Today Feb. 25, President Obama has taken his bully pulpit to the streets and is now recruiting governors in an effort to stave off the Sequestration scheduled to take place on March 1, 2013. He warned them that the cuts will lead to fewer teachers, reduced medical care, and idle defense workers in their states. His constant drum beat has only solidified the Republican opposition to any meaningful compromise before the self imposed deadline of Feb. 28, 2013.
Over the weekend the White House released a detailed report that outlined how the cuts will affect each state in the Union. The military cuts of $46 billion alone will have a devastating effect on local governments that rely on contracts and revenues from soldiers to keep their fragile economies afloat.
Rather than do the work Congress was elected to do, they have resorted to playing the “Blame Game” in an effort to garner support from constituents after the inevitable Sequester takes place. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal was on the Sunday News Outlets minimizing the effects and blaming Obama for any damage that will be caused. He said: "This administration has an insatiable appetite for new revenues." The Republican leadership has even created a Twitter hash tag under the name #Obamaquester to lay the ground work for the blame they plan to impose rather than work out a solution.
This Sequester came about following the Simpson-Bowles Committee’s inability to find a solution to the nation’s looming debt crisis. The Sequester was an idea submitted by the President to Congress to give itself a deadline in hopes that a solution would be agreed upon before the deadline and the immediate cut that would take place. In hind sight if the Republicans were determined that Obama would not be the President in 2013 they saw no need to act before the Election of 2012.
Her we are at the eleventh hour and nothing has been done. The President is being accused of fear mongering by warning the public from the office he was elected to uphold. Governing has become a game of “I got you” by many Lawmakers on the Right. It has become apparent that the “Good Faith and Credit of the United States” means little or nothing to those who would Gerrymander districts just to have the opportunity to “Just Say No” to any compromise or meaningful solution that the President proposes.
We the people will have to eventually answer for this charade because we are the ones who sent these people to Congress. At one time it was a good idea to have a balance of power but the Gingrich led Congress opened the doors to what we are seeing today. The emergence of the Tea Party has made even those of the Republican Party regret the day they endorsed them and brought them under their tent. If the Republican Party intends to remain relevant this is their chance to solve this problem before the deadline. If not, all the Tweets and posting on Facebook they can do will not save them from the wrath of the American people if this Sequester is allowed to take place.
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