Marc Ambinder
Three reasons why Obama isn’t leading on the sequester
1. Any deal that comes from the White House will not pass muster with House Republicans. So every effort MUST start and end in Congress. That is an incontrovertible political truth.
2. There are no cage-rattlers at the White House. Rahm Emanuel was a cage-rattler. He was capable of making ripples that could tip dynamics and make the incontrovertible … controvertible. The White House today is much quieter. There are no huge, saber-teeth personalities.
3. The agencies are doing the job for him. From flight delays to FBI furloughs, entities that are more trusted than politicians are giving the lowdown to the media, which is repeating it. The projected misery is what will influence public opinion, which, in turn, might influence Congress.
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1. He doesn’t know how.
RickB on February 24, 2013 at 8:09 PM
He doesn’t want to lead on the sequester. He’s happy to just demagogue it away.
supernova on February 24, 2013 at 8:12 PM
Fireman First Principle
ninjapirate on February 24, 2013 at 8:12 PM
Three better reasons:
1. He doesn’t really want to lead.
2. He acknowledges that he isn’t very good at it.
3. Hard to lead and play golf at the same time.
Sgt Steve on February 24, 2013 at 8:14 PM
He’s incompetent.
He wants the system to crash.
rbj on February 24, 2013 at 8:19 PM
Why lead when the media is happy to carry your water?
ButterflyDragon on February 24, 2013 at 8:19 PM
1. Barack Obama
2. Barack Obama
3. Barack Obama
clippermiami on February 24, 2013 at 8:21 PM
The sequester came from the White House and passed the House.
Stop lying.
forest on February 24, 2013 at 8:25 PM
The House already passed a bill. All the Dems have to do is pass a bill in the Senate, any bill, it doesn’t have to pass Republican muster. Then they can go to conference and negotiate all they want.
That is the process. Anyone saying Republicans are the problem is a liar, pure and simple.
Fenris on February 24, 2013 at 8:33 PM
If the GOP plays it right, this could be golden.
Let’s say the TSA throws a tantrum and air travel is backed up. GOP hearing: “How much did you actually cut the TSA budget that caused all this mess? Oh? And how much did you spend on those naked scanners you subsequently junked?”
Each and every “close the National Parks, hold the public hostage” story can easily have the same narrative applied.
But, then…..we’re talking about the Stupid Party.
cthulhu on February 24, 2013 at 8:36 PM
Naw,
When sequestration happens and nothing truly bad happens, he’ll claim that he was able to “direct his people” to find ways to not impact significantly all the things they’ve been bandying about.
And therefore, become a “hero” for “saving America in its time of budgetary crisis by effective fiscal responsibility and management.”
All pure bull…but the Low Infos…they will eat it up. And the MSM will give him cover.
ProfShadow on February 24, 2013 at 10:11 PM
Fluke you/them all. The sequester is about the rate of increase, not about any cuts. Go to Hades, all ignorant hacks.
Schadenfreude on February 24, 2013 at 11:32 PM
1. Hes going to pin the blame on republicans, he doesn’t want to look like hes leading.
2. He doesn’t know how to lead.
3. He wants to wait and see if it works before he claims credit for it.
OpportunityCost on February 25, 2013 at 3:11 AM