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Subscribe to RSSTwo lessons learned from Obama’s official campaign kickoff … “Go” hard or go home … Romney pushes middle-class message … It’s still the economy, stupide and blakas – what Europe’s election taught us: danger for Obama and Republicans … Biden’s loose lips on gay marriage, but why doesn’t White House embrace it? … Two polls show close race … A busy 48 hours … and the first rule of Veep Fight Club is don’t talk about your credentials.
Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign rally at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio May 5, 2012. Obama officially kicked off his re-election campaign today with visits to Ohio and Virginia.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS)
*** Obama tries to re-frame the election: There were two things that stood out to us that the president tried to do in his stump speech during his official campaign kickoff events in Ohio and Virginia: (1) His attempt to answer – or re-frame -- the question, “Are you better off than four years ago?” The Obama campaign knows that is a powerful question and a powerful argument against their campaign with a sluggish economy and they tried to pre-but it by asking, instead, “Will we BE better off” years down the road? It was the most important thing he tried to do -- and the first POSITIVE campaign ad from the campaign doubles down on this; and (2) He tried to paint Romney as an empty vessel, an unknown, just an investor, who will acquiesce and go along with whatever congressional Republicans will want to do. Some of the rest of the speech we’ve heard already. We knew the Obama campaign would run on economic fairness; it’s a message that hasn’t changed in six months. By the way, there was one new talking point that shouldn’t be missed. Both Obama and the vice president on Meet the Press made sure to preface their attacks on Romney by saying he’s a patriotic American. When you hear that, you know an attack’s coming. It’s the new “with all due respect.” Here’s our analysis from this weekend’s events, including the biggest missing piece of the president’s pitch: a second-term agenda that’s more than just protecting his first-term achievements.
The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd previews the upcoming political events this week including the official start of President Barack Obama's re-election campaign and the primary being held in Wisconsin to pick Gov. Scott Walker's challenger in the upcoming recall election.
*** When you’ve gone too far… Go: Trying to further re-frame the election -- and pre-but arguments on the economy -- the Obama campaign is up with a new ad, called, “Go,” that is launching in nine states -- Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. (No Wisconsin and Michigan; No Arizona, Indiana or Missouri). We think we can confirm what the Obama campaign believes are the “swing” states. Back to the ad, what’s fascinating about it is how half of it is about trying to “re-educate” or remind voters of where things were before the president took office and just how deep the financial collapse was. It’s not quite morning in America, but more -- still the middle of the night, but sunrise is on the way. It highlights the auto industry’s rebound, killing Osama bin Laden, the end of the Iraq war, and creating 4.2 million jobs. “We’re not there yet. It’s still too hard for too many, but we are coming back, because America’s greatness comes from a strong middle class because you don’t quit and neither does he.” By the way, the ad is the campaign’s first positive ad, and it might be gone in 60 seconds. Will we see another positive ad (at least in English?). It’s very possible he doesn’t run another positive ad the rest of this election. (Also, a reminder that on Thursday, Obama will raise money with George Clooney, in a fundraiser expected to haul in $12 million, which would be a record for a single event.)
*** Romney’s middle-class message week: The Romney camp will try this week to exploit the president’s vulnerability on the economy -- that Obama tried to reframe this weekend -- with messaging focused on the middle class this week with Romney in Cleveland today and Lansing, MI, tomorrow. (Yes Michigan; this is a state that the campaign is going to spend the next 60 days trying to put in play; it’s a family thing). “President Obama has been a disaster for the middle class,” a Romney aide said. On cue, the campaign is out with this statement this morning: “Americans will hear a lot from President Obama in the coming months, but what they won’t hear from him is the fact that his policies have wreaked havoc on the middle class. After a doubling of gas prices, declining incomes, millions of foreclosures, and record levels of unemployment, Americans know they’re not better off than they were four years ago. Mitt Romney’s pro-growth agenda will get America back on track and stop the middle-class squeeze of the Obama economy.” And it’s out with a video hitting Obama on the economy called, “Silence.” Of course, it’s not clear what Romney will pitch to the middle class other than his bad economy message. As we've reported previously, Romney's tax plan cuts taxes for the middle class by an average of just $249, raises taxes on the poor, and cuts taxes for those making more than $1 million a year by a whopping $146,000. And that’s the challenge for Romney.
