It took Jake Tapper of ABC News to point out to Robert Gibbs, White House spokesperson, that their cost cutting announcement amounted to a complete joke. Most reporters present at today's briefing accepted the announcement without so much as a question about the lunacy of such a plan. Not Jake Tapper who took the White House to task for scoffing just a few weeks ago that the $8 billion in earmarks signed into law was minuscule compared to the overall budget. Yet today Robert Gibbs had the audacity to walk out to the podium and announce that President Obama had given his Cabinet Secretaries 90 days to come up with $100 million in savings. That may sound like an awful lot, but when you consider the annual budget is $3,700,000,000,000, it's an absolute insult to the American people. Just imagine if President Bush had announced such a plan at a live question and answer with reporters. I can only imagine the outrage that would have ensued. The federal government has "a confidence gap when it comes to the American people," Obama said at the White House. "We've got to earn their trust. They've got to feel confident that their dollars are being spent wisely." Now that is change you can believe in!
From ABC News:
TAPPER: You were talking about an appropriations bill a few weeks ago about $8 billion being minuscule -- $8 billion in earmarks. We were talking about that and you said that that...
GIBBS: Well, in terms of -- in...(CROSSTALK)
TAPPER: ...$100 million is a lot but $8 billion is small?
GIBBS: Well, what I'm saying is I think it all adds up just as the president said, just as Jennifer was good enough to do in her question. If you think we're going to get rid of $1.3 trillion deficit by eliminating one thing, I'd be -- and the administration would be innumerably happy for you to let us know what that is.
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