TCTI: Too Crazy Too Ignore
 Dave Ross
AP: ab4a4196-2b87-49cd-af84-2f6a88762289
Boehner used the word "ass" and he used it in the collective sense. CBS's Scott Pelley noticed it immediately. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

The final countdown

BY Dave Ross  on February 27, 2013 @ 6:29 am (Updated: 6:40 am - 2/27/13 )

Three days and counting until the ax falls on federal spending - the pressure so intense that the Speaker of the house was driven to use intemperate language. We advise parents to cover the ears of young children.

"We should not have to move a third bill before the Senate gets off their ass and begins to do something," said Speaker John Boehner.

Boehner used the word "ass" and he used it in the collective sense. CBS's Scott Pelley noticed it immediately.

"You said the Senate has to get off his ass?"

"Yeah!" replied Boehner.

He also pointed out a disturbing trend in terms of the Speakers decision to invoke body parts.

"A few weeks ago you said that the President didn't have the guts. Today you said the Senate has to get off its ass."

We don't even want to think about what may come next. But you can see why he's ticked off, because look at the first thing that got cut:

"You know, I'm supposed to have 34,000 detention beds for immigration. How do I pay for those?" asked Janet Napolitano.

Secretary of homeland security Napolitano was explaining why she had to release thousands of undocumented immigrants being detained for stuff like driving without a license.

What's interesting about that is that immigrants rights groups have been demanding this release for years.

Now, I have no idea if the President is actually doing this - but it occurs to me that a President, seeing that budget cuts are inevitable, might suddenly realize that he can use them as a line item veto - to get rid of stuff he's secretly happy to be rid of without being blamed for it.

That would be kind of underhanded, and very disingenuous, but also extremely clever.

Dave Ross, KIRO Radio Talk Show Host
Dave Ross is co-host of The Ross & Burbank Show on KIRO Radio (weekdays 9-Noon) and never too far from the spotlight.
More Dave Ross

MyNorthwest.com - Purpose of Comments statement
Bonneville Media encourages site users to express their opinions by posting comments. Our goal is to maintain a civil dialogue in which readers feel comfortable. At times, the comments can descend to personal attacks. Please do not engage in such behavior. We encourage your thoughtful comments which: have a positive and constructive tone, are on topic, are respectful toward others and their opinions. Bonneville reserves the right to remove comments which do not conform to these criteria.

Comments (35)


  • Add A Comment

  • ron prevost wrote...
    Not that it matters, Dave, but day after tomorrow is TWO days from now.
    February 27, 2013 6:23 am
    Once more, I fail to see just how a reduction of $85 B - about the same as voted for hurricane Sandy relief without additional revenues for funding - somehow means the end of the world as we know it. .... Especially since half of that $85 B won't even happen until NEXT year.

    Yes, the Senate DOES have to get off it's (biblical name for donkey, that YOU can use but we can't), but isn't it about time - if cuts are actually to be made - that cuts be logical and NOT designed to be as outrageous possible?

    Cutting Head Start - and not congressional or presidential pay checks - or (apparently) even their staff funding, ,,, Releasing ICE detainees and convicted criminals set for deportation after time serves ??? (I'm pro-immigrant acceptance, but ???????) ... Eliminating contracted defense jobs ???

    Please tell me that these sky is falling cuts are not specifically designed to be most hurtful. ................. Oh, and it's not CONGRESS who is deciding what all to cut, and how much.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Vortex of the Public Eye wrote...
    I missed something
    February 27, 2013 7:25 am
    Perhaps I should frequent mynorthwest.com to become more informed because I was always under the impression that the American Left wanted to impose cuts in military spending. Suddenly it is the end of the world? And for the love can we start applying the FCC "Safe Harbor" laws to the phrases "kick the can down the road" and "ballanced approach"?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Seattle Dad wrote...
    Underhanded....
    February 27, 2013 7:37 am
    but not surprising. The President has a trouble with being genuine.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mnpat wrote...
    Maybe someday the senate will actually pass a budget, but I'm not getting my hope up.
    February 27, 2013 7:53 am
    “The final countdown, Best Actors in an Ongoing Political Drama, Here comes the shockwave, Federal budget cuts 'chip away foundation' for local families, Expect these automatic cuts in Washington state by Friday”, You and your co-worker are absolutely obsessed with the Administration’s desire to create hysteria over something he is very culpable of creating.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • flipper wrote...
    Just a check..
    February 27, 2013 9:25 am
    House proposes and passes budget, Senate then reviews, they go to conference and come up with a bill that goes to His Highness.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SeattleNative wrote...
    Congressional Budget and Compoundment Act of 1974
    February 27, 2013 9:58 am
    Both houses of Congress must pass their own version of a budget, resolve their differences, and put them forth to the POTUS for his autograph.

