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Subscribe to RSSThe Washington Post: "President Obama will hit the road this week and forcibly deliver his message that a combination of spending cuts and tax hikes on the rich is necessary to rein in the nation’s rocketing debt — a high-stakes effort to rally public support ahead of a series of contentious budget battles in Congress."
"From Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale to Facebook’s headquarters in Silicon Valley, Obama will make a series of campaign-style stops in an effort to block a Republican plan that would reduce the deficit by dramatically changing Medicare and reducing spending on education and other social programs."
"Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Republican leaders have assured the White House they are prepared to lift the debt ceiling in time to avoid disruptions to capital markets and a potential credit default," the Wall Street Journal writes. "In interviews aired on the Sunday talk shows, Mr. Geithner said House Speaker John Boehner and other senior Republicans told President Barack Obama in discussions last week that they were aware of the risk of a credit default and were open to lifting the limit even in the absence of a comprehensive deal to slash the country's debt load."
Obama’s signing statement: “President Obama issued a signing statement on Friday night saying that he could bypass a provision in the new budget that would prevent him from appointing White House “czars” to oversee major policy initiatives,” the New York Times says.
More: “During his campaign for president, Mr. Obama criticized President George W. Bush for what he portrayed as abusive use of signing statements to nullify the will of Congress. Mr. Obama vowed to show greater restraint. To be sure, Mr. Bush’s use of signing statements was often informed by a conservative legal theory that invests enormous power in the office of the presidency, a theory to which Mr. Obama has not adhered. But since taking office, Mr. Obama has seemed less reticent to employ signing statements than his campaign statements may have suggested.”
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President Obama will have more success at spending cuts and tax hikes on the rich than Bush did. Polls prove it.
Thank you for your opinion my favorite racist, but who actually cares what the Great Campaigner-in-Chief believes? He's out in 2012.
Beverly,
that's because he is not an ideologue rather, a realist. Republicants/Teabaggers, with their thinking faculty beneath the sole of their shoes, remedy to all sorts of economic impasse is always "tax cut". think, when last have we had a robust economy under the rebulicants.
He may be realist.
However Tom Freedman described Obama solution are "Subpar solutions". They makes a dent to the problem but does not alter the situation. Gunatanao, Afghanistan, Gas situation, Tax negotiation, Healthcare. You can go on and on. I honestly think he lacks the understanding of people. He is like minister who knows what Bible is but not what parishioners problems are and how to bring solutions.
We do not need jsut a prgamatic. We need a prgamatic problem solver who has a capacity to sell the issues and solutions not himself.
raj at www.chicagoman.com
RAJ,
It is not that his solutions are not good, it is the fact that they were all blocked or watered down by the Repubs in the Senate. He understands people WAY better than any of his Repub/TP counterparts and is way ahead of them on many fronts. Much of the problem lies in the fact that nearly ALL of the media is Corporate owned and the advertisers call the shots on what news is covered and how. THAT is why Pres. Obama is on the road talking to the People Directly, the Media gloss it over and do not cover him the way that they give air time to the Birther idiots and the long string of right wing ideologues and their massive lies.
It is WAY past time to bring back the Fairness Doctrine and require News Corps to actually tell the TRUTH, instead of calling themselves "News Entertainment and Opinion" shows. Fox won the right to lie in a Florida Court, calling it their First Amendment Right to lie about the news, and Canada will NOT allow their broadcasts there as they DO have Truth in Media law. Limbaugh is also not allowed there. And we wonder why they are weathering the recession so much better than we are!
B Honest,
that is so ridiculous its funny...90% of the media give this guy a pass everyday..and maybe thats why you are so uninformed.
Yoy have right to be partisan but that does not solve problem. What media? MSNBC, CNN and most media gives him all the credit he can handle. There are always opponents. But leadership is to come out with propositions that are acceptable to large segment of population and furthers the cause of nation.
Your kind of liberalism is as bad as evangelical hate for gays and muslims. There has to be rational avheivment on Presidents part. He is just singining off things to. One may cook a dinner and serve. But good cook make good dinner that is well served. I am sorry Obama is not that cook.
RAJ at www.chicagoman.com
RAJ, By that standard, Bush promised a lavish turkey dinner with all the fixins and then brought out a burnt Cornish game hen and two raw potatoes and proceeded to drop them on the floor!
It is good to see the President on the poltical road again. He seems to be very comfortable talking with all our citizens. This President understands that sitting in Washington is a bad idea, and the votes for 2012 are not in Washington. The people and their votes on all issues do count, and this President is a great listener. He is quickly able to comprehend what people are saying to him, and answers citiizens questions as completely as possible. This is a good thing America! President Obama seems enjoys being on the road, and this gets him in very challenging positions. I want to see how this President thinks on his feet. I am very curious to see how this President critically answers questions in many speaking situations. No Tea Beggers! The President will not be needing a teleprompter. Please think crictically, and listen carefully when the President speaks GOP/RNC. I wonder if that is even possible?? The quick answer is NO! Oh! That's right. They are still the "Party of NO!"
