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Sequester impact just fine for GOP

By Staff | Mar 13, 2013

In his recent letter, Douglas Thomas is interested to blame President Barack Obama for the sequester by calling it his baby (March 11: “Obama mishandling sequestration cuts”).

Funny: Doesn’t legislation originate in Congress before the president signs it? Didn’t House Speaker John Boehner promote sequestration as favoring 98 percent of his agenda?

So why does Thomas blame Obama for sequestration? Federal workers are furloughed, and government functions and services are curtailed. Hasn’t that been the GOP’s aim all along?

Sequestration was supposed to be painful to promote compromises over deficit negotiations, and both parties understood it when it passed. The difference is that Democrats thought it would be so awful that it would force Republicans to bargain and accept small revenue increases dwarfed by spending cuts. No deal.

It’s not that Obama has zero responsibility for the sequester’s origin, but, as far as ending it goes, Thomas gives us a clue: He doesn’t want it to end. He just wants it “managed better,” as if we can pull a lot of federal money out of the economy and no one gets hurt.

That’s unrealistic. Moreover, Republicans demand more cuts still.

Since when have Republicans been too concerned with pain resulting from their government-busting proposals? Never. They ease their consciences by demonizing those whom they plan to dump in the gutter.

“Irresponsible mooches,” they call them. “Lazy good-for-nothings,” they say. Government workers are “union thugs.”

Republicans are getting what they want with the sequester. That’s why they won’t negotiate. They just want to shirk due blame.

Stephen D. Clark

Stratham

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