Even though the upcoming sequester cuts amount to only $85 billion,
compared to $16 trillion of U.S. debt, CNN on Tuesday morning hyped the deleterious effects
of the cuts to the economy by comparing them to the recent asteroid
that just missed earth.
"Watch out. Like the asteroid headed to earth, they're coming. $86
billion in automatic budget cuts," anchor Carol Costello warned. And
"draconian" was in the CNN talking points as Costello and her colleague
Christine Romans repeatedly gave that label to the cuts.
[Video below. Audio here [1].]
Like it did [2] in 2011 [3]
when spending cuts were on the table, CNN hyped the effects the cuts
would have on its viewers, like tourists at National Parks or travelers
at airports. Romans relayed the Obama administration's numbers [4] for the estimated loss of kids from Head Start preschool programs.
"So we let these draconian budget cuts take place. You know who's going
to suffer the most? It's not going to be Congress. It's not going to be
the President. Maria, it's going to be us," Costello huffed.
"[T]hese were never supposed to happen. This was supposed to be
something that was so terrible, it would force Democrats and Republicans
to the table to figure out our fiscal mess and it just didn't work,"
lamented Romans.
Conservative guest Will Cain insisted that the cuts could be a good
thing: "$1.2 trillion over 10 years. It's a step in the right direction.
Small step. It's slowly turning the Titanic or the battleship around."
However, Costello voiced her displeasure at both parties for blaming
each other instead of working to avoid the sequester: "This strikes me
as so irresponsible, Jason!"
A transcript of the segments, which aired on CNN Newsroom on February 19, is as follows:
[9:13 a.m. EST]
CHRISTINE ROMANS: And I guess the first question is what is the
sequester, this wonky, horrible budget Washington word you keep hearing?
It's a fancy word for budget cuts, forced budget cuts. You could also
think of the sequester as the "or else." Last year it was decided we had
to get our budget deficit under control, Democrats and Republicans
together, or else, or else we would have these draconian spending cuts
start the beginning part of this year. They didn't get their budget act
together and this is the "or else," the big budget cuts that are
automatically going to happen. It's really frustrating, Carol, because
this was never – these were never supposed to happen. This was supposed
to be something that was so terrible, it would force Democrats and
Republicans to the table to figure out our fiscal mess and it just
didn't work.
COSTELLO: No, it just proves how dysfunctional Congress really is.
ROMANS: Yes. Yes.
COSTELLO: Okay, so those draconian cuts, we hear often how it will affect the military but how will it affect me?
ROMANS: It will affect all of us if these go into place. And let me
tell you why. First look at education for example, you would have cuts
to education, it could be by some estimates up to 70,000 kids could lose
their Head Start positions, more than 14,000 teachers and staff could
be laid off. It would affect criminal justice, border patrol, for
example, the security of the border. Also, all FBI workers would have to
be furloughed for up to 14 days. Look at the parks, you would have the
National Park Service reduced hours, reduced services, something would
you certainly feel on your summer travel. And travel, speaking of
travel, what about longer wait times at airports, longer to get through
TSA because of again, furloughs, unpaid time off for folks simply
because they don't have the budget anymore. You're talking about budget
cuts for defense of 13 percent and for other agencies of 9 percent. It
would certainly affect just about everything that you feel. What you see
on that screen right there, Carol, this is what Senate Democrats have
proposed to replace the sequester. They've got more gradual defense
cuts, they've got stopping direct payments to farmers, they'd like to
tax the rich, they'd like to end some tax breaks, some loopholes for
sending jobs overseas, loopholes, for example for energy companies they
say they could come up with billions that way to replace the sequester.
Presumably the President is going to outline what he'd like to see
happen later today when we hear from him. The sequester, a stupid
Washington word for something that was never supposed to happen that
will be budget cuts that you and I will feel.
COSTELLO: I like when you say it like it is. Just makes you want to beat your head against the wall, doesn't it?
ROMANS: No, don't beat our heads. Our heads are fine. It's Washington!
(...)
[10:38 a.m. EST]
CAROL COSTELLO: Now to our second "Talk Back" topic of the hour.
Question, what would you say to Congress to avoid forced budget cuts?
Watch out. Like the asteroid headed to earth, they're coming. $86
billion in automatic budget cuts. And don't bother trying to duck. The
President reduced to begging Congress with dire warnings on the impact
on small business, first responders and children.
(Video Clip)
BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States: 2013 can be a year of
solid growth, more jobs and higher wages. But that will only happen if
we put a stop to self-inflicted wounds in Washington. Everyone in
Washington needs to focus not on politics, but on what's right for the
country.
(End Video Clip)
COSTELLO: Really? The President keeps talking about new taxes even
though Republicans say that's dead in the water. Nobody's even talking
about a deal. Many Republicans say if these forced budget cuts are what
it takes to cut spending, then bring it on, however, painful. They like
to remind us it was Obama's idea and they're now calling it
Obamaquester. For both sides, isn't it more about the blame game now? It
always boils down to that, doesn't it? Question, what would you say to
Congress to avoid forced budget cuts? Will Cain.
WILL CAIN: I'm going to give you two answers. First is do nothing.
Allow them to go through. $1.2 trillion over 10 years. It's a step in
the right direction. Small step. It's slowly turning the Titanic or the
battleship around. But look, I know the sequester's not ideal. It's a
blunt non-prioritized spending cut. So what would my second answer be
because of that? It would be put together a comprehensive deal to reduce
our debt and deficit. But I've lost faith in Congress' ability to come
together to some kind of grand bargain, some kind of grand deal. So go
forward with the $1.2 trillion. And by the way, politicians are going to
grandstand it. It's Washington Monumenting, like when the Interior
Department is threatened with cuts, they always say they're going to
shut down the Washington Monument as though there's not other things we
can shut down, not other cuts we can make.
COSTELLO: This strikes me as so irresponsible, Jason!
(...)
COSTELLO: So we let these draconian budget cuts take place. You know
who's going to suffer the most? It's not going to be Congress. It's not
going to be the President. Maria, it's going to be us.
(...)
[10:45 a.m. EST]
COSTELLO: So in five or ten minutes, President Obama will address the
nation, he'll try to convince members of Congress to come up with some
sort of deal, he'll surround himself with people who will be affected by
these draconian budget cuts. So Jason what does the President need to
say to get a deal done?
-- Matt Hadro is a News Analyst at the Media Research Center