◼ Early analysis: Obama's 2014 budget numbers are based on bad math, phantom revenues, imagined spending cuts and a middle-class tax hike - Daily Mail
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell practically begged the White House on Tuesday to get serious.
'Mr. President, if you are ready to embrace bold reform — to take the steps that are needed to make our entitlement programs permanently solvent and grow the economy — then Republicans are ready to work with you,' McConnell said.
'The time has come to summon the political courage to move beyond the status quo, to put the tax hikes and the poll-tested gimmicks aside, and to do what must be done.'
◼ OBAMA'S SPENDING PLAN: $3.8 TRILLION - AP ◼ Via Drudge
The president's spending and tax plan is two months late. The administration blames the delay on the lengthy "fiscal cliff" negotiations at the end of December and then fights over the March 1 automatic spending cuts.
◼ 'DEAD ON ARRIVAL' IN CONGRESS - Yahoo
President Barack Obama on Wednesday unveiled his latest budget—a symbolic document that doesn’t directly decide government spending, won’t pass Congress and isn’t likely to do much to create jobs. No budget does that by itself.
Obama is scheduled to publicly unveil his budget in the Rose Garden at 11 am ET. The actual document will go formally “live” online here at about 11:15 am ET.
But the non-binding blueprint already has done something that the president himself has only rarely accomplished since taking office: It’s basically united Washington. In opposition.
◼ Includes New 'Buffett Rule' - The Hill
President Obama’s budget to be released on Wednesday would leave the nation with a $744 billion budget deficit in 2014 despite new entitlement cuts and tax hikes....
Unlike the House Republican budget, Obama’s budget would not balance, though it would reduce the deficit as a percentage of gross domestic product to 1.7 percent by 2023.
◼ Tax Increase on Charity - Forbes
◼ Left peeved - Dana Milbank/Washington Post
◼ PAUL RYAN STATEMENT ON BARACK OBAMA 2014 BUDGET - Human Events
“I’m disappointed by the President’s proposal because it merely ratifies the status quo. It doesn’t break new ground; it goes over old ground: It takes more from families to spend more in Washington. And the White House says they never balance the budget. Instead, it raises taxes by $1.1 trillion. It increases spending by $964 billion. And it adds $8.2 trillion to our debt.
“Both sides have put plans on the table. And there are many differences between them. The President and Senate Democrats believe Washington knows better, so their plan puts more power in its hands. By defending the status quo, they’re letting critical programs like Medicare wither on their watch. They’re cementing record poverty and high unemployment into place.
“We’re offering a different approach. We don’t want to regulate people’s lives even more. We want to improve them. Our plan balances the budget in ten years to foster a healthier economy and to help create jobs. Our plan expands opportunity for the young. It guarantees a secure retirement for seniors. And it repairs the safety net for those in need.
“In the next few weeks, we’ll work to find common ground and to move the debate forward. Even if we can’t agree on everything, we need to make a down payment on our debt—now. We can start with common-sense reforms to strengthen entitlements and revenue-neutral tax reform.
“The President’s budget is such a disappointment because it’s a missed opportunity. We need a new approach to meet our generation’s most pressing challenges. I hope the other side will join us in proposing real reforms. But until then, we need to take steps in the right direction. I am hopeful we will.”
◼ THE MYTH OF OBAMA’S CENTRISM - David Harsanyi/Human Events @davidharsanyi
Barack Obama’s quest for a “balanced approach” is the lifeblood of his political success — and also its biggest myth. Witness the coverage of the purportedly centrist president’s 2014 budget proposal.
