So, what is Obama's plan for the Sequester, and why can't we see it? Anybody?

[grahamhgreen]

[msongs]

1. plans for anything for the most part....

not sure if dems actually have an agenda these days. maybe state of the union speech will give some clues

[hooverville29]

2. As of now, looks like White House will let it go.

nm

[haele]

3. Why should he have "a plan" for the Sequester? He's not a King or a Prime Minister.

3 co-equal governmental agencies, remember?

He probably does have a plan, but there's not a lot he can do when the House is determined to stamp their feet and make things worse because they don't get the right to continue the neo-liberal experiment to turn the country into a Tea-Party Randriod "Run the Country like a Business" fantasy land where if you're struggling, poor, disabled, elderly or just have a turn of bad luck, you get "pink-slipped" as a citizen and are left the same rights as farm animals or tools.

Haele

[grahamhgreen]

4. Why should he have a plan, because its his job,

And because smart people, honest, non-conniving people don't wait Til the last minute to make crappy bargains in manufactured crisis mode!

Here's the progressive plan:

Increase taxes on wealthy and corporations; close loopholes.

NO CUTS to social programs, instead cut the military 20%, which will yield more $$$$ than the sequester, and still give it 30% more than it had in 2000. Wait, let's cut it 50%.

[haele]

5. Problem is, he's not "in charge" of Congress.

He can't do any of those things because revenue and cuts are decided by the House with the agreement of the Senate.
If Congress is holding the country hostage by playing political games with the budget, all he can do is veto, and keep this country in a budgetary stalemate.
His choices are to hope the Democrats and somewhat reasonable Republicans can get a halfway decent deal, or be stuck waiting for the Randroids to realize they are losing political power while the economy spins or agree to a crappy deal that does less pain as it gets too bad.
As I said, he's not king. And unlike other presidents, he's stuck in a fairly untenable position with a vocal, proudly ignorant and stubborn majority of right-wing Republicans who actually do view him and proven economic policies as the right hand of Satan who are holding their own party hostage with attacks from the right.

The President's best power against hard-line idiots in Congress is in two places - the bully pulpit and the few executive regulatory agencies and offices that he actually has control over. If he does have plans that might have a chance - like, perhaps, negotiations with the not so rigid Republicans that also protects them from their own wing-nuts, I'd rather he keep them quiet so as not to give anything to his opposition.

Thinking he should be able to implement a National progressive plan and get it going without Congress is to suggest he should go in like Rambo and take over.


Haele

[grahamhgreen]

6. I'd rather have transparency and open debate - it's simply more democratic, IMHO.

[kentuck]

7. $50 billion a year out of this bloated defense budget is going to threaten our security??

I doubt it. It needs to be cut more.