Let me guess... so in order to prevent sequestration we have to pass a budget that gives Obama another 2 trillion to throw away on deadbeats and his supporters.

Oh dear. Get Jim & Rich to the fainting couch.

Metaphor alert! Axes! Indiscriminate chopping! Slicing! Striking! Slashing! Blood flowing in the streets! Preschools and national parks hardest hit!

But if the cuts are automatic and, by the writers´ own admission, indiscriminate, how can they be malicious? Any reductions proposed by Group A would automatically be opposed by and countered by Group B and we would never advance towards a resolution i.e. the ´compromise´ liberals claim to want.

And if the cuts are across the board, then no one´s pet project is being specifically targeted. The cuts, therefore, are about as fair as it gets in patronage-addled DC.

When Social Security redeems all it´s government bonds and become pay-as-you-go - the system will automatically cut everyone´s checks by 25%.

Leave to the Times to print all the hysterical, worst case scenarios that the state-worshiping leftists can throw up.

Next they´ll claim the government will no longer be ale to make the Sun rise on March 1st.

$85 billion is approx. 2.3% of the $3.8 trillion federal budget for fiscal year 2013. Would think that a hiring freeze, an end to pensions for anyone with less than 10 years of service and staff reductions in EPA, Justice, Labor, Energy, and Agriculture would easily meet the $85 bills number.

Using Energy as an example, what has it done in the past 30 years to promote energy development and independence? Private energy companies are the innovators while Energy works diligently to handcuff producers and raise prices. Our federal government spends far too much money working against the interest of American citizens.

As the deadline nears, Obama will claim zero funding for the school lunch programs and an end to all the programs for the old people, etc, etc. Many predict the actual reduction is so minor that it wouldn´t be noticed unless Obama decides to make it so.

The firs thing to cut is the whole "Department of Education", who educates no one.

Secondly, is all the foreign aid programs. All of them. No more aid to Egypt. No more aid to the PLO. They both hate us, and money has not bought us friends,

Stop welfare and food stamps to prisoners, they already get fed.

It goes on and on. There is so much which can be cut.

More, stop spending 2 and one half cents to make a penny.

Stop Ethonol subsidies. Corn is food

Etc.

Is this not just a decrease in the automatic increase? It will increas but not as much as they wanted.

All this moaning and gnashing of teeth over a 2.5% cut in spending. You KNOW there is at least 20% FAT in government spending. All this talk is because these people ALWAYS want more money. They always predict DOOM if they don´t get it. They mention the most popular government programs will be cut because they hope that will gin up the most response.

It is pathetic that this minuscule reduction in spending is causing such a fuss. Most recommendations were that 4 times much should be cut, 10% of spending, to stabilize the government´s fiscal position. Can you imagine the outcry if legislators actually did the right thing?

Of course, if the government had done the right things to stimulate business, instead of paying off cronies, the private sector could have easily picked up the slack with government off their backs. You could probably save a trillion by just returning regulations to reasonable levels.

After this reduction, don´t expect too much further. BO will never agree to further cuts after this result. The Republicans will never agree to more taxes. There will be a battle to just hold the line for the next 4 years. Given BO´s record, not allowing him to do too much more damage may be the best victory we can manage at this point.

So, the automatic 8% increase in spending will be reduced to 5% INCREASE ?
That´s a democrat cut folks, except for the Military pay and Healthcare..that is a real cut.
Personally I would rather see welfare checks eliminated so that we have a fairly paid Military. The Military earns their pay and it should be double what it is.

You asked for it, you got it - Toyota!

I like your style, #11.

Don´t bother me with this pretense that $85 billion is a budget cut or much money related to $6 trillion in annual outlays.

Has anyone else noticed a new slate of stories about not having enough funding to fuel existing ships? The media is so in the pocket of this administration that they, by and large, will never recover what remains of their credibility.

Yes yes yes stop the spending!!!