Because it's all political theater ... all those people in DC are Drama Queens!!!
On Fri, Mar 8, 2013 at 6:14 PM, Travis <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > *Our Petty, Country-Be-Damned President* > > Posted By *Tom Blumer* On March 8, 2013 **** > > Sometimes, the smallest things can be the most revealing.**** > > On Tuesday, the nation — or at least the part that’s still paying > attention — learned that President Barack Obama’s administration, in what > can only be seen as an incredibly petty and virulently vindictive response > to spending “cuts” imposed by sequestration (properly described in most > cases as “reductions in projected spending increases”), decided to cancel > all > tours<http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2013/mar/5/more-sequester-pain-white-house-cancels-tours/> > [1] of the White House beginning March 9.**** > > As a result, to name just one of what are surely many examples, sixth > graders at an Iowa elementary school which had received approval to take a > March 16 tour learned, barring what would seem to be a quixotic effort to > change White House minds via Facebook, that it’s not going to > happen<http://politicker.com/2013/03/iowa-sixth-graders-beg-white-house-not-to-cancel-their-tour-due-to-sequester/> > [2]. They’re reportedly going to make their trip to Washington anyway, > because, according to the school’s principal, it’s an important opportunity > for them to “find out more about how the government works.” They’ve clearly > already learned quite a bit.**** > > So have we.**** > > The tours are run by > volunteers<http://www.examiner.com/article/obama-shuts-down-white-house-tours-run-by-volunteers-cites-sequester> > [3]. According to an estimate worked up by ABC News on > Wednesday<http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/342366/white-house-saving-18000-week-cancelling-tours-patrick-brennan> > [4], the White House will save $18,000 per week by not utilizing 30 > Secret Service agents during the tours. Even that savings figure is > suspect, as original reports about the tours’ cancellation claimed > that<http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/white-house-tours-halted-staff-reductions-blamed-18659184> > [5] “Uniformed Division Officers assigned to the public tours will be > reassigned to other security posts,” which “will reduce overtime costs as > well as potential furloughs that could have been required.”**** > > Even if the estimated $936,000 in annual savings ($18,000 times 52 weeks) > really occurs, the cancelled tours of what Michelle Obama still > calls<http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/inside-white-house> > [6] the People’s House, but which should now be renamed Barack’s > Barracks, could have been completely avoided if her husband, knowing that > sequestration loomed, hadn’t spent over $1 > million<http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/senator-obamas-golf-weekend-tiger-cost-much-341-federal-workers-furloughed_704915.html> > [7] on a golf weekend with Tiger Woods in mid-February. A 10 percent less > expensive outing would have enabled the tours to continue for another five > or six weeks, which would have minimized the last-minute disappointment > thousands of children and adults are now experiencing. But why would we > expect Mrs. Obama to think of such things, when the tab for just three of > her vacations also tops $1 > million<http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/obama-vacation-taxpayer-cost/2012/07/19/id/445913> > [8]?**** > > The only conceivable conclusion to draw from all of this is that Barack > Obama and his administration don’t give a damn about any suffering their > deliberately destructive and disruptive decisions will cause if they > believe that they can exploit the related pain for political gain.**** > > It’s far too early to know for sure, but it appears that our Punk > President<http://www.bizzyblog.com/2008/11/04/sort-of-live-blog-also-tib-will-be-broadcasting/> > [9] and his Gangster > Government<http://www.amazon.com/Gangster-Government-Barack-Washington-Thugocracy/dp/B005DI69SQ> > [10] have, in this instance and several larger ones, seriously > miscalculated in two ways:**** > > - First, in their belief that the American people won’t come to > understand and deeply resent their strategy.**** > - Second and unfortunately less likely, in their trust that those who > have served as their lapdogs in the press during the past five years going > all the way back to the 2008 presidential campaign will continue to > consistently cover for them in such egregious circumstances.**** > > On March 1, as he conceded that sequestration was going to take effect > with a signature he was under no compulsion to provide, Obama cried > wolf<http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/03/01/statement-president-sequester> > [11] over the supposedly imminent sacrifices Capitol janitors and > security guards were about to endure:**** > > Starting tomorrow, everybody here, all the folks who are cleaning the > floors at the Capitol … they’re going to have less pay. The janitors, the > security guards, they just got a pay cut, and they’ve got to figure out how > to manage that. That’s real.**** > > That was more than *Washington Post* fact-checker Glenn Kessler could > stand<http://www.bizzyblog.com/2013/03/06/wapo-fact-checker-calls-out-obama-twice-over-janitors-and-security-guards-pay-cut/> > [12]. The next day, he gave Obama’s claim “four Pinocchios” (i.e., a > “whopper”<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/about-the-fact-checker/2011/12/05/gIQAa0FBYO_blog.html> > [13]). His easily obtained evidence was that Capitol officials were so > alarmed about the untruthfulness of what Obama said that they rushed out > “not true” statements.**** > > Not satisfied that their boss had been caught red-handed, White House > officials, including lead Bob Woodward threat > deliveryman<http://www.examiner.com/article/regret-why-did-gene-sperling-threaten-bob-woodward> > [14] Gene Sperling and Press Secretary Jay Carney, already in an > inescapable hole, kept digging. Each claimed without any apparent attempt > to verify the truth of what they were saying that janitors would really be > getting a “pay cut” because their overtime would be reduced. Kessler jumped > in > again<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/capitol-janitors-making-ends-meet-with-overtime-nope/2013/03/05/f07a4f8c-85f9-11e2-9d71-f0feafdd1394_blog.html> > [15] on March 6 with another quartet of Pinocchios after finding that > “overtime amounts to only pittance of the overall pay — about $6.50 a week > on top of wages of $1,000 a week.”