Progressive,
Many can't wait until 2012. Then we will be happy to see Barry on the road for the final time - back to Chicago to reside with the two keyboard queens.
Barry can speak well to the masses, but fails to deliver what he wants you to hear. I too would like to see him address questions from common folk who would like to hear his plan to reduce gasoline costs, grocery costs, medical costs, or how to obtain a loan to purchase a house.
"I too would like to see him address questions from common folk who would like to hear his plan to reduce gasoline costs."
The President recently gave his snotty answer about high gas prices to a commoner....
He mocked the questioner, and condescendingly told him to sell his 'gas guzzling' car...
Hey Bob,
Conservatives are always talking about free market solutions to problems. Seems like selling a gas guzzling car would be a sensible solution to high gas prices. Or, do you feel "entitled" to government subsidized lower gas prices?
Amy,
I think Bob was responding to how arrogant and condescending Obama is toward the common folk.
Amy,
A CHEVY VOLT FOR EVERY OBAMA VOTE!
Obama goes on the road and talks to college kids, knowing that they don't know all the issues and haven't experienced enough real life to not believe at least part of what he says to them, and it keeps him out of Washington where people actually expect him to do some work besides campaigning.
I woke early Sunday morning because of the rain and wind battering my window, which meant I had two cups of coffee in me before I watched Meet The Press, and I still couldn't stay focused during that Geithner interview. Note to the Obama administration: Geithner is a lousy spokesman. Note to Meet The Press: Gregory's interview with Deval Patrick on the Press Pass segmanet online was the best part of the show.
"Geithner is a lousy spokesman"
It is not so much the messenger, it is the left wing message of 'more of the same'.
Defending the unsustainable status quo, using hateful class warfare rhetoric against "the rich", attacking the only sane sensible plan out there.
Wonder if Geithner has filed his tax return?
He owed $40,000.00 when obama appointed him Sec'y of the Treasury.......paid quickly with NO penalties! (awwwwwwwww.........it was the fault of Turbo Tax!) Was he too STUPID to fill in the blanks?
We'd be in jail with Wesley Snipes!
David Gregory didn't ask Tim Geithner about the new reports Wall St. fraud. I'm shocked
MSNBC, nice dodge...let the "signing statement" issue slide on by, with no discussion...
Shhhh...another rock solid Obama campign promise has met its expiration date. Move along, nothing to see here.
The Dem House organ NY Times mildly puts it this way:
"During his campaign for president, Mr. Obama criticized President George W. Bush for what he portrayed as abusive use of signing statements to nullify the will of Congress. "
This is another reversal as brazen as Gitmo. In a December 2007 interview with the Boston Globe’s Charlie Savage, Obama vowed to never issue signing statements as an end-run around Congressional instructions, like, say, what Obama has now done: the directive he curtail the appointment of senior administration officials not subject to Senate confirmation.
Savage won a Pulitzer for his attack-dog coverage of Bush's supposed abuse of signing statements. Now , silence...
Bob-1887910
MSNBC, nice dodge...let the "signing statement" issue slide on by, with no discussion...
Shhhh...another rock solid Obama campign promise has met its expiration date. Move along, nothing to see here.
The Dem House organ NY Times mildly puts it this way:
"During his campaign for president, Mr. Obama criticized President George W. Bush for what he portrayed as abusive use of signing statements to nullify the will of Congress. "
This is another reversal as brazen as Gitmo. In a December 2007 interview with the Boston Globe’s Charlie Savage, Obama vowed to never issue signing statements as an end-run around Congressional instructions, like, say, what Obama has now done: the directive he curtail the appointment of senior administration officials not subject to Senate confirmation.
Savage won a Pulitzer for his attack-dog coverage of Bush's supposed abuse of signing statements. Now , silence...
Contrary to what you lyin nuts in right world believe, President Obama does not posess autocratic power; nor did George W. Bush. Bush got away with dramatic incursions on civil liberties because he had the consent of Congress, not over its opposition. Congress after 9/11 was eager to go along with almost any expansion of the natioanl security state that Bush and his authoritarian crew could propose. Democrats went along with Bush and Republicans on attacking Afghanistan, invading Iraq, the PATRIOT Act, and even on domesticwiretapping, for which Congress legally indemnified cooperating phone companies, and on torture, which Congress not only refused to investigate or told hold Bush administration officials, to include judges like Jay Bybee the president and vice president, accountable via impeachment, but which also, at the leadership level, apparently signed off on the torture of KSM.
Scary @aa Congress defunded Gitmo. check it out.
BTW: is this Savage guy that freak on the radio? You do know that Savage is a racist?
Well Bev, many don't know if he's a racist, but your comments prove that you are.
Nice cut&paste job Bev, no substance, but critical as always.
More hot air and lies from the arrogant Campaigner in Chief. Does this guy ever stay in D.C.?
President Obama has never gotten off the campaign trail, that is all he knows how to do. He doesn't know what to do in Washington so he flies all over the country, on the taxpayers dime, telling everyone how good he is and how he saved the world.
