Thursday, March 29, 2012

Obama's Failed Budget Proposal

Back in February, Obama released his proposed budget.  The Washington Post, as well as other media dutifully reported on this proposed budget. Like the 2012 budget, it has no chance of being adopted by Congress. The big ideas in it are DOA in the House." Fox News reported on March 28, 2012 that "House easily rejects Obama budget in tactical vote" by a vote of 414-0.

What is of concern is that the media has apparently not delved into this "defeat" and has simply gone on to the new sound byte of lambasting Paul Ryan's proposed budget, which will be DOA when presented to the Senate. But this post is not about Ryan's proposed budget, it is about the fact that not one member of the House or Representatives bothered to vote for Obama's budget; even as a meaningless gratuitous gesture. Come-on now - not one vote?

My CasualObservation is that the "failed" budget proposal was never meant to be implemented, it was simply tossed-out to barely meet the constitutional requirement for a budget proposal. As such this implies that Obama does not take leadership seriously. Other highly visible examples of politics over the national interest include Solyndra, temporarily stopping the Keystone Pipeline and then claiming to "fast tract" another segment in Oklahoma as a grand empty gesture, and finally the whole divisive debate over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. (Better known as Obamacare.) Words are cheap, rhetoric can be lofty, but leadership demands performance. We, as a Nation, are being sold snake oil. There is no leadership. It is all about promoting corrupt partisan politics. "Bread and Circuses".

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