THE BIG BLUFF---SEQUESTER SCARE!!

Who's  bluffing who with the latest political catch word and cliff crisis. Ho hum---wake me when it's over, but here we go again--down the rabbit hole of Washington politics. It's really getting old, this game playing, and should we, the UNITED states of American not be able to do better?? Should our leaders be allowed to get away with this childish finger pointing, and should we continue to be played
like a hapless audience, privy only to what the media decides to tell us, and hear only what our president blasts with his huge microphone, condemning, instead of leading?

 "Sequester" is the name, and "squeeze" is the game, according to Mr. Obama who is blatantly employing the old by now scare tactic to bring the Republicans to heel,  and the public once again around to his way of thinking--- to keep spending and tax the rich one more time. Put the squeeze  on the opposition, play on their emotions of an already fearful, jumpy public, and scare the daylights out of everybody--it goes like this:  If the sequester happens, the sky is going to fall, and we will have only the Republicans to blame. The bluff is on, and if the Republicans don't cave this time, on March 1st, we will face major cuts to the tune of $800 billion to both domestic and military programs---the irony is that Obama himself suggested the sequester back in 2012, as a way to force some sort of agreement on the budget crisis. It was his baby---not the Republicans.  Or was it his gamble, his bluff, to force the Republicans into submission? After all, something had to be done, and if nothing has been done,
by now, how about we make the punishment so severe that everybody will have to suffer, and the blame once again falls to the Republicans?  Perfect.

We've seen it before from Obama, but this time the smell of demagoguery and strong arming the opposition is beginning to look and feel like dirty pool. a set-up, and victory at any cost. The misrepresentation of the facts, and blatant attempt to intimidate and bully the Republicans into submission are hallmarks of a man hell bent on getting his way, regardless of principle or fair tactics. Life and politics aren't always fair, but manipulating and exaggerating the facts are not only beneath the presidency, but dangerous to a democracy which relies on the truth, and a tendency to believe that presidents are above dirty politics. So,  March 1st is the deadline---Obama has offered no hint of compromise, insisting on more tax revenue,  and the Republicans are showing no signs of folding this time, feeling they have already met the president's demands, having agreed to $620 billion in taxes during the last cliff go round,  and that he is once again moving the goal posts, pushing the envelope and them around, by  asking for the elimination of tax loopholes and deductions. They have presented two alternative plans to the sequester, which Obama ignored. His proposal mantra is no further taxes equal no further cuts---except, across the board ax cuts, which were his idea.  Uh, did you hear me guys? Don't make me do this! I really mean it! And guess who's going to look bad?

 So are we headed for the final show down, the really bad, back- breaking cliff? President Obama wants us to think so.  He has warned that we will suffer major job losses, weakened military security, children will go hungry, fires will be left to burn, meat to rot, crimes will run rampant, planes may not fly, and on and on. It's beginning to sound like white noise and worse, manipulation. One gets the feeling that Obama has seen the movie "Lincoln" too many times and fancies himself a similar do good crusader---only we're not talking black slavery here. It's about our debt crisis and how to solve it. All who oppose him, chiefly the Republicans, are bad, thoughtless, shallow, and uncaring. It is an absurd argument that all this calamity is even possible under a capable, reasonable government, and ridiculous to blame it all on the opposing party.

 It is true, however, that if the sequester goes through, there will changes and there will be pain, but it is highly doubtful that there will be consequences as dramatic as Obama would have us believe.  Cuts, after all, do finally have to come, if we are ever to climb out of our debt and begin to balance it. There is plenty of waste in both the military and domestic budgets, and preparations are already being done to deal with less revenue coming in. Adjustments will be made that perhaps should have been made long ago, just as all of us have had to do with our personal finances. And unless everyone panics, compliments of Obama's dire predictions, we will survive. The stock market seems to think so---it's doing just fine, in spite of the president's doom's day proclamations.  Perhaps the market knows what we all intrinsically know---bluffs are usually over blown,  puffed up threats to produce a desired result----and regardless of the outcome, life and the economy will keep percolating along. Could it be the market place, the barometer of our capitalistic confidence, is stronger than the political voices which are constantly shrieking at our ears, and is having less and less influence?? We could use some of that
confidence.

We are oh so tired of cliffs, crises, bluffs, and threats.  We want peace, quiet, reason, and balance again---not one sided governance, dictatorial attitudes, and leaders who speak only in terms of their own self interests and ideologies.  There were, after all, almost half of us who voted
against Obama and his policies---should he not realize this, and learn to temper his partisan outbursts? But why change what's not broken?  He obviously thrives on chaos and battles, having mastered the art of appearing calm and wise while trying to make others appear obstructive and lost headed?? It seems to be working---Obama is winning at the moment, according to the polls. He stands on the nation's stage and bellows his message of government welfare. It is hard to argue against such things as education, infrastructure, research and development, clean energy, and childhood programs. But at some point, perhaps now, we will have reached a tipping point---who will pay for it all?  Obama's believers believe he will find a way---others are convinced he doesn't care, that he is focused on fixing America, not the budget.

The sequester looms large, and either will happen or not. The bluff may not work, and Obama may regret his giving birth to what he wants to avoid---- major cuts, without major tax hikes.  But, the bonus is the blame game, so he wins this round either way.

 But here's the final hooker, the sting of a sting operation--- and it is much worse than the sequester----are you ready for this? Perhaps it is we who are being bluffed, distracted from the real problem. The debt crisis is so deep and growing at a faster rate than our economic growth at a frail 2%,  that neither Obama's proposed tax hikes or the sequester will help much ---medicare, medicaid, and social security are the biggest drains and must be addressed, along with a tax over haul. But no voices are heard for these things---or allowed to be heard over the din of pettiness and politics.

 Are we actually believing to spend more is the answer? Or are we simply procrastinating and handing our ills and bills to our children and grandchildren? It all adds up to irresponsible leadership and a trusting public willing to follow. Isn't it time we demand more than political gridlock, campaign style speeches, bluffs, and sequesters---which by the way, the dictionary defines as "to set apart" or "to seclude".  Right---we're getting really good at setting aside the hard stuff---or being bluffed.