" President Obama will hit the road this week"
We could only WISH that he was on the ROAD again!
Millions and millions and millions it will cost us the next 18 months for "Obama One".
328 FLights in 2009/2010........who can even Guess what it has already been in 2011? (more than any World Leader in History!)
Holy cow....he flew back from Chicago and grabbed a fresh toothbrush to continue CAMPAIGNING!
And next month.......Ireland (golf), London (sightsee) and PARIS!
(oops.......forgot the all important flight to appear on OPRAH!) On OUR dollar, of course!
Has anyone noticed, he hasn't said a word about the tragedy in the South. Oh, I forgot, not a lot of votes here for him.
Dave.......I made a comment about "No Comment from the Prez" and got an email smack by the Mods!
That was before Sat. night when those horrible storms hit just a bit North and South of my home in Virginia Beach!
--------------------------------------------------------
Nov. 7, 2005
" President Bush is voiced his "deepest condolences" to families of those who died in the tornado that struck Indiana over the weekend."
March 3, 2007
"ENTERPRISE, Ala. — On a mournful mission, President Bush climbed over piles of concrete, roofing, insulation, broken glass and textbooks Saturday that littered Enterprise High School, battered by a tornado that killed eight students."
"Macon County is honored to have welcomed President George W. Bush who toured tornado-ravaged sections of Lafayette and Macon County on Friday, February 8, 2008."
Feb. 9, 2008
"While visiting tornado-ravaged Tennessee, President Bush stopped in to speak to residents affected.
---------------------------------------------
Whether people liked Bush, or not.......he truly cared about the American People!
It would go a LONG way if obama would just make ONE quick stop to one of these tornado devastated areas and did a quickie photo-op!
But he did not do good in New Orleans. Those things are often gets mixed un in complicated schedules
N'Orleans
Bush CALLED the Governor of Louisiana to offer Help.......SHE was having a dinner Party and said "we're fine".
Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin left town in his big Limo and allowed hundreds of people to drown and could have saved MANY by using hundreds of school busses that were flooded and destroyed!
So don't say a dam thing about Bush!
Failure to be Patriotic
The problem facing this country are solvable except for failure to be unselfishly patriotic and love of the power of the office. President, Senators and Congressman loves their entrenched status more than doing right by the country that gave them priviledge to rich to such and exalted status,
Prtesident Obama by sear force of his race and nuances of politics achieved Presidency. He mad us beleive that he will do everything without self interest to do right by the his coutnry the United States.
Now he is unwilling to sacrifice his relection and instead sacrificing larger interest of our country. He lacks courage of conviction and audacity to be patriotic. He is no Regan nor Clinton. Those two had their short comings but it was perosnal weakness rather than Patriotism.
If he would have ended war by adopting Biden frmual, we would have been in better shape in Afghanistan, we would have saved billons and lot more lives than in Libya.
If he would have stayed firm and gambled to raise taxes on everyone, we would have been 4-5 Trillion toward future deficits and national debt during his December compromise.
If he would have stayed firm on cost control as a main strategy for health care, he would have helped debate helpful and further.
If he woudo have accepted Federal finacing of Presidential election that McCain did, he would have drawn a line for all future elections and paved a way for equity in elctoral process, an extra ordinary contribution towards reducing the money in electoral process. He demnurred.
Time and again he fails to lead. Do we reall want this guy for next 4 years and pay Billion for his relection?
I only ask you to consider. I ask this so that you may ask of all candidates a test of characted with degree of clarity that you can hold them accoutnable to. Our media has lot to do to be patriotic. They are failing to steer coutnry towards solving problem and in false debates of street fight to pay over priced under knwolegeable commentators. I am saddened.
raj at www.chicagoman.com
Barack Hussein Obama has decided to attach a signing statement saying he will not abide by a GOP rider in the just passed "Not Cutting Enough Spending" bill that would defund the unconstitutional "Czar" positions in the Regime. Obama's move is just another major flip flop.
During his presidential campaign, then-Senator Obama was quite critical of the Bush administration’s uses of signing statements
Then-Sen. Obama said he would “not use signing statements to nullify or undermine congressional instructions as enacted into law.”
Thetotas--While I agree that leaning heavily on signing statements makes me uncomfortable, I would never say never is the political biz. Few of us could have predicted the cliff the tea party would lead us to and the need to preserve executive power to appoint people to carry out the programs he considers necessary.
Dave 781--you aren't happy when the President stays in the White House--not happy when he goes on the road. The President is President 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and always on the job whereever he is--You are just an unhappy person because you have been steeped in the hatred dished out by the Fox "news" folks. Get some fresh air.
opajack,
and just what cliff is the TEA party leading us to..? fiscal responsibility possibly? I know liberals hate that cliff.
"STANDARD & POOR'S RATING SVC. said it was lowering the outlook for U.S. sovereign debt to "Negative" from "Stable" due to the risk posed by the growing deficit. "
I think someone should tell Obama and the Dems. He hasn't heard the news ! OH, I FORGOT, he's out campaigning again