Republicans in and out of Washington savaged President Obama’s proposed budget for the 2013 fiscal year as a broken promise on deficit reduction made worse by a series of gimmicks that overstate what budget savings there are.
The theatrics of budget day are time-honored. The party that does not hold the White House decries “magic asterisks” and “Enron accounting” in the president’s budget, then declares it dead on arrival. But the indignation that greeted Mr. Obama’s budget on Monday seemed to be amplified by the presidential election, debt crises already rocking Europe and the sheer size of the additional debt envisioned by the president’s plan: $6.7 trillion through 2022.
“The president has abandoned his role as leader of the nation,” declared Senator John Barrasso, Republican of Wyoming.
Senator Bob Corker, Republican of Tennessee, accused the president of mocking the American people. Senator Ron Johnson, Republican of Wisconsin, asked why the president “is even seeking a second term” after his “true failure of leadership.”
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