I can hear the RNC churning out the memos that this spending freeze will hurt any prospect for economic recovery.

0.42% savings from the budget. $15 billion out of $3.5 Trillion. I hope he doesn't blow his whole wad on this one plan.

Must be really new news, Fox says the $250 is over 10 years, CNN says over three years. There's also discussion about exactly what could be frozen. Even given the best numbers for Obama, this would be a 2.3% savings. Big numbers, wow!

"We've got to make some tough decisions,"

It was time to make "tough decisions" a year ago before unprecedented complicity in corporatist bank robbery of America and Americans. Actually long before that, but speaking to Obama's role.

Another mistake which President Obam will regret before he loses office. Nothing like tying your own hands before you take on a problem. Just plain stupid.

I'm sure that whoever the incoming President is who replaces Obama will appreciate it that the freeze expires before they take office.

Candidate Obama on Spending Freeze: Hatchet Job

How many babies will die because of the spending freeze? How many senior citizens will be forced to choose between paying for heat and paying for their medicine? How many children will be denied access to education if this happens?

Probably none, but I'm just asking.

#5
Good catch, Danni.

Its not a "freeze" as a normal person would understand the word.

Oh no.

It's only a "freeze" on the rate of the increase. In other words, discretionary spending would still INCREASE...

...but not past a mandated "rate" of increase.

It has to be the "wrong" thing to do.

Obama did it.

-The Right

If anyone can predict the future then I wish they would let us all know because the benefit of a spending freeze is predicated on nothing unexpected happening and the one thing that can be expected is something unexpected.

I expected Danni would post that.

So can this be seen as another broken promise ala the Lobby money Obama promised to clean up after getting into office? Or as usual, is this more ambition over talent? Waiting for him to claim the record money given last year would have been worse, had it not been for his policy.

Spending freeze? What a bale of fresh hay for the sheeple.

The spending freeze would affect only about one-eighth of the nation's $3.5 trillion budget, the bulk of which is devoted to entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, which are responsible for much of the future increase in spending. It would not restrain funding for the $787 billion economic stimulus package Obama pushed through Congress early last year, nor would it apply to a new bill aimed at creating jobs, which Democrats have identified as their top priority in the run-up to November's congressional elections.

The House has approved a $156 billion package intended to lower the nation's 10 percent unemployment rate, while the Senate is drafting an $80 billion package that includes tax cuts for businesses that hire new employees as well as aid for cash-strapped state governments and the unemployed.

It is also unlikely to affect the approximately $900 billion health-care bill, which has been on life-support since the Massachusetts vote. In an interview with ABC News on Monday, Obama vowed to press ahead with health care and other first-year agenda items, even it means jeopardizing his reelection chances in 2012.

"I expected Danni would post that."

FF for Zat, and I didn't see your post coming but now I realize I should have.

"even it means jeopardizing his reelection chances in 2012."

He has no chance in 2012 and I think he knows it.

It has to be the "wrong" thing to do.

Obama did it.

-The Right

#11 | Posted by donnerboy

LOL! Priceless!!!

Donnerboy, can you give me one thing he's done that's actually good for the country or something that the people wanted?

"Everybody is not going to get what they want." -- unless you contributed to my selection campaign, and/or are a banker.

"even it means jeopardizing his reelection chances in 2012."

He has no chance in 2012 and I think he knows it.

#17 | Posted by danni

I disagree Danni, So many Democrats are going to be thrown out over the next 3 years and replaced with (I would only hope) true Conservatives, but it will probably be only Republicans. Obama is swinging to the Right and will continue to do so until he becomes Bill Clinton in 2012!

He will be reelected in 2012.

It takes a Carter to get a Reagan.

It takes a Carter to get a Reagan.

Well there is always Mayor Mooseville to come along. However there is no tax cut kitty available for her to use like St. Raygun had.

The problem with going to the tax cut well so often is that eventually the well runs dry, like it has now.

And the benefits of the war on the middle class and the outsourcing of labor to third world nations is coming home to take root in 10% unemployment.

When you build an economy based on the house of cards lie that money will make money it only takes a little breeze to knock it all down.

$1.4 trillion deficit is the reward for 40 years of failed republican policies.

It has to be the "wrong" thing to do.

Obama did it.

-The Right

#11 | Posted by donnerboy at 2010-01-26 01:22 PM | Reply

Exactly.

"However there is no tax cut kitty available for her to use like St. Raygun had.

