Figures. Obama Used Accounting Tricks on Republicans
Posted by Jim Hoft on Tuesday, April 12, 2011, 6:36 AM
He’s not serious about reducing the record Obama deficit.
The Obama deficit this year will reach $1.65 trillion. (The Captain’s Comments)
Obama used accounting tricks on Republicans to get a budget deal passed last week.
The AP reported:
The historic $38 billion in budget cuts resulting from at-times hostile bargaining between Congress and the Obama White House were accomplished in large part 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, according to new details of the legislation released Tuesday morning.
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 details of the agreement reached late Friday night just ahead of a deadline for a partial government shutdown reveal a lot of one-time savings and cuts that officially “score” as cuts to pay for spending elsewhere, but often have little to no actual impact on the deficit.
As a result of the legerdemain, Obama was able to reverse many of the cuts passed by House Republicans in February when the chamber approved a bill slashing this year’s budget by more than $60 billion. In doing so, the White House protected favorites like the Head Start early learning program, while maintaining the maximum Pell grant of $5,550 and funding for Obama’s “Race to the Top” initiative that provides grants to better-performing schools.
Instead, the cuts that actually will make it into law are far tamer, including cuts to earmarks, unspent census money, leftover federal construction funding, and $2.5 billion from the most recent renewal of highway programs that can’t be spent because of restrictions set by other legislation. Another $3.5 billion comes from unused spending authority from a program providing health care to children of lower-income families.
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Published May 22, 2012 at 5:04 am - 81 Comments
Joanne commented:
America is broke; WTH is wrong with Obama. If people can’t see it yet, I’ll explain it to you – Obama is bringing America down – his goal is to destroy America.
chuck in st paul commented:
Speaker Beaner and the other RINO’s are going to get a rude kick in the nuts in 2012.
Time for a third party – the Constituion Party. RINO’s need not apply.
Lemonaide commented:
The hapless Republicans cave in and get hustled once again.
OC Rick commented:
How’s this the for an Accounting Trick…
The Iraq War was OFF Budget for the Entire Bush term.
Add 2 Freakin Trillion in WASTED Money from 2003-2008.
Valerie commented:
It’s a start.
OT, The Sandmonkey has news about the situation in Egypt. It will at least help identify the players.
http://www.sandmonkey.org/2011/04/07/7-popular-myths-about-the-revolution/
It looks like something akin to Committees of Correspondence have formed.
anon commented:
This article seems to be trying to boost Obama’s “negotiating” skills, and some are going along with it! Can’t you see that they are trying to divide the conservatives like they did in 2006? So many complained and stayed home, then the dems ran away with the elections. Wake up, everyone! Don’t be tricked again with the propaganda towards Obama!
Ann commented:
Don’t get it. Nothing has actually been passed yet, and the “law” is still being written.
dwd commented:
Republicans have no hope if they can’t do math and see through these kinds of accounting gimmicks. It’s the same garbage that went on in Obamacare… fast and loose with the math. What have you learned from this, Republicans? The Tea Party was right — you had better demand and insist on $100B in cuts in order to get even close to half of that after Democrats work their accounting magic.
Neo commented:
The new code word (phrase) of the day. It means “raise taxes”.
Chisum commented:
#4 Valley Girl Rick,
You are a miserable liar. I debunked that lie here:
http://gatewaypundit.rightnetwork.com/2011/04/biggest-spender-in-history-lectures-america-about-living-within-our-means/#comment-304500
Yet you continue to repeat it like the mindless little parrot you are.
Valerie commented:
#4 April 12, 2011 at 11:29 am
OC Rick
You do understand that the Democrats in Congress were very much in favor of invading Iraq at the time, don’t you? And that, after voting to put our troops in harm’s way, they decided to “ride the Iraq War all the way to the White House?”
Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle got fired by the people of his state because of his shameful performance at the national level.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704518904575365793062101552.html
Duke commented:
Maybe Boehner didn’t realize that Dems are required to lie to achieve their self-defined greater good in spending other people’s (other generation’s) money.
If true the Dems just shot themselves; stabbing the speaker in the back like this over a tiny $38b will stiffen the whole caucus’ spine for the real cuts to come when the debt ceiling is reached.
OC Rick commented:
I don’t see any of you Chicken Hawk He-men Neocons going to Iraq.
Which was a Complete Waste of American Blood and treasure (2 tillion… FACT)
Andreas K. commented:
#4 April 12, 2011 at 11:29 am
OC Rick commented:
How’s this the for an Accounting Trick…
The Iraq War was OFF Budget for the Entire Bush term.
Add 2 Freakin Trillion in WASTED Money from 2003-2008.
