Hewlett-Packard Company Message Board

Seems Rand Paul blew hot air for nothing. LOL

Oops. Guess Obama was right on sequester effects. LOL.

Already, Governor Bob McDonnell has warned the commonwealth risks falling into recession. "The automatic sequestration reductions mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011 are already having a significant adverse effect on the Commonwealth," said the governor in a letter to President Obama and the state's congressional delegate. "When fully implemented, they could force Virginia and other states into a recession. Sequestration-mandated reductions will be implemented with no regard for relative national priorities. "

McDonnell isn't exaggerating. Both state population centers—Northern Virginia and the Tidewater region of eastern Virginia—depend heavily on federal dollars. Fairfax County, for example, is home to more than 20,000 federal employees, to say nothing of the contractors and consultants who make their living from congressional spending. Likewise, Hampton Roads (otherwise known as "Tidewater") is home to the largest concentration of military assets in the United States, including the nation's largest naval base and a massive naval shipyard.

Repubs failed to derail Obama. LOL.

Pampering to repubs because he can't sell books.

Oh wait. Wasn't the sequester Obama's idea?
Oops.

LOL.
Actual email text:

From Gene Sperling to Bob Woodward on Feb. 22, 2013

Bob:

I apologize for raising my voice in our conversation today. My bad. I do understand your problems with a couple of our statements in the fall — but feel on the other hand that you focus on a few specific trees that gives a very wrong perception of the forest. But perhaps we will just not see eye to eye here.

But I do truly believe you should rethink your comment about saying saying that Potus asking for revenues is moving the goal post. I know you may not believe this, but as a friend, I think you will regret staking out that claim. The idea that the sequester was to force both sides to go back to try at a big or grand barain with a mix of entitlements and revenues (even if there were serious disagreements on composition) was part of the DNA of the thing from the start. It was an accepted part of the understanding — from the start. Really. It was assumed by the Rs on the Supercommittee that came right after: it was assumed in the November-December 2012 negotiations. There may have been big disagreements over rates and ratios — but that it was supposed to be replaced by entitlements and revenues of some form is not controversial. (Indeed, the discretionary savings amount from the Boehner-Obama negotiations were locked in in BCA: the sequester was just designed to force all back to table on entitlements and revenues.)

I agree there are more than one side to our first disagreement, but again think this latter issue is diffferent. Not out to argue and argue on this latter point. Just my sincere advice. Your call obviously.

My apologies again for raising my voice on the call with you. Feel bad about that and truly apologize.

Gene