In case you thought there was no story Fox News couldn’t spin to fit their Republican agenda, check out how Neil Cavuto and Charles Payne used the recent good news on the economy to malign President Obama – and talk up the sequester.
They accomplished their goal by suggesting that President Obama sounded a false alarm over the sequester (See, it’s actually good for the economy!) and ignoring the very real negative impacts it has had. Blaring graphics such as “SINISTER SEQUESTRATION!,” “REPUBLICAN DAMNATION!,” “TOTAL OBLITERATION” and “MAXIMUM FRUSTRATION!” flared on the screen in big red letters.
Cavuto pointed out rising home sales and home prices and 40,000 new jobs in the Washington, DC area since sequestration began. “It’s more than just consumer confidence,” he said to guest Payne.
Payne agreed. He said enthusiastically, “If this is what the end of the world looks like, sign everybody up. If this is what 2% cut in federal spending, if this is what it looks like, how about 4%?”
Payne continued, “We didn’t cut, we just slowed the rate of increase. Three hundred thousand jobs created since March 1st, and not counting this month, just the first two months since then. 40,000 jobs in Washington D.C. where the unemployment level is 5.3%. The average person watching this, their existing home is 173 grand in February, it’s 192 grand right now! The stock market is up 9%. What part of this sequestration has crushed the American economy?”
Cavuto said sarcastically, “Well you haven’t heard the latest. That it’s going to kick in, but a little later than they thought.”
Payne laughed derisively. “Just overall, Neil, the idea of going on a public relations tour to tout disaster, to tout the idea that America, America the greatest country in the world, we can’t take a 2% hit. In the meantime, you’re touting it to people, households who took a 1.3 trillion-dollar hit.”
Cavuto looked forward to the White House scandals possibly engendering even more cuts. “For good or ill, people are going to think ill of it, and they’re not going to be that supportive of government getting bigger if this is what it does when it runs amok.”
Payne agreed. “I think the general perception is, ‘Hey the government is way too big, way too powerful, and way too confused.’”
In fact, the sequester is doing real harm to real people. Brad Plumer (h/t MaddowBlog) has an article pointing out how more and more are feeling its effects. The list includes preschoolers being kicked off Head Start, federal courts facing new backlogs, low-income families being denied housing aid, national parks cutting services, military families feeling adverse effects, mass furloughs at federal agencies, cancer clinics turning away patients, and states cutting back jobless benefits.
None of that was even mentioned by Cavuto or Payne.
http://www.zerochan.net/1096598#full
Oh, and BTW- 37% of Americans say the sequester has hurt them, half of that say that it hurt them profusely. This includes that 66% of the Tea Party admit the Sequester has hurt them, and that 56% of Americans say that they want the right to STFU about budget cuts, because all they’re doing is closing police, fire, medical and schools.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/sequester-poll-91869.html
Seriously? Next time, go with the Pikachu drawing, guys…