————-
I wonder what a few million Iraqis would say about that, after Saddam treated them like crap for a few years.
Hmmm, or maybe… How many billions of dollars were wasted from 1941 to 1945?
And well, in case you have forgotten it, jackass… The Dems in Congress approved of the war and the money for it. Unlike Obama, Bush Jr went to Congress and they said yes to war. Bush followed the Constitution, Obama didn’t.
Whoops!
Mikey commented:
Obama the Zero NEVER does anything above board. Why the surprise? And please, can we all STOP the Boehner bashing? The big battle is still ahead with the debt ceiling and Ryan’s budget. Give the Speaker a chance. If, after the debt ceiling fight etc. he caves, than you can complain all you want. But, let’s give him a chance. Unity – gee what a refreshing thought.
Ladue Pundit commented:
The deal is off. The GOP and Tea Party need to nix this thing. It’s not a done deal yet.
Next up, raising the debt. Don’t say a word, just play the tapes of O’b@st@rd and Reid from 2 years ago crying about the high debt ceiling.
This economy can collapse under its own weight, or it can be safely dismantled a timber at a time. Start taking it apart, item by item.
OC Rick commented:
Andreas,
Only Congress can Declare War.
Might want to read the Constitution sometime.
BTW 23 sens and over 100 cong. dems voted No on the “authorization for Lie/War
Granny commented:
#13 – OCRICK you are WAY off the mark and WAY out of line.
Nearly everyone who posts here regularly has either served in the military themselves, been a military wife or has children currently serving in the military. Sometimes all three.
And your dates of service are. . . . .???
OC Rick commented:
Military Brat,
1967-1982
Pearl, Cherry Point, Whiting, MCRD.
Even Vets I have talked to know Iraq was a WASTE/Joke.
listingstarboard commented:
I think the big “get” for the Republicans was the stand alone vote in the Senate to defund Planned Parenthood, and then to repeal Obamacare. Democrats are going to
have to take a stance on these unpopular issues pre-election, winning the Senate is the key. The question is will there be enough cover so that those Dems up for re-election can side wgainst their party?
Auntie Em commented:
Whoa….wait a minute…”OBAMA” didn’t use an accounting trick on Republicans. He couldn’t pass 6th grade math, history, science, or english.
You gotta quick blaming the smart stuff on “OBAMA.” It is well established that Barry is a Kenyan village idiot.
2centsworth commented:
In a better world, good faith bargaining would be for the good of the country. Obama has shown once again that he can scr** anyone and the press will make him sound like it was making love. I hate the point scoring. I hate the game playing. I hate these sophomoric idiots that think, as individual families and people are struggling just to make it work, that they can manipulate and manuever as though it has not consequence.
This President IS NOT the President of the United States… he is King of Certain “Coalitions”. SHAME ON HIM FOR ABUSING MORE THAN HALF THE COUNTRY.
Sith Lord? commented:
“These aren’t the cuts you’re looking for. . .”
BurmaShave commented:
Yesterday Obama said that he wishes our debates were more honest.
That is like a prostitute wishing she were a virgin.
chicago commented:
the bigger news is that the GOP got “tricked” into accepting it. did the voters gave the Congressional purse to a bunch of idiots that they can’t see past the trickery that the Obama administration plays on them….or, is the truth more closer to the GOP being controlled by RINOs that are simply on the same spending bandwagon as Obama and the democrats?
zelda commented:
Boehner and his ilk are morons. I’m going to bash him as much as I like and if someone doesn’t like it, too bad. The Rino’s are doing nothing more than keeping the status quo. They are not serious and they lied to all of us about cuts. They promised 100 billion then 60 billion and we got 38 billion with some serious questions, if that much. Now all the Rino trolls are out defending Boehner saying that we are crazy to try to keep them to their promise and we are only a small portion of the government, what can we do!?!
What can the Rino’s do? They can’t make cuts on the budget, can’t go after bozo on his shady past, it’s always can’t can’t can’t from these losers! They are losers and they will not save our country. My disdain for these losers is growing everyday and Donald Trump is looking better and better.
chicago commented:
Zelda, careful with Trump…he’s simply playing the Ross Perot card. His goal is to split the conservative vote for a different democrat candidate.
Old Fan commented:
Another desperate AP attempt to spin a political loss for Democrats?
Please…
It is stunning to see the anti-GOP sophistry, seeking any excuse to debase.
Turning victories into doom and gloom losses and more counter productive sophistry.
Hardly conservative at all…
Ginger commented:
Fox announced this morning that Trump said if he does not get the republican nomination he would run independent so has any one heard any thing else?
