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FAIRLESS HILLS, Penn. -- As members of Congress struggle to reach a deal on funding the government for the next six months -- with Democrats holding the line against Republican demands for deeper cuts -- President Barack Obama traveled to a wind turbine factory in Pennsylvania to push for continued investments in renewable energy.
But, even as he touted his clean energy agenda, the president opened his remarks by addressing the ongoing budget battle, urging lawmakers to reach a compromise that would avoid a federal shutdown.
"It makes it tough to win the future when you haven't passed the budget from last year," Obama told the audience at a town hall at Gamesa Technology Corporation. "You have to make compromises as a family. That's what we are: the American family. So Democrats and Republicans need to get together, work through their differences, keep the government running so we can focus on keeping this economy growing."
The White House announced late Wednesday that the president, House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Harry Reid will meet tonight at the White House after Obama returns from New York, where he is scheduled to attend an event early this evening.
Earlier Wednesday, Press Secretary Jay Carney told the press aboard Air Force One the president reserved to call a meeting with congressional budget negotiators at any time.
"He'll call a meeting at whatever hour of the day is necessary if he believes that progress is not being made, because we are very close to a situation that would bring about a shutdown in government," Carney said. "And he thinks it would be the -- highly unnecessary and the height of irresponsibility to not get an agreement when agreement is so clearly within reach."
The meeting is scheduled for 8:45 pm ET.
The latest stop-gap funding measure expires on Friday and the federal government will shut down if a new bill is not passed.
In Pennsylvania, the president spoke for about 20 minutes then spent another 30 minutes taking questions on issues ranging from the nation's electricity grid, gas prices and how to boost exports and reform the tax code to support U.S. manufacturing to oil imports from Canada, education and energy efficiency.
The energy-related town hall event comes a week after Obama unveiled his administration's plan to boost America's energy independence in part by promoting research and development in alternative sources like wind, solar and biofuels.
The White House believes the country can slash oil imports by about one-third by 2025 through these and other measures, like improving energy efficiency in buildings, raising fuel economy standards and encouraging the use of electric and hybrid vehicles. The president has argued that even during these tough fiscal times, the federal government must continue to invest in areas like clean energy that will help drive job growth and economic growth in the 21st century.
"We've got to pursue every breakthrough, every renewable resource, every technology, every approach to change the way we produce and use energy," he said. "What we want to do is promote all kinds of homegrown energy. That's what's going to help us secure our energy future."
Reducing America's dependence on foreign oil has long been a goal of this administration and then-candidate Obama made a trip here to Gamesa during the 2008 campaign. That goal has taken on new urgency as turmoil in the Middle East has helped spur an increase in gas prices at home to a weekly national average of $3.684 a gallon as of Monday, according to the Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration. That's the highest weekly average since the fall of 2008.
The president has set a series of ambitious energy goals -- like putting 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015 and generating 80 percent of the nation's electricity from clean energy sources by 2035. The administration has provided renewable energy grants to bolster the market for wind turbines, solar panels and other technologies as well as $2.3 billion of tax credits to expand clean energy manufacturing capacity and the president's budget for next year calls for continued investment in such program.
Obama -- who called clean energy "absolutely critical for our future" -- plans to hold another energy event -- the fourth in the past two weeks -- on Friday at an automobile transmission manufacturer in Indianapolis.
NBC's Scott Foster and msnbc.com's Carrie Dann contributed to this report.
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C'mon, President Obama.
Never let them see you sweat.
He must have read Mark Murray's account of the numbers in the new NBC/WSJ poll.
"It makes it tough to win the future when you haven't passed the budget from last year,"
And why not? The Democrats had control of everything last year, and had 9 months to pass a budget for the 2011 fiscal year that began on October 1, 2010 - more than 6 months ago. The Republicans passed a budget within weeks of taking over the House in January, but Harry Reid still has not proposed a budget, and continues to stall.
Pass the Budget, Harry Reid, not the Buck.
Wow, more "back room deals" are blowing in the wind.
This is sounding more and more like the unconstitutional Mandated Universal Health Care Reform legislation wheeling and dealing which went on for nearly a year, with no thought of a budget. I wonder why ?
