What They’re Saying About Obama’s Budget

The President released his budget this morning. The reviews are in and they’re not that good.

Philip Klein at Beltway ConfidentialObama blows last chance to offer serious budget
In fiscal year 2013 alone, Obama’s budget spends $3.8 trillion, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget, or $230 billion higher than the Congressional Budget Office’s most recent baseline. Overall, the budget proposes $47 trillion in spending in the decade from 2013 through 2022, which is $2.7 trillion higher than the CBO baseline.

Congressman Paul Ryan released the following statement:

“President Obama’s irresponsible budget is a recipe for a debt crisis and the decline of America. His refusal to honestly confront our nation’s most pressing challenges does real harm to the economic security of millions of American families. The $1.9 trillion tax increase proposed in his budget will make it harder for businesses to create jobs and for workers to spur economic growth.

“This budget does nothing to prevent the bankruptcy of critical programs, threatening the health and retirement security of current and future seniors. Worse, it continues the President’s policy of letting an unaccountable board of bureaucrats cut Medicare in ways that will lead to denied care for seniors. The broken promises and recycled gimmicks contained in this budget have dramatically widened this President’s growing credibility deficit.

“Our families, seniors, children and grandchildren deserve better than this reckless budget and this dismal failure of leadership. As Chairman of the House Budget Committee, I will continue to work with my colleagues – from both parties where possible – to advance bold solutions that lift our crushing burden of debt and ensure a future of opportunity, growth and prosperity.”

The Republican National Committee Released the Following:

Obama’s Budget Is A Political Document That Breaks His Promises On The Deficit While Shirking His Duties To Tackle The Nation’s Debt

OBAMA’S BUDGET IS A POLITICAL DOCUMENT FOR RUNNING A RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN, NOT A GOVERNMENT

Bloomberg’s Julianna Goldman: “What It Really Does Is It Fleshes Out The President’s Blueprint For His Campaign.” “The White House says that this budget fleshes out the President’s blueprint for America, but what it really does is it fleshes out the President’s blueprint for his campaign. He’s essentially putting deficit-reduction on the back burner.” (Bloomberg’s ” With Betty Liu,” 2/13/12)

  • Bloomberg ‘s Juliana Goldman: “This Is A Real Miss For The President.”“Well, when you look at the projections for the deficit, this is a real miss for the President. Remember, he had promised to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term, Betty.” (Bloomberg’s “With Betty Liu,” 2/13/12)
  • Watch Video Here

National Public Radio: “Rather than a realistic road map for government spending, the White House budget is likely to serve as a political tool in the president’s re-election bid.” (Scott Horsley, “Obama’s Budget: Political Tool Or Spending Plan?” National Public Radio , 2/13/12)

ABC News: Obama “Doubles Down On Populist Proposals Central To His Re-Election Campaign.” “President Obama today officially unveils a 2013 budget that outlines his tax and spending priorities for the coming year, and doubles down on populist proposals central to his re-election campaign.” (Devin Dwyer, “Obama Budget Doubles Down on Populist Proposals,”ABC News, 2/13/12)

The New York Times: The Budget Is “Seen As More A Platform For The President’s Re-Election Campaign Than A Legislative Proposal.” “But the latest budget document can be seen as more a platform for the president’s re-election campaign than a legislative proposal for budget debates that will begin next week.” (Jackie Calmes, “Obama’s Budget To Focus On Cutting Deficit And Adding Jobs,” The New York Times, 2/10/12)

The Wall Street Journal: “Administration Officials Acknowledge That The Bulk Of Their Plan Is A Campaign Blueprint More Than Anything.” “But administration officials acknowledge that the bulk of their plan is a campaign blueprint more than anything-at least until the end of the year.” (Damian Paletta and Laura Meckler, “Budget Sets Stage For Year-End Clash,” The Wall Street Journal, 2/13/12)

OBAMA IS BREAKING HIS PLEDGE TO CUT THE DEFICIT IN HALF AND ACTUALLY INCREASES DEFICITS IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS

The Washington Post‘s Ezra Klein: “The Obama Administration Is Officially Breaking Its Promise To Halve The Deficit By The End Of Their First Term.” (Ezra Klein, “Wonkbook: 5 Things To Watch In Obama’s 2013 Budget,” The Washington Post ‘s Wonkbook, 2/13/12)

  • Klein: “The 2013 budget envisions a deficit of more than $1 trillion — not halved by any stretch of the imagination.” (Ezra Klein, “Wonkbook: 5 Things To Watch In Obama’s 2013 Budget,” The Washington Post‘s Wonkbook, 2/13/12)

The New York Times: Obama’s Budget “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.” (Jackie Calmes, “Obama’s Budget To Focus On Cutting Deficit And Adding Jobs,” The New York Times, 2/10/12)

USA Today : Obama Will Fall “Far Short Of His Goal To Halve The Deficit In Four Years.” “President Obama’s proposed 2013 budget will forecast a $901 billion deficit for next year, falling far short of his goal to halve the deficit in four years.” (Richard Wolf, “Obama Budget To Miss Deficit Goal,” USA Today’s “The Oval,” 2/10/12)