*** It’s the economy – in whatever language – stupide or blakas: Socialist Francois Hollande’s defeat of Nicolas Sarkozy represents, as NBC’s Jim Maceda reported on Nightly News this weekend, the 11th ouster of a European leader since the financial crisis. And in Greece, voters went against austerity (and anti-immigrant). We can draw two lessons from the different results: (1) It’s still -- and always will be -- the economy, stupid, in whatever language. You can talk all you want about likability, but it should be another warning sign for the Obama campaign and the White House that the economy and how people feel about it is what’s going to determine this election; and (2) Both were backlashes against austerity, and that could be bad news for the Paul Ryan advocates of the world. Austerity’s unpopular, even if there are strong, vocal strains arguing for it in this country.
*** Portending a close race: Two CW-setting polls for the week are out this morning show the race between Obama and Romney a dead heat. A Politico/GWU poll shows Romney up 48%-47%. And a USA/Today Gallup swing-state poll shows Obama up 47%-45%. Both are within the margin of error. A reminder that this is a close race, and is likely going to BE a close race. By the way, speaking of what happens in “close” races; one other thing that jumped out at us at the weekend rallies was just how far ahead the Obama campaign is of the Romney campaign when it comes to organizing on the ground. It’s not even close on this front; It’s amazing how in just eight short years, the Republicans have allowed one of their great strengths from 2004 (field organizing) to simply disappear. If a close election is decided on mechanics: advantage Obama. By the way, with all this back-n-forth on crowd sizes -- it’s fair to say Obama ’08 would have out-drawn Obama ’12 in both cities. But the problem for the GOP is that Obama ’12 still outdraws Romney ’12… and by a LOT. Will Romney address a crowd as large as Obama did on Saturday before Tampa?
*** The danger of Biden being Biden: Vice President Joe Biden made news – and stirred up a sensitive issue – on Meet the Press on gay marriage. The vice president said he is "absolutely comfortable" with gay marriage, going slightly further than the president has gone on the subject. Obama has said his views are “evolving.” Biden’s office reacted quickly, putting out a statement after the show, saying Biden was speaking for himself and not setting new administration policy, but that his views are evolving as well. This is going to be an elite kerfuffle, among Democratic elites, the gay community and the Washington-New York-Hollywood nexus. Are swing voters really going to base their vote on this? Not likely, especially considering there’s been movement in FAVOR of gay marriage. The White House may have erred in reacting at all. They’ve created a BIGGER story. They would likely have been better off just letting it hang out there, because what Biden said isn’t all THAT different from the president hinting that he’s evolving. By reacting publicly, they may have given oxygen to brush fire and created more of a problem than they would have had. Now, the gay community is going to be upset that the White House and campaign is saying they’re not there yet on gay marriage. This was something already bubbling beneath the surface, but bringing it back into focus runs the risk of alienating what’s been an important group financially. By the way, does President Obama have to address this now at the Clooney funder? Bet he gets asked.
*** 48 Hours: The last 48 hours and the next 48 are among the busiest in politics so far – from Obama’s campaign kickoff to the European elections… and don’t miss what Ron Paul did in NV (winning a majority of the delegates at convention). It’s similar to what he’s done in a handful of smaller states across the country like Maine, Massachusetts, Iowa, and Louisiana. … Richard Lugar will likely see the end of his career – a poll out show him down 10 points. Does he even come within single digits? ... There’s the Wisconsin Democratic primary to face off with Gov. Scott Walker in the recall election … The North Carolina Democratic primary for governor with the issues that state party has had … plus, the North Carolina gay marriage ballot initiative.
