Obama Privately Touts Sequester After Denying Responsibility in Debate

At Monday’s third presidential debate, President Obama pointedly promised that sequestered budget cuts that will affect defense spending “will not happen.” 

OBAMA: First of all, the sequester is not something that I’ve proposed. It is something that Congress has proposed. It will not happen. [emphasis added]

The next morning, in an off-the-record interview with the editors of the Des Moines Register, President Obama reversed course, taking credit for a sequester that he anticipates will be “in place.”:

OBAMA: “So when you combine the Bush tax cuts expiring, the sequester in place, the commitment of both myself and my opponent — at least Governor Romney claims that he wants to reduce the deficit — but we’re going to be in a position where I believe in the first six months we are going to solve that big piece of business.” [emphasis added]

After loud complaints from new and mainstream media alike, the transcript of the President’s interview with the Des Moines Register was made public today. Since these comments on the sequester represented a complete reversal of the position he took at the debate less than 24 hours earlier, it’s easy to understand why the President’s campaign initially wanted to keep them off the record.