    Being that the Senate has not been willing to take any responsibility for holding up their end of the deal, the fed has been living on continuing resolution after continuing resolution.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SeattleNative wrote...
    ...Impoundment Act
    February 27, 2013 9:59 am
    .
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    What's funny is how Republican followers....
    February 27, 2013 8:11 am
    All say the same thing, a few weeks ago they were blaming Dems and the President over the Sequester deadline and saying the Dems aren't moving etc. and then in lockstep the conservative radio hosts across the country started saying, "I hope we hit the sequester" "I am for automatic spending cuts" .... And all the people that follow those guys on this site and across the country started regurgitating that exact sentiment, it's almost a "fine then, do it!" kind of attitude as if to say it doesn't matter if this is good or bad for the Country, if we start selling it as a something we're for, then people will think we got what we wanted. It's pathetic to me when I hear the same thing spouted here by the minions that follow these conservative radio hosts across the nation... You are the proof that Propoganda works.... don't know how any intelligent being could say the sequester is a good thing.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SeattleNative wrote...
    Even some democratic senators...
    February 27, 2013 9:37 am
    ...are beginning to have had it with the Harry Reid roadblock.

    If the democrats in the Senate will DO THEIR JOBS and pass a responsible budget, our economy will stop floundering as bad as it is.

    The uncertainty brought on by continuing resolution after continuing resolution...now entering FOUR YEARS...along with out-of-control-spending and the job-killing prospects of Obamacare is destroying our economy.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Yo - Cbrew
    February 27, 2013 9:36 pm
    Please cite the "Conservative radio Hosts"? Dude- this was Obama's idea in the first place. Now he's still on his Non-Stop campaign trail trying to blame the republicans for his idea? And what’s really disgraceful is that its only $44 Billion deducted from the $3.5 TRILLION Budget (which the Dems in the Senate refuse to pass)and it's still less than what the projections are. He got his tax increase. Come on Man, you can’t keep blaming the Republicans forever. Obama could go through the budget, line by line and cut waste, but he'd rather keep doing his phony teleprompter speeches and demonizing the people that are trying to keep this country from GOING BANKRUPT!!! Obama is a LIAR, a FRAUD and his little game is coming back to bite him in the asss. You have got to be smart enough to see this guy is in way over his head? He is the Celebrity in Chief. He is NOT A LEADER!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HLC wrote...
    Sorry messy.
    February 27, 2013 9:01 am
    This has been Obozo's idea from the start. Now the FOOL is stuck with it and as usual he's trying to put on some one elses back. Maybe a few more trips to the View or Letterman. He's a joke. Let him try to lie his way out. I wonder if the first lady will have cut her 26+ staff.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • flipper wrote...
    ...don't forget...
    February 27, 2013 9:30 am
    ...our wonderful Senator Murray was one of the heads of that commission that proposed this idea...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    What we think we want says a lot about who we are
    February 27, 2013 9:04 am
    What do we want? Well, low taxes of course. No matter how high or low a person's current tax rate, everybody would love to pay less.

    What else do we want? We want a government candy store, with lots and lots of goodies to hand out to the kiddies dropping by. Not enough goodies to go around? Well, then- cut off the goodies to those *other* kids, they aren't anywhere nearly as deserving...

    What do we say we want? A smaller, more fiscally sound government.

    What won't we stand for? Any progress toward a smaller and more fiscally sound government that seems to reduce, at all, our individual handouts from the government candy store.

    We have a fiscal arm already infected with flesh eating bacteria. We can go ahead and amputate, lose the arm, and possibly survive- or we can enjoy full "use" of all of our limbs for a short while longer and perish for sure.

    What we think we want, and the decisions we make, say a lot about who we are.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mnpat wrote...
    Don't worry Chuck,
    February 27, 2013 9:58 am
    Our politicians will put a bandaid on, pass out a yummy pill and call it good to go....but the infection and disease remains.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cdbtx wrote...
    As a famous economist put it
    February 27, 2013 9:29 am
    If we can't reduce the budget by .03% without the country going under - then "We're Already Greece".
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    The Dear Leader is PANICKED!
    February 27, 2013 9:47 am
    Americans are not falling for the "Sky is falling on our heads" Left wing propaganda. It is the Dear Leader Obama who is 100 percent responsible for this.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • DW10 wrote...
    IDEA....
    February 27, 2013 9:48 am
    How bout we cut .01 percent of ALL Foreign AID!!?? Take care of our Country first! We pour out $$$ and weapons to others, including those that do not like us...Really?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }