Obama: The New Tricky Dick

For the past several days, since the folk inside the beltway worked out a deal to prevent a government shut down, I have been lmbao. What is strikingly humorous is how the democrats and Obama administration is announcing a moderate defeat and how House GOP leadership and beltway conservatives are claiming victory. Frankly I cannot tell who should get the award for best supporting cast but I will lean toward the Obama administration and I will tell you why. First, I do not see any victory for the GOP. Sure they claim to have cut 39.5 billion from the budget, but it may actually be about 20 billion according to my math, since what I have read seems to buttress the contention that about 20 billion were from the two prior house continuation resolutions to keep all government staff on the job. Now if this is true, Obama is playing wolf when he knows very well that he did not give in as much to GOP grass roots proponents desired. And on the other hand, the GOP leadership in the house has been made to either look like fools or reveal their honest deviancies in basic math. First they said they would cut $100 billion, then around $60 billion, then what they settled for last week. Talk about recapitulation. Then they celebrate as if they won the lottery. In fact they have evinced an approach that merely similar to the metaphorical house of cards. Yes they are on shaky ground for one can best believe they are getting it from the GOP base for not standing firm, and even worse, allowing Obama to usurp the claim of fiscal conservative economics for himself, maybe even inclusive of the democratic party. Now Obama will drop his player card. Supposedly Wednesday he will drop his anti-Paul Ryan plan to reduce the debt. Sure it has basic democratic plans to tax the uber wealthy and cutting defense department spending but surprisingly, it steals a few GOP trump card including slashing programs that aid poor and elderly folk (straight out the republican play book.). But more revealing is that he will show he will be trying to save Medicaid and Medicare unlike the Ryan budget. If you have read what I have read thus far regarding the budget proposal submitted by Paul Ryan, basically changes Medicare to a new program completely. Meaning states with a bunch of seniors like Pennsylvania and Florida may lead to the democrats if they are seen to be fighting against Ryan’s proposed changes to the program. So if house republicans succeed in making their changes via vote this week, changes that will obviate the government from the primary insurer to private corporations, then Obama will be in the driver seat for 2012. He reminds me of Richard Nixon in a way, namely that Nixon was in my eyes one of the smartest Presidents ever. And besides the war in Vietnam and his Watergate issues, earned the name “tricky Dick.” I mean he even got folks to drive 55 miles an hour. This is why Obama is giving his speech today on dealing with the nation’s long term debt. He scooped them; he undercut the GOP at their own game and stole their message. Yes folk, tricky Dick has returned in the form of Barack Obama.