U.S. Rep. Jared Polis took time out of his busy schedule in D.C. on Sunday to appear via satellite on Denver Channel 9’s “Balance of Power” program and gush on President Obama’s State of the Union speech.
“I thought it was a great speech, really he focused on values rather than a laundry list of ideas, values that I think all Americans agree on; making college affordable, helping the middle class make sure that we have access to the American dream,” Polis said.
Who is this “we” in the middle class you are talking about, Mr. Millionaire? Do you have an Umpa Lumpa in your pocket?
And since when are we selecting certain classes of Americans to have “access” to the American dream? The president should be making sure all Americans are living the dream.
We found his whole comment slightly delusional, and prefer Reason’s summary of the speech:
Obama’s economics are stuck in the 1970s, without the added benefit of wide lapels and airline deregulation. He has dropped all pretense of what he was promising in 2009 – a net spending cut, closing Guantanamo Bay, reforming entitlements. His ideas are so tired that the climax of his speech—literally—was to let a grateful nation know that he still believes the same stuff he said in a speech 10 years ago.
The good news is that everyone will have forgotten this turd sandwich by the end of the week. The bad news is that he’s still the president, they’re still the Congress, and we’ll be back again for more drivel next year.
U.S. Rep. Ken Buck appeared in the studio and told host Brandon Rittiman the president glossed over several important issues including the budget deficit and $18 trillion deficit.
“We saw a lot of programs and discussions from the president about government having the answers and a top-down solution,” Buck said. “I really think the best answers come from the people and have to work their way up and I don’t hear him acknowledge that.”
Polis essentially dismissed Buck’s concerns, stating off-hand, “The deficit is less than half of what it was.”
Polis had to engage in some convoluted financial gymnastics to arrive at his conclusion, so let’s just tumble along with him.
If the budget deficit is predicted to be $564 billion this year … and it was $483 billion last year … then $680 billion in 2013 … and $1.1 trillion in 2012…
Bingo! Just barely less than half.
Granted, the deficit skyrocketed after the September 11 terrorist attacks during the Bush administration, but by 2007 it was reduced to $161 billion.
"but by 2007 it [annual deficit] was reduced to $161 billion."
And, if it had stayed there, we would be in huge amount of hurt.
Just ask all the people in Spain, Italy, etc.
Austerity is not a solution to a financial crisis.