TCTI: Too Crazy Too Ignore
 Dave Ross
AP: b34acfa1-09cc-491c-a4cb-ee7f127bb78f
House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio walks away from reporters outside the White House in Washington, Friday, March 1, 2103, without taking questions, after a meeting with President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders regarding the automatic spending cuts. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

When politicians shrug

BY Dave Ross  on March 4, 2013 @ 5:47 am (Updated: 5:59 am - 3/4/13 )

CBS Correspondent Major Garrett put it perfectly - before now, spending cuts were theoretical. "Now they're going to start to get real and the public will have a real voice."

We Americans, as a group, agree that Congress wastes a lot of money - but individually we all want our government checks.

Along with a doctor for our children, a dignified retirement for our aging parents, a way to feed the destitute so they don't riot, trained rescuers in case the hurricane hits or the waters rise or the sinkhole opens, and above all, a general sense of order so we can build a good life that can't be arbitrarily snatched away.

But now the political system designed to balance all those things against the taxes needed to pay for them has broken down.

The noise from the lobbyists and alarmists and every little group with a finger in the pie and a website on the Internet has grown so loud that no one can figure out what's true and what's not. So we're going to run the experiment and see what happens.

"I don't think anyone really understands how the sequester is really going to work," said Speaker of the House John Boehner.

Not even the Speaker of the House knows because it's been a while since we've tested what happens when you make real cuts - cuts where federal workers actually stay home.

"We're out of road to kick the can down. I spent the last two-plus years trying to bring this town to address this problem. And it is going to be addressed," said Boehner.

And this means that what happens next depends on how you and I react in the coming weeks.

We're the lab rats; they've dropped us into the maze, and they've taken away $85.4 billion dollars worth of cheese.

Now they're waiting to see whether we cope or rebel. And if my metaphor is correct I believe at end we all get a free autopsy.

