Is Obama Suddenly a Fiscal Conservative?

Inflation, Taxes, and Economy Blog Headlines

Written by JBS Staff

Tuesday, 26 January 2010 14:01

Obama, deficit As if Americans are not getting enough good news about the U.S. economy, the Congressional Budget Office just came out with the projected estimate for the 2010 federal deficit. It is projected to hit a whopping $1.35 trillion.

Fortunately, President Obama has a solution to our economic woes. Although we endured a government spending spree including a $787 billion stimulus package by the Obama administration, the President has now reversed course and has come up with a spending freeze — excluding entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security, International affairs, homeland security, defense spending and veterans affairs — as a solution. The proposed freeze would cap our current discretionary spending level each year to $447 billion.

The flip-flopping is leading some to suggest that the "hope and change" administration's competency maybe in question. Says Jeffrey Sachs, an economist and director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University: “A little bit of disarray, it seems. Last year, just spend, throw everything into a stimulus package ... and then this year, just across-the-board freeze. Frankly, the government has to make better choices and better plans than throwing things into a big pot in one year and then freezing across the board the next year."

Those sentiments were echoed by Michael Steel, a spokesman for House Minority Leader John Boehner. "Given Washington Democrats' unprecedented spending binge, this is like announcing you're going on a diet after winning a pie-eating contest," Steel remarked.

In truth, such a freeze as the one proposed is little more than symbolic, a public relations ploy to insulate the President from criticism. The fact is that federal spending is a Congressional matter, and as long as Congress is packed with big spending politicians the bloating of the federal government will continue.

Set as favorite

Bookmark

Email This

Trackback(0)

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (4) Add Comment

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/Hide comments

rprew

January 26, 2010

72.201.107.33

Votes: +3

LOL (actually COL - crying out loud)

I heard the "savings" could amount to $250 billion over the next 10 years. Big deal! The last "stimulus" was three times that and took considerably less than one year. Obamacare is projected at $1 trillion (four times as much) over the next 10 years (and that projection is probably off by a factor of four).

How about making some REAL cuts? Abandon any more stimulus programs, bank bailouts, auto manufacturer bailouts, international handouts, homeland security, Iraqi defense, Afghani defense, and a long list of unconstitutional entitlements.

I wanted to say "Penny wise and pound foolish", but big government doesn't even do too well in the "penny wise" department.

Pat Henry

January 26, 2010

189.130.6.122

Votes: +3

Constitution anyone?

A 447 billion "fiscal conservative."

Wow. Sounds like a Republican.

Dwight lane

January 26, 2010

67.223.7.202

Votes: +1

...

Making me laugh for sure! He puts in a spending freeze AFTER he increased spending levels for multiple programs that fall under "discretionary". I guess now with the freeze, there won't be a need to decrease the previous increase in program spending!! Absolutely hypocritical! Well anyway, the latest out of Britain is that the British gov't has a plan to end sovereignty here in the U.S. just like all the other countries in Europe so they can advance their empire!!! Pretty sure we have some sellouts in our own gov't to help accomplish that :) Let your elected officials know about it and give them your opinion.

Lee Gonzales

January 26, 2010

98.230.205.55

Votes: +1

...

The John Birch Society staff caughtthis ploy when they state:

" In truth, such a freeze as the one proposed is little more than symbolic, a public relations ploy to insulate the President from criticism. The fact is that federal spending is a Congressional matter,"

The president can propose cuts and even make budget recommendations but Congress has the ultimate say so. Until we send fiscal conservatives to the House and Senate, but especically the House, the JBS staff writers sum it correctly: "as long as Congress is packed with big spending politicians the bloating of the federal government will continue."

I caught Ron Paul on Larry King Live and he said the budget can be cut by bringing the troops home immediately. Robert Riech who was the other Larry King Live guest spit and sputtered like a war hawk Neo Con.

Write comment

This content has been locked. You can no longer post any comment.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 26 January 2010 15:21

Author of this article: JBS Staff

Show Other Articles Of This Author

In Memory of John Birch, 1918-1945 (25 August 2010)
Attend the Freedom Action Conference at Valley ... (15 July 2010)
The Significance of the Declaration of Independ... (02 July 2010)
The JBS in 1958, Forerunner of the Tea Party Mo... (01 July 2010)
Liberal Talking Heads Attack Robert Welch (16 June 2010)
Today in History: Jacques Cousteau (11 June 2010)
A Bilderberg Who's Who (10 June 2010)
"Red Dawn" - The Remake (08 June 2010)
Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson on Cavuto (17 May 2010)
Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson on the Radio (13 May 2010)
New Zealand Blogger on JBS (13 May 2010)
The Chilling Effect of Obama's Attack on the iPad (10 May 2010)
World War II in the Pacific (03 May 2010)
"Abu Ghraib Was a Picnic" (28 April 2010)
Did You Hear the One About GM Paying Off Its Go... (23 April 2010)
Is McCain in Favor of Targeting the Middle Class? (16 April 2010)
Why We're Bankrupt (13 April 2010)
Michelle Malkin on the Attack on the Tea Party ... (12 April 2010)
Is this the World's Greatest Engineering Achiev... (07 April 2010)
Sexual Abuse in the Church (02 April 2010)

Tweet With Us:

Inflation, Taxes & Economy Blog

Pile of Money There can be no legal tender in this country ... but gold and silver. This is a constitutional principle ... of the very highest importance"

— Daniel Webster