President Obama Throws Out Gauntlet on Sequester–Congress Must Act (VIDEO)

[egbertowillies]

This is a different President Obama. This is a President Obama that seems liberated and willing to go toe to toe with Republicans. This is the President Republicans apparently knew was in there waiting to come out if re-elected, a president that will not cower at the end but still leaving a window of opportunity for compromising,

The President gave a news conference today where he made a statement and took no questions. He was flanked by those who mattered, first responders as opposed to a flurry of Washington types that so far have accomplished little.

The news conference was about the impending sequester where draconian cuts would be made to several social programs and arbitrary cuts to the military. The President statement to the Republicans was simple, stark, and strong.

President Obama:

The Republicans in Congress face a simple choice. Are they willing to compromise to protect vital investments in education, healthcare, national security, and all the jobs that depend on them. – Or would they rather put hundreds of thousands of jobs and our entire economy at risk just to protect a few special interest tax loopholes that benefit only the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations.

See video HERE.

The President’s message was short and succinct:

*If the sequester goes into effect in March, $85 billion will go into effect immediately.
*Cuts will be a self inflicting wound that depresses the economy.
*Cuts will include furloughed FBI agents and reduction in funds for police and fire personnel.
*Cuts will include the lay off of thousands of teachers.
*Head Start will be cut.
*Homeland Security cuts will cause severe delays at airports.
*A carrier group scheduled for the Persian Gulf will not be deployed.

The President said he will not sign any bill that consists solely of cuts that affect poor and middle class Americans while leaving budget busting loopholes that benefit mostly the wealthy untouched. The President suggested that Republicans should compromise and support a proposal by Senate Democrats that follows a balanced approach. The proposal raises revenues by plugging some tax loopholes used by the oil and natural gas industries, businesses that have sent jobs overseas, and by taxing millionaires at a rate of at least 30%. The President did not take any questions from the mainstream media following his statement. He apparently has learned that the mainstream media as opposed to asking real probative questions have simply become hacks for a corporatocracy intent on misinforming the masses.
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[Cracklin Charlie]

1. Barack Obama ran for President

to accomplish BIG THINGS. When I first started paying attention to his primary campaign in 2008, I got the sense that this was a guy who wouldn't mind having bridges, major legislation, schools, hospitals, buildings and monuments named after him. There's really only one way to get that accomplished, if you're the President. He had to earn the trust and respect of the citizens of the United States.

It appears as though he has found the way to accomplish big things without any help; and, some might say, with almost treasonous obstruction from his opposition party. However, I think that I have noticed, in the last few days, an attempt by some Republican "leaders" (ha) to glom onto some of the policies laid out in the President's State of the Union address, especially concerning immigration. I think the Republicans have finally figured out that if they don't get some of these issues legislated, President Obama will have EVERYTHING named after him!