We all go a little mad sometimes. Perhaps those in a position of power in Washington, DC experience madness more than others.
In a March 15 Bloomberg Television interview, Alan Krueger, the Obama administration’s chief economist, claimed that the US would experience economic growth of 2 to 3 percent in 2013 in spite of an historically high federal deficit, soaring cost of living, and dismal unemployment numbers, etc.
Meanwhile, there is no end in sight to the budget stand-off between Democrats and Republicans after weeks of meetings between President Barack Obama and Republicans, Boehner said.
But there’s no fiscal crisis, right?
The dubious House speaker also said he "absolutely" trusts President Barack Obama, though they have their “differences.”
Boehner went so far as to say that he and the President have a good relationship and that they're "open with each other . . . honest with each other."
Apparently, the mind-bending Kool-Aid continues to flow freely in Washington, DC.
Case in point: Boehner said there is one issue they agree on: The U.S. doesn't have an immediate crisis in terms of debt.
Excuse all thinking people as you have given us pause, but what?
It would seem that Alan Kreuger, Boehner, and a host of others have conveniently forgotten, among other issues: The US credit rating downgrade, the recent Fiscal Cliff crisis, the Debt Ceiling crisis, the Dreaded Sequester, etc. That's a short list.
But informed Americans, who abstain from federally delegated and mainstream media supported Kool-Aid consumption, have not forgotten. Oh, no. We're paying attention. And paying in myriad other ways, as well.
One has to wonder: What’s next from this Gov-sponsored fear factory?
Boehner rationalized that a debt crisis does loom in the years ahead because entitlement programs are not sustainable if they aren't changed (and that’s it?). A balanced budget would help the economy, he said (really?).
“It’s always a good thing to engage in more conversation,” Boehner, told Raddatz. “But when you get down to the bottom line, the president believes that we have to have more taxes from the American people, we’re not going to get very far.”
Lawmakers plan to move forward this week with competing fiscal 2014 budget plans.
“I don’t know whether we can come to a big agreement,” Boehner said in an ABC interview. “If we do, it’ll be between the two parties on Capitol Hill. Hopefully we can go to conference on these budgets, and hope springs eternal in my mind.”
More cuts to the nation’s budget deficit will occur if lawmakers don’t act to reverse the sequestration that went into effect on March 1, with $85 billion in automatic spending cuts this year alone (which really amount to nothing in the grand scheme of things).
Republicans are pressing for a deal that would restructure so-called entitlement programs, including Social Security.
But here’s a key problem that both parties and the White House conveniently do not seem to grasp: Social Security is not an entitlement program.
Hard-working American citizens pay into the Social Security system via involuntary payroll deductions. It’s like a savings account. This is not an entitlement (i.e. privileges one is supposedly deserving of ‘just because,’ not something earned).
Social Security remunerations are earned. We’re being reimbursed BASED ON what we have contributed to this fund over a lifetime.
Mr. Speaker, back away from the Kool-Aid. Please. Buck up and do your job, or get out.
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