726 you forget one important thing, when and if a Republican can get elected president there will be a new economic discovery that "deficits don't matter if Republicans create them."

Trickle down hasn't worked so they will try their new economic mantra...."we just don't care."

I was looking forward to the reactions from the right on this proposal. This is the wrong time for Obama to find his inner Herbert Hoover.

After MASSIVE increases in spending (tripling the debt) during the past 24 months, this freeze is the proverbial shutting of the gate after the horse is out.

Besides, as been pointed out, this is not a "hard" freeze. There will still be scheduled increases. This is a show and nothing more.

NO CUTS HERE FOLKS, MOVE ALONG...

"I'm gonna save billions as I spend trillions"
--- Obama, the fiscal hawk ---

"After MASSIVE increases in spending (tripling the debt) during the past 24 months"

You don't know what you are talking about. We did not triple or even double the debt.

"Obama: Hey, Now That I've Jacked Up Spending To Crazy Levels How About We Freeze A Very Small Percentage Of Spending? UPDATE: Obama Was Against A Spending Freeze Before He Was For It"

this from the fuck tard that has spent this nation into demise

#22 | Posted by 726 at 2010-01-26 02:08 PM | Reply | Flag

#24 | Posted by danni at 2010-01-26 02:17 PM | Reply | Flag:

Yet for the last 60 years, the democrats have controlled the congress for 75% of the time(46 out of the last 60 years).

But the fiscal irresponsibility is blamed all on Republicans.

The Little O said 4 times during his campaign that he was opposed to spending cuts.

will try their new economic mantra...."we just don't care."

The Dems have that one already.

"I'm gonna pay off the national debt by doubling it"
Bush, the Harvard MBA.

"we''ll do for America what we did for Alaska-pay off the deficit with higher taxes and welfare checks from Washington."
Saint SARAH!!

"Don't plan on cutting any of my three government checks!"
John "Did You Know I was a POW?"

"we have an economic plan. We'll put numbers in it eventually, but trust us, we're the fiscal conservatives and economic thinkerers. Ask Ken Lay"
The Reaganproveddeficitsdon'
tmatterpublicans.

Kind of funny point. The deficiet gets cut by 2/3 as soon as the Bush tax cuts for the rich expire. So we return to the tax rates of the late 90's economic boom.

Yet for the last 60 years, the democrats have controlled the congress for 75% of the time(46 out of the last 60 years).

But the fiscal irresponsibility is blamed all on Republicans.

The fact the biggest jumps in national debt came under Republican presidents is just a coincidence. Either that, or the nasty Dems hid the veto pen for 20 years from Reagan and the Bushies.

I'd put about as much stock in this statement as I did in the Gitmo closing.

So the GOP can run it right back up.

Is the spending freeze before or after we spend a few trillion dollars on "health care for all"?

So the GOP can run it right back up.

Both sides are equally guilty in the spending area, but the Repubs love to put the spending on the National Credit Card and they happily chant "deficits don't matter".

The difference between Dem spending and Republican spending is that Democrats spend to accomplish some goal like health care or education, agree or disagree they have some goal in mind.
The Republicans though, by their own admission (Grover Norquist, Ronnie Raygun, others) spend specifically to increase debt and thus carry out their "starve the beast" strategy which is exactly what is playing out today.
Today Dems are attempting to pass health care reform and the Republicans' best argument against it is the debt they ran up, it's exactly as they planned it.

All the folks so suddenly concerned about the deficit this year need to ask themselves on question.

Did the Republicans know that the Bush deficits would increase the debt by 5 trillion when they passed the Bush tax cuts during two wars???

If they did then isn't something more going on than honest politicians worrying about runaway debt now???

#36 | Posted by northguy3 at 2010-01-26 03:05 PM | Reply | Flag:

Yet the entitlements make up 2/3rds of the budget. And require mandatory increases in growth each year. All brain(less) children of the democrats. So much for the Little O's cost cutting claims.

