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Subscribe to RSSThe Boston Globe called Obama’s speech “sweeping,” “audacious in scope,” and “part policy explanation and part political challenge.” And there’s this: “[I]n a recognition of the ascendant GOP in Congress, Obama loaded the plan with about $250 billion in tax cuts, in essence challenging Republicans to support him on policies many had previously exhorted.”
But: “The president repeatedly stated that the cost of the plan would be offset, but he provided few details on how he would accomplish that last night, other than asking the 12-member congressional supercommittee charged with reducing the growth of the federal debt by $1.5 trillion to increase its target by at least $447 billion.” More: “The decision to separate the introduction of the jobs plan from the deficit plan allowed Democrats to rally almost unanimously around the jobs bid, something they likely would not do if it included cuts to entitlement programs.”
The Washington Post's Balz says that Obama spoke with a renewed sense of urgency — and with more pointed rhetoric than he often projects from such a weighty podium.
The New York Times: “Though Mr. Obama’s proposals — including an expansion of a cut in payroll taxes and new spending on public works — were widely expected, the package was substantially larger than predicted, and much of the money would flow into the economic bloodstream in 2012. The pace would be similar to that of the $787 billion stimulus package passed in 2009, which was spread over more than two years. Analysts said that, if passed, the package would likely lift growth somewhat.”
The Boston Globe’s Johnson on last night’s speech and the GOP challenge facing Obama: “In word and deed, though, the rival Republican Party has made it clear it is willing to stand pat, even if the president and the Democrats aren’t. The GOP underscored its hostility with the simple act of staying seated last night as Democrats stood across the aisle to applaud many of the president’s ideas. There were few moments of unity even as the country’s leader offered his ideas for leading the nation out of the worst recession since the Great Depression.”
Roll Call: “Throughout the speech, the president avoided the lofty rhetoric that has been a hallmark of his oratory, opting for a more blunt tone.”
The Hill points out: “More than half of the new jobs package consists of tax cuts designed to encourage small-business growth and hiring.”
Politico’s Thrush: “The problem for Obama - even the fiery, focused Obama who addressed a joint session of Congress Thursday - is that his political fate in 2012 is tied to the unforgiving, largely uncontrollable metrics of economic misery. And none of his potential GOP opponents will be held accountable if Obama’s $447 billion proposal fails to stem the economy’s ominous slide, while all of them will arguably profit if he fails.”
“White House staffers say the only reason they chose the University of Richmond for President Barack Obama’s follow-up appearance today to his jobs speech is because it’s located 110 short miles from Washington — not to poke House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Obama’s least favorite foil,” Politico writes. “Yet no one in the West Wing is unhappy to see the presidential bully pulpit plop squarely in the Virginia Republican’s backyard. In their opinion, Cantor, who has emerged as the most powerful conservative spokesman in the GOP caucus, has made it his
Paul Krugman liked Obama's speech. "The good news in all this is that by going bigger and bolder than expected, Mr. Obama may finally have set the stage for a political debate about job creation. For, in the end, nothing will be done until the American people demand action."
So did David Brooks. “Thursday night the president gave one of the most forceful and compelling domestic policy speeches of his presidency. His proposals were drawn from the middle of the ideological spectrum and were selected to appeal to people who don’t put a lot of faith in government spending.”
The Wall Street Journal's editorial page did not. "We'd like to support a plan to spur the economy, which is certainly struggling. Had Mr. Obama proposed a permanent cut in tax rates, or a major tax reform, or a moratorium on all new regulations for three years, he'd have our support."
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The Boston Globe called Obama’s speech “sweeping,” “audacious in scope,”
Whoever wrote that is nothing more than a Barry-A$$-KISSING complete moron.
The speech was just more of the same old, same old, failed 2009 stimulus BS. Where were the "fresh proposals" that were promised when this infomercial was announced in early August??
This must be what the Pre-Speech Meeting went like:
Speech Writer: “Mr. President here is the speech”
Obama: “Did you put the part about ‘Pass the Bill’ in there?”
Speech Writer: “Yes Sir”
Obama: “How many times?”
Speechwriter: “17 times Sir.”
Obama: “Is that all you could fit in?”
Speechwriter:”Yes Sir, we think that is enough.”
