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With just four days before a federal meat cleaver is due to bring $85 billion in cuts that Democrats claim will cause untold damage to lives, children, and the economy . . . President Obama\u00a0was on\u00a0the campaign trial.<\/p>\n
Is this how serious CEOs manage when threats loom? No, but Barack Obama is not a serious manager. He is a serious pol.<\/p>\n
Faced with such economic calamity, an executive would be huddling with his board, his top managers, and trying to work out a fixable solution. Obama, on the other hand, hadn\u2019t spoken \u201cin weeks to top Republicans in Congress\u201d until a single phone call last week. Indeed, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said the president\u2019s brief \u201coutreach was Obama\u2019s first since New Year\u2019s Eve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, Obama was back on the trail in Virginia, predicting catastrophe and bashing the GOPers he should be home negotiating with. If it looks like the president\u00a0wants<\/em>\u00a0to inflict pain on the American people, you would be right. Pain means gain for this president and an opportunity to advance his 2014 mid-term campaign theme that Republicans cause it.<\/p>\n The president\u2019s remarks in Newport News Shipbuilding were breathtaking in their dishonesty.<\/p>\n \u201cKeep in mind, nobody is asking (Republicans) to raise income tax rates,\u201d said the president one month after Republicans agreed to raise tax rates. \u201cAll we\u2019re asking is to consider closing tax loopholes and deductions that the Speaker of the House, John Boehner, said he was willing to do just a few months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n But, despite GOP offers at tax reform, Obama has refused to close those loopholes \u2013 indeed, his tax breaks for rich corporations in last month\u2019s cliff deal were worth billions.<\/p>\n