Who wudda thought that a Democratic President, Democratic controlled House, and Democratic controlled Senate could, or would, not pass a 2011 budget which has led to this. Now the Democrats are wanting to blame the Republicans for the Democrat's lack of leadership and professionalism. Time for all Democratic Congressional Representatives to head out of town to avoid voting on this issue.
Blame someone....then, blame Mr. Obama, Kiing Reid, and Queen Pelosi.
President Obama is a great leader who through his calmness, will be the adult and get this resolved.
@ldo...look in the mirror and blame yourself you Elephant Be Hind..
The new(er) DNC talking point is "Obama is the only adult in the room".
Cute. Not quite as catchy as Hope for Change, but it has a beat and the sycophants can dance to it.
So, how does that talking point fit with this?
http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/0411/3_minutes_9ec22276-d70d-43d1-8f7d-ef29ed55cbcc.html
Three minutes. Three.
Then he hopped on Air Force One for New York and Philly. To speak at fundraisers. Kind of sheds some light on the old priorities, does it not?
Ah, well- Chuck Schumer will be by with First Read's latest gold star for adhering to the talking points. You guys have a bunch of them- probably right up there with your Palmer Method awards from second grade.
Who needs a Pulitzer when you have a party to protect, right?
Give it up Boehner, the Republicans have jumped the shark!
Job1
Who are you kidding... where's Biden? And where was Obama earlier today... campaigning - 24/7.. that is all he knows how to do. It's all about him.
You (Job1) have to be tired of defending GW Bush 44. Yeah -- WTF... what a joke.
WAYNE-------The phrase jumped the shark, has jumped the shark.
I wonder why the left is giving Nancy and Harry as pass on not passing the budget last year, which was part of their job. Just because the Democrats did not want to go out on the campaign trail with a vote for a Nancy Pelosi drafted budget hanging around their neck did not mean they could shirk their duties. They chose to put the campaign ahead of doing their jobs, and the left said nothing. The left wingers need to shut up about the Republicans budget since they had their chance and they blew it.
Just for fun, let's play a game, imagine that You are the owner of a home badly in need of repair, so You hire a smooth talking contractor named,"Faceman", no real experience, but he looks and sounds good and says He's going to "change everything, You can believe him!",so You do believe him, and give him two work crews of his choice, and total control over the project, and then sit back and wait for the renovations to begin,....and wait....and wait.....and nothing happens, a year passes, and then two, and all they have done is spend money, give away a lot of your building materials to their friends, and alienated all Your old friends with their arrogant , rude behavior, all the while the House continues to deteriorate, and they still haven't even come together with a plan! so You say, this ain't working, we better shake things up a little, so you fire one of the work crews, and bring on new hires,they are experienced builders and they really want to do the work, and quickly come up with a plan to get the job done, but the old crew and contractor are, "huffy", about You letting their Buds in the old crew go, so they have decided to do a work slow down, just to show you who is boss,( and to blame it on the new crew so they can get their pals in the other old crew back),now, this contractor and crew think they have You, You will, of course, believe them because You did before, and after all, they are the same old crew,and they know their contractor,"Faceman", still looks and sounds good, but,..... as you look at Your crumbling house,....now in danger of collapse, and watch as that old crew sits around on coffee break badmouthing the new guys, or taking extended lunches to go cash their paychecks for another long weekend, while the new crew tries to get them moving, to do something, anything! but to no avail........ YOU have a decision to make, now what will that be?.....
E tu' Kevin Drum?
Drum;
"At this point, I really have no idea what he thinks of taxes, the deficit, Medicare cuts, or much of anything else on the domestic agenda. I guess he's figuring that if his political opponents insist on digging themselves into a hole, he might as well stand back and let them. But if he keeps this up much longer, there's going to be nothing left of his presidency except "Well, I guess he's better than the wingnuts from the other party." That may win him reelection, but it won't do much more."
And the Latest from Ezra Klein isn't any better...what gives?
