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Obama targets budget waste

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor January 7, 2009 10:49 AM

Calling it one of his most important appointments, President-elect Barack Obama this morning announced a new White House job -- chief performance officer -- to set standards for federal agencies and hold them accountable.

He named Nancy Killefer, a director at McKinsey & Company, the prominent management consulting firm, and former assistant treasury secretary in the Clinton administration.

Obama has pledged to go line-by-line through the federal budget to root out waste and inefficiency -- a vow made even more important with projections of record deficits. The Congressional Budget Office is expected to estimate the deficit at $1.2 trillion this fiscal year and Obama said, "Trillion-dollar deficits will be a reality for years to come."

Those figures don't include Obama's economic stimulus plan, which is expected to total $775 billion over two years, and which he said he knows will add to the deficit, but is necessary.

Washington must change the way it does business so it is no longer squandering billions of dollars on failed or unneeded programs, he said.

"We can no longer afford to sustain the old ways," he said. Such changes are needed even in good times, but in bad times are absolutely essential, he said.

Asked about the size of the stimulus package, Obama said while he and his team are still working with Congress, he expects it will be on the "high end of our estimates" -- which have been reported as $675 billion to $775 billion -- but not as high as the $1 trillion-plus some economists are advocating.

In large measure, he said, that is because of the concerns about the mushrooming deficit.

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It doesn't matter what I say. The liberal media, who made sure Obama was elected, regardless of his past, now will spin things as positively as possible to make him look good. Count on it, within days after his inaguration, they will bespinning how improved the economy and everything eise is. Miraculously. The lib media takes us all for fools. We are not. They will be caught in the act as the problems truly continue and likely will get worse because of Obama.

Posted by Paul Early January 7, 09 11:28 AM
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Amen, I could have not said it any better

Posted by Harold January 7, 09 12:25 PM
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Paul Early, if you want to rant about off topic issues create an account on blogspot.

"This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it." Foon Rhee help us out lets cut some waste from the comment section!

As for Obama, I like the line by line approach but I will reserve any optimism until I see a result. If by the next buget cycle we see a reasonable percentage reduction in government spending then I will say Obama is the man!

Posted by Issac Morris January 7, 09 12:28 PM
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What about the bloated military budget?
Like, why is the military's space budget alone a third bigger than NASA's entire budget?? 30% of our taxes go to the military!
The aerospace industry and military industry make so much money off of the government, they're one of the main reasons we keep going to war, so that they can keep selling all their weapons and subcontracting all their services.
It's time to cut programs that foster war and not peace.

Posted by Nirv January 7, 09 12:48 PM
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PAUL EARLY, IT SEEMS THAT PEOPLE LIKE YOU JUST DON'T GET IT. HERE IS A MAN THAT IS TRYING TO UNDO BUSH'S MESS, AND GET RID OF HIS DISHONEST FRIENDS AND ALL THEIR DEEDS, AND YOUR UNKIND WORDS WILL GO NOWERE. PEOPLE LIKE YOU WE DON'T NEED !!!!!!

Posted by charles zimmer January 7, 09 12:55 PM
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If Obama's plans will work why would we have Trillion dollar deficits for years to come?Are we redistributing,or stimulating the economy?If he knows the plan will not work in the "years to come",why bother,unless he is going to do exactly like the right wing says and implement more entitlement programs etc.I was willing to give him the doubt and the hope of something better,but now the logic behind his own words seem scary.Inflation pays for this ,how much?Enough to complete the wiping out of all the 401 plans for the workers in this country?Is Obama a Republican determined to hamstring the middle and lower classes forever,to control the wealth,or does he want everyone the same?Someone explain where we are going?

Posted by anabasis January 7, 09 01:15 PM
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Paul Early you are a pathetic paranoid lunatic. And I don't even particularly like Obama.

I am just sick to death of the mantras. All the mantras that you true believers of every color are constantly spewing.

Shut up.

Posted by James D. Newman January 7, 09 01:17 PM
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To poster #1: Your first statement is correct, it doesn't matter what you say; as we are learning from President Obama, it is what you DO that counts.

It's ironic that your main complaint seems to be about "spin", yet spin is exactly what your post represents. You are setting the stage for success by claiming that we will be "told" that Obama's plans have been successful.

I have a better idea, Paul; why not measure actual results? I'm betting that Obama's performance will outshine Dumbya's by light years.

Posted by Jerry Ulibarri January 7, 09 01:31 PM
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So now the entire MSM is part of a left wing conspiracy, even FOX NEWS. I understand the frustration can cause irrational thought. After Jan 20, what else will the right have to do except finding something negative to attack the left. It is a shame that we decided NOT to have a right wing conservative dictatorship by continuing 4 more years of negative progress under republican leadership.

Posted by Bill Spickerman January 7, 09 02:40 PM
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