The President's budget for 2010 totals $3.55 trillion. Percentages in parentheses indicate percentage change compared to 2009. This budget request is broken down by the following expenditures:

* Mandatory spending: $2.184 trillion (+15.6%)
o $695 billion (+4.9%) - Social Security
o $453 billion (+6.6%) - Medicare
o $290 billion (+12.0%) - Medicaid
o $0 billion (-100%) - Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)
o $0 billion (-100%) - Financial stabilization efforts
o $11 billion (+275%) - Potential disaster costs
o $571 billion (-15.2%) - Other mandatory programs
o $164 billion (+18.0%) - Interest on National Debt

* Discretionary spending: $1.368 trillion (+13.1%)
o $663.7 billion (+12.7%) - Department of Defense (including Overseas Contingency Operations)
o $78.7 billion (-1.7%) - Department of Health and Human Services
US receipt and expenditure estimates for fiscal year 2010.
o $72.5 billion (+2.8%) - Department of Transportation
o $52.5 billion (+10.3%) - Department of Veterans Affairs
o $51.7 billion (+40.9%) - Department of State and Other International Programs
o $47.5 billion (+18.5%) - Department of Housing and Urban Development
o $46.7 billion (+12.8%) - Department of Education
o $42.7 billion (+1.2%) - Department of Homeland Security
o $26.3 billion (-0.4%) - Department of Energy
o $26.0 billion (+8.8%) - Department of Agriculture
o $23.9 billion (-6.3%) - Department of Justice
o $18.7 billion (+5.1%) - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
o $13.8 billion (+48.4%) - Department of Commerce
o $13.3 billion (+4.7%) - Department of Labor
o $13.3 billion (+4.7%) - Department of the Treasury
o $12.0 billion (+6.2%) - Department of the Interior
o $10.5 billion (+34.6%) - Environmental Protection Agency
o $9.7 billion (+10.2%) - Social Security Administration
o $7.0 billion (+1.4%) - National Science Foundation
o $5.1 billion (-3.8%) - Corps of Engineers
o $5.0 billion (+100%) - National Infrastructure Bank
o $1.1 billion (+22.2%) - Corporation for National and Community Service
o $0.7 billion (0.0%) - Small Business Administration
o $0.6 billion (-14.3%) - General Services Administration
o $19.8 billion (+3.7%) - Other Agencies
o $105 billion - Other

"All brain(less) children of the democrats."

Medicare Drug bill was passed by Rethugs.

#42 Danni> All the folks so suddenly concerned about the deficit this year ...

You're ignoring all of us who have written and called our representatives for YEARS complaining about deficits. Nice try at pigeonholing us. It's a semi-lame excuse when someone complains about the current deficits (running much larger than even spendosaurus Bush) that they didn't complain before. If they did, your point is completely moot. If they didn't, they can easily point to the huge increase in deficit spending under Obama.

Funny how the Libbies like Danni are screaming to the wind today. I don't think there is a single conservative thinker here on Retort that agreed with Bush spending. It was simply too much. But are they now trying to complain about Bush spending while approving the amounts that Obama is spending? Or are they simply justifying bad behavior with prior bad behavior? Silly regardless. What's sillier is this "freeze" of Obama. Does anyone actually think that a reduction of the budget of less than 0.8% per year is going to do any good? Maybe Danni thinks this will save the national debt, but I doubt anyone else believe it.

#36 | Posted by northguy3

The fact the biggest jumps in national debt came under Republican presidents is just a coincidence. Either that, or the nasty Dems hid the veto pen for 20 years from Reagan and the Bushies.
------
If I go from 1 dollar to 3 dollars in debt I just increased it by 300%, if I go from 1 million to 1 million I only increased it 50%.

Large increases don't always equate to adding lots of debt.

"I don't think there is a single conservative thinker here on Retort that agreed with Bush spending."

AT least that is what they pretend now but a few years back, right here on DR, I had many an argument about this very topic with those who then claimed deficits don't matter and that criticism of the great Bush economy was crazeeee!

"Maybe Danni thinks this will save the national debt, but I doubt anyone else believe it."

I never claimed anything of the sort, I said this whole thing is a joke. You want to start paying down the debt, do what my parent's generation did, raise the taxes necessary to do it. It ain't rocket science.

I can hear the RNC churning out the memos that this spending freeze will hurt any prospect for economic recovery.

#1 | POSTED BY 726

It won't matter what Obama does, the right will criticize, obfuscate and reprimand his decisions.

#49 | Posted by Legio at 2010-01-26 06:14 PM | Reply

It's so much fun, even progressive are joining in the action.

Perhaps not as much fun as the shoe evadererer in chief, but fun the same... Especially when they send Gibbs out there like the whipping boy and he "performs"...

I wonder - ya think Axelrod and Emmanuelle stand offstage and snicker the whole time Gibbs talks.

