Disappeared News

by Larry Geller

President Obama let Paul Ryan go first on “deficit reduction” (those are the biggest quotes I could find), letting the Republicans advance their agenda at his expense. Now he’s playing catch-up. Kind of.

Here’s a copy of the Continuing Resolution. It’s not very long, have a peek.

Update: Obama’s speech is out and they’re loading the teleprompters. Here’s a copy. If only words were jobs.

FY2011 CR

It doesn’t look like the full $40 billion cut is real, and I’m not sure what was really cut out of healthcare reform in the final compromise. Need to read more to find out. But lipstick won’t make this look pretty. Tonight we are to hear Obama’s reaction. That’s exactly what it is likely to be, since the budget plan was not his initiative--as it could have been.

Given that the Republican House has been talking nothing but “deficit reduction” for the past two or three months, Obama could have derailed their ideological play by coming up with an idea of his own. If he had one, of course. Instead, now we hear that he wants to bring “balance”to the process.

Democrats are in charge, but Republicans are running the show. The responsibility for that rests with the Democrats and the weakness of their leader in the White House.

Who’s looking out for us in corporate-controlled Washington?  The word “balance” somehow doesn’t include us. As polls have shown, people want jobs, homes, the opportunities that are supposed to be our birthright as Americans. Not cutting services that hurt women, not “balance.”

The Democrats have a problem.

And it would be great if they could replace him in 2012.

Permalink posted by Larry @ 4/13/2011 07:17:00 AM