"But then there's this critique from Ezra Klein, which strikes me as very much on the mark:
"But perhaps more disappointing are the times the president has shown up. Last week, Obama laid out his first major energy plan since the campaign....[It] was a terrible disappointment. Forget the ambitious cap-and-trade proposal that candidate Obama pushed in 2008. President Obama’s energy plan undershot the cap-and-trade plan that John McCain and Sarah Palin pushed in 2008."
http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2011/04/obamas-disappearing-act
They have both been among the president's most loyal supporters...
I guess Obama finally figured out that we can't 'energize' our future with windmills and solar panels (a) on our roofs, so he now says that we need to build nuclear plants and drill for oil.
(a) - Interestingly, we have about 86 million homes in the U S, and at $10,000 each, we could have used the $860 Billion 'stimulus' money to put panels on every home in America, and created millions of jobs in the process, but I guess it was more important to save all of those public union employee pensions instead.
We could have used all the money stolen from us in the stock market. Our retirement accounts have lost a total of $500,000 from the Wall Street debacle of 1985 and the biggest in 2008. It has never come back from 1985 levels. For all you people who think they would be rich if they had not paid into Social Security--your money would be gone.
We could have used all the money spent on campaign ads, lobbying fees, the BILLIONS the Insurance companies and God Knows Who Else have spent in the last 2 years going against this plan or that.
President Obama IS our leader.
He is THE leader of the entire country.
Mixed Bag "President Obama IS our leader."
Thanks for the laugh, I needed one today.
Not joking, Roy.
If President Obama intervenes...there will be no government shutdown.
There's nothing funny about any of this.
Nothing funny is right, Mixed Bag.
But, Obama is not a leader. He is a poseur.
There is a difference.
I guess nj, that this is your own weak attempt at humor.
Mixed bag:
He may be our president, but he isn't any leader. He's a great politician and speaker, but again, he is no leader.
Of "...the pack"?
One day my dad said, "Find someone new"
I had to tell my Jimmy we're through
(whatcha mean when ya say that ya better go find somebody new?)
He stood there and asked me why
But all I could do was cry
I'm sorry I hurt you (the leader of the pack)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WKP8-Ni-m0
Why is everyone, like Chris Matthews, at MSNBC feeling sorry for Boehner? He appears weak and on the verge of tears. He is in over his head. We all know this yet he gets sympathy. Pelosi would have gotten the tongue thrashing by the same Chris Matthews and most men and women on MSNBC and all the networks for that matter. What double standard. Do your job as a woman and get raked over the coals for it. Don't do your job as a man and the public feels sorry for you. Waaaaa! Give me a break!
Congratulations to Kloppenburg in Wisconsin. You go girl!
That is a good question. Boehner encouraged the "teabaggers" when he decided they could elect Republicans. Now that he has to dance with them, he is reaping the whirlwind. Serves him right.
Oh right...and obumbo is scretching crap like, "there needs to be compromise" , "we're all a family of Americans" , or whatever. BS, he wouldn't be talking that way if they still had the super. He'd be flipping the GOP the finger and saying, "I won, you lost", "my way or nothing". Well Mr. odumbo...FU, you're a miserable POS and so is anyone who still supports you and your whacked out agenda
Shame on you. Obviously you haven't a clue on what makes a good leader. I suggest you take a deep breath and think about the craziness that filled your rant.
Irenemiscione:
Please enlighten us all with your wisdom and extensive knowledge on the qualities and that make a great leader.
Why don't we talk about where the real problem stems from; Bush tax cuts, Wall Street, American corporate tax havens, speculation, trying to police the world with military, but we never hear anymore from politicians about strengthening programs like social security, medicare, and medicaid; I mean, we have a generation of people that are getting older and it makes good sense to put our strength into making these programs stronger for them; instead of maker them weaker. For one, I believe doctors, hospitals, and the pharmaceutical industry should give up a little money and stop stealing from the people so much!
Mr. President - Your party could not pass a Budget 8 or 9 months ago - please try and be a leader and thell your Party to Compromise and lets get this Budget passed!!!!! Or are you once again going to show the American people that you really do not know what you are doing.
Not when the Republicans block you at every turn and stall the process. You need to get your facts in order.
