Speaking about his 2016 budget proposal, Barack Obama offered an olive branch – with which he whacked Republicans. “I want to work with Congress to replace mindless austerity with smart investments,” he said, adding, “We can do so in a way that is fiscally responsible.” He continued along this line: “I’m not going to accept a budget that locks in sequestration going forward. It would be bad for our security and bad for our growth. … Part of the reason why we grew faster last year was [that] we were no longer being burdened by mindless across-the-board cuts.” First, the sequester was Obama’s idea. He used it to gain the upper hand against Republicans in 2011 budget negotiations. Second, when Congress passed it, he was the one who made it “mindless” in its implementation – everything from scrapping White House tours to making painful military cuts. Rather than cut waste, he cut visible and popular things to make a political point. Finally, as for working with Congress, well, we know how he views that chore going into the fourth quarter of his presidency – it ain’t going to happen.