The Hill Corrects White House Myth: Obama Has 'Flexibilty' With Sequester Cuts

The Hill Corrects White House Myth: Obama Has 'Flexibilty' With Sequester Cuts

For Obama and his media minions, the stakes around sequester are mammoth. With the economy already tanking, the hope is to blame sequester for the president’s failed left-wing economic policies. If the White House and its media can convince enough Americans that cutting the federal budget by a measly 2% is to blame for our economic problems,  that will be a crowning propaganda victory for the left.

Better still, Obama and his media want to blame the GOP for these draconian, world-ending cuts. That push is all about Democrats taking over the House in 2014 and Obama owning the government for the last two years of his failed presidency. *shudder*

Thankfully, though, we are seeing some examples of real journalism in the face of Obama’s propaganda campaign. Bob Woodward, the Washington Post’s Glenn Kessler, and the National Journal, have all valiantly pushed back against the White House’s lies. And today, The Hill joins this small but brave group by dealing a major blow to one of the White House’s primary talking points: That Obama’s hands are tied when it comes to prioritizing sequester cuts:

The White House says its hands are tied by the $85 billion sequester, but budget experts counter that it will have some flexibility to choose what to cut and what to save.

The wiggle-room is inviting accusations from Congress that President Obama is mismanaging the cuts.

Critics also say the flexibility could allow the administration to make the cuts more painful, in order to pressure congressional Republicans to raise taxes as part of a sequester-replacement. Some of these critics point to the decision to not deploy an aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf. …

Some accounts are so broadly defined they give the administration a lot of flexibility. For example, the Pentagon’s operations and maintenance account includes thousands of contracts and different activities from which to choose the cuts.

Republicans have argued the Navy’s decision to not deploy the USS Harry Truman aircraft carrier because of sequestration — which will save roughly $300 million — could have been avoided.

Like Woodward and Kessler, this is good, honest, fact-based reporting. It’s also holding the president to account for his serial-fabrications.

Is it too much to ask that we again live in a country where the media doesn’t let the President of the United States get away with lying?

For the last four years, it has been too much to ask. But maybe, just maybe, a few brave media souls can encourage others.

I know it’s hard on the media to watch their idol fail, but there is a bigger moral world out there than your own personal disappointment.

Follow  John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC

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