Cato’s Boaz: Obama’s Budget ‘Isn’t Serious’

One of tennis legend John McEnroe’s most famous lines is “You cannot be serious.” That’s how Cato Institute executive vice president David Boaz feels about President Barack Obama’s budget.

“This is isn't a serious budget proposal,” he writes on Politico. “Even the Washington Post, hardly a tea party organ, says in its lead editorial that the budget punts, ducks, uses gimmickry and rosy scenarios, and projects a national debt soaring past 100 percent of GDP -- into Greek territory. A man as intelligent as the president must be embarrassed to present such a proposal.”

Obama is locking in emergency spending levels of 2009 and 2010, Boaz says. “Republicans should tell him that the last pre-emergency budget — 2007 or 2008 — is the starting point for adjustments and negotiation. But Republicans haven't established much credibility on spending restraint either,” he writes.