated retired military pensions could take a cut too.
JD -
How do you know that we have the 'biggest defense budget in the world'? China doesn't publish their figures, claims a million man army, and pays their personnel a pittance (not even enough to survive on) - Granted, we pay ours a pittance as well).
Now, keep in mind, that our defense budget also includes much more than the military. It includes DHS, FBI, CIA, INS, and the like as well. Now, how much of our defense budget actually supports the military and military readiness (which is actually mandated by our Constitution, by the way)?
While the rest of your post actually made sense, your very first statement shows how much you have caved to the liberal belief that the military is not needed.
Believe me, when I say that out military is definitely needed as the politics of the world becomes more unstable as a result of Obama's 'foreign policy'.
What are Obama's proposed cuts??? ...This article says he proposed some, but doesn't mention what they are?????
There were no cuts....just an empty promise of not increasing spending on existing budget items in the future.....
It's the J. Wellington Whimpy government style....I'll gladly pay you Tuesday....for a hamburger today.....But then Tuesday never comes......
The libs on this board seem to think the Republicans are all upset over this sequester thing....fact is I think they're pretty comfortable with it going forward.....The dems are the ones running around screaming the sky is falling.......
On the issue of gun control, First Read opines that:"This is an example of why presidential leadership does matter in politics."
Yet First Read never whispered even a faint criticism of the President's lack of leadership in his first term on a myriad of issues..the Presdient had zero leadership, even according to Congressional Democrats...
Politico just had a story stating Obama got a lapdog press because the Obama media team was so brilliant..and, oh, also because reporters were afraid to cross the White House , because they would be shunned from asking questions...which was it for First Read?
The answer seems clear, since Chuck Todd gets to ask lots of softball questions, and gets lots of exclusive interviews with White House flaks...
Our President is suppose to protect our constitution especially with freedom of the press and he keeps the press out of the weekend and goes plays golf with Tiger Woods of all people. Just why is the press kept away from something if it was so harmless? What does he plan to have Tiger Woods use a 6 iron or something and hit hand granade over to Iran or something?
I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the President wasn't having an affair with Hillary look at the clues.
O more likely to be having an affair with Reggie Love although Hillary may strap one on..she looks the part
Larry - you never post anything intelligent. Just insults. Your just wasting all of our time.
That would make her more man than you, Larry.
haha..Markinbecker- look at my post from 10:20 and respond to those facts. Same for you Gateway
I DONT BLAME HIM....have you seen obamas husband michelle...
thats scary
Well,I say let it happen.Who cares it will not effect most people.When will we start doing what is nesessary,to cut the fat?
Dam people need to just not care,,,
the only people affected so far by all the so called budget cuts are the federal employees. we have done our part, now congress wants to furlow us for 22 days, while they get paid 180,000 bucks a year for 126 days work, what a sham. dont mind doing our part but what about the rest of america
titan16...the rest of america doesn't want to do their part..they think there is an endless reservior of money from the rich to be tapped. they won't agree to pay a penny more in taxes..or agree to adjust entitlements..the middle class and the poor want the gravy train to continue unabated..for them shared sacrifice means sharing the $$ from your sacrifice and that of others..and Obama's class warfare rhetoric plays right into the worst of human nature...their motto is why do for myself what you can do for me...
America is suffering from teabagger terrorist fatigue. This month's hostage is sequestration, next month hostage is a government shutdown and the month after it's fiscal cliff again. Eventually the voters will end the hostage crisis by removing the republican party power. Everyone hates fiscal terrorists.
@sharky
Too bad the truth is quite different libtard.
articles. chicagotribune. com/2013-02-11/news/ct-oped-0211-krauthammer-20130211-21_1_bush-tax-cuts-pentagon-cuts-domestic-cuts
"The idea had been proposed and promoted by the White House during the July 2011 debt-ceiling negotiations. The political calculation was that such draconian defense cuts would drive the GOP to offer concessions"
That's how a President leads...through scare tactics?? Like you, Obama is a complete joke. Yet this administration got their tax increases, and they STILL can't cut spending. Silly liberal, facts are for grownups. Now go run and play.
No budget in four years. Record welfare. Stagnant economy. GDP shrinkage. Unemployment consistenly unchanged since 2008. The looming price and consequences of Obamacare.
The only good thing about Obama is that Jimmy Carter can now die without having the worst president in history title.
I only read adult posts and use the ignore feature on childish comments. Using fourth grade rhetoric indicates a lack of education or perhaps you are a fourth grader. So long.
I am still waiting for Obama supporters to answer my questions below, anyone?
Too funny that he wasn't worried about the debt when he just added millions to it with their "separate" vacations..........too funny that the annual ski trip (started in 2010) for Michelle and this time of course she took along "friends".
How many times did they do Christmas in HI prior to him becoming POTUS?
How bout vacations in Martha's Vineyard?
How bout Maine?
How bout the family taking foreign trips?
NONE of the above happened prior to him becoming chief mooch in the WH.
I don't want to hear they have money, they are flying on govt planes, all on taxpayer dollars, rubbing it in the faces of struggling US Citizens.
