Here's some more of that leadership we've been hearing about

Via: Hot Air



Punt (v):
1. To execute a punt.
2. Informal: To cease doing something; give up.

Let's punt on this and try something else.



Of course, to cease doing something or to give up would suggest one actually attempted something in the first place.

The White House will not prominently inject itself into congressional negotiations on Social Security reform until after key legislators in both the House and Senate unveil their plans to reduce projected long-term deficits, according to administration officials.

That won't please Republican leaders on Capitol Hill, who have attacked Obama for remaining silent in this debate. And these 64 Senate Republicans and Democrats won't be too happy either. But it's part of a broader political and policy strategy the administration is employing to keep Obama's powder dry while Republicans struggle to reduce deficits without increasing revenues in any meaningful way.

The White House's reticence has been characterized by some as a symptom of a rift between Obama's economic and political advisers. Some, like Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, do in fact believe that a bipartisan deal on Social Security would result in real economic benefits, while others argue that Obama shouldn't embrace any plan that substantially cuts benefits at all.

And from later in the article, some cover:

"...In his book, The Pro-Growth Progressive, Gene Sperling, who recently replaced Larry Summers as chief economic policy adviser, wrote, "There is no historical precedent for addressing a major entitlement challenge -- whether to Social Security or Medicare -- well in advance of a crisis."

Allow us to retort (from August 2010):

Social Security's trustees this month finally released their long-delayed report on the system's finances. According to the trustees, who include President Barack Obama's secretaries of Labor and Treasury, Social Security is actually running a cash-flow deficit today, spending more money on benefits than it takes in through taxes. Most of that deficit has been caused by the recent economic downturn and, hopefully, will be only temporary.

But regardless of how the economy performs in the next few years, the trustees warn that by 2015, just five years from now, Social Security will again start to run deficits – and this time they will be permanent. That's a year sooner than predicted in last year's report.

The report goes on to say that the Social Security trust fund will be completely exhausted by 2037 and the amount the system has promised beyond what it can actually pay currently totals $18.7 trillion.

Nope. Doesn't sound much like we are approaching a crisis. Not at all.


But if you think we're being overly harsh or a bit too critical let's check in to hear what real leadership sounds like with respect to Social Security reform.
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Hedge, dodge and spin it is, then.

Warming Trend Pt. III

Up until a few days ago, we were at a complete loss as to articulate why it was we’ve become more and more comfortable with the thought of John McCain as President. Readers of this blog know that we’ve taken serious issue with the Senator in the past, especially with respect to some of his legislative actions. So, what’s happened… what has transpired to effect this change of heart? Certainly the fantastic ineptitude displayed by The One whose name cannot be spoken has helped but it goes beyond that…

… and just a few words about his speech this past Thursday (which, by the way, was witnessed by more people than Suit’s the week before). We thought Senator McCain gave a fine speech and we were particularly moved by the segment where he recalled his time in the Hanoi Hilton where he underwent a “conversion experience” of sorts that transformed his brash, cock-sure fighter pilot nature into that of having a “servant’s heart”. And that ending…? “Stand up and fight with me.” Let’s just say we don’t see too often that sort of evangelical fervor grip the normally button-down GOP.

… there was something else working that we could not place our finger on until last week when it dawned upon us: (If he wins) John McCain will be promoted out of the way.

And we mean that with heartfelt sincerity and with as little snark and backhandedness as that statement in black and white will allow.

John McCain spoke like a leader on Thursday. As a leader of men and as a leader of a nation. Leading from the Oval Office removes him from the arena of legislative politics that was the cause of so much anger for us and many other conservatives. While leading this country as its CEO, he won’t be able to craft any counterproductive, unconstitutional legislation like Campaign Finance Reform or Amnesty legislation or spearhead any shenanigans like the Gang of Fourteen with respect to judicial nominations.

True, he would still be able to sign into law some very bad legislation but we're trusting that in his executive leadership role, what we saw as some of his more rash impulses as a Senator will be tempered by the gravity of responsibilities taken on as President. As such, we are much more comfortable with and will gladly endorse the prospects of a President McCain over merely Senator McCain.

Unhinged and Unashamed

Our conservative brethren are way too up in arms about General Wesley Clark’s appearance on Face the Nation yesterday where he suggested that McCain’s military experience and time on the Armed Services Committee did not prepare him for the job of President.

Check out video below where at the 0:20 mark, host Bob Schieffer asks Clark to explain his “untested and untried” remarks regarding McCain and at the 1:55 mark where Clark concedes that Obama doesn’t have any of the experience that he is accusing McCain of not having either – because Obama is like, you know, running on other stuff.

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In fact, its pretty apparent to us that Clark is projecting all these experience and leadership qualities upon himself in a shameless pitch for the vice presidency.

However, its exchanges like this that for the briefest moments of time in the darkest recesses of our mind raise suspicion that General Clark is actually a double agent for McCain.

As we said, we think our red state brothers and sisters are looking at this whole thing completely wrong. Afterall, we couldn’t be so optimistic to hope or pure of heart to beseech the Good Lord that the Democrats continue this line of attack on McCain’s military record, could we?