Obama prevents budget cuts to favorite programs

[Still a Democrat]

WASHINGTON (AP) - A close look at the government shutdown-dodging agreement to cut federal spending by $38 billion reveals that lawmakers significantly eased the fiscal pain by pruning money left over from previous years, using accounting sleight of hand and going after programs President Barack Obama had targeted anyway.

Such moves permitted Obama to save favorite programs - Pell grants for poor college students, health research and "Race to the Top" aid for public schools, among others - from Republican knives.

And big holes in foreign aid and Environmental Protection Agency accounts were patched in large part. Republicans also gave up politically treacherous cuts to the Agriculture Department's food inspection program.

The full details of Friday's agreement weren't being released until overnight as it was officially submitted to the House. But the picture already emerging is of legislation financed with a lot of one-time savings and cuts that officially "score" as savings to pay for spending elsewhere, but that often have little to no actual impact on the deficit.

...

http://apnews.excite.com/article/2011041...2H101.html

[Eponine]

That's my president!!

[SemiCharmedQuark]

One of Obama's problems is that he cannot and/or does not sell himself. Yeah, it's the grown up thing to do, but it's not a winning way to do things.

[The Capitol Punisher]

(04-12-2011 12:15 PM)SemiCharmedQuark Wrote:  One of Obama's problems is that he cannot and/or does not sell himself. Yeah, it's the grown up thing to do, but it's not a winning way to do things.

Yes and no. I think Obama realizes that the bottom line--namely, the economy--is going to make or break him in 2012. If we get under 8% unemployment, he's pretty well guaranteed re-election, particularly with a weak Republican field. On our current pace, I think that's a fairly likely development.

He also knows that if he touts himself too much on this fight, he risks Republicans going "nuclear" on the debt ceiling, which by most expert accounts would have a much more tragic impact on the economy than the housing crisis did. That would be much more harmful to "winning" than leaving credit on the table.

While I agree he needs to take more credit, I think he's playing his hand smartly. No single news cycle more than 18 months from election day has ever won a campaign. As long as he keeps the ship floating, there's a lot of time for him to make his case.

[JuniperLea]

(04-12-2011 01:13 PM)The Capitol Punisher Wrote:  

(04-12-2011 12:15 PM)SemiCharmedQuark Wrote:  One of Obama's problems is that he cannot and/or does not sell himself. Yeah, it's the grown up thing to do, but it's not a winning way to do things.

Yes and no. I think Obama realizes that the bottom line--namely, the economy--is going to make or break him in 2012. If we get under 8% unemployment, he's pretty well guaranteed re-election, particularly with a weak Republican field. On our current pace, I think that's a fairly likely development.

He also knows that if he touts himself too much on this fight, he risks Republicans going "nuclear" on the debt ceiling, which by most expert accounts would have a much more tragic impact on the economy than the housing crisis did. That would be much more harmful to "winning" than leaving credit on the table.

While I agree he needs to take more credit, I think he's playing his hand smartly. No single news cycle more than 18 months from election day has ever won a campaign. As long as he keeps the ship floating, there's a lot of time for him to make his case.

Agreed. He can pull all the stats out for the campaign, and they will be fresh news to most people. I've always felt frustration at his not taking credit for the many things he's done... this route makes a lot of sense. I also think he needs to let it be known to the masses how dire things were, and where we would all be now had he not taken the actions he did.