Obama is a hypocrite, plain and simple.
As Mel Brooks once said, "It's good to be the king".
Outrage to follow.
Anyone who quotes Mel Brooks can't be all bad..touche!
good one!
This is what happens when you have an unexperienced President and he loses. He just won't give in and make a deal.
And we're all going to suffer. Or they'll make a deal that hides all the facts about what they did to slip through with no budget again.
We need a real President.
You'll know when we have one when it hurts to get the job done. We're in a mess and it's going to hurt to fix it.
hey obama.... a real leader wouldn't have let this fester for two years..... hey nbc... why aren't you covering our runaway gas prices?????????
MSNBC, now NBC News has been and always will be in the tank for Obama. Just watch Now ith Alex Wagner, Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow, Ed Shultz, etc. Their adoration for this man is enough to put you off your food. No wonder Fox kicks NBC's butt for every timeslot and every age group. Intelligent people want to hear both sides of the issue.
I think Obama has miscalculated if he thinks the Republicans will be solely blamed if the sequester happens. Saw the video of him back in November of 2011 saying he would veto any plan to not approve the sequester. And of course his latest assistance that revenues AGAIN be part of every deal is more proof that he won't be satisfied until the effective tax rates for the rich approaches 70%. I am waiting for the Senate plan to see if they are really serious about cutting spending. I applaud Speaker Boehner for saying enough is enough. Obama got his tax increase in January and now he wants more. Totally ashamed to call him our President. He is nothing but a socialistic thug.
A real leader would endorse Simpson-Bowles II..Alan Simpson and Erskine Bolwes are trying but no one is listening..we owe those two a big thanks for their hard work and attempts to be adults in the land of children in D.C.
I totally agree. Please don't let my endorsement diminish Larry's point.
Thanks. Obama should have endorsed Simpson-Bowles I and with the election over, there is no reason I can come up with why he hasn't endorsed Simpson-Bowles II, if Obama really wants to solve our debt and spending trajectory. Leadership begins at the top. But I guess if Obama won't lead then maybe the Republican house should "endorse" the framework of Simpson-Bowles II. There is so little trust in Washington, however, that I think they are worried that this will just result in an Obama ambush. We need to get Simpson, Bowles, Reid, Boehner, and Obama in a room and get this done...its the right answer..the only right answer.
Unemployment is going back up without the sequester!!!
Now,let's call Sequest,what it really is,,a failure of our entire political system
For all our problems in this great country we only have ourselves to blame. We keep voting these politicians in over and over again thinking that somehow they'll get the job done this time and do what they say they will but it never happens and yet we keep falling for the same crap again and again. If you expect any change in either direction the only way it will happen is to use the right to vote and make a change.
the problem today is that people vote based on what they can get out of it, not what may be best for the country and americans in general.
and the results of this "abuse of power" is clearly written on the wall for us all to see. the bad news is that every american, regardless of their political ideology, will feel the wrath of such incompetence for years to come.
JustAnotherGuyHere I see it as for what ever reason people are becoming more and more afraid of individualism and personal responsibility thinking the government is here to solve all our problems for us.
I completely agree Fru.
fru and just.... you missed the point completely. more partisan tirade . the real problem is that voters believe adversarial government is the only check and balance. During good times that is the rule and not a bad strategy, however, during a time of a crisis it is the most inefficient form of government. with adversarial government you get a tepid government we need dramatic change. the tea party offered this however the majority of American voters rejects and continues to reject their brand of reform.
Joe people are depending on government more and more to fix all our problems.
fru ... no they are not! it is true that during the biggest economic crisis in over 70 years people tend to need the government since no one else in the private sector was willing or able to help. Without that level of intervention by the government, Depression was not far off. It is great to play Monday morning quarterback and criticize what was done to avert a depression since we did not get into one. The auto bailout...paid back with interest, TARP a Bush idea helped Americans put food on their tables.
NYT is wrong. Tens of thousands of people losing their jobs will have an immediate effect. Many of these are people who hung onto their jobs through the recession - they are the ones who have been and are spending the money to bring the recession to an end. Cut them off and you might as well forget any kind of economic recovery.
Once Obamacare kicks in an estimated 7 million will lose their jobs.
sequester congress until they come up with a budget.........afterall.....we can sequester a jury until they do their job.
The sequester is the result of the so-called "Congressional supercommittee" failing to come to an agreement last year. As usual, dysfunction comes from Congress.
These Obama years are scaring living sh*t out of me. Very frustrating too. I'll be glad when it's over. I've never felt so worried about the U.S. in all my 49 yrs. This guy seems clueless on everything. But now we have a population of takers that will vote him, or someone like him, in everytime. The left says conservatives are out for the rich. Well, if the rich are 1% of the population, who are the other 49% that are conservative? I know exactly who they are. They my friends, family, neighbors and coworkers. They are outstanding people. I would rather stand with them and be a minority. Anybody who compromises principal for gain will eventually pay for it in dignity. That cost is alot higher than any political election.