*** Like Fight Club, the first rule of being on the Veep list is -- don’t talk about being on the veep list: New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte violated that rule this Sunday on Meet the Press by touting her resume. Let others say that for you. Ironically, she showed some political inexperience by doing what she did in talking about her EXPERIENCE… “"I have, some would say, better experience than Barack Obama had when he was a senator and ran,” she said, as reported by NBC’s Alex Moe.
*** On the trail: Vice President Biden raises money in Nashville and Atlanta … Romney holds a town hall in Cleveland at 1:50 pm ET and the raises money in Indianapolis with Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels at 5:00 pm ET.
Countdown to Indiana Senate/Wisconsin recall primaries: 1
Countdown to Wisconsin recall election: 29
Countdown to Arizona 8 (Giffords seat) special election: 36
Countdown to Utah Senate primary: 50 days
Countdown to Election Day: 183 days
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Definition of AUSTERITY: Paul Ryan’s budget and Romney is for it, said it is marvolous, he hopes that it will be on his desk first day in office so he can sign it.
Oh yes! Romney should be so swollen with pride; the top 1% has finally given him their endorsement. It looks as if Wall Street, Big Banks, the Oil Companies, Insurance Companies and Pharmaceutical Companies have found their candidate. 75% of Romney’s votes so far in every one of the States are from people making above $250,000. This is the making of AUSTERITY.
I wonder just how many people that are making over $250,000 they can get to come out to any of Romney’s rallies
Ryan's plan is his proposal to transform Medicare into a system of subsidized private insurance plans
Cut:
Welfare
Housing assistances
Farm subsides, Agricultural subsidies ($30 billion)
Federal workers
Transportation
6 percent less on science, space, and technology
Education Services
Poisons
Border Protection
Student loans
FEMA
Student loans
Unemployment
Food stamps
13 percent less on veterans
Ryan wants to "shower the wealthiest few Americans with an average tax cut of at least $150,000
Of the list I could only accept the cut in farm subsides and government workers. Though food prices would go up.
Cutting the benefits of veterans would just be criminal after a decade of warmongering.
Border protection just seems counter to the Republican agenda. They are the ones that are suppose to be anti-immigrant.
Where do you get the numbers for the tax cut. I haven't seen that.
Name one society that suceeded by increasing taxes. The cuts proposed are mostly by NOT increasing. We need to get people off the government dole and into productive society.
From MSNBC and Media Matters. Where do you think?
President Obama's biggest issue this year may be having his base turn out to vote for him again.
Personally, I think Obama's base is more enthusiastic about him that Romney's base is enthusiastic about Romney. Romney is the candidate of acceptance. The Republicans didn't want him, but they settled for him because of the choices they had he looked like he had the best chance of taking the White House.
No one really wants Romney, they are only voting for him to vote against Obama. That is a sad sad way to pick a POTUS.
His base will turn out. He is their only hope. It is those that have buyers remorse that is his problem.
Romney has the least integrity of any major party candidate in the last 40 years.
anaxgnosis.....really.....and you think Obama has integrity....lol..what a joke....
Obama does have integrity. Romney is a corporate sleaze.
About Republicans for Obama
Republicans for Obama is a grassroots organization of proud party members who all share one important trait— we are Americans first and Republicans second.
Founded in late 2006 as part of the nationwide effort to encourage then-Senator Obama to run for the Presidency, our volunteer-run, grassroots group now includes thousands of members from across the nation. Together, we represent a cross-section of the millions of Republican and conservative independents who support President Obama's reelection in 2012.
Although we have campaigned, worked for, and voted Republican all our lives, we recognize that President Obama is the right leader for our country at this time. Our current Republican leadership is unable to stand up to the most extreme elements in our party, no matter the circumstance. Meanwhile, President Obama has challenged his own party on numerous issues, including taxes, healthcare and foreign policy. President Obama has forged a pragmatic, common-sense path forward during a challenging time.
President Obama has rejected the politics of division and the win-at-all-costs attitude that has hurt our ability to move forward as a nation. While we as Republicans will not always see eye to eye with President Obama, we know that his politics of unity is the only way forward for America.
