Aug 3 - Rewind 2009: Obama Pledges Cut Deficit in Half in 1st Term

"We can not and will not sustain deficits like these without end. Contrary to the prevailing wisdom in Washington these past few years, we can not simply spend as we please and defer the consequences to the next budget, the next administration or the next generation. We are paying the price for these deficits right now. In 2008 alone we paid $250 billion in interest on our debt, that is more than three times what we spent on education that year, more than seven times what we spent on VA healthcare. So if we confront this crisis without also confronting the deficits that helped cause it, we risk sinking into another crisis down the road as our interest payments rise, our obligations come due, confidence in our economy erodes and our children and grandchildren are unable to pursue their dreams because they are saddled with our debts. That's why today I am pledging to cut the deficit we inherited by half by the end of my first term in office. This will not be easy - it will require us to make difficult decisions and face challenges we have long neglected but i refuse to leave our children with a debt they can not repay. And that means taking responsibility right now in this administration, for getting our spending under control."

Like obamacare and the NDAA? [pic] [pic]

And did he reject NDAA? Dont try to justify it. He already said he has the right to[..]assinate an american citizen.

His[..]assination policy. His foreign aid stance. Sopaa...

Obama is fiscally liberal. [pic]

Fiscal conservatism has always worked. Give me one time where it didnt.

He lowered taxes? When? He just extended the tax cuts. Thats not lowering the taxes. Thats keeping the taxes at the same level. One fiscally liberal plan? Lets see. Obamacare. Ok moving on, with conservatives. Since when? We havent had a conservative group in YEARS. These neo-cons arent real conservatives. Bill clinton's entire economic policy (minus tax increases) practiced fiscal conservatism. Hell and hes a liberal [pic] Bush never practiced fiscal conservatism [pic]. He expanded the federal government as far as Roosevelt did. He wasnt a conservative.

Obama has invested so much time demonizing the Bush-era tax cuts for the rich that he has obscured the true narrative of his presidency. Class-war rhetoric aside, Obama is one of the most prolific tax cutters in recent history, with a record that puts him squarely alongside that of George W. Bush.

Crunching the numbers at the liberal think tank the Center for American Progress, analyst Michael Linden found that if one compares the cost of tax cuts in just the first four years of Bush’s term (2001–04) to the first four years of Obama's (2009–12), Obama’s tax cuts are bigger. The value of the Bush tax cuts were about $475 billion in those first four years, or about 1.1 percent of GDP. Obama’s total about $1 trillion, or 1.6 percent of GDP. Obama has cut taxes to lower levels than Bush did, says Linden. This is because, of course, Obama thus far has extended all of the Bush tax cuts and then cut taxes on top of that. His original stimulus bill in 2009 had $290 billion in Making Work Pay tax cuts. His speech Thursday night before Congress advocated for another $175 billion in payroll tax cuts, which come on top of $110 billion from last December’s budget deal. Speeded-up expensing for business adds another $10 billion or so.

All in all, Obama is responsible for many billions in tax cuts, yet the popular perception is that he has raised taxes.

maybe if congress let him enact some of his policies[pic]

You believe Obama could cut the deficit in half if Congress allowed him to enact all of his policies? [pic]

is that what I said? I said maybe he could do something in regards to the deficit if congress let him do anything. but imo right now is not the time to worry about deficits, its an important issue but first, the economy needs to be put on sound footing before taking money out of the economy(cutting spending). I don't think cutting the deficit in half was a realistic goal, especially with the financial industry collapsing.

I meant maybe he could do something in regards to the deficit if congress let him do anything. but imo right now is not the time to worry about deficits, its an important issue but first, the economy needs to be put on sound footing before taking money out of the economy(cutting spending). I don't think cutting the deficit in half was a realistic goal, especially with the financial industry collapsing.

1. It isnt a conservative idea. Its a liberal idea regardless which party brought. Its a LIBERAL IDEA.

2. Where is your source lmfao? Even then lowering taxes isnt the only part of fiscal conservatism. He still has increased spending, more foreign aid, wars, welfare, and regulation.



If Ron Paul was president he would cut the deficit in half in 4 years.
3. How does anything u say have any meaning if u admit they arent?

What do you think would be the steps to put the economy back on sound footing and what caused it to "not" be on sound footing? What attracts you most to Obama as a candidate?