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.
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  • Cbrew wrote...
    I'm amazed that Republicans were willing to spend ALL of their political capital on this....
    March 4, 2013 9:10 am
    Something folks don't understand is, no matter how hardened the lines are right now, there will be elections that will change the landscape entirely... right now, Republicans are considered embattled, bitter, refusing to work with the Government and willing to go to extreme measures to ensure nothing President Obama proposes gets passed while he's in office. Some would call this petty, i would be one of those folks, though i fall to neither side of the aisle, i think putting politics over the country is never good and that's what they've done here. Others would call them heroic, fighting for spending cuts (actually just not creating a budget and allowing budgets to run out) it depends solely on which side you support for the most part... However, the thing that most people aren't talking about is the long memory of Capitol Hill, I can't believe folks don't see how damaging this could be, sure if you're a Republican maybe you're happy to see your party fight tooth and nail and resist everything from the other side, but I submit that you're not thinking about life down the road, Democrats aren't going anywhere, if/when the next Republican President is elected, you realize he will get NOTHING done right? Dems will paralyze his Presidency just as Republicans have paralyzed Obama's Presidency... In what way is that a victory, in what way does that help the future of this Nation? Keep applauding if you have no ability to see past the danger of what is being done, but i'm not ignorant, i know that the potentially disasterous reprocussions of this play the Republicans in the house are putting on... and it could hurt us for generations.
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  • Keitho wrote...
    @CBREW
    March 4, 2013 9:57 am
    Huh!? Remember the Dems against Bush. Made up stories in the media. Harping recession and worst ecomomy ever when we had 5% unemployment and a $300 billion deficit. It comes down to this. There is no place for either side to compromise. The democrats have drifted ever further left and clearly want a europeon socail democracy. They want big government and more control of the economy and the people. The republicans in general want more freedom, less government. So given the sides are polar opposites, compromise is pretty hard. Which principle should the Republicans give up to get along? Freedom? Less taxation? Less goverment control? You cant compromise on princple. At least you shouldn't. If we were squabbling over how much more freedom to give to DC we would be in alignment and could come up with a compromise. Also, the republicans caved just last month and gave the prez $600 billion in tax increases with no cuts. Now Obama is again stating a blanced approach and offering more tax increases with promises of eventual entitlement reform down the road. That is NO compromise.
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  • Cbrew wrote...
    @Keitho
    March 4, 2013 10:09 am
    Keitho, The Dems weren't Harping about recession until the recession hit under President Bush, don't go acting like it never happened, the recession began under Bush, continued under Obama, I'm not here to blame Bush but i'm also not going to sit here and listen to someone try to tell me History isn't real, if you don't think a recession began under Bush's Presidency then you're either an idiot or your flat out lying. I'm so absolutely sick of people trying to skirt responsibility from the party they follow... The Recession BEGAN UNDER BUSH... Now that we've gotten that out of the way lets address what you've said about the Dems... first, you're wrong there's always room to compromise, and i absolutely disagree with you about Dems, they have not drifted further left, Repubs have moved further right and the Tea Party is a perfect example of this... You saying they want to be like a European socialist country is just naive, This is the general problem with people these days... you all see the other side as evil and as having a secret agenda... I don't see how trying to raise taxes means you're becoming a socialist country, both Democrat and Republican Presidents have raised taxes over the years... The truth is as always somewhere in the middle, both of these Parties need to work together and compromise... they need to both cut spending and raise taxes to make any kind of headway against this budget crisis... If you sit here and say only the Repub side will work or only the Dem side will work, you're not part of the solution, because neither will have complete control of congress and the Presidency any time soon.. you're part of the problem if you're unwilling to compromise.
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  • SeattleNative wrote...
    The Democratic Party has drifted way left, Cbrew
    March 4, 2013 10:41 am
    JFK would be considered a conservative under current Democratic standards.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    SeattleNative - I disagree
    March 4, 2013 10:48 am
    Watching both parties over the last 10-12 years you can tell the Republican Party has shifted right... Please explain how the Dems have shifted ... left-er..
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tlmbrt wrote...
    @Cbrew
    March 4, 2013 10:42 am
    I will agree that the recession began under Bush. However, the seeds for that recession were planted long before his presidency! No single president, including Obama, is responsible for what he or she inherited; they have to deal with what they have. Each president IS responsible for what THEY do while in office, even though the effects of their actions won't be be fully realized until YEARS AFTER they are OUT of office! (For example, the consequences and effects of Obamacare) I DISAGREE with you when you say Dems aren't moving left. They (and the majority of voters) definitely ARE. The GOP is only APPEARING to move right by comparison as they dig in their heels and try not to get dragged along. We are slowly transforming from a country that valued hard work, self reliance and individual rights toward one of guaranteed outcomes, dependence and "economic equality". Wealth and success are looked down upon by those who have not achieved, who believe that those who "have" owe their wealth to those who "have not", since they must have somehow exploited others to get it....
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  • Cbrew wrote...
    You're being very ignorant
    March 4, 2013 10:53 am
    To sit here and try to say that Republicans are the only ones that work hard and all that crap... The wealthiest states in the Union are Blue states, Washington is a Blue state, New York and California are Blue states, most of the North East and West Coast are Democrat, trying to say that Repubs are the only ones willing to work hard and not use the Govt is rediculous especially when the majority of Red States are in the South where Poverty and use of Welfare are more prominent. I'm not saying Republicans are the problem and i'm not saying Dems are the problem, what i'm saying is, Trying to isolate one from the other and act like either side is responsible for all the problems while the other holds all the solutions is rediculous, you're demozing folks based on political affiliation and acting like Repubs are perfect... they're not, they're at least 50% of this problem.
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  • SeattleNative wrote...
    It was Obama...
    March 4, 2013 10:38 am
    ...who threw a childish tantrum and walked away from a budget deal in 2011.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • William Lawn wrote...
    No, that is what the Speaker of the House said
    March 4, 2013 10:46 am
    The same Speaker who didn't have the votes in his own caucus to pass any kind of a deal.
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  • SeattleNative wrote...
    Uh, no Lawn.
    March 4, 2013 4:32 pm
    That's what came from White House sources directly to Bob Woodward.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    but individually we all want our government checks.
    March 4, 2013 9:29 am
    I'd be perfectly happy if the feds returned every dime they've ever stolen from me, plust interested and COLA, and I never have to deal w/ them again. Nice try though.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    HPD - No you wouldn't
    March 4, 2013 9:33 am
