If the sequester occurs, Democratic and Republican hopes for the near future will trade places.

[Kablooie]

Obama has been warning of dire ramifications if the sequester hits while Republicans say it's not that big and won't be much of a problem.

Will the effect be as painful and apparent as the Democrats predict?
I'm sure all the government agencies will be working to minimize the effect on their functions.

I've also read that the serious effects won't kick in until the 27th, long enough for the Republicans to try and change the conversation into blaming something other than the budget cuts and with the flash-in-the-pan memories the public has they might be successful.

Up to now, the Republicans have been hoping for Obama's policies to have disastrous effects on the country while Democrats have been rooting for success.
This could turn the table so that Democrats will be hoping for our problems to grow while Republicans will look for minimal effects and continuance of the status quo.

Kind of strange.
And depressing.

[movonne]

1. more strange than depressing...Obama will be

on top of it...

[Herlong]

7. Why is Obama the only guy in this fight?

I'm sitting this one out standing on the side line, maybe Obama will get it done.

[forestpath]

2. It will most certainly be as painful and apparent to the federal employees

whose income will be cut by 20%. They are not "functions," they are human beings.

[Wellstone ruled]

3. Survey Says--------

Watch your back,the Rethugs have a plan that nobody is talking about. Watch for a budget bill that Protects the Military Industrial Complex at the expense of every Senior and working family. Joe Biden F---up coming back to haunt us.

[tblue37]

4. Won't pass the Senate or get Obama's signature, so it would just be another

of those dead-end posturing bills the House keeps passing on party line votes.

[gulliver]

6. The Republicans can only lose if the Sequester goes into effect

Republicans are flailing already, and we have not even gotten to the news week before the deadline.

First we had Ryan, who voted for the Sequester, trying to "blame it on Obama."

Now Tom Coburn is trying to say that Obama is "absolutely" exaggerating and the Sequester won't be so bad. "Absolutely." Coburn absolutely didn't get the same memo Ryan got.

If the sequester goes through, real paychecks will be really cut, and right away. It will be really bad, and really obvious that it is the Republicans who are to blame. It's not like people who get laid off with a "Republicans did this" note need to wait for jobs number reports to come out in a month or two. This is a direct cut, directly caused by Tea Party Republicans.

[magical thyme]

8. Agreed.

From what I've read, surveys show people already recognize the GOP is to blame. And it's not dems or the President who are warning of dire consequences; it's the agencies that will feel the impact.

And experience shows that it is harder to change people's preconceptions than it is to set them in the first place. IOW, the GOP are already painted into a corner. By the time they come back from recess and start trying to escape blame, they will already be painted in permanent marker with blame.