at the end of the day…

let’s have a little chat….

President Barack Obama meets with congressional leaders for a meeting on the debt ceiling at the White House

Rusty looks like he’s crying again – even before the meeting started.

beyond reasonable doubt…

RawStory

I know a lot of you aren’t too fond of Bill Maher, but this is seriously good (although, warning: that Coulter witch makes an appearance)

Thanks Ann_T 😉

president comforts rusty at white house meeting

Thanks ber6964 😉

ah, a relaxing evening ahead….

President Obama returns to the White House from Camp David, July 10

BWD posted this terrific cartoon over at The Only Adult In The Room:

‘all of modern politics in one chart’

Mother Jones

Thank you Meta

‘reminder, the deficit you’re freaking out about is bush’s fault’

June 2010:

Business Insider: President Obama’s administration has been blamed for reckless spending that has put America into its debt hole. But in reality, much of that spending emanates from policies of President Bush, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

They argue that Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Bush tax cuts (along with the economic downturn) are what is driving the U.S. deficit, not stimulus spending. The CBPP focuses on lower to middle income issues and may be directly involved with the Democratic Party.

The chart (above) presents the ugly truth.

‘fareed’s take: the obama doctrine’

Article on the same issue by Fareed Zakaria here

proud partiot!

Thanks BC 😉

‘the white house’s tactical victory’

Steve Benen: …. with John Boehner no longer willing or able to pursue his own debt-reduction goals, it’s worth pausing to appreciate how the politics have played out in the White House’s favor. Jay Newton-Small’s take sounds right to me:

“…..  [Obama] went big and congressional Republicans – not to mention the noticeably silent 2012 Republican presidential candidates – didn’t. It will be Republicans who will have to justify bowing to the extreme wing of their party and walking away from a deal that included some ten times more spending cuts than revenue increases.”

All things being equal, this certainly looks like a tactical win for the White House, at least at this point. From the perspective of the political establishment, the president was willing to do something ambitious, even risking the ire of his party’s base. Congressional Republicans, meanwhile, have now said they don’t want a massive debt-reduction package if it means asking the rich to sacrifice even a little.

….. which side of the political divide appears more concerned with fiscal responsibility? The president with the plan to cut the debt by $4 trillion or the House majority that cares most about tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, none of which are paid for?

Did President Obama deliberately present GOP leaders with an ambitious solution, knowing they’d blink and he’d end up looking better in the end? We may never know, but if Boehner isn’t asking himself that question this morning, he’s not paying close enough attention.

More here