    Because then you'd be saying that you'd be okay with the Government taking back every dime they ever spent on you. That means you would never have been schooled, you wouldn't have been allowed to drive on Govt roads that they build and maintain, never enjoy the protection that the US military has provided all of us for over 230 years... The Government is necessary, some of what it does may not be, but don't act like every dime you've ever paid in taxes has been wasted... in fact, most of it has been spent wisely, the problem is, some of it hasn't and some folks have asked for too much.
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  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    I went to private school my entire life. Next..
    March 4, 2013 9:43 am
    ....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    HPD 5-0 - Have you ever used a road?
    March 4, 2013 9:53 am
    Have you ever traveled by airplane? heck the very dollars you're requesting back wouldn't exist without the US Govt and please tell me that you don't enjoy living in a free society... because that was afforded by the Government as well.. face it dude, the Government does the American people a great service, you should focus yourself because you're ranting and raving against EVERYTHING the Government does, when it's only a few things that they are doing wrong... Mismanaging the budget is a problem... spending too much is a problem... spending on programs that do not benefit the people... that's a problem... It's fine to be angry at that stuff but don't get stupid about it, the US Government has fostered the growth of the Greatest Civilization this world has ever known, it is by and large a very successful organization but not without it's problems... you don't throw out the whole batch because of one bad apple bro.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tlmbrt wrote...
    Sooner or later
    March 4, 2013 10:06 am
    we are going to have to stop expecting the "government" to fix all our problems for us! That is what got us into this massive debt to begin with. The third paragraph in the article perfectly expresses this country's mentality- one of expectation and entitlement. These "progressives" think that we have an inherent right to the "good life", regardless of what we have done for ourselves! What happens if the government goes bankrupt, the economy collapses and there is no more "safety net"? Will we be able to fend for ourselves as our ancestors did? I highly doubt it....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    tlmbrt - you're wrong
    March 4, 2013 10:16 am
    Asking the Government to fulfill it's promise to fund Medicare and SS is not asking the Government to fix all of our problems, it's people who paid into these programs their entire lives and when it's time for the Govt to pay up you're saying they shouldn't? That's sheer ignorance, we created the Government for a reason, it is necessary to live in a free society, these programs that were developed were developed for good reasons and with proper management would never have been a problem. the funds were mismanaged and the people that rely on these funds shouldn't be kicked off after investing in this for their entire lives... you can call those people stupid all you want but they were promised this as part of their retirement, they did not plan for the Government to mismanage everything and destroy the programs they paid for... The problem is much more complex that simpleton's like yourself want to make it out to be.
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  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    You elected the wrong guy for President of the United States of America.
    March 4, 2013 10:18 am
    .
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tlmbrt wrote...
    Last Sunday
    March 4, 2013 10:20 am
    on 60 Minutes, there was a story about the 1995 OKC bombing and how the survivors are struggling to get whatever is left of the funds donated at the time. A foundation trust controls it, and they are more interested in keeping the foundation going than they are in letting anyone use the money. The commentator made a comment about how surprising it was that there was no federal aid given to the survivors and their families like there is now (9/11, Katrina, Sandy, etc). They only received private donations! (Oh, HORROR!) That really struck me as another reason we are so far in debt. Every time there is some kind of "disaster", the politicians can't wait to throw money at it, and the "victims" demand to get their due....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • DesertRez wrote...
    tlmbrt
    March 4, 2013 10:41 am
    Tell me about it man. A freakin' wind storm in the Northeast and the "helpless victims" expect a XX billion dollar compensation package from uncle Sam. Why should you have to buy your own insurance, or - crazy idea - think ahead 48 hours, and maybe leave the area? Couldn't get ahold of 911 on the Obama phone?
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  • HLC wrote...
    Social Security would be fine.
    March 4, 2013 11:44 am
    If the democrats under LBJ and not removed it from it's own fund and put it in the general fund. Then under Clinton and Gore they started to tax the SS checks.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Cbrew
    March 4, 2013 11:59 am
    The main, perhaps the ONLY reason, recession began under Mr. Bush was after Pelosi Reed and the Liberal controlled Congress came into being. 2007 is when the recession was alleged to have began. 2007 was the very same year Liberals captured the Congress. Bush's fault? Maybe. How about all those fools who voted to replace what we had with the Liberals. And I believe that blazed the path for the immaculation the first time of the Dear Leader Obama!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mnpat wrote...
    A scenario that many of us see comming
    March 4, 2013 12:03 pm
    if the growth doesn't arrive, voters will assume that the guy in charge has somehow screwed things up. And the fights over a no-longer-growing pie will become more and more vicious. The modern welfare state was built by and for a rapidly growing economy. It is a lot easier to redistribute when you are taking a little bit ot of someone's annual raise than it is when you are asking him to give up some of what he's already got. This is one of the reasons that I don't by the "Republicans are doomed" narrative which has lately been popular on the internet: if the taxes needed to support public sector employees and the welfare state have to come out of stagnant middle class incomes--and eventually, the laws of mathematics say they will--then the Democratic coalition is going to shatter. How much of our 21st century welfare state could be financed by heavier corporate taxes on our 19th-century-style economy? It seems unlikely to be enough.
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  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Republicans are not doomed. Not by what Obama has done.
    March 4, 2013 1:32 pm
    Half of this nation sees the GOP as the only choice to bring this current on going disastrous Liberal Obamunist regime to a halt. I believe the current Liberal government will eventually alienate enough Americans that those of us who want real change will come forward and vote for it. I believe we will see this as early as 2014. If not sooner!

    Obamunism will burn itself out. It will implode. I believe that we are already seeing it do so!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • DesertRez wrote...
    Nope
    March 4, 2013 1:54 pm
    Real change was ignored by the media and voters. Ron Paul was the only one against endless wars and endless federal growth. As long as we are uninformed by a useless dead media the two party status quo continues.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    I cannot stand Ron Paul, but in the primary he really was
    March 4, 2013 8:49 pm
    the only person on the stage who made any kind of sense. But come on, Rand Paul is an idiot.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Most look at Ron Paul as a cray old man.
    March 4, 2013 2:53 pm
    Out of touch with reality.

    Had Romney been elected, we would not be seeing what we are today as a result of the previous 4 years of Obama. We would be seeing a organized media blitz on Romney the attacks and lies about Sarah Palin look tame in comparison.

    Obama owns this alone. More and more Americans realize this ever day!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • messiah101 wrote...
    haha "Out of touch with reality" are you referring to yourself?
    March 5, 2013 4:10 am
    Your making up something about a situation that did not even happen (Romney LOST Dummie)
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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