Budget Baloney

...or if you prefer: Bologna.

Lots of bait and switch. Military is practically untouched despite being double the rest of the discretionary pie. Increases some places are over-offset elsewhere meaning the only "investing in the future" this is really doing is net negative. Finally entitlements, particularly medicare, is untouched. I'm not sure that could be otherwise as making changes in mandatory spending would require additional laws be passed first (I think?), but others are huffy about it so maybe the presidential budget is the equivalent of a 12 year old's letter to Santa.

Lots of harping from Republicans about social security which is NOT a real problem, and from Democrats about cutting good things (heating assistance for the poor) while leaving other things (military) pretty much untouched.

Maybe it's a starting point and maybe Obama is being very clever and trying to tempt Republicans into actual governing, or maybe it's just more of the same politics crap where no one says what they want or mean and hope that people assume what they want rather than go with what's there. No matter what I don't like it. If Obama thinks the deficit is an issue he should have released a budget that actually did something about it. If he thinks that "investing in the future" is important he should have released a budget that DID THAT. This budget just tells me that he (still) thinks that political gamesmanship is more important than anything else. Particularly that it is more important than actually leading what with him being President of the United States and all.