-Republicans for Obama
http://www.republicansforobama.org/about
wow, what great propaganda.
finally a voice of reason frm the Republican party. Where have you been?
keck propaganda? have you read any of the news for the last 3 years
Keck just can't accept that someone might not vote strictly along party lines. Guess they are just a bad Communist, I mean Republican, to vote against the party.
I'm an Independent voter myself and I would have no problem with Obama losing to a better leader. It would be nice if one was running.
I am sure there are many past republican voters like me who voted for President Obama and who are not going to accept the new republican platform. I'm not buying into the republican austerity program to provide more tax cuts to the wealthy.
And you want to sell that BS?
It seems like even Romney's son knows the different
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/03/13/romneys-son-praises-obama-he-is-great/
"It's the Economy Stupid!"
23 million unemployed, 19% underemployed and CNN reports 86 million no longer looking for gainful employment. Who's in charge? Who's the President?
313,472,971 people in the USA and well over 100,000,000 not earning anything or a lot less than before. $1.5 Trillion added to the debt each year. $15.7 Trillion and counting! Four more years of tears?
Who gets the job in 2012? Romney, the anti-Obama.
I hate to break it to you but it takes longer to fix the economy than to break. When Obama took office we were losing jobs at almost the pace of 1 million jobs a month. That has been stopped and while growth has been slow jobs are now being created. Hardly enough to keep up with population growth, but at least people who have jobs aren't quacking in their boots that they are going to lose their jobs at a moment notice.
I should know. I lost a very nice job in the IT field in 2009 and am now working part time in one good job and working at a gas station at night to make up the difference in hours. I'm making half of what I use to make. But I'm not upset about it, because I can make ends meet and I feel fairly secure in what I'm doing.
Iowa guy it usually takes about 18 months for monatary policy to kick in so when Bush started the TARP spending and a few months later Obama doubled down on that bad idea we should have seen a strong upturn in early 2010 IF it was the correct move. It was a bad move therfore little to no gain. It helped the donors to both parties though.
It didn't take Reagan long, then again he was competent to the task.
Quote President Obama: “I want women to control their own health choices, just like I want my daughters to have the same opportunities as your son.”
In reference to: ‘I am the father of two daughters. I understand women’s rights — from contraception to equal pay — on a deep and personal basis. This is not abstract politics to me. Is it to Romney?’
Mitt Romney: Planned Parenthood, we're going to get rid of that
http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/309910/3/Romney-speaks-in-Kirkwood-about-jobs-energy-and-deficit
http://www.gopusa.com/news/2012/03/15/democrats-ride-romneys-planned-parenthood-remark/
Another diversionary tactic to try and hide Obama's incompetence. Here are the facts.
Perhaps the most critical measure of our economic health as a country is our total national debt to GDP ratio. An economy hits the danger zone when the ratio exceeds 100%. The following numbers show how Obama’s policies have failed this country.
U.S. Total National Debt to GDP ratio:
1992 – 60% (Bush Sr. last year in office)
2000 – 60% (Clinton last year in office)
2006 – 63% (Last year of Republican Congress)
2008 – 70% (Bush Jr. last year in office)
2009 – 85% (Obama 1st year in office)
2010 – 93% (Obama 2nd year in office)
2011 – 102% (Obama 3rd year in office)
2012 – 105% (estimated to exceed)
Yawn. Peter17 you are boring me.
Peter...your point? if you wanted to impress us then you should have researched what were the GDP figures during the great depression. You are implying that the world melt down in 2008 had everything to do with President Obama? Do you have any clue what would things have looked like if we did nothing ? You are blaming Bush and Obama for doing what needed to be done to keep us from another Depression. You also do not take into an account that the President was saddled with paying for fighting two wars that he thought we should not be in. You also did not take into account less taxes being brought in since Clinton.