Donna there are none so blind as those who will not see. Like you.
Job1 - I do have all my Facts in order and you seem to forget that the Democrats had control and should have passed a Budget for 2011 last year.
newdayDAWING10 - Why is it that you Liberals are the only ones that can voice an opinion. My vision is perfect and I can see what is going on and your insults are typical Liberal Democrat rude comments - which is what you do best.
Donna: go back and read your comment. You obviously posted it without thought. You are taking the position that one side has refused to compromise, when in fact that is all they have done. It is the "teabagger" position that they will not negotiate. Which is why you are blinded by the Fox "news" light. Do turn it off and try and educate yourself. No one said that you could not voice an opinion. But once it is posted, you must realize that you will be called on willful ignorance.
newday - Better go look in the mirror and then keep your ignorant comments to yourself. Now I have better things to do than try and reason with a onesided liberal democrat like you - and by the way - Do You Spend more Money than you Make???????? How much are you in Debt????
Donna - good for you.
Newday and Job1 must have already forgot what happened in Nov 2010 and why it happened.
Let the government shut down...It will put everything and everyone in better perspective.. Just let it go and Let It BE...
forest gump - how dare you take a name from a thinking human being that was kind and generous - oh well you republicans will hijack all that is good in this world having said that - do you really know what is at risk - if we shut down? All pay checks to our service men will be held up and the wives who are left behind have to pay the rent, all public patks like Yosemite will be closed and all the rangers will not get their salaries, no big deal all of our contractors as pointed our by Barbara Boxer have contracts who can sue the government for non payment - your refunds from your IRS will be withheld, - except your Republicans will be paid they put an addendum in this so they get paid, but 800,000 people will not way to go you jerks make sure you get paid ! Yukk you make me sick with your ignorance
And you believe the democrats are against getting their pay?
Obama,
This isn't red America or blue America, but the United States of America.
If we can just come together around what is right, right?
You can do it!!
Rich tell the Republicans to get rid of the riders - Planned Parenthood - where woman can get thier medicine and exrays for breast cancer - PBS and the Arts where I get my pleasure from. Kevin Spacey did a wonderful speech on the Arts - how many fly into Broadway from around the world - he said not only do the Arts give but they give millions in dollars for businesses who come to see it! Princes supported the Arts Abraham Lincoln read Shakespeare and the Bible incorporated both in his speeches and most of all when England was being invaded Churchill was asked to defund the Arts and he said then "Why are we fighting for?" Grow up America, read, learn and quit being so backward - shame on you!
Barbara, Could you please find your PLEASURE somewhere other than in my wallet?
This is America but we are not united on the national debt, immigration, war, taxes, unions and on and on......and there is no one uniting us, only admonishing us to do as he wants. What he wants is the community to spread the wealth, look to the government for sustenance and get along with the simple people who are trying to kills us, or move into our country at our expense. No thank you.
tt904
Why don't we tt904; the issue stems from the Democrats in charge who would not legislate a 2011 budget! What more needs to be said person?
SPEND SPEND SPEND until Community-Organizer-in-Chief is defeated in 2012.
Oh Rad what this President is trying to do is protect the middle class, what the Koch Brothers and your Republican friends are trying to do is destroy the middle class - listen learn open your mind on what is going on across this country - look at wage earnings they have declined - look at the hours - benefits - vacation- they have declined - look at Germany six weeks vacation - wages are high - health care is available you have bought into the propoganda of the BS
Barbara:
Perhaps it's you that needs to open those closed liberal eyes. First of all, Germany is on the decline for the same reason...too many entitlements, thus the rioting in the streets. Secondly, unless you work at McDonalds or some unskilled labor job, work here in the USA is not that bad. If you have the skillset employers are seeking and need, you will be compensated handsomely. If you don't, then you compete with the illegals for the low wage, no benefit jobs. You liberals all believe that having a job is a right and that our gov't should provide you one. Try this instead, go out and find one and quit relying on our gov't for a handout. With your sniveling and rants, I wouldn't hire you to mop the floors.