Obama: “Did you make sure to leave out how we pay for it?”
Speechwriter: “Yes Sir, but don’t you think that may be a problem?”
Obama: “It’s OK; I’ll us Pelosi’s line about having to pass it before we know what’s in it or how to pay for it. It worked for her.”
Obama: “Only 17 times, eh?”
Speechwriter: “Yes Sir.”
Thank you, Mr. President for the GREAT speech and for the GREAT job you are doing. Well the people will be re-electing you as our President in 2012.
Smoke that Rick Perry and you low lives.
You catch the look on the face of the person who should be his biggest fan- his wife?
She knows.
Know who was invited to sit in her box? Immelt. The man who is closing GE's medtech division in Wisconsin, and moving it to China. The man who is closing their plane parts division, and moving that to China.
I guess paying zero taxes on corporate profits was not enough to keep those divisions here.
Provided the domestic situation remains static, (i.e., this "credible threat" does not come to fruition, or other outside influences come to bear), the grades on this speech will come in the form of the results of the two major daily tracking polls.
Keep your eyes on Rasmussen and Gallup come Monday. They will tell you how well this campaign speech was received.
"We must put a halt to the Political Circus"!
Said the Magician in Chief as he tried to pull a rabbit out of his hat.
x
Let's see the some balanced-approach media headlines, such as:
When will Republican leaders stop obstructing the recovery of our nation?
Do Republicans in Congress care about our nation?
When will Republicans agree to create jobs? One job?
Republican Governors like to cut jobs, for example 600,000 public employee jobs, and shift the cash to their benefactors.
Good point Backhouse. As for the right-wing riff raff, pace yourselves. You're going to have a rage blackout before you even see the real possibility for progress. And if the Teapublicans diss the president's olive branch again, this time they're going to get a public arse-whooping.
Joe in Albany?
Which Republican proposals in the President's speech did you disagree with, because everything the President is suggesting to increase job creation, is a solution Republicans have favored in the past. President Obama choose solutions he knew could get passed in a Republican majority House that was the point!
amyB - other than the tax cuts/credits, what support in the past have the republicans done and would still support today?
Infrastructure and school rebuilding is not short term job growth or really all that labor intensive. Schools would be far more labor intensive than roads and bridges which are more equipment intensive.
Job preservation of teachers and other non-protection service personnel is not job creation. Nor will it lead to the increased student performance in a global economy that obama says.
Since obama isn't expected to put his plan in writing untill around the 19th of september we really don't know his specifics, how it will be funded or which congressman will sponser the bill.
True, it will be interesting to see how obama and company will explain the upcoming government shutdown after oct 1. I am sure that you will be amused as well.
Which Republican proposals in the President's speech did you disagree with, because everything the President is suggesting to increase job creation,
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FR lefty liberals have been whining for years that "tax cuts don't create jobs".
Do Barry's tax cuts have some magic job-creating mojo that only lefty liberals know about??
This is just more of the same failed 2009 stimulus and the money will just be wasted. I'm looking forward to seeing how he's going to "pay for it". My bet: corporate jets, big oil subsidies and increasing taxes on the "rich". Again, the same old, same old, failed plans being dredged up for one more spin around the block.
Liberal or Conservative – Which are you?
It seems to me that the basic premise of each is as follows;
LIBERAL - Someone who believes that we should 'redistribute' income so that there is a basic 'fairness' in society wherein those 'less fortunate' are given a helping hand so that all of their needs are provided, and paid for by the 'fortunate', who can easily afford it. They will support ever increasing taxes.
CONSERVATIVE – Someone who thinks that people should be try to be self-sufficient, and that while certain basic 'safety net' expenditures are legitimate, we need to provide an incentive for people to succeed in America and not 'reward' people who make bad choices in their personal lives. They will support lower taxes.
Both are legitimate points of view, but I would submit that our choice should be based on what's best for our children and grandchildren, not what's best for us personally, because that would be selfish.
I must admit that I tend to favor the Conservative point of view, because I believe that it will create the best possible future for my children and grandchildren. This is my reasoning;
Studies have shown that the larger the level of government spending in 'redistributing' income, the slower will be the rate of overall economic growth and the higher the unemployment rate will be. A slower economic growth rate and higher unemployment rate will create far fewer opportunities for my children and grandchildren to realize their 'potential'. While income 'disparity' will be lower under a Liberal policy, 'average' income will also be lower.