**** > > Obviously, very real and major inflictions of pain are afoot. The > administration appears to have abandoned the idea of actually governing in > favor of spending the next 20 months intimidating voters into changing the > party which controls the House of Representatives in next year’s > congressional elections. Their crude philosophy appears to be: “The fiscal > beatings will continue and morale won’t improve unless and until you elect > a Democratic Party majority to the House next year.”**** > > Homeland Security has > released<http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/06/internal-doc-reveals-ice-plan-to-release-thousands-of-illegal-immigrants/> > [16] and apparently plans on continuing to > release<http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/04/napolitano-promises-to-release-more-illegals/> > [17] thousands of illegal immigrants from detention centers, including > many with violent criminal records, and even began doing > so<http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/01/thousands-illegal-immigrants-already-released-according-to-report/> > [18] before sequestration took effect. Unless these moves cause a > meaningful reduction in the number of ICE prison guards, I don’t even see > how this move will significantly reduce costs. The Navy has > delayed<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323293704578334632041015200.html> > [19] deploying the *USS Harry S. Truman* to the Persian Gulf, even though > “military officials freely admit they could have found ways to save money.” > The Navy is also withdrawing its > participation<http://m.military.com/daily-news/2013/03/06/budget-cuts-force-navy-out-of-antidrug-operation.html?comp=700001075741&rank=5> > [20] in illegal drug interdiction. All three moves make us less safe. Yet > in the midst of all of this, John Kerry had no problem releasing $250 > million<http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/03/u-s-releases-250-million-in-aid-to-egypt/> > [21] to the Muslim Brotherhood enclave formerly known as Egypt.**** > > In 2008, Obama’s Republican opponent John McCain used “Country > First”<http://www.brendan-nyhan.com/blog/2008/07/john-mccains-co.html> > [22] as his campaign slogan. Both in that year and during 2012, a > truth-in-packaging Obama campaign would have gone with “The Country Be > Damned.” That’s what we’re seeing now. It’s unprecedented. It can’t be > allowed to work.**** > (Thumbnail on PJM homepage assembled from multiple > Shutterstock.com<http://www.shutterstock.com> > [23] images.)**** > ------------------------------ > > Article printed from PJ Media: *http://pjmedia.com***** > > URL to article: * > http://pjmedia.com/blog/our-petty-country-be-damned-president/***** > > URLs in this post:**** > > [1] to cancel all tours: * > http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2013/mar/5/more-sequester-pain-white-house-cancels-tours/ > ***** > > [2] it’s not going to happen: * > http://politicker.com/2013/03/iowa-sixth-graders-beg-white-house-not-to-cancel-their-tour-due-to-sequester/ > ***** > > [3] by volunteers: * > http://www.examiner.com/article/obama-shuts-down-white-house-tours-run-by-volunteers-cites-sequester > ***** > > [4] on Wednesday: * > http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/342366/white-house-saving-18000-week-cancelling-tours-patrick-brennan > ***** > > [5] claimed that: * > http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/white-house-tours-halted-staff-reductions-blamed-18659184 > ***** > > [6] still calls: *http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/inside-white-house***** > > [7] spent over $1 million: * > http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/senator-obamas-golf-weekend-tiger-cost-much-341-federal-workers-furloughed_704915.html > ***** > > [8] also tops $1 million: * > http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/obama-vacation-taxpayer-cost/2012/07/19/id/445913 > ***** > > [9] Punk President: * > http://www.bizzyblog.com/2008/11/04/sort-of-live-blog-also-tib-will-be-broadcasting/ > ***** > > [10] Gangster Government: * > http://www.amazon.com/Gangster-Government-Barack-Washington-Thugocracy/dp/B005DI69SQ > ***** > > [11] Obama cried wolf: * > http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/03/01/statement-president-sequester > ***** > > [12] could stand: * > http://www.bizzyblog.com/2013/03/06/wapo-fact-checker-calls-out-obama-twice-over-janitors-and-security-guards-pay-cut/ > ***** > > [13] “whopper”: * > http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/about-the-fact-checker/2011/12/05/gIQAa0FBYO_blog.html > ***** > > [14] Bob Woodward threat deliveryman: * > http://www.examiner.com/article/regret-why-did-gene-sperling-threaten-bob-woodward > ***** > > [15] jumped in again: * > http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/capitol-janitors-making-ends-meet-with-overtime-nope/2013/03/05/f07a4f8c-85f9-11e2-9d71-f0feafdd1394_blog.html > ***** > > [16] has released: * > http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/06/internal-doc-reveals-ice-plan-to-release-thousands-of-illegal-immigrants/ > ***** > > [17] continuing to release: * > http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/04/napolitano-promises-to-release-more-illegals/ > ***** > > [18] began doing so: * > http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/01/thousands-illegal-immigrants-already-released-according-to-report/ > ***** > > [19] has delayed: * > http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323293704578334632041015200.html > ***** > > [20] withdrawing its participation: * > http://m.military.com/daily-news/2013/03/06/budget-cuts-force-navy-out-of-antidrug-operation.html?comp=700001075741&rank=5 > ***** > > [21] releasing $250 million: * > http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/03/u-s-releases-250-million-in-aid-to-egypt/ > ***** > > [22] used “Country First”: * > http://www.brendan-nyhan.com/blog/2008/07/john-mccains-co.html***** > > [23] Shutterstock.com: *http://www.shutterstock.com***** > > ** ** > > > > > > > > > -- > -- > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. > For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum > > * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ > * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. > * Read the latest breaking news, and more. > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "PoliticalForum" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > -- brine http://brineb.blogspot.com/ -- -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "PoliticalForum" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