Oh, and one more thing. Obama repeatedly cites on TV that the economy is much better. In fact, his economic advisers claim the recession is over. I suppose you agree with this as he is your god and savior?
Barbara - News Flash for you - GE paid NO TAXES to this Country!!!!!! Now why don't you ask President Obama to check with Jeffrey Immelt and find out why. Oh thats right - it is all about the Tax Code that we have in this country. People can get around paying TAXES!!!!!!!!
p>Were it not for the mess that Obama inherited, things would be better today. Did Obama ask for the personal war against Saddam Hussein? No. That war is still costing us today. Did Obama bail out AIG, perhaps the largest in US history? No. Did Obama create the housing industry crisis? No. As I recall, it happened under Bush s watch, well into his second term. Corporations, like individuals, should be held accountable for their reckless spending, and should either stand or fall, w/o government intervention. That is what Chapter 7 liquidation laws are for. /p> p>When Clinton was in office, our country s growth accelerated at a rapid pace. There were plenty of jobs, you could walk out the door of one on Friday, and have another by mid next week. During Clinton s last 7 years in office, he demanded to run a balanced budget, and did so. His successor, Bush, did the absolute reverse of this. /p> p>How in the hell is one man Obama going to dig us out from under 8 prior years of fiscal irresponsibility? Bush couldn t even run a MLB team, let alone our country. /p> p>The Tea Baggers will run this country in the ground. I do approve of one thing that they did though, we didn t need any more new jet engines, they blocked that. On the other hand, countless dollars are being wasted by policing the globe. Instead, this money should be placed back into the Social Security trust fund, where the Repubs stole it from. Many baby boomers have paid their hard earned dollars into this fund, and have every right to expect it to be there when they retire. /p> p>I predict that Obama will be reelected in 2012, in a landslide victory. /p> p>Cat /p> p> /p> p> /p> p> /p> p> /p> p> /p> p> /p>
The Democrats have no desire to put a budget in place. They are well aware that to do so would mean an end to the socialist type plans that they hold near and dear for the reduction of this nation to another "Peoples Democratic Republic".
If a budget were agreed upon there would be no need for name calling and finger pointing, it would be quite obvious to even the least educated and politically aware of our citizens just who was overspending and to what ends they were doing so...this would prove disastrous to those controlling the purse strings.
Army if you are I take it you have been stationed in other countries and have seen their health care if not army you will have health care from the VA - full coverage as my husband has and the VA will take care of you so how dare you not want the rest of the country to have the services that you will fully enjoy
Barbara, I put my life on the line for those benifits. Join up and you can have them too, Otherwise STFU.
Gulf:
Ditto. Agree with you 100%. How dare you Barbara to think you're also entitled to these services these troops get for their sacrifice. You want them, then join up and serve, if you have the guts. Typical damn liberal..."I want what he has but I don't want to work for it, just give it to me, because I deserve it." "Damn Repubs are keeping me from what's rightfully mine." You are one sniveling immature child!!!
Rallyforge - Yep Barbara feels ENTITLED!!! This is what is WRONG with this Country. To many people feel ENTITLED. Our Government has created a Monster and now it will be hard to make necessary cuts. But they have to be made for the sake of the future of this Country.
I have known of very few instances in my lifetime where any American citizen was denied the opportunity for the same medical benefits that I now enjoy. Unlike folks like Barbara Adams Jackson I do not feel that those benefits are an entitlement, I worked for them and I payed for them in ways that she refuses to understand.
I have no enmity toward Barbara nor toward any other socialist that is living in freedom in the United States of America. My desire is that these same people begin to shoulder their share of the burden that the Armed Forces carry every day, 24/7, to protect and defend the very document that Barbara wishes to see destroyed, the Constitution of the United States of America.
Their Staff--THEIR STAFF is going to work through the night? Why dont Boehner & Reid work through the night? We did NOT elect their staff.
This proves these old guys in Congress are just too old to do their jobs.
Reid did not win the election because he is a good leader or that people even liked him--he won because he was better than the other choice? WE don't have a decent choice in this country.