I think that, while most people tend to favor the largely Conservative viewpoint, the reality is that we currently have largely Liberal social policies.
So which are you?
Joe in Albany "The Boston Globe called Obama's speech "sweeping," "audacious in scope," "
At $447 Billion, it's only about half as "sweeping and audacious" as his first $860 Billion 'stimulus' bill, of which this is nothing but "Stimulus 2" under a new name.
Well, JOEY the only thing blame the President for is not letting me sleep. I was so excited.
What will you say when the media writes about the job the GOP / Tea-nuts will have getting the President's foot out of the T-nut bottoms?
Bev, just reading your comments puts a smile on my face. That is just classic.
Spotlight on Congress as President thunders:
Pass this bill now!
As predicted, President Obama has given Congress an inescapable challenge – he’s taken the task of actually doing what the voters elected the Senators and Representatives to produce in the 2010 elections: Create jobs and make the economy grow.
In a thunderous, direct, in-your-face address before the Congress in joint session assembled, President Obama laid out a list of the measures to be taken to achieve the goal. He provided ideas that originated on both sides of the aisle, and he promised to deliver the actual legislation, typed up and ready to go, when the Senate and House return next week to work.
And he said, “Pass this bill now!”
The country already knew that his prior stimulus program, although inadequate to the task of moving the world’s largest economy far enough, had succeeded. It reversed the path of shrinkage that had been underway when President Obama inherited the Bush Recession, and it created as many as more than two million jobs. So this program, more targeted, can build on the record, it’s using proven methods.
The snide Tea Party nay-sayers, who only wish to tear down, rather than build up, should be very, very cautious now. They saw an inspiring leader in action, and President Obama is already taking his campaign for jobs to the nation.
The American people are not simply watching, Members of Congress – they are already calling out on
your phones and in your email, to Pass this bill now!
John and Bev, Well said.
I thought it was a great speech Bev. Tragically, the Teapublicans will not pass the bill, they will continue to pass the buck in their relentless desire to defeat President Obama.
Mr. President, the Teapublicans do not like you...Teapublicans are out to destroy YOU and take the country down at any cost.
Forget the appeal for bi-partisianship.......It ain't gonna' happen as long as YOU are President!
Bev - every village needs an idiot and I guess you got the Chicago job.
Hey, Reb, clever use of words.
Unfortunately,it adds nothing to the discussion and proves who the real "idiot" is, to cite your language.
On "ignore" from now on. Serious folk here have no time to waste on some drooling character sitting on a curb in the village square.
On the main topic, we can see that Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal is in lockstep with Grover Norquist, the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, the Koch Brothers, and the rest of the rigid ideologues who cling to a 30-year-old program that failed massively and created the very mess we'e in.
No credibility. What a shame that a once-great publication fell into the hands of the Murdoch empire.
Serious folk here have no time to waste on some drooling character sitting on a curb in the village square.
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That's a horrible thing to say about Bev.
Apologize now!!
John A
I had to take you off ignore to see your comment. I just put you back though so don't worry.
You NEVER added anything to a serious discussion - only to your back slapping buddies like Bev, Feisty, Navy et al.
As usual the tea people GOP republican trolls don't have anything constructive to say. Their just angry the President made such an uplifting speech last night. Now their falling all over themselves trying to see who can say the most out landish thing this morning.
Read laughed ignored moved on.
JohnA - it does remind me of the many liberal posts that also add little to the discussion at hand.
Hard to fault the WSJ's comment on what it would take to get their support...
Interesting that you see no value in tax reforms or tax cuts or a moratorium on new regulations. Must mean that you support the expiration of all obama tax cuts after 2012. the payroll tax cuts must really drive you bonkers as does the temporary lowering of what individual taxpayers pay into FICA. Keep in mind that the lowering of the FICA tax by individuals is made up by like contributions by the government into the plan to ensure no future loss of bennies.
