With the emphasis on “attempting.”
Barack Obama revealed his deficit plan today in a speech in the White House Rose Garden. The New York Times reports that Obama is seeking $1.5 trillion in tax increases on the wealthy and corporations. Of course, Republicans screamed “class warfare” which sounds like a white person yelling “reverse racism.” I love how these people in positions of power appropriate the language of the oppressed to describe their positions. Makes absolutely no sense at all.
Who knows how any of this will ultimately affect the deficit reduction plan that needs approval from Congress by December 23? I’m much more interested in the fact that Obama stated that “he would veto any approach that relied solely on spending reductions to address the fiscal shortfall.” Increased taxes need to be part of the plan. Essentially, he’s thrown down the gauntlet, playing hardball if you will, a move that I expect the President of the United States to make much sooner than three years into this presidency. The news article states that Obama’s threat provides a clear position that can help to fuel his run for re-election. Fine, but I’d rather leave the re-election out of it.
I understand that Obama’s strategy of playing the middle on policy is what he said that he would do during his first campaign. Break down party lines and work across the aisle. Lovely sentiment. Where’s the tambourine?
Very little of his approach has worked so far, so I think it’s time that he opened a can of Ronald Reaganesque Whoop Ass and started to lead. Make these statements, stand by them, and face the music. If he keeps letting John Boehner and the House control the discourse, we might as well cash in our chips and go home.
The citizens of the United States are looking for leadership that has immediate, recognizable results. The vast majority of people do not seem to respect intellectual discourse, rational thinking, or future planning. They want action, and they want it now. Personally, I’d prefer a more thoughtful approach to all of this, but not at the expense of having to listen to sheer idiocy all the time from a growing number of politicians who disrupt forward motion with their ineptitude. If this is a democracy, it’s time to give it to people the democratic way. Let majority rule. We’ll see how the majority feels about democracy after they’ve had it good and hard.
Let the games begin. No Nerf Balls allowed.