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Rove on a better Republican sequester strategy

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    Who will be affected if automatic sequestration kicks in and how can the GOP win in the court of public opinion?

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-- Russ says rush says all of us are still like -- who played for fools.

I think the sequester happens and it will be in some ways -- -- on big guys.

The histrionics that are coming from the president saying -- we're gonna shut down and get rid of meat inspectors.

I mean is not is anybody -- they stand up and call his bluff on that ridiculous those kinds of things you hear about.

-- -- causing a recession it's impossible for that to happen.

The administration actually wants.

There is no real -- Below a baseline -- zero there just isn't yet.

Here they come.

There will be jobs on the line.

If he's sequestered in place soccer and sit and thousands of teachers educators will be laid off.

-- openness it Border Patrol agents receive their hours.

Here -- federal prosecutors.

Have to close cases.

What for balls -- here later air traffic controllers at airport security we'll -- cutbacks.

It just makes me -- They have -- common sense and intelligence insulted the way it's being it just makes me to change.

-- we know what.

Unfortunate certainty is dead.

The impact this question would be negative on.

We just keep spending more money we create more dependency we get more and more irresponsible one crisis -- the next all the manufactured.

Except for -- real crisis which nobody ever progresses and that is we can't afford beginning of the.

The sequester real crisis or politics as usual or both -- -- -- I just nice to see a cop.

Greta good to see.

-- -- out is is so real crisis for the nation or is this just politics as you show about.

It's a crisis in this regard we're talking about cutting 2.3 percent out of the this year's budget this year's budget is bigger than last year so we're not.

It's not like we're cutting below what we spent last year but we are re taking 2.3 percent of -- -- -- budget.

And cutting it now that's 85 billion out of 83.

Point five.

54.

Trillion dollar budget that is a assets 35540.

Billions of dollars and we're trying to cut 85 out.

If we can't do that we're in real trouble.

And because we have a huge spending problem in this country and we've got to start somewhere now but look I know one -- under estimate.

How difficult this is in the middle of -- fiscal year it's one thing to do it at them before you begin the fiscal -- it's -- next year we're gonna we were planning to spend.

You know 3.5 trillion we're gonna spend 85 trillion dollars 85 billion dollars less it's another thing to be in the middle of the year and and and and -- it.

But we better start -- From the future growth of spending restraint -- rein it in.

Otherwise -- deficits are gonna suffocate our countries -- RD harming our growth I love it.

The president is people say we need to keep spending we need to keep running up these deficits.

Otherwise the economy's going to be difficulty will look we've tried that for four years and our economy has.

Not been lit on fire it's the worst recovery in the recorded history of the United States.

And our job creation we're still not back to the point that we were in 2007.

When the country would -- -- we have not been able to spend our way to prosperity.

And the idea that we can continue to that that that philosophy is just mistaken.

Yeah I don't have any sympathy when you say it started doing the middle of the year because the first thing I think -- tough they're the ones who got themselves -- this this is the one they're the ones who got into this idea of president's suggestion.

Although I know I though I know there's been some question is tried to duck that but in his suggestion.

The Republicans well along with -- and it's only because it's a middle of the years because it kept pushing it off so I sort of feel like top right they asked for the job that paid for -- they have profoundly failed us in resolving this so I -- sympathy that it's hard.

You can't resolve this without presidential leadership and the president for eighteen months has not been an arrest in the solution now.

A let let let's let's do they'll put this in a little bit of -- context we were talking about -- 85 billion dollars that's 2.3.

Percent of the federal budget.

Now the problem resist the sequester is designed by the White House said we're not gonna take anything -- -- mandatory spending.

Which is 65%.

Of the budget.

We're gonna cut everything that we're gonna cut out of the discretionary part of the budget which is 35% of the budget so the 2.3 is not out of the hole.

It's out of a part which means that in reality we're cutting discretionary spending by about 7%.

Now we're doing it in the last seven months.

All the fiscal year and and and we -- doing it across the board.

A haircut does this -- mandates that it be across the board so.

Important things are -- just as deeply as unimportant things.

And look this is this problem's gonna get worse in -- weaker -- a way to do this smarter because over the next decade.

The CBO forecast the discretionary spending will shrink to 29% of the budget.

And mandatory will grow to 71.

And the sequester is the first at this 85 billion dollars is -- first of one point two trillion dollars in cuts.

They're supposed to take place over the next decade -- -- increasingly going to be cutting them out of the part of the budget that is voted upon every year the discretionary part.

And not out of the mandatory which is what's been put on auto pilot.

And you know -- that's just -- make him more more difficult for us to.

-- -- There's a way out of this in the Republicans in the house in my opinion ought to take the lead on it what you think about this.

This is got it cut a -- -- across the board cut everything gets cut.

7% of discretionary.

Spending gets cut 2.3 percent of the overall budget.

We need flexibility.

So that the individual cabin members can say I'm gonna -- important things and cut less out of them.

And the unimportant things cut more.

And that way we're gonna be able to do this and more Smart fashion than we're -- we're now doing with this across the board hair -- -- everything.

It's one thing to say we're gonna cut everything about 1% but if you're talking about 7%.

Then you start kind of you know you YouTube cut things that are that are really important and end and cut an equal amount of things that are less important.

He's trading to protect -- print to prevent.

The politicians here in Washington from a grain on some resolution sequestration some spending cut whatever formula they come up with.

And that they conduct and microphones and they say you know this is great we have you know bipartisan or whatever medical whatever people behind -- discernment process that this is -- and then.

Next year.

Turn around an increase spending anyway.

Well what -- the actions of one congress can't bind a future congresses and that's why we have to have.

People in the house and senate who are committed to the long term reform of our budget process because yes you're right.

We cut 85 billion dollars this year is no guarantee that people in future years are gonna follow through with it especially as long as its president is -- office remember.

This was his idea.

He thought it was a great idea.

And now he says it's brutal and arbitrary.

And -- -- revoked he once threatened to veto any bill came to -- Then then then that tried to stop or overturn the sequester.

But we need to we get -- in this is there irony Republicans would be Smart to give the president the flexibility.

So that is not an across the board here cut each department has to cut eight.

Eight and an amount equal to.

2.3 percent of the overall budget or 7% roughly of discretionary income.

Has to cut that total amount.

But it has flexibility to pick and choose among the programs inside that department would -- some of which will be cut more but some -- become less.

If the Republicans don't agree to that flexibility is it then the Republicans said then going to be we have an -- and justifiably so this being bad.

Gaming the president amid the primitive and that's -- working towards a solution if flexibility to -- pick and choose what to what some makes sense to cut and what doesn't.

If the Republicans deny the president who won the election that -- do that is it does that just about winning.

No first of all the president has not ask for it.

The president has not asked for I think it's Smart for the Republicans to give it to him.

So he could no longer blame them if he says we're gonna cut meat inspectors they say look you can find something better at the department agriculture to cut.

-- meat inspectors can't you mistress air traffic controllers are good because Mr.

President.

At the Department of Transportation can't you find something that's not as important that you could really cut so you keep those important personal or you're gonna cut Border Patrol people.

Isn't there something and Homeland Security that's less important something that you can hold off a little while.

So that look -- the Republicans to be Smart to given flexibility would give him more power he's gonna gore a couple of the -- that Republicans like.

But the Republicans also have another important -- -- sometimes it emailing back and forth today with a really Smart.

Republican strategist who said oversight the house Republicans can call up any cabinet secretary.

Who says okay wanna take -- -- close the -- -- monument.

Rather than you know cutting off the GSA conferences.

Was with people in and remember the famous photograph of the GSA administrator I had in check up when there's less a red line.

Yeah I was getting then that's gonna that we all need therapy in order to overcome that image.

But deal that's the kind of thing that oversight will allow.

The Republicans in the house to say wait a -- Mr.

President.

You threatened.

That -- that that -- meat inspectors would be taken away what here are some really you know to some programs -- the Agriculture Department that are not as important.

Or or you know let let me give the classic example we have this program that takes.

You don't know my gives money to people for free cell phones.

And already we've gotten government reports from the agencies and from the agency itself -- that is rife with.

Fraud and abuse.

Well maybe we ought to be cut -- that program before we cut other things that are more important so the Republicans have a 12 punch give the president flexibility.

So the cabinet secretaries can pick and choose between accounts.

Take more out of less -- counts keep the import accounts that important parts of the budget intact.

And then have oversight so they can blow the whistle on any.

-- phony money kind of present PR gimmicks that these cabinet officials are undertaken or trying to blame them for it.

And cut ads that does not put out that picture if -- -- good look at those sets that guy in the back and we didn't even have to match you wine glasses -- -- all that money could you get to match -- wind -- but that.

I'm -- last -- and that went thank you cop.

Then finally senator.