American
They refuse to see that. All they want is to see this crackpot re-elected. To rephrase my previous post - every village needs an idiot and I guess Obama passed on the Chicago job to Bev when he got the promotion to the DC job.
reb - more than once have I questioned bev and navy on how what they say is related to the links they post supposedly in support of their remarks. never have gotten any type of civil response from them. Best I ever got from bev is that she admitted to being a staunch racist. I don't ignore them, but I do take pity on their lack of competency and unwillingness to connect the dots between what they say and the links they say that supports their arguments.
JohnA is not always mistaken and he does occasionally come up with some valid points to ponder.
Judging by what I see on this thread, worth repeating:
Well, I see a poll on the front page, asking how the address should be rated. You know- A, B C, D F….like a report card.
We will know how well it went, by the amount of ridicule and miss-direct attempts that follow by the likes of JAS1, NoJo, Joe Albany, ME FIRST Fairfax, Spanker, and many, many more.
OK, kids- let ‘er rip. We await your infallible barometers this morning.
Just like Pelosi with obamacare, Obama would like to shove his latest spending bill down our throats before it can be determined how much it will cost us!
I don't believe him for a second that his proposal 'is paid for!'
you complainers always worried about cost? this country had a larger deficit in todays dollars after the revolutionary war. there will always be deficits until the tax code is replaced with income steps with the top earners paying taxes on at least 60% of income, and that all income is taxed including capital gains.
quit whinning and get with the program! we must all stand up for our country men and create a great economy for all.
President Obama mentioned some people using our financial crisis as cover for relaxing environmental protections and lowering taxes for the wealthiest. You can see this in the comment in the Wall Street Journal today, and in remarks by Maria Bartiromo and Paul Gigot, who are spokes people for the big companies. Their focus is not job-creation, they couldn't care less about anything they see as peripheral to profit. Wall Street Republicans are not only greed-driven, they are shortsighted and incompetent. They'd kill the golden goose of our economy, if it meant having fricasse for lunch.
The WSJ, speaking for the Wall Street "geniuses" who got us into this mess said:
"Had Mr. Obama proposed a permanent cut in tax rates, or a major tax reform, or a moratorium on all new regulations for three years, he'd have our support."
Did any of you notice the tone of desperation in Obama's speech. He is on his way out like no other President in history. The political equivalent of being tarred and feathered and carried out on a rail.
He sees this coming and so does Moochelle. The usual diatribe of "Spend and Blame" is what we all expected from his teleprompter. How are we supposed to pay for this crap?? Pass it on to some future administration. That is theft pure and simple.
Time for congress to put a stop to this stupidity. Time for congress to TELL the empty suit what WE are going to do. Expose this Chicago trash for what he is.
By all means, tell Congress to continue their obstructionism and attacking this "Chicago Trash" and his wife, "Moochelle." Because if they do, Congress will be replaced in 2012 by a majority Democratic Congress, and you will be in group therapy for recovering Tea Partiers. President Obama and his lovely wife Michelle are focused on doing their jobs, if they wanted a cushy life they would have stayed in Chicago, spending his book royalities and enjoying themselves.
arnt those people all moochers edwards?
"Paul Krugman liked Obama's speech"
Being in moonbat land is not where a President needs to be, to get re-elected.
of course krugman liked obamas speech, he has no shame in his support. just wish I could remember krugmans opposites name who doesn't like obama. Bet if we could get them both in the same room together we could watch a great comedy show.
I wonder if Eric of Can't will be in Richmond.......or will he avoid being seen anywhere near The President.
SOUNDS like he's on board possibly
Eric Cantor and Paul Ryan will be hiding in a House closet, sharing a bottle of Jayer-Gilles 2004 Echezeaux Grand Cru.
http://gawker.com/5819496/paul-ryan-and-the-350-bottles-of-wine
If nothing else, President Obama sure has drove the tea people GOP republican trolls on this blog nuts this morning. of course it wasn't hard they were already 3/4 of the way there.
Just saw Priebus the tea people GOP republican RNC chair on MSNBC. What an idiot he made as bout as much sense as the trolls on here. If this is all they've got to get republicans elected their in big trouble. Steele was a train wreck, but this guy is 10 times worse the Steele.
I saw Priebus, Mo...
It's hard to make sense of what he said.....stringing talking points together is incoherent babble!