  • USA Today: “The Budget Will Show A Higher Deficit This Year Than In 2011.”“The budget will show a higher deficit this year than in 2011, up from $1.3 trillion to $1.33 trillion. And the projected decline to $901 billion in 2013 is dependent on enactment of the president’s policies, including spending reductions agreed to last summer and ending George W. Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy at the end of this year.” (Richard Wolf, “Obama Budget To Miss Deficit Goal,” USA Today’s “The Oval,” 2/10/12)

ABC News: “But despite such cuts, the president’s budget would mark the fourth straight year that deficit spending exceeds $1 trillion and falls well short of his 2009 promise to ‘cut the deficit we inherited by half by the end of my first term in office.'” (Devin Dwyer, “Obama Budget Doubles Down on Populist Proposals,” ABC News, 2/13/12)

Politico: “And Looking Back At Obama’s First Budget In May 2009, He Almost Appears To Be Alice’s Red Queen, Running Hard Just To Stay In Place.” “Republicans were quick to pounce on the higher deficit numbers, reported earlier in the day by the Wall Street Journal. And looking back at Obama’s first budget in May 2009, he almost appears to be Alice’s Red Queen, running hard just to stay in place.” (David Rogers, “Obama Budget Goes Big On Highways,” Politico, 2/10/12)

  • Politico: “The $1.33 Trillion Deficit For This Fiscal Year, Ending Sept. 30, Is Almost Identical To The $1.25 Trillion Deficit Obama Predicted Then For Fiscal 2010.” (David Rogers, “Obama Budget Goes Big On Highways,” Politico, 2/10/12)

OBAMA’S BUDGET IS A CLEAR SIGNAL THAT HE HAS NO INTENTION OF TAKING THE NATION’S LONG-TERM FISCAL CHALLENGES SERIOUSLY

Former U.S. Comptroller David Walker: “We Are Not Going To See Any Significant Tax, Social Insurance Or Other Reforms Before The Election.” (CNBC’s, “Squawk Box” 2/13/12)

  • Walker: “It Should Have Been Much More Specific, Much More Substantive Than It Is.” (CNBC’s, “Squawk Box” 2/13/12)
  • Watch The Video

The Hill: Obama Is Not Going To Outline A Plan For Medicare’s “Long-Term Demographic Challenge.” “He has so far not outlined a plan that would deal with Medicare’s long-term demographic challenge. Experts do not expect him to do so, giving the GOP a chance to once again draw a contrast.” (Erik Wasson, “Obama’s Budget: 10 Takeaways,” The Hill, 2/11/12)

  • The Hill: “Nothing Is Expected On Social Security.” (Erik Wasson, “Obama’s Budget: 10 Takeaways,” The Hill, 2/11/12)

Los Angeles Times: “But The President’s Budget, Like His Previous Proposals, Steers Clear Of Major Changes.” (Kathleen Hennessey and Christi Parsons, “Obama Budget Is Preview Of Election Battle,” Los Angeles Times, 2/13/12)

The Boston Herald: “President Barack Obama has apparently decided that he is not going to be part of the solution to the nation’s enormous deficit – which would make him, yes, part of the problem.” (Editorial, “Obama Punts On Budget,” The Boston Herald, 2/13/12)

 

 

Why Obama’s Mandate Isn’t Settled

We wrote about it here and here. And we’ll keep writing about it.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops writes,”The rule that created the uproar has not changed at all, but was finalized as is. Friday evening, after a day of touting meaningful changes in the mandate, HHS issued a regulation finalizing the rule first issued in August 2011, “without change.” So religious employers dedicated to serving people of other faiths are still not exempt as “religious employers.” Indeed, the rule describes them as “non-exempt.”

Read the whole post: Six More Things Everyone Should Know About the HHS Mandate. Then read the First six.

President of Asbury Theological Seminary Timothy Tennent tells us why Protestants should be Concerned about Roman Catholic convictions regarding Birth Control.

Tennent says: In the last few decades Americans have primarily focused on- and, indeed, have championed – personal freedoms. However, America has historically protected personal freedom AND religious liberty with almost an equal fervor. Today, the former has trumped the latter. As Christians, it is important that we not forget the important principle of religious liberty. Churches have the right to define their own boundaries and police their own borders. The moment that is taken away, it is a sad day, even if it is done in the name of personal freedom. It is wrong for the government to force the Roman Catholic church or Methodist or Presbyterian or some other to compromise a point of conscience which we consider part of our faithful Christian identity and witness.

Over at Net Right Daily Robert Romano says The Church is right. The First Amendment’s clause protecting the free exercise of religion applies to individuals as much as to religious institutions. In good conscience, it was inconceivable they would ever pretend with Obama that Americans with religious objections to paying for these services are somehow not.

As much as the Obama Administration would like to think this is over, it is anything but.