I'm gonna try this when I get home...

ME: "Honey, I know money's tight, so I'm going to bring a brown bag lunch every day for the next three months"

WIFE: "That's a good idea, we could use a little less discretionary spending"

ME: "You think in April we can budget in that big screen TV I've been wanting"

WIFE: "Sure honey..."

Hrm... donut think so.

"producing a savings of $250 billion"

He must be related to my ex wife. She didn't go shopping one day and saved me $200.

But....... They have raised the discretionary spending quite a bit the last few years so freezing that for 3 years is a savings? How about cutting their budgets for a change. Just take a look at the pork and vote buying they have done just the past 6 months. Saving my ass.

Total government outlays never go down. Obama's FY10 budget projects $1.649 trillion of receipts and $3.042 trillion of expenditures, resulting in a deficit of $1.393 trillion. Deficits in the range of $1 trillion per year are projected for the next 10 years.

Fiscal responsibility is something a politician doesn't understand. They have your credit card dan.

This guy is truly clueless. If this is his idea of cutting spending then we are all in trouble.

Little Barry needs to be tutored in math.

What else is he supposed to talk about during the State of the Bankrupt Union Address? The Chicago Olympics?

What else is he supposed to talk about during the State of the Bankrupt Union Address? The Chicago Olympics?

#56 | Posted by wisgod

How he gave himself a B+.

How he gave himself a B+.

#57 | Posted by matsop

I wish I could have gotten away with less than 50% equating to a B+.

How he gave himself a B+.

#57 | Posted by matsop

I wish I could have gotten away with less than 50% equating to a B+.

#58 | Posted by wisgod

Have to be a teacher's pet.

The GOP spent like drunken sailors. Now, they whine about spending freezes. They're like a Mexican jumping bean.

{FacePalm}

It isn't "Lefties" or "Righties", it is "Politicians" seeking power, or clueless, inexperienced politicians, that are core of the problem.

We no longer have statesmen in the state house.

This reminds me of those "sales" at furniture stores:

First, we'll increase the price by 300%, then we'll give you half off - we STILL jacked the price by 50% all under the auspice of giving you half off.

It's all smoke and mirrors.

Having said that, I am at least slightly encouraged that Obama is at least playing lip-service to insane deficits and insurmountable debt.

This is like your child comming home from college and telling you that he/she charged 50 thousand on your credit card, but is now putting a freeze on spending.

Obama/Congress increased the EPA budget by roughtly 25% that is more than the last 4 presidents/Congress combined, and now he's freezing spending.

This is joke right?

90c, ya..... he is as funny as a chapped ass.

"Having said that, I am at least slightly encouraged that Obama is at least playing lip-service to insane deficits and insurmountable debt."

Lip service would apply to his promise of cutting off the lobbiest influence on Washington. Which happened to be a record last year.

Let's see, raise spending 30% then freeze it at that point. Very clever.

Let's see, raise spending 30% then freeze it at that point. Very clever.

#67 | Posted by chickenrancher

Don't you just love that logic? The freeze is only for 3 years and the increas was in the LAST budget.

He is one cost cutting sob.

You know, I do not like Danni's politics or anything she writes. But that is vulgar.

-But that is vulgar.

It's also a Dump.

But the, that poster should feel right at home in dump.

what a complete crock of shit from this ass..

programs have seen an average of 20% more in ONE YEAR ALONE with epa scoring at a 35% bump in money..
so what the fuck difference does it make to TELL people that thier budgets will be frozen for three years when you get bumps THAT fuckin high...

They will just tag their 'wants' onto the military appropriations as amendments - just watch.

AND last night I watched a clip from the campaigns where barry went off on mccain because he supported

wait for it

spending freeze

fuckin liar

* Starting in 2011

** This "spending freeze" affects less than a quarter of the budget.

*** Whoopdey fucking doo.

He's probably hoping the recession will be over by then.

A lot of new 'discretionary spending' we do now was given us in perpetuity by the former administration.

- Recall the auditor who wanted to testify Medicare Part D was going to be in the hundreds of billions a year, not the teeny amount publicly touted by the WH and Congress?

- The "$50 billion paid back with oil revenues/6 months tops" Iraq War?

- The 'fiscal conservatives' who left us with $700 billion a year in debt service payments?

Face it, the Bush Administration understated unfunded programs time and time again.

Didn't think anyone could or would try to refute that.