This will be the True test......do the Republicans really want to help America or simply get back into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
you are making the erroneous judgement that the left is right. However, current economic data says that they are not.
Wonder what excuses the left will give for promoting another government shutdown after oct 1?
BAILEY'S DAD, since your screen name tells us YOU probably have a kid, The Tea Party is about fiscal responsibility, job creation and the need to save entitlements for the next generation! What will you tell your grankids?! Ummmmm, something like.... "Honey, we fought hard to explode govt. SPENDING. So, YOUR generation is now bankrupt. Oh well, I guess you kids will be taxed so high that your standard of living declines and the entitlement programs ( Medicare,SS etc.) are broke. I hope you kids can get a job to pay the high taxes WE laid on you."
how bout that maybe obama will pass something???
The speech President Obama gave yesterday had some meat on it that can create jobs,and make the economy moving once again.Hopefully he follows up on the speech he gave,but it still remains to be seen.Not condemning the president,but merely concerned.Any politician who is playing with people's lives for their own political gain is inconsiderate,and unethical.Many people are suffering today merely because of the perception of our political leaders.Such politicians,we don't need to serve in our govenment.
golden e
This is why the President had to urge viewers to contact their Congresspeople to pass his Jobs Bill - because the politicians would rather entertain themselves with political games then lift a finger to help the economy recover. Contact your Representative! Tell them to pass the bill!
rickster, I think that if the Republicans fail to enact a jobs plan of some kind that Obama can sign, they are the ones that will go home. Right now, all they've done since taking control of congress is to manufacture and fiscal crisis that hurt consumer confidence and the markets. If you think they are going to get rewarded for that, you are pretty misguided.
Rickster69:
Are you kidding me? Shift the blame from Obama to the Republicans?? Obama may not have fixed the problem, but there is no doubt that the problem was in full bloom before January 2009. Anybody with a brain knows that we were losing more than 600,000 jobs a month when Obama took the oath. Anybody with a brain knows that the housing market was already in a DEPRESSION when Obama took the oath. To say that the speech shifted the blame from Obama to the Republicans is like saying the fireside chats shifted the blame from FDR to Hoover. The recovery has stalled. What we had before was a slide down a cliff - thanks to W. and the supply side idiots.
Bailey's Dad,
The two are synonomous.
A moratorium on new regulations.... what sense does that make? If there is a need for a new regulation, then it should be done. The idea that no new regulations is always good implies that all regulations are bad. That makes zero sense.
Everything in the plan is essentially some form of tax cut or road/physical infrastructure program. That is exactly what Reagan did. Republicans won't like it simply because the payroll tax cut doesn't help fat cats too much. Yes, fat cats will get more than $6500 apiece in FICA reduction. However, they don't care about any stinking $6500. They want more than fifty thousand dollars in tax relief. They want at least a new Lexus or a new boat. On a percentage basis, the fat cats aren't getting a full cut on the payroll tax cut. The really big givers to the Republican Party don't pay FICA at all after January. A few might not cap out until February. While they are benefitting from Obama's proposals, they are NOT benefitting to a disproportionate scale. And it leaves less room for their kind of extra special tax cuts for the extra special ("extry special" as we might say in the South) in the future.
And what about a full FICA deduction for Exxon-Mobile? Why should just small employers get a special FICA deduction? And why should Exxon-Mobile lose their oil/gas subsidies just to help small employers? That is not fair. Anybody can see that - at least anybody that doesn't pay FICA after January.
I like the President's emphasis on education so that many of the unemployed while still unemployed will be better educated.
Yes Will Haas,
They can pass the time between unemployment checks by reading books, playing chess, and whittling.
All I can say is the PUB party of NO needs to pay attention and get on board the country is SICK of their efforts to sabotage EVERYTHING the President does.
Now Murchoch VIA the NY Post fabricated statistics relative to Obama's efforts to promote green jobs, they said that Calif lost jobs when actually they are gaining green bots 4.2% annually and Calif leads the natiion. Just an great example of the Christain RIGHT WING EXTREMIST. Should be front page news everywhere.
AND after the GOP cuts the fire dept funding - Perry is asking for Fed funding............hmmmmmmmm - guess the CUTS are OK until one of them need some money.
They are the WORST hypocrites EVER.