Obama: I'll Veto "Cut, Cap, And Balance"

But we have to have a deal and we can't have any arbitrary lines in the sand for political reason. And I mean 'we' as in Republicans and conservatives literally. Obama? Oh he can do as much political posturing and have as many conditions as he wants.

It's good to be the King.

"The bill would undercut the Federal Government's ability to meet its core commitments to seniors, middle-class families and the most vulnerable, while reducing our ability to invest in our future," said a just-released statement of administration policy.

Even if the Republican-run passes its "cut, cap, and balance" plan, the Senate is not expected to follow suit.

Instead, White House officials are focused on a plan being developed by Senate leaders Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, one that allow Obama to raise the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling in exchange for about $1.5 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years. The plan would also create a new congressional panel that would look at other ways to reduce the federal debt, including possible entitlements and new tax revenue.

Meanwhile,, NRO has an interview with Paul Ryan. I think it's safe to say he's not a fan of the Exalted One.

Indeed, in almost every sense, Ryan says, Obama has been “fundamentally un-presidential” throughout the summer, “dragging his feet, failing to address the looming debt crisis — which he knows is coming — because he remains committed to his ideology.”

“This is, unfortunately, the way he operates,” Ryan says. “This is his pattern of behavior, this is his personality. For the next 18 months, it will probably be like this. It’ll be in-your-face class warfare, with bitter appeals to envy, fear, and anxiety, plus the demonization of the other side’s motives.”

Ryan, usually a happy warrior on fiscal matters, sounds resigned when asked whether he can help Republicans craft a long-term deal with the president to reduce the debt. Obama, he says, has made such a scenario near impossible. He cites Obama’s remarks to CBS News last week, when he said he could not guarantee Social Security payments, as well as the president’s “very personal” criticism of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor at the White House, as examples of the president’s inability to “discuss these issues in good faith.”

“Whenever I hear him speak now, I just shake my head and think, there he goes again,” Ryan says. “When it comes to actually governing, leading and fixing fiscal problems, he is not in the game.” He predicts that, with their votes this week, House Republicans will show that they are.

Much more of Ryan on the debt talks at the link.

posted by DrewM. at 12:37 PM

| Access Comments