Andrew Leonard (Salon): If enacted, the president’s spending plan would accomplish great things. So why are liberals so upset?
In light of all the complaints that progressives are making about the “spending cuts” in President Obama’s new budget, it might be worth remembering that Obama’s first budget added up to $3.6 trillion dollars, and pretty much everyone on the left, including Paul Krugman, thought it was just peachy, an amazingly ambitious statement of new government priorities.
Obama’s new budget totals $3.73 trillion. That hardly represents a slash-and-burn retreat from the federal spending front lines! It’s an expansion beyond the budget that blew minds two years ago. But whereas Krugman praised the first budget as setting a “fundamentally new course” for the United States, he is dismissing the new budget as “hardly something to cheer about.”….
…it seems to me, if you are looking for reasons to cheer, or rating the budget on pure symbolism, that you can find plenty of exciting line items worth getting hot and bothered about.
The president calls for an end to oil, gas, and coal subsidies and the expiration of tax cuts for the rich. There are some painful cuts, but there is also plenty of new investment in education and infrastructure – including high speed rail and a vast expansion of broadband wireless connectivity….
Maybe we aren’t cheering about any of that because we know none of it is going to happen. Congress writes the budget and passes it; what the White House proposes is just a suggestion. And House Republicans have no intention of ending oil industries subsidies or hiking taxes on anyone.
…Judged against the Obama’s previous budgets, the president isn’t asking for significant cuts. What he and his team are trying to do is to present themselves as just fiscally responsible enough to make Republicans look like the out-of-control party recklessly pushing for a government shutdown. That seems like the smart, sane way to do what you can to protect an economy that is slowly reviving, and slowly beginning to bring down the unemployment rate.
Read full article here
The Obama Diary 
Liberal dissatisfaction should always be expected. I have yet to meet a group so happy with always be miserable! I don’t get, I just don’t get it! Only liberals can find failure in victory. I just don’t know!
It’s not the liberals who are dissatisfied, it’s the fauxgressives who are perpetually outraged.
I agree with you Hopefruit, I wish they wouldn’t use the term ‘liberals’ in this context – most liberals, as recent polls have shown, are more than happy with the President’s work, it’s the Professional Left who are doing the screeching. And they still describe themselves as Progressives!!
‘That seems like the smart, sane way to do what you can to protect an economy that is slowly reviving, and slowly beginning to bring down the unemployment rate.’
And we know that in any given situation we can rely on the President to make the smartest choices possible for the good of the country as a whole.
‘Matched against that stance, we have Paul Ryan, Republican Chair of the House Budget Committee, declaring on Sunday that “the country’s biggest challenge, domestically speaking, no doubt about it, is a debt crisis.” Not only is that not true — the debt may be large, but there is no “debt crisis,” again, the U.S. government has no problem borrowing money — but if it was true then why did Ryan sign off on a package of tax cuts just last fall that raised the deficit by almost double what Republicans are proposing currently to cut from the budget.’
I’m hoping that instead of moaning and groaning, liberals – senators and bloggers – will be asking questions like the one above, taken from the same article, of the Republicans.
Chipsticks you have out done yourself today by presenting fact after fact. I really don’t know what to make of huff puff I will not utter the way I want to call her tonight because I might regret it, am so upset with her right now. Thanks chipsticks both you and BWD have been fierce defenders of the faux budget by giving facts.
Crooks and liars mentioned there was no single I repeat singleeee democrat on any sunday shows they were all repukes. Again democrats want to sit on there a**es and let PBO do all the messaging and then attack him at the same time. f**k ’em. Sorry am so pissed now. I better go to bed am out.
Thank you Chipsticks. It is so good to be able to come here and get the true facts. I am through with most of the media, newsweek and chicken littles that are running around. I just look at our amazing President sitting there after last weeks crisis. He just seems to walk out of one and here comes another. He gives his heart and soul to his responsibilites as our leader and I pray for him everyday. Thank God he has Michelle.
Keep the faith President Obama. You are right on time.
You’re right, Barb. The man just can’t seem to catch a break– no matter what he does or how much he accomplishes. I, too, am glad he has Michelle. It seems so unfair that the two of them hardly have any real time to themselves. That’s why when he’s in public with Michelle, he has to steal a kiss or get a hug from her to reinvigorate himself or just make up for lost time. Based on the look on his face when he’s with his wife and their girls, he seems to cherish every single minute.
So were the pissed off when the House proposed their outrageous budget. I hardly heard much fanfare about it.