Lisa - I have read your postings and I find you to be totally lacking in thought - first of all Boehner is a known drunk - even Joe in the morning said you can find him at the bars at five at night - Harry Reid has an ailing wife - no surprise at his age - but this is what staffers do and are paid to do - the fact of the matter nothing will be done because Boehner is not Nancy Pelosi and is being hijacked by his whatever by the used car salesman, the garbage guy and every other idiot that was elected to understand how to govern - god bless us all
Barbara Adams Jackson - First of all Who are you to say that Lisa's postings are totally lacking in thought. Who put you in charge of what someone can say and how to make a comment. And then please provide PROOF that John Boehner is a known drunk. See - now that is a useless comment. The situation we are in now in this Country has been largely caused by the Democrats controlling the House the Senate and the White House. So then I ask you - Where is the Budget that the Democrats should have passed about 8 months ago to prevent this from happening?
Donna:
I agree with you 100%. Barbara is a very condescending selfish individual with a mean streak. She believes the world owes her a living and substance and will degrade and harass anyone that disagrees with her.
Also, if I recall, the democrats postponed addressing the budget until after the elections for obvious reasons...their careers. The repubs are tackling this issue head on and it bothers Barbara. What a hypocrite she is.
Rallyforge - Yep you said it. Have a Great Day!
Feisty --The Blackhawks won in OT.Toews Rocks.
Does anyone realize that we BORROW $4 BILLION per day? And the pols are argueing over making 60 billion in cuts? A measly 15 days worth of BORROWING, not spending? Does any of that REALLY sound sane to you, that we borrow that much every day and can't forgo it for only 15 days in a whole YEAR?
I love the headline..."Obama again calls for budget deal, another meeting of leaders." SSince obozo hasn't led on a f'n thing during his first 2 years and left it all up to the other two stooges, pelosi and reid, the title is PERFECT! He's calling on the REAL leaders!
Why wasn't he calling on HIS leaders who controlled congress and HIS leaders that controlled the senate and passed a budget bill last year? Obozo, as president you can't vote "present" when the road gets rough like you did as a short-term inexperienced senator. That's what we have at the head of our govt., not a 'leader." obozo the clown is going down in 2012.
Slide if you are going to address the President of my United States and you call him any name but his real name I don't give a didly what you say some respect my man, I never denigrated your unfortunate pick in your last two elections and I expect none less from you- All your name calling make me sick how dare you address my president with your garbage mouth - how about I call you a redneck - or a hillbilly - or whatever - For shame intelligent discussions need not
Barbara Addams Jackson - YOUR President. I thought Mr. Obama was the President of the United States of America. Name calling is not nice - but why do you only recognize name calling now and when Obama and the Democrats are involved. Where were you when the Democrats have been NASTY to President Bush? See now I guess you are talking out of both sides of your mouth and once again show the double standard that takes place in this country. It is a shame that intelligent discussions can not take place - but like your comment above - your own words said Lisa's comments were lacking in thought. Well she was stating her opinion. Maybe some people don't like what you say and that they can not have an intelligent discussion with you.
Barbara, Slide can say whatever they wish. I defended that right, Sorry if that hurts you sensitive feelings but you know what? I DONT CARE ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS.
If it was that important Barry, why the tea & crumpets meeting yesterday with Al Sharpton? Why all the "campaigning"? WHY?
Bev:
Please elaborate further on your comment.
why not recall the senate and house people that only want what is good for there states-ear marked money.seems that Washington D.C. is out of touch with Americans.what can we do to stop this madness.3 wars billions lost,who voted these people in.fuel,food,housing,
I'm still trying to figure out why this wasn't taken care of when the Democrats controlled the House, Senate, and the Presidency. You would think that passing a budget isn't all that difficult. There was an election in November. The Democrats received one of the worst defeats in modern history. They have got to know that the Senate and the Presidency are in serious jeopardy if they don't start doing the will of the people. Pass the damn budget. If the people aren't happy with the way things are going, they'll dump the Republicans and put the democrats back in. But just standing in the way of people that are trying to do the job that they wouldn't when they had the opportunity isn't going to play well with the American people. The Democrats are getting bad advice from somebody.