February 2012
41 posts
Key Points From The Obama Budget Coverage...
On Friday, the administration previewed the Obama budget to be released this morning. Below, please find some of the key takeaways from this weekend’s coverage. From officially failing to keep his promise to cut the deficit in half to marking the fourth straight year of trillion dollar deficits, the Obama budget demonstrates that the president simply doesn’t care to address the debt crisis in America:
- “Will Show Mr. Obama Has Failed To Meet His Pledge To Cut The Deficit In Half By The End Of His First Term”: But the document’s numbers will show Mr. Obama has failed to meet his pledge to cut the deficit in half by the end of his term, and for Republicans, that will be the bottom line. ( NYT, 2/11/12)
- “Early Documents Admit To Larger-Than-Expected Deficits”: Monday is also the formal release of the budget, but early documents admit to larger-than-expected deficits on the horizon - $1.33 trillion in 2012 and $901 billion in 2013. (Politico, 2/10/12)
- “The Deficits In Both Years Was Higher Than Those Forecast By The White House In September”: The deficit in 2013 would be equivalent to 5.5 percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), down from 8.5 percent of GDP in 2012. However, the deficit in both years was higher than those forecast by the White House in September for a $956 billion funding gap in 2012 and a $648 billion gap in 2013. (Reuters, 2/11/12)
- “President’s Plan Would Push This Year’s Deficit Above Current Projections”: The president’s plan would push this year’s deficit above current projections, with the budget gap growing to $1.33 trillion - slightly higher than last year’s $1.3 trillion deficit and $200 billion more than congressional budget analysts recently projected for the fiscal year that ends in September. ( WaPo , 2/10/12)
Lew Hits New Lows
Lew Tries To Dodge Answering For Obama’s Failed Promise To Cut The Deficit In Half
WH COS Dodges Why Senate Dems Haven’t Passed A Budget In Over 1,000 Days
WH COS: Obama Will Campaign On ObamaCare
“The second is that Barack Obama, for all his talk of moving beyond conventional political tricks, is doing just that, which wouldn’t be so glaring had it not been for his incessant call for a newer, cleaner and more transparent paradigm for American politics. So much for the high road: Victory is more important than purity.”
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Politico
Obama Actively Supports Super PAC That Takes Special Interest And Lobbyist Money
Candidate Obama: “We Will Not Take A Dime From Washington Lobbyists Or Special Interest PACs - We’re Going To Change How Washington Works. They Will Not Fund My Party …” (Sunlen Miller, “Obama Commends DNC For Cutting Lobbyist Contributions,” ABC News’ “Political Radar” Blog, 6/5/08)
OBAMA GIVES SUPER PAC HIS BLESSING
Obama’s Re-Election Campaign Reversed Its Position On Super PACs, “Encouraging Donors To Send Their Unlimited Contributions” To Pro-Obama Priorities USA PAC. “President Obama’s re-election campaign made an about-face late Monday in its opposition to super PACs, encouraging donors to send their unlimited contributions to one such group founded by a former administration spokesman. Obama campaign manager Jim Messina emailed supporters to formally endorse contributions to Priorities USA, the Democratic super PAC founded by Bill Burton, a former White House deputy press secretary.” (Michael O’Brien, “Obama Campaign Reverses Stance, Urging Donations To Super PAC, NBC News’ “First Read”, 2/7/12)
Obama’s Decision Marks A “Stark Reversal” From A President Who Has Been Among The “Most Vocal Critics” Of Super PACs To One Who Is Embracing Them. “The decision represents a stark reversal for Obama, who has been among the most vocal critics of these outside political spending groups since the Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling that paved the way for the rise of super PACs.” (Michael O’Brien, “Obama Campaign Reverses Stance, Urging Donations To Super PAC, NBC News’ “First Read”, 2/7/12)
Politifact: Obama’s Embrace Of Super PACs Is A “Full Flop.” “In this case, Obama and his campaign have gone from refusing to fundraise for super PACs to declaring that senior officials will attend and speak at Priorities USA fundraising events. We respect that the president himself won’t participate, and that he still plans to fight the role of special interest money in campaigns, but that’s a major reversal of position, and we rate it a Full Flop.” (“Obama Campaign Says Officials Will Now Appear At Super PAC Fundraisers,” Tampa Bay Times’ “Politifact,” 2/6/12)
“The employees suing the failed solar-panel maker for not giving them enough notice before its abrupt shutdown last summer are now accusing Solyndra of running its bankruptcy for the benefit of secured lender Argonaut Ventures I LLC.”
—The Wall Street Journal
