President Barack Obama went to the annual Associated Press luncheon on Tuesday. After receiving a sappy introduction from AP Chairman Dean Singleton, Obama assailed the fiscal year 2013 budget proposed by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and the conservative vision for America.

In the speech, Obama also attacked the Republican budget for cutting taxes for the very rich and placing the load on the backs of the middle class and the poor. In reality, the budget cuts taxes for every income bracket and takes away tax incentives and subsidies for those in society that need them least.

Don’t be deceived by the divisive rhetoric from Obama, he doesn’t mind giving to the rich either. In his budget, Obama gives handouts to wealthy businesses that do as he wishes and also gives a huge subsidy to people to buy electric cars. The cars, to say the least, are a bit pricey for those in the middle class even with a subsidy.

Obama attacked the House Republicans, specifically Ryan, who sat on the Bowles-Simpson Fiscal Responsibility Commission and voted against the final proposal. Obama said they are against a balanced solution.

He completely overlooks the fact the commission refused to take on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as ‘Obamacare,’ which will be a huge drive of the nation’s debt over the next decade. Obama himself flatly ignored the plan even though he was the one who called for the commission.

The teeth of the speech focused on the false assertion that a decrease in the growth of spending would doom research and development, the country’s infrastructure, education and bizarrely weather predictions. These comments deal specifically with the discretionary part of the federal budget.

Obama increased this section of the budget almost immediately upon arrival in the White House through his stimulus programs and budgets. It’s ridiculous for him to suggest that going back to the days before these increases, fiscally, would mean disaster for the country.

In the speech, Obama stated Ryan’s budget would be a ‘prescription for decline.’ This statement is extremely telling of his overall political philosophy.

For the president and other progressives, the United States is not a great nation because of its citizens, but because of its government. Pulling government back and allowing individuals to be, by some degree, less constrained by centralized control would make America a lesser nation.

This is not true historically, nor is it consistent with the traditions of the United States. The president’s vision is the real break from the ordinary. Average federal spending as a percentage of the economy has averaged about 20 percent during the past 50 years, which is reflected in the Ryan budget. Obama is now spending about 25 percent.

With all due deference to Obama, very few of the claims made about the budget in his speech were factual. He used half-truths and built up straw men to mask the real problems he faces: a lack of leadership and focused policy that can address America’s problems.

Later on Tuesday in response to the attack on his budget, Ryan said, ‘History will not be kind to a president who, when it came time to confront our generation’s defining challenge, chose to duck and run.’

Ducking and running is exactly what the president did in his speech by continuing to be derelict in his duties and empty in his rhetoric.

Patrick Mocete is a senior political science and policy studies major. His column appears every Thursday. He can be reached at pdmocete@syr.edu. 

Published on April 4, 2012 at 12:00 pm