There is nothing in the budget about bringing under control the big five spending categories: Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Defense and Interest on the National Debt which, between them, account for approximately two thirds of total spending and nearly one hundred percent of all taxes collected. The reality of this piece of political theater is that the President, by admitting that he is waiting for the Republicans to make the first proposals for real - repeat real - and significant spending cuts, as well as reform of entitlements, demonstrated his weakness and woeful lack of political courage.
Since the 2012 Presidential campaign will soon begin, Republicans should keep in mind that, if they actually do want to win the White House - as opposed to merely making a statement, they need to attract centrist voters. They must, therefore, address the real issue of out of control spending whose growth seems not to be subject to the Constitutionally required appropriations process.
In addition, they must nominate a serious, thoughtful and competent person. Charismatic airheads who speak in slogans, such as Ron Paul, Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin as well as out of control quasi-intellectuals like Newt Gingrich, will almost certainly fail to dispatch Mr. Obama to the early, and well deserved, retirement so needed by our country.
During the 1996 election campaign, then President Clinton was unpopular enough that he might well have been defeated. Republicans, however, nominated Senator Bob Dole (R-KS) who, while a decent Senator, was not really Presidential caliber and he duly lost. An old friend of your correspondent, formerly a very senior staffer in the Reagan White House, said then: "you can't beat the President with a nobody because the President of the United States, no matter how unpopular, is somebody."
Your correspondent hopes that Republicans will keep their eyes on the real objective and the actions that will be needed to achieve it.
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