The Democrats' Nixon Moment 2

Following yesterday's budget release and press conference The Washington Post has called Obama "The Punter-in-Chief". The Washington Post!

Without doubt, there was little in his budget or his conference to create optimism. There seems to be a distance between what is perceived as a problem and the White House' response. In fairness neither this problem nor our passivity towards it are new. The notion of over promising is deeply ingrained in the political system in this country and has been so for a long time. Nor are the programs what they were started as; everything has evolved. (Income insurance is twice the size of social security.)

And the solutions will not be easy; moreover, they will cause pain. Unfortunately, that's what happens when you sign up for the big state dinners and the motor escorts: You have to make hard decisions. The problem here looks to be that Obama is deferring the decision making to the republicans who, historically, could not lead a wolf to a fresh kill. The republicans will look foolish and, as long opposed to the programs, political and cruel.

It may be politically wise to keep a low profile during hard times but leadership allows no conscientious objectors, no agnostics. At some point the problems must be confronted and resolved in an orderly, planned way otherwise they will solve themselves in chaos. Obama, like a timid and fearful physician, seems to be watching a disease run its course rather than accept the responsibility of the side effects of intervention.



Two interesting sites on the budget and the deficit:

http://www.wallstats.com/deathandtaxes/
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html