NO THIRD PARTY
Gary commented:
sorry i don’t hav etime to read all the posts, so I hope nobody already said this:
these Reps weren’t duped. One of them was on Fox the other day saying he rejected this absurd amount of cuts offered by the Dems, especially when most of it was nothing more than accounting gimmicks.
Don’t remember who it was, sorry again, but they knew.
It bothers me that Boehner is getting all this hype for how well he handled the Dems in this negotiation.
I remember when I lived in China, every single purchase used to be a negotiation process. The way you know you’ve been had is when the negotiation is over and the Chinese guy says “Wow! You’re some bargainer!” That theory is easily proven when you try to get a refund.
I hope Boehner’s not letting this go to his head. He really let us down.
Only Palin, Bachmann, and I think Coulter have mentioned this so far.
I saw on Fox this morning some congressmen are seeking to cut 9 trillion over the next ten years. Even that will be too little too late. It’s astonishing how fast this all happened.
Kudos to Obama and the gang. Their players never missed a day of practice.
Now we need to send in the second string.
Ginger commented:
btw….O’Reilly must be hurting with his rateings he is supposed to be talking about Barry’s selective service record tonight! Will he bash us or cover for the kenyan fraud? hmmmm I know his wonderful well educated researcher staffs will get to the truth! NOT!
Big L commented:
Ruh-Roh…Wiley coyote-GOP and the Acme Tunnel Device. “Splat!”
thegoldman commented:
Time for new leadership !!!
chicago commented:
Ginger,
I say no to Trump….as far a third party, as long the third party is the tea party, then I say yes to a third party.
in the tradition of Ronald Reagan…I am leaving the GOP, since the GOP left me!
Scooter Van Neuter commented:
We ran the complete story:
http://peacemoonbeam.typepad.com/bighairynews/2011/04/obama-used-tricks-against-gop.html
Scott commented:
Haven’t you heard gang…Military brats are experts in National Security policy. Just ask em…Rick, I take it your old man is/was a Marine based on your brat assignments…So was I, for twenty years or so…Why don’t you quit sucking your thumb and sign up…Go get some and learn a little of which you claim to know so much…
Scott commented:
Tears Boehner and company need to step up and make Obozo own this deficit every time they see a live camera…Or, he and his gang of weak sisters will get taken to the woodshed along with our new communists (democrats) come 2012…In the words of a former squadron commander, you better show some god-damn leadership!
bg commented:
++
Obama Used Accounting Tricks on Republicans
aww geez, the Republicans can be tricked??
no no no!! say it ain’t so!! /bipartisan sarc/
==
∅ commented:
You have no idea what you’re talking about(as usual):
OC Dick wouldn’t know a fact if it hit him between the eyes.
bg commented:
++
btw, if i didn’t buy it, how in the (fitb) did the Republicans??
if you ask me, i say they not only didn’t buy it, but sold it to US..
it’s simple really, like i and others have been saying
for months on end now, they’re in on it.. hell=O??
==
bg commented:
++
∅ #41
ooh, hadn’t seen that one before, thanks..
==
free` commented:
#5 April 12, 2011 at 11:30 am
Valerie commented:
The Sandmonkey ——
Didn’t I read the other day that he was convicted in Egypt of insulting the military and is now in prison?
SukieTawdry commented:
When the legacy media began proclaiming Boehner the big winner in the deal, you just had to know something was up.
Once the Republican leadership demonstrated they were scared spitless of a shut down, Obama and Reid had them by the short hairs. Obama harped endlessly on the subject seeking to create a public perception that a government shut down would be just about the worst thing that ever happened to the Republic and it would be all the Republicans’ fault (and he seems to have succeeded). So, this suprises me not at all. Boehner et al weren’t snookered. They took this haircut knowingly and they lied to us. I will be very interested in seeing the vote on this budget. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think we can count on Boehner for much of anything.
CrackerMike commented:
Boehner sold out to Obama, then lied to us to protect Obama and himself in their conspiracy. Primary Boehner out. Tea Partiers must take control of the GOP from the precinct level on up. Primary the rino’s out, because they WILL NOT, under any circumstances, give up their subservient position to the Socialists. Hell, they are Socialists themselves!
chicago commented:
Tea Party planning to primary GOP turncoats…
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/house-races/155709-tea-party-to-gop-members-shape-up-or-face-primaries-
One of the nation’s largest Tea Party groups is warning congressional Republicans to watch their right flanks ahead of a final vote this week on the long-term budget deal that averted a government shutdown.
Mark Meckler, co-founder of Tea Party Patriots, says dissatisfaction with the budget deal has local activists already seeking out primary challengers to sitting House GOP members who are supporting the deal.