Freezing Federal Workers’ Pay For 2 Years Accomplishes Nothing

President Obama’s announcement that federal workers’ pay should be frozen for 2 years generated headlines, but won’t accomplish anything if enacted.  It pre-empted Republican Teabagger headlines in January, true.  But being President should be about more than generating headlines before the other party.  It’s about demonstrating leadership and proposing policies based on a vision.

The reason for proposing this ostensibly is due to “deficit concerns”.  The policy would save a whopping $5 billion out of a $2000 Billion deficit over 2 years.  In other words, it is not a serious solution.  Everything being discussed by the D.C. establishment (which is solidly pro-corporate) in terms of the deficit will not reduce the deficit.

What continues to remain undone is a serious policy to address the employment crisis in this country.  Another chance to provide leadership has been passed up by this President.  I know why Democrats were drubbed in the 2010 elections.  Does the President?

[Update] Actually, this would accomplish something: further weakening an already weak economy.  Mark Sumner at dKos sums the effects up nicely:

It can’t be argued that imposing a $60 billion penalty on middle class workers — which is exactly what this is — will do anything but retard economic growth and reduce job production.

This policy will worsen the crisis that actually exists: the unemployment crisis. Bravo, President Obama.

Health Insurance Legislation: $250 Million To Failed Abstinence-Only Education

Thank goodness Obama is playing 11-dimensional chess while the rest of us scoot around in the mud with our sticks.  Thank goodness real health care legislation was passed and the health insurance industries will have real competition.  Thank goodness funding abstinence-only education stopped after the Bush Regime finally left.

All of the above are false.  Thanks to the Master Rhetorician Obama and our fearless “leaders” in the Senate, the health insurance legislation included a $50 million line for five years to abstinence-only education programs that have been proven to fail.

Thanks to Bush’s idiotic pandering to the religious right-wing, the number of teen pregnancies rose and STDs spread faster than they did in the 1990s.

Thanks to Obama’s idiotic pre-negotiating Democratic principles in health care, those trends will continue.