Comments about ‘Kathleen Parker: As Obama reminds us, he now expects things to go his way’

They need to work together on some of the big issues in the short term. But the president should expect to get some things his way. If the republicans were elected, they sure would.

I remember Bush, after his reelection, stating that he now had a mandate from the people and he was going to use it. Nothing has changed. Nothing ever will.

What's laughable is this entire column. Boehner's good-faith attempts at a deal? The Republican proffer is worse than the last deal on the table before the election. He offers no specifics, and the math is behind preposterous. It's Romneynomics 2.0. With some warmed-over Paul Ryan as a chaser.
The President is absolutely right in insisting that the Bush tax cuts (the single most ruinous and foolish public policy of my lifetime) be once and for all rescinded, at least the part that applies to the Republican only actual constituency, rich guys. The President HAS offered some specifics on spending cuts. But he won't hurt poor people and he won't hurt old people, nor should he.
As far as the debt ceiling, he's simply protecting the US against Republican irresponsibility. The United States must honor its obligations. That used to be a bi-partisan consensus; since Tea Party conservatives no longer agree to be sensible, their obstructionism needs to end.

Taxing the rich is a game. It doesn't strengthen our economy or our government.

Let Obama take his ball and go home. Give him tax increases on the rich. That will make him and liberals happy. But will rich liberals really pay that tax increase? Will Hollywood? I wouldn't be surprised if Obama makes a way for his friends to not pay, kind of like Tim Geitner.

But then what?

Entitlement spending dwarfs the budget. Republicans appear to be the only group that is trying to address that reality. Libs love to criticize Bush's tax cuts and his unfunded wars. What about the unfunded, $80 Trillion entitlement spending over the next several decades? Can government tax us enough to pay for all of that?

David
Centerville, UT

Republicans appear to be the only group that is trying to address that reality.

11:55 p.m. Dec. 10, 2012

----------------

You know,
Mitt Romney was the perfect embodiment of the GOP.
You never knew who he was from one day to the next.
and Therein lies the rub -- WHICH reality?

The FauxNews - AM Radio reality
or
The rest of the Universe?

FYI --
You think Pres. Obama has the upper hand now,
Wait until we go over the Fiscal Cliff, Government shutsdown and taxes for up -
The GOP will get the blame,
and in 2014 with 2 years to go --
Pres. Obama will have the WhiteHouse, the Senate AND the House of Representatives.

Talk about a mandate to solidify his legacy...

Go ahead and keep listening to your radio Republicans,
Obama try shut them off? Are you kidding me?,
It's the best thing he's got going for him!

Obama's demands for tax increases on the rich will not solve ANYTHING. He refuses to cut entitlement spending (the real problem) as the national debt soars. The tax increases will fund his government growth for less than 10 days. Please, Democrats, how are we going to pay for the other 355 days?

Mountanman
Hayden, ID
Obama's demands for tax increases on the rich will not solve ANYTHING. He refuses to cut entitlement spending (the real problem) as the national debt soars. The tax increases will fund his government growth for less than 10 days. Please, Democrats, how are we going to pay for the other 355 days?

7:49 a.m. Dec. 11, 2012

=================

I'm not a Democrat, but here's how...

The 99% will.
[The fact of the matter is that the 1% own 80% of everything, so the burden of funding those 355 days is actually monumentally higher on the remaining 99% of us who own only 20%.]

BTW - that 10 days you keep crying about is 10 days MORE than we have now.

I'd bet with some funding cuts [including the Military], we can come up with another 30 days or so....
but that would require the GOP to start COMPROMISING!]

The real problem isn't so much Barack Obama as it is the uninformed American people. Where does Obama turn every time he runs into a road block ? The campaign trail. He doesn't sit down with congress or governors and try to be a practical governing leader - he simply runs and spreads more propaganda to his ignorant and gullible masses expecting them to do the talking for him and sadly it works. America is in BIG trouble and most will have no clue until it is too late. America ought to be cutting budgets and shedding debt but instead we are going to borrow even more. America ought to be strengthening its military in this dangerous world but instead we are cutting it by 500 billion. All of these things will have unthinkable consequences for each American citizen but sadly most don't even see the edge of the cliff they are standing on. I have the sinking feeling we are headed for a crash that will make 2008 seem mild in comparison and Obama has the train at full throttle with the brakes off.

His imperial presidency gains speed. He won the election but seems to forget that 49% of the electorate didn't vote for him. He has a left wing based that he must bow to. Compromise is only for the opposition.

The day Obama cuts any entitlement spending, I will support him! Until then, I will support the only people proposing any serious solution to our massive and growing debt which is the GOP.

patriot
Cedar Hills, UT
"He [Obama] doesn't sit down with congress or governors and try to be a practical governing leader -

[Where have you been, under a rock?
Utah's GOVERNOR Gary Herbert was just in Washington D.C. less than a week ago talking to guess who "patriot"? .... President Obama! The least you could do is be truthful and accurate before you start your ridiculous rants.]

Mountanman
Hayden, ID
The day Obama cuts any entitlement spending, I will support him! Until then, I will support the only people proposing any serious solution to our massive and growing debt which is the GOP.

9:41 a.m. Dec. 11, 2012

[Where have YOU been Mountaman? Pres. Obama has been pressing entitlement reform for years. It's the All-or-Nothing members of Congress who keep rejecting his entitlement cut proposals.
So I guess from what you said, you SHOULD be supporting him - but somehow I doubt that, I reckon you are either not being sincere or are just an outright liar.]

LDS Liberal..Did I miss something? Can you name ONE entitlement cut Obama has proposed?

@Eric Samuelson
I'll take what you said one step further. The current republican "offer" is worse than going off the fiscal cliff. They propose the same 2.2 trillion in cuts. They just shift the cuts from the military to domestic budget cuts. Serious question, if the deal the other side is offering is worse than the fiscal cliff why would you accept it? I mean, the only reason Bohener offered is is because he has to look like he's doing something.

@Mountanman
"Can you name ONE entitlement cut Obama has proposed?"

I could've sworn Romney repeatedly suggested Obama had already cut 717 billion cut from medicare.

IF he cut 717 billion from Medicare, it was only to put it into Obamacare (yes, that is one of the ways Obamacare is supposed to be funded - by Medicare "savings").

Ronald Reagan once said that you can accomplish a lot if you don't care who gets credit for it. In today's politics, credit and its opposite, blame, is the only thing anyone does care about.

@Mountainman... I get where your paranoia comes from. Government doesn't have a great track record being good stewards with the publics money... either side. Each has their pet projects, and things they would love to see cut. But there is just no way to cut our selves enough savings to balance the budget. We have gotten ourselves into the very uncomfortable position of also needing additional revenue..... from somewhere.

It is the House's job to make sure that what ever funds are available, are spent diligently. I would love to see us work toward a balanced budget... working out debt down to enable this. I would love to see what the net effect would be of simply freezing spending at currently levels would do for bringing spending and income into alignment over 5 years.... and use that as a baseline.

Yes the extremes are far apart on this issue... but the vast majority are reasonable people and get that a compromise solution should work backed by proper spending legislation.

Alt134 Please get your facts right. Obama took over $700 billion out of Medicare to pay for Obamacare. That is NOT a cut.

atl134,
the cuts to medicare were phantom cuts used in the lies to sell Obamacare - that's one way it was to be paid for. but when it came time for the acutal cuts, congress rescinded the cuts. BO lied then, he lies now, and he will likely always lie.

BYR
I remember when bush was elected. He reached out to congressional leaders from both sides. Dems rejected his overtures.

When BO was elected he told the other side to ride in the back of the bus.