Because an idea is proposed by a conservative that makes it a conservative idea? What? Conservatives cant have liberal ideas now? Conservatives cant be more liberal than others? [pic] Im[..]uming u havent heard of a political spectrum. [pic] [pic] Just because he wont be president doesnt mean sht. His fiscal policies would be disastrous? Look at what obama has done? [pic] Yea and ur a liberal but cant name to me one time that liberal based policies have shown economic growth. Ron Paul would easily solve the problems. How has Obama increased welfare? Obama care? [pic] the affordable care act? Hes bought out by corporations. [pic] Wars? He expanded afghanistan? Syria? Libya? How much regulation has he added? [pic] Do i need to remind u who placed a moratorium on offshore oil drilling?

U cant respond because u dont know how to. Yes Obamacare is welfare [pic] Are we serious? The mandate is not a CONSERVATIVE IDEA. My goodness just because a conservative says something doesnt mean its a CONSERVATIVE IDEA. Its a liberal idea. My freaking goodness. Some conservatives are more liberal than others. U havent heard of the political spectrum have u? Every economist?

All of those economists are keynesian economists. [pic] Those are the dudes that got us involved in our spending problems. Cutting the amount of spending would lead us into a recession? Spending is what got us into the recession. [pic] U seriously are an idiot. In the month of Januarary 1 million jobs were lost. They dont even look at the right unemployment record because hes black. They are hypocrites. They rigged Obamas numbers to make him seem better than bush. If they look at the unemployment rate the way they did it for Bush, they would be both equally as bad. [pic] We didnt declare war on Iraq or Afghanistan but they are wars. We have only declared 5 wars but yet we have been in 15+ Clearly u dont know what a war is. We got in and out of Libya? Ok cool Doesnt mean we WERE NOT THERE.


My goodness U Obama stans are stupid. U cant explain why his policies are bad but yet ur so quick to support Obama. Look at where that has gotten us. A black bush [pic]

50s and 60s? We extended tax cuts. Eisenhower, Kennedy, even LBJ. Ur uninformed.

The concept that people should be required to buy health coverage was fleshed out more than two decades ago by a number of conservative economists, embraced by scholars at conservative research groups, including the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute, and championed, for a time, by Republicans in the Senate.

The individual mandate, as it is known, was seen then as a conservative alternative to some of the health care approaches favored by liberals — like creating a national health service or requiring employers to provide health coverage.

“In 1993, in fighting ‘Hillarycare,’ virtually every conservative saw the mandate as a less dangerous future than what Hillary was trying to do,” Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, said at a debate in December, casting his past support of a mandate as an antidote to the health care overhaul proposed by Hillary Rodham Clinton during her husband’s administration.

U cant respond because u dont know how to. Yes Obamacare is welfare [pic] Are we serious? [pic] The mandate is not a CONSERVATIVE IDEA. My goodness just because a conservative says something doesnt mean its a CONSERVATIVE IDEA. Its a liberal idea. My freaking goodness. Some conservatives are more liberal than others. U havent heard of the political spectrum have u? Every economist?

All of those economists are keynesian economists. [pic] Those are the dudes that got us involved in our spending problems. [pic] Cutting the amount of spending would lead us into a recession? Spending is what got us into the recession. [pic] U seriously are an idiot. In the month of Januarary 1 million jobs were lost. They dont even look at the right unemployment record because hes black. They are hypocrites. They rigged Obamas numbers to make him seem better than bush. If they look at the unemployment rate the way they did it for Bush, they would be both equally as bad. [pic] We didnt declare war on Iraq or Afghanistan but they are wars. We have only declared 5 wars but yet we have been in 15+ Clearly u dont know what a war is. We got in and out of Libya? Ok cool Doesnt mean we WERE NOT THERE.


My goodness U Obama stans are stupid. U cant explain why his policies are bad but yet ur so quick to support Obama. Look at where that has gotten us. A black bush [pic]

50s and 60s? We extended tax cuts. Eisenhower, Kennedy, even LBJ. Ur uninformed.

well we need lots of things done, one reenact glass/steagall. Repeal citizens united. Actually get some real Wall St. reform not that watered down bull!! Dodd-frank. And what caused the economy not to be on sound footing? well a few things, one being the lack of oversight and regulation on Wall St. The two unfunded wars while simultaneously lowering taxes (something never done in history before W.)

And what attracts me to Obama? Well I have my fair share of issues with Obama, but hes the one who is closest to what I want. He wants to redo the tax code to make it not benefit the rich only, hes for campaign finance reform. And a few other things but a glaring one is, he is leaps and bounds better than Mitt.