4 Guys Who Know Nothing

I know I’ll catch some grief for incorporating a picture of President Obama here.  But such is life.  And irrespective of who the picture is of, it’s a good lead in to an (article) in the Feb 7th, 2010 Washington Post begins with this sentence: “Every political community includes some members who insist that their side has all the answers and that their adversaries are idiots.”  I had to chuckle a bit as I recalled a “discussion” that took place on FaceBook between a conservative [me] and a couple of tag-teaming liberals.  As Bob Newhart would say, “It went something like this”:

Liberal Dan:

Can’t please Republicans, can you? They just booed [the president’s budget deficit plan when it was announced that] “the deficit will be reduced by 1 trillion over the next decade.”

Conservative Bob:

Personally, I don’t think reducing the anticipated deficit by ~10% over the next decade is serious deficit reduction. And, given Washington’s inabilities (from both Republican & Democrat administrations & congresses) to effectively deal with social security, medicare, and all other entitlement programs since Ronald Reagan (maybe before?) does not bode well for this nation. We can’t keep amassing this unsustainable debt.

Liberal Dan:

It’s not so much that as the fact that they’re not satisfied with a truthful and reasonable estimate. If Obama said “I will have a surplus by the time my term is over!”, they would laugh at him. Do they want him to lie, or change his politcal stance? What were they expecting?  The fact there is even going to be a spending freeze is interesting, though not unexpected — no matter how many Democrats are in office we’re still a right-of-center government… I agree that the debt is unsustainable, but I don’t see Republicans offering any solutions to deal with it. All they’re doing is booing and standing in the way of every single piece of legislation.

Conservative Bob:

I certainly agree that both Republicans & Democrats are in the mix and both share in the blame for where we are. It’s been my observation that Republicans have essentially been shut out by the Democrats in power with regard to offering any solutions.

And as to standing in the way of every piece of legislation, it is the Democrats who can’t get any legislation through as they’re the ones with a super majority in the senate and a large majority in the house. Respectfully, if the Democrats were united, everything the President has proposed (cap & trade, closing Gitmo, healthcare, etc would be law.

Everyone heard those clarion calls by Mr. Obama for government to live within its means (irrespective of the bailouts – that’s a different discussion), pay as you go, no earmarks, and an open and transparent process i.e. TV broadcasting of those pesky little healthcare reform meetings. To this conservative at least, the President’s desire for deficit reduction sounds hollow.

Liberal Tony:

all i gotta say is when clinton left surplus 200-300B

when bush left 8 TRILLION nuff said we need

reeducation camps for all registered republicans

kinda like the camps the allies had for the Nazis

Conservative Bob:

Sorry, but I beg to differ, Tony. Please check out this (chart) which comes from the the CBO (Congressional Budget Office and President Obama’s own forecasted deficit projections.

Liberal Tony:

the heritage foundation guys are criminals–if you believe this bullshit i’m sorry for you

Conservative Bob:

I’m not sure just what crime the Heritage Foundation guys have committed – except, perhaps that they advocate conservative principles and values that you appear to be against.  Fine and well.  But the CBO numbers, as well as those of Mr. Obama, speak for themselves irrespective of who shines the light of day on them.

End of discussion (if that’s what it was).