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THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 4, 2010
th e sP e n d e r -In-ch I e F ’s FI s c a l Fr e e z e Fo l l I e s
There are more ported, the “estimated $250 billion in savings “During the campaign, you may recall that
loopholes in President over 10 years would be less than 3 percent of John McCain touted option 1 -- the hatchet
Obama’s proposed the roughly $9 trillion in additional deficits approach of an across-the-board freeze.
“spending freeze” the government is expected to accumulate “The President was critical of that approach
than in an Olympic over that time.” then, and we would be critical of it now. It’s
volleyball net. Gar- Which amounts to a molecule in a drop of not what we’re proposing. To the contrary,
gantuan government the ocean of red ink in which American tax- the entire theory of the President’s proposed
entitlements (Social payers have been drowning. freeze is to dial up the stuff that will sup-
Security, Medicare The current Spender-in-Chief unveiled de- port job growth and innovation while dialing
by Michelle Malkin
and Medicaid) are ex- tails of this lofty new work of political fiction down the stuff that doesn’t. Under our plan,
Syndicated Columnist
empt. A half-trillion on Monday with more fanfare than a new some discretionary spending will go up; some
in unspent stimulus “Twilight” title. It was supposed to be the will go down. That’s a big difference from a
money is exempt. Foreign aid is exempt. The centerpiece of the State of the Union address. hatchet. …
Democrats’ proposed $154 billion jobs bill But by Tuesday morning, Obama’s illusion “President Obama deeply understands the
(Stimulus II) is exempt. of fiscal discipline had been shredded left, various imperatives of this moment in time,
Pet federal education programs will be ex- right and center. By Tuesday afternoon, irri- even if they don’t always point in the same
empt (including $4 billion for the White House tated White House spokesman Robert Gibbs direction.”
“Race to the Top” standards initiative and an was already downplaying the gimmickry. It’s So, he had a hatchet on Monday when he
additional $1.35 billion he just requested in just something Obama will “mention,” Gibbs wanted headlines praising his return to aus-
the 2011 budget). Green jobs spending will be bristled. terity in the wake of the GOP’s Massachusetts
exempt. (Obama proposed $10 billion in new After campaign videos of Obama repeatedly Senate victory; a scalpel on Tuesday when he
clean energy spending earlier this month.) deriding “hatchet”-wielding spending freezes needed to mollify the big-government left.
Electorally driven tax-credit expansions will spread like Kudzu across the Internet, official What will he wield at the State of the Union ad-
be exempt. The health care takeover plan is White House blogger Jared Bernstein tried to dress on Wednesday night? A variable-speed
not included. As even The New York Times re- control the widespread hypocrisy charges: See MAlkin on 14
gr e a t ex P e c t a t I o n s
WASHINGTON - Regard- dren and colleagues usually begins with an first” audiences overseas.
less of station in life, acknowledgment of mistakes or errors I have Worse, the president’s efforts to deflect
faith or philosophy, made and includes the words “I’m sorry” or responsibility for his party’s political rever-
unfulfilled expecta- a similar phrase. sals, our current economic travail, national
tions are the greatest When Mr. Obama was campaigning for security threats and foreign policy setbacks
cause of anger, frus- president, he promised “hope” and “change.” lead him to be disingenuous at best and
tration and discon- The majority of the American electorate be- downright deceptive at worst. Thankfully, not
tent on the planet. lieved these nebulous ideas would make life everyone gathered in the U.S. House of Rep-
by Oliver north
That’s true whether better for us and our children. We now know resentatives on Wednesday night was willing
Syndicated Columnist
those expectations better. to timidly “go along to get along.”
arise in the interac- Current poll numbers -- the lowest for any When Mr. Obama accused the Supreme
tion of husbands and president at this point in office -- reflect the Court of reversing “a century of law ... (to)
wives, parents and children, teachers and unfulfilled expectations of millions who voted open the floodgates for special interests -- in-
students, employers and employees, busi- for him. Yet the president’s first State of the cluding foreign corporations -- to spend with-
nesses and customers, leaders and the led or Union address indicates he still doesn’t get out limit in our elections,” Justice Samuel Al-
politicians and their constituents. President it. ito could be seen mouthing the words “that’s
Barack Obama apparently doesn’t grasp this Absent from Mr. Obama’s lengthy lecture to not true.” The justice is right, for the court
fundamental truth of human nature. the assembled masses last Wednesday night has done nothing to remove long-standing
Resolving the “friction” of unfulfilled expec- was any recognition of personal failure or er- prohibitions on foreign entities -- be they
tations requires a straightforward recognition ror or even the hint of an apology. Instead, he individuals or corporations -- against their
of personal responsibility for commitments ascribes blame to his predecessors, his politi- contributing to our election campaigns.
-- perceived or real -- that have not been cal opponents and even the Supreme Court Some argue our tolerance for dissembling
satisfied and a determination by the parties for all our problems. Apparently, apologies on domestic political matters -- limiting cam-
involved to do better in the future. My expe- still are reserved for our nation generally -- paign contributions, legislation to create jobs,
rience with this process with my wife, chil- and are delivered in front of “blame America See nOrth on 12
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