My Response on Sequestration and No Budgets

(Facebook buddy), you’re entitled to your own opinion but not your own facts

Who’s responsible for sequestration?

The white house proposed the idea of sequestration; the president signed the budget control act that included sequestration; the president has said “that sequestration would not happen;” the president has spent more time with Tiger Woods on the golf course then with congressional leaders on how to prevent sequestration; the president has valued campaigning, fund raising, and staged photo ops with first responder “human shields” over leading the fight on preventing sequestration.

Why was sequestration attractive to him?

• It was part of a deal that allowed him to avoid another debt ceiling fight and raising the debit ceiling, before the election
• He welcomed the opportunity of blackmailing republicans into making/forcing a budget deficit deal knowing the prospect of deep military cuts (the military being a GOP constituency) that would occur if sequestration were triggered would be abhorrent to them 
  

To be honest with you, both parties have long been responsible for this mess, and I welcome government cutting in whatever form it takes – including the sequestration. As long as this “shared sacrifice” is distributed across ALL government, and not just the DOD. Thanks to the voting records of “low information” lemming/sheeple voters, if the sequestration kicks in, I’ll be kissing away at least 22 percent of my income – and I’m hardly part of the wealthy who, it’s expected, is to pay their “fair share.”

Who has and hasn’t passed a budget?

The republican controlled house offered five budgets in 2012 including one “based on President Barack Obama 2013 spending blueprint” that were all turned down by the democratically controlled senate. Despite the democrats holding majorities in congress and the White House most of the last six years, they have failed – they voted down the President’s last budget 97-0; Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) tried to move a budget plan this year, and was "shut down" by Reid; and they even refuse to consider a budget based on the president’s bipartisan Bowles-Simpson fiscal commission, which blends revenue increases and spending cuts to tackle the deficit.

The senate has failed to offer their own budget in over three years/1,200 days even though they are legally required to do so and this act is one of its most basic, fundamental tasks

A Friend's Facebook Response to Rand Paul

....."The sequester is not Obama's fault. Lawmakers have failed to pass a budget since 2009. They drafted the legislation he signed. They are the ones who kicked it down the road from January 1 to March 1. They are the ones that have not tried to resolve the budget crisis. They are the ones that went on vacation this week rather than trying to solve the issue. This is 100% a congressional problem. Republicans and the Tea Party faithful can try and spin it any way they like, but there is no way this is the president's fault....."

-- from a buddy on Facebook

Who's to Blame for this Mess?

‎"The sequester was [Obama's] idea. He signed it into law. He needs to take responsibility and he needs to act responsibly and we've given him a list of cuts that he could do without laying off anybody."

--Sen. Rand Paul 'On the Record' last night with Greta Van Susteren >> http://tinyurl.com/bbo7zkw