How is Obama handling looming sequestration?

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How President Obama -- With a group of first responders who were brought in to serve as a backdrop to his speech railing about the possibility of the sequester.

That gigantic meat -- is going to be its long at the federal budget especially.

On the Pentagon.

In ten days or -- march 1 that's when the sequester is scheduled to kick in and you heard the president railing about it there I'm John Scott along with Jenna Lee.

AB Stoddard is associate editor and columnist for the hill and curious to me -- because the president.

-- yield about congress and is terrible law that was passed.

Without mentioning that it was a White House idea right.

Right it is an idea that originate in the White House but Republicans certainly voted for the budget control act in 2011 which included this question because they -- thought.

It could be reverser on -- replaced -- we're looking eighteen months later.

-- -- tech days as you said.

Not enough time to change these cots there's an acceptance and Washington both in both parties that -- going to go through.

And both the White House which is more -- -- but but the Republican Party and as well have both said that this guy's gonna fall if the sequestered us through both are complicit.

In as saying that these cots are draconian and their indiscriminate and they're irresponsible.

But -- we are with both of them unable to come to an agreement -- the hope is that on March 1 they go online and -- a few weeks after there's a chance for them and some of them should be reversed before a budget deal on March 27 but we don't know that for sure.

Well that the president again laid the blame of the fear of congress particularly Republicans in congress on -- play just a snippet of that.

Now Republicans congress basic simple -- are they willing.

To compromise.

To protect vital investments in education and health care national security and all the jobs that depend on.

Or would they rather put hundreds of thousands of jobs at our entire economy at risk.

Just to protect a few special interest tax loopholes that benefit only the wealthiest Americans biggest corporations that's the choice.

There are a number of Democrats in congress as well.

-- it is does it seem that the president would would would get more done it if there were -- more bipartisan approach here.

My -- is the problem that Republicans have passed two -- -- places sequester.

The -- we're supposed to be spending cuts it was not -- be a package of tax increases.

And so that's why Republicans are willing to let this go through the only cuts that can bank.

From the budget control lacks you don't wanna see new tax increases after the deal of -- New Year's Eve.

And so the president's urgency about the sequester is -- suddenly paying this has a choice between.

In protecting the tax cuts for the wealthy and middle class jobs and first responders and food safety etc.

so.

The truth is that the Republicans are trying to replace the sequester all along.

But not with something the president would sign the president is now asking -- places sequester at the at the eleventh hour but again not with something Republicans would sign on to.

It's how crazy -- -- -- manner of governing one would say and I I asked that question of two experts senator Alan Simpson a former senator from Wyoming and Erskine Bowles former chief of staff.

To democratic President Bill Clinton here's what they had to say.

Weller can describes it best he he calls it mind bush.

Stupid stupid stupid to use -- term three times I heard him do them.

And it is it's it's mindless.

And remember it's going to be very very disruptive for Braintree use it really is just plain.

Stupid there is no business guy -- list into this program today.

Who would ever do these mindless senseless across the board cuts.

And yet -- it appeared.

Those mindless senseless and across the board cuts are about to happen.

That's right and -- president office focuses he focuses often on the domestic spending cuts where.

The defense spending cuts are so draconian his own secretary of defense Leon Panetta has called this legislative madness.

And all the top brass in the military has warned it will degrade our readiness and really put at a crisis level so.

This is something Republicans promise our own defense -- was never gonna happen.

This is something the president said in a debate with Mitt Romney in the fall was never going to happen.

And it is madness and it's stupid and all the words you've heard it's my lesson reckless but yes next Friday is gonna happen and it's very.

There's a very small chance between now -- that we see a resolution of this.

AB Stoddard from the hill thanks for helping us break it down and we --

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