Free Republic

Between the canceled White House tours and the vacations he gives his dautghers, and the multi-million dollar trips to Europe Biden gives himself...it's not "let them eat cake," it's "let them eat this"...

Pundits dismissed the president’s jobs and deficit reduction proposals as political grandstanding, but the American people appear to approve of many of the president’s ideas, according to a Gallup poll released today.The survey of 1,004 adults — only about 44 percent of whom were Republicans or Republican-leaning independents — showed significant majorities support a majority of the individual components of the president’s plan.For example, 70 percent favor increasing taxes on some corporations by eliminating certain tax deductions and 66 percent favor increasing income taxes on individuals earning at least $200,000 and families earning at least $250,000.The first part of that...

C’mon, IRS. “Stop coddling the super rich.” Contrive to successfully extract the taxes they already owe.Mr. Buffett, I barely want to waste my breath on your blatant hypocrisy.And, Mainstream Media (by which I mean the NYT, which ran Buffett’s obnoxious op-ed in the first place), WHERE ARE YOU?From NewsMax: Billionaire investor Warren Buffett triggered a major debate over taxes recently when he wrote in The New York Times that he should be paying more to the federal government. He called on Washington lawmakers to up tax rates on the rich.But it turns out that Buffett’s own company, Berkshire Hathaway, has...

President and Mrs. Obama are sharing in the sacrifice tonight at the Beach Plum Restaurant on Martha’s Vineyard, which features an array of overpriced selections for the first couple to choose from that could easily bring the bill within the range of $200. They might, for example, choose to start the meal with a $15 chunk of pizza cheese – I’m sorry, “Fresh Mozzarella” with “Fresh Basil, vine ripened tomatoes, aged balsamic reduction, and chive dill.” This is a good mix because some things are fresh, and some things are aged. But the sacrifice really gets serious with the entree,...

There’ve been a lot of loud critics of President Obama’s vacation plans to Martha’s Vineyard -- even from some of his avid supporters. But when he touches down on this posh island in about six hours, he won’t find many here, if you believe Jenna Ware, a long time resident and driver for Stage Coach taxi service. Ware, sporting a dark tan you’ll see on most residents here, says that when the recession hit, the Vineyard remained unscathed. The island is pretty much recession proof, she says. When a passenger noted in a 2009 visit – the first time Mr....

Fresh off three days of barnstorming in the Midwest, President Obama will spend the morning at the White House in two closed-door meetings, first with his senior economic advisors in the Oval Office then with his national security team in the Situation Room. In the afternoon, Obama heads to the island oasis of Martha’s Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts, where he’s expected to spend the next 10 days vacationing with his family.

We choose a vacation in upstate New York in an attempt to escape the oppressive Philadelphia heat, at least for a week. It is a seven-hour drive, and traffic isn't bad, despite it being a Saturday in August. Weird. New York State is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The mountains and flora are simply majestic. But I digress. Upon arrival at our destination on Lake Champlain, we are thrilled with our simple, but well-placed accommodations. The view of the lake and the mountains can be seen from every window. Our front porch is covered, is right on...

The Senate voted to kill a House-approved bill to raise the debt ceiling, leaving the ball in the court of Senate leadership to produce a deficit reduction bill, with just days before the Aug. 2 deadline. The vote was 59-41. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid followed through on his promise to kill the bill, pushed through the House a day late by House Speaker John Boehner. The White House, which has thrown its weight behind a Reid proposal, had promised to veto the bill had it miraculously passed the Senate. The Senate also killed the Cut, Cap, Balance Act last...

Proposed House cuts to the Executive Office of the President's (EOP) budget will hurt administration efforts to cut the deficit, the White House argues. The Obama administration made the argument in comments on H.R. 2434, the 2012 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act. That bill could be on the House floor as early as next week, and would decrease funding for the EOP from $705 million to $640 million. "The level of resources provided in the bill would significantly impact the EOP's role in assisting the president in carrying out his constitutional duties as head of the executive branch,...

Over the past several weeks, America has seen on grand display in Washington a singular mindset emanating from the White House: We must raise taxes so that we can keep on spending. This week, though, America was treated to something different—a glimpse inside President Barack Obama’s mind, a roadmap of his economic worldview. And what was revealed was a philosophy that is fundamentally at odds with America’s job creators. That insight came during the President’s press conference on Monday in which he broached the subject of raising taxes as part of the debt limit deal: And I do not want,...

US President Barack Obama on Saturday renewed his call for a compromise in solving America's debt problem, saying it would take a "balanced approach" and "shared sacrifice" for Democrats and Republicans to come to an agreement. "That means spending less on domestic programs," the president said. "It means spending less on defence programs. ... And it means taking on the tax code, and cutting out certain tax breaks and deductions for the wealthiest Americans."

When you trade shares of Cisco (CSCO: 15.46, -0.12, -0.77%), no one is sacrificing himself on your behalf. You're a willing buyer, someone else is an amenable seller, and you voluntarily agree to transact at a mutually beneficial price. Both parties get what they want. It's the polar opposite of the doctrine of "shared sacrifice" permeating through Washington, and by unfortunate extension, the economy. The burgeoning Federal deficit, now significant enough to warrant a warning from Moody's on the country's AAA rating, can only be solved through shared sacrifice, which, in President Barack Obama's words, means wealthy individuals will finally...

MONTPELIER, Vt.—Vermont's independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders says he's telling the White House more than 100,000 people want at least half of any federal deficit reduction package to rely on revenue from the wealthiest Americans and the most profitable corporations.

Wednesday’s so-called Twitter town hall meeting conducted by President Barack Obama was certainly unprecedented. But was it a sign of trouble at Obama reelection headquarters in Chicago? Over the past few weeks, Democrats in Washington, D.C., have been driving the message of “shared sacrificed” as it pertains to the federal government’s fiscal policy going forward in dealing with record deficit and debt issues. But in an appearance on Wednesday’s “The Laura Ingraham Show,” National Journal congressional correspondent Major Garrett explained there were some unresolved questions, especially when it comes to the question of what Americans are getting for their sacrifice....

State lawmakers who want an all-cuts budget because less government is better should get their wish starting with their own districts, state Treasurer Bill Lockyer said this morning. Lockyer, visiting the Bay Area News Group-East Bay’s editorial board, said that when these lawmakers – many of whom already serve the state’s most recession-stricken areas – start hearing from their constituents about even deeper cutbacks in police and fire services, public schools and universities, social services and the like, they’ll soon think the better of stonewalling a public vote on Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to extend current tax rates for five...