We had RECORD tax revenues since FY 2005 under the Bush Tax Cuts
http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/ftpdocs/120xx/doc12039/historicaltables[1].pdf
Larry- duh as the population grows the economy grows and tax revenues increase- nothing to do with your bs claim that all tax cuts raise all boats- if that was so why did we have the great recession again. Oh yeah, the dem congress in 2006 despite the fact job growth(private) sucked since 2002 and the subprime blew up pror to the 2006 election.
INAP,
1. Revenues increased at a greater amount than they did under Clinton
Corporate tax revenues increased by 60% under Clinton, a fairly good number
Corporate tax revenue increased by 146% under Bush
Individual taxes increased like amounts for both Bush and Clinton. So are liberals like yourself then willing to say that tax increases don't improve tax revenues any more or less than tax cuts?
BTW, 2007 which was a Republican budget (the Dems took over in Jan 2007, long after the FY 2007 budget was signed), was a record year for individual and corporate tax revenue
Bush had 52 straight months of Job Growth after the taxcuts were implemented and unemployment was at 4.6% in 2007
Obama will go down as the worst president in american history....Carter will no longer have that title...and nobody thinks Obama is great...with the exception of you liberals...and this war on women is a freaking joke....
Romney 2012....
Obama...the end of an error....
Dixie by who's opinion.... yours??? make sense darlin.
I hate to break it to you. Carter already lost that title to Bush.
Go ahead and try to defend a president who started an un-necessary war just to impress his daddy.
I think this president is going to go down as one of the best. I think history will see a clearer idea of the issues he was facing and give him some credit for slowly but surely leading this country out of the economic chaos it was in. It is a heck of a lot better than it was in 2009. Money is flowing more freely, the stock market has regained alot of its losses, confidence is up, and like Iowa Guy said, at least the people who managed to hang onto their jobs aren't as uneasy as they were a couple of years ago. My only concern is letting the GOP in with their insane austerity program---but then again, we only have to look at the people of France to see how the public reaction to that plays out.
It will be fun seeing the look on the faces of the uber liberal on November 7th.
Sheila,
That's laughable
1. Worst recovery since the Great Depression
2. Less people working now than when Obama put in the "Stimulus"
3. Longest downturn in housing in the nation's history
4. Over 3 million people quit trying to get a job in the last 15 months
5. Record number of people on Food Stamps
6. GM shifting production to China
http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500173_162-20110006.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500173_162-20110006.html
7 Let Egypt go from Ally to takeover by Muslim Brotherhood
8 More new debt in 3 1/2 years than all 8 of Bush years
9. Obama budget plan calls for the debt to climb to 26 Trillion by 2022
10. Quadrupled the deficit and his budgets forecast trillion dollar deficits for decades to come
Dixie,Your lack of historical knowledge is appalling. I would be curious, however, to know far that ignorance extends. My experience is that many folks with your kind of opinions are anti-science as well. How old do you think the Earth is? And do you believe Man was created divinely a few thousand years ago? Often, people on the far right (evidently main stream republicans) take their science the way they take their religion- like a cafeteria where you just choose the bits you want to believe in and ignore the rest. Is that true for you?
Larry- why dont you check on recoveries after financial caused recessions. Much different then inventory imbalance caused recessions. etc. Those pesky little details
You mean like the Reagan and Bush recoveries?
anaxgnosis
I'm as far right as they come and a Pentecostal/Evangelical Pastor and Theologian to boot so I'd love to answer you
1. The earth is approx 4-6 billion years old and that is not inconsistent with the Bible which I believe to be the literal word of God
2. Mankind was created by God approx 10-15,000 years ago
3. Science is wonderful- I've been studying it for almost 60 years. What isn't scientific is the abusing of science and abandoning the scientific method as is the case with liberals.
ranmarie - Paul Ryan made a proposed budget that re-formatted Medicare. I truthfully do not know if that is the best plan but I will give him credit that he put out a plan for debate. A fact that even Clinton acknowledged is that Medicare in its present format will not last; and by the time I retire I will want something in place that didn't require mortgaging my child's future.
In this great country, Congress used to be able to work these differences out in committee. Proposals would be voted on. If there were problems with it, people would vote against it, and you had a baseline for negoitation. Now, with provocation from the media, all we and our representatives seem to do is launch verbal cannonballs at it without having a useful negotiation. That poses a problematic future for both you and me.
Texas those that support President Obama in large part agree that budget trimming is needed .... when the country can sustain the cuts. with huge chunks of our electorate out of work you have to ask yourself is this the right time to cut their legs off? When you look at the cuts from the Repubicans it is ALL on the backs of those who can least afford these cuts this is not only heartless it is stupid the problem will simply get worse, those that are destitute will get more destitute and you will have a social crisis the likes of which we have nt seen in decades. The President has proposed measured responses to the recovery . You do not teach someone how to swim by throwing them in the water..... they will drown.
The problem with the Ryan plan and Medicare and is that they already have something like that. It is called Medicare Advantage and it costs the taxpayer more than regular medicare and often comes with less benefits. Because while the private insurance companies are required to cover everything that Medicare covers they are allowed to cover it at different rates and deny treatment as they see fit.
To quote that ol' conservative Ann Coulter; "If we don't nominate Chris Christie and Romney is our presidential candidate, we will lose." Perhaps you guys would be more convincing if lots of members of the Republican Party weren't saying the same thing, loud and clear.
He's an American jobs killer who got rich doing oit with foreign investment money, who has established off shore bank accounts to avoid paying his share for the betterment of America and has an earned reputation of flip-flopping on every issue most see as flat out lying. That's the record that will carry him to victory? Hardly!
Republican support for Romney has always been mediocre at best. But there are always those die hard Republicans, and also Democrats, who will vote strictly along party lines because they have been raised to believe to do anything different would be un-American. Thus, much of the division we see in American politics these days.
Forget the parties people and take a look at who you are really voting for.
Hey President Wasn't Me, "It's the Economy Stupid!"
http://www.usdebtclock.org/ open the link and check out the facts on National debt, unemployment, underemployment, poverty and much, much more. Dismal.
Blame others, deflect responsibility,and ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK! The Founders and generations of military Defenders are so proud of you and your party. Work hard and pay your taxes so nearly 50% will need to do neither. Thank you very little. One and Done!
Name 10 recent politicians who didn't go negative that got elected.
Yes it is! So why don’t you ask all the GOP members of the House and Senate that you all voted into office in the last 4 years why they did this
People love to blame President Obama for the economy but they forget or do not want to remember
Another GOP false propaganda, Democrats have had control of the Senate since 2007
Since 2007 and more so after President was elected, the GOP has been stopping any and every bill they could that would help the economy and jobs growth, even bills they voted yes on before 2007 and even bills they themselves helped to write then turned around and voted NO. For one reason and one reason only to make the economy so bad that it would force the president out. I know some of you are going to say the Democrats had control but, not actually.
Up until 2007, most bills in the senate only needed 51 votes to pass. Unless there is a filibuster, then the bill needed 60, so here are the amount of Senators and the amount of GOP Filibustering from 2007-2010: Senate McConnell said on the floor Friday that 60 votes for any bill is commonplace, only since the GOP has been using the Filibuster rule, has 60 votes become routine.
Senators:
Did we really ever have 60 Democratic Senators in the past 3 years......and if so, for how long? For about 2 months
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x467727
110th Congress,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Senators_in_the_110th_Congress_by_seniority
2007 Senate Democrats 49 members, Independents 2 members, and Republican Party: 49 members.
2008 Senate Democrats 58 members, Independents 2 members, and Republican Party: 40 members.
2009 Senate Democrats 57 members, Independents 1 members, and Republican Party: 40 members.
111th Congress
Party standings in the Senate 2010-2011 Senate Democrats 57 members, Independents 2 members, and Republican Party: 41 members.
Filibuster rule:
http://uspolitics.about.com/od/usgovernment/a/filibuster.htm
Filibusters skyrocket under Republican minority in 110th Congress.
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/03/31/republican-filibusters-skyrocket/
The Staggering Rise of the Filibuster
http://politics.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/robert-schlesinger/2009/11/25/the-staggering-rise-of-the-filibuster.html
the Fillibuster was used (when congress were made up of responsible people) to delay action on a bill in order to provide time to work out a compromise that both parties could be happy with. Since the 2008 election, it has been used incessantly to get absolutely nothing done and it succeeded once the house republicans won the majority. History will be extremely harsh to this Congress,the lack of confidence in the Congress is just staggering 85 to 90 % beliving they are just incompetant. Congress determines how we budget our money not the President so it is really pointless to blame the President for the economic disaster we live in. those that blame the President either have no clue or are using the blame game to exploit it politically.
So RanMarie, still making excuses for PresiDEBT Obama? The GOP never had a filibuster-proof majority while Bush was in office. Are you trying to say that the Democrats haven't accomplished anything because of the GOP? Even when the Dems held the Presidency and majorities in the House and Senate?
You always want it both ways. You bitch and whine about all the things that happened under Bush, totally ignoring the fact that spending, while way too high under Bush and the GOP, skyrocketed under the Dem-controlled Congress that Bush had to work with his last 2 years. You like to just ignore the fact that the Dems held the power when they took over Congress. You absolve them of ANY responsibility. Then you want to blame the GOP when they are also in the minority, like now. Seems the Dems are incompetent, neiither stopping ANYTHING they deemed bad while in the minority and also not being able to pass good stuff while in the majority. And yet you continue to vote for the clowns.
PresiDEBT Obama hasn't even had to work under the constraints of a budget, thanks to the Dems. I am not sure that would have flown under the radar if it was a GOP President and Congress.
Joe is absolutely right on this point. A Republican-majority house has proposed right-leaning budgets and a Democratic-majority Senate has refused to bring them up to vote and then take to committee (a la my earlier point Joe). This makes for a very inept Congress that seems to lack leadership and compromise.
In the absence of leadership in the Congress, the President could step up and bring them together. Some would argue that President Obama has tried to do that; but truthfully the starting points of the President has been such so not to erode his base for re-election. To move to a moderate position would hurt his re-election chances (the independents don't equal the same number as the base). I think this is where Clinton succeeded; it was an easier conversation to have back then with the benefit of the incredible job growth and economic surge powered by Internet commerce.
Reach down, grab and yank your head into the light. The House has passed numdrous jobs bills that the Democratic Senate will not allow to go to the floor for a debate let alone actually vote where there would be a record of their action. You believe the lies and therefore are part of the problem. This president has done nothing to encourage debate and he is paying the price.
The Cloture rule (aka filibuster) was put in place by the DEMOCRATS
the 60 vote rule was implemented by the Democrats, revising it downward from their own rule of a 2/3 majority in 1917.
We elected a campaigner, not a leader. MLK said, "A Leader does not strive for consensus, a true Leader molds consensus." You just prove my point, blame everyone else, deflect reponsibility and ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK! President Obama is accountable for absolutely nothing. Never has been and never will be. Time for "Change we truly can Believe in." Romney 2012
Texas ... You are spot on. That is what make Obama different from Clinton. It is a huge difference. Clinton knew how to lead and garner respect.... Obama will never have that respect and will continually be an ineffective leader! As a result Obama will go down as the next "Jimmy Carter" and Bill Clinton will be viewed as the Democrat's " Ronald Reagan".... Respected and revered by both parties.
Ranmarie,
If you want to debate and/or accuse, at least get your facts straight
The Cloture rule (aka filibuster) was put in place by the DEMOCRATS
the 60 vote rule was implemented by the Democrats, revising it downward from their own rule of a 2/3 majority in 1917.
Ask your great Candidate Mitt Romney this Why?
What a farce this Mitt Romney is, before leaving office as “Before leaving the governor office, Romney staff wiped records
http://bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2011/11/17/before-leaving-office-romney-staff-wiped-records/xIVEQd87zi0X0tl8KrXKYM/story.html
Mitt Romney is saying that the way to pay for the big tax cuts he has planned for the top 1% will only be discussed behind closed doors, at private funds raising events by the top 1%, and that he will discuss it with the GOP in the House and Senate after he is elected.
I could never vote for someone that I can not trust, Romney is just too secretive in just to many important areas.
Technically, he didn't wipe out the records. He has his staff purchase their computers for personal use so that they could not be supenad under the freedom of information act.
When in doubt just make it up. Liberals will contiune to swallow.
Typical Demo-liberal diversion. No matter how bad Romney may be, he probably can not be worse than the Obamanation we have now. My dog makes better decisions. He has no knowledge or experience and should have never been elected.
I wonder how that is going to go over when the serious negative stuff starts?
Mitt Romney too secretive? How his Obama care get done? How about Solyndra and Fast and Furious. Now we find out he is releasing Taliban. It took him 3 years to produce his birth certificate. Secretive? The money he has given to his supporters and blew on his programs will be his legacy.
What is there to re-frame? Tell the truth. Tell the American people what you have done.
ROMNEY LIES ABOUT OBAMA'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEBT
http://romneytheliar.blogspot.com/2012/01/romney-lies-about-obamas-contribution.html
yeah, obama added 7 trillion dollars instead of 5
Romney lies about the debt:
LIberlpressBS@wespin.com
@MGATES73 I find it funny how you tell people to get educated when you confuse CO which is Carbon Monoxide and CO2 which is Carbon Dioxide. You get CO detectors at Walmart because it is a colorless, odorless gas the is produced by burning fuels. We don't have CO2 detectors in the every home. Don't go around being a liberal alarm bell ringer when you don't even know what your talking about. Look in the mirror...there's the boob.
I can reframe this. Take a photo of a steaming pile of dog crap. Frame it. Hang it on the wall.
That's a photo of the last 3.5 years. The idiots in Europe are going to spent their Countries into oblivion.
A vote for Obama will be the death of the United States.
The math...
Most polls show a statistical tie within the margins (they fluctuate but call it 45/45 for argument's sake).
That leaves 10% - the Independent vote - remaining. And right now that vote, as it has been historically, swings away from the incumbent (almost by 2 to 1).
The Obama campaign machine is well aware of this problem. And the floundering economy isn't helping the message.
I wonder how many votes you can buy with 4 dollars and change a week? According to the article, this is what the middle class will get, the working poor will pay more, and the wealthy will get the biggest windfall of all, 146000 back? Screwed set of values in the Romney camp, business as usual.
Maybe he isn't trying to buy the vote. Maybe he is telling the truth. Time will tell.
Ironic isn't it?
Romney says thee President has hurt the middle class, when Romney would completely do away with the middle class if elected.
Are people really stupid enough to believe the guy who:
helped to out-source American jobs to India and China,
closed down American manufacturing in favor of cheaper labor in the third world,
and laid off thousands of people - all in the name of profits for rich shareholders?
And just as bad, offshores his money to protect it? The guy is anti-American.
Do people that can actually read and write buy this crap from Obama? He will do or say anything to keep his job. Why should he when 60 million could not keep theirs. Forget political parties, how could anyone put this guy back in office for another 4 years? He was incompetent when he took office and has blow our money randomly trying to keep his job. Can't wait 6 months......
Obama has spent the last 3 and half years trying to convince us better days are ahead.
WE ARE BETTER OFF !!!!! ; no more crawling around in the desert for BUSH'S WMD lies. we are better off then we were doing the BANKRUPT AMERICA '' BUSH '' YEARS. we are better off , and more happy as a people with hope for equality, in a selfish republican conservative tea party cry baby country. we are better off , because we don't believe in stealing from struggling americans , to give to the lavish living 1%ers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOD BLESS AMERICA , & OUR '' USAMA BIN LADEN '' CAPTURER AND CHIEF !!!!!!!!!
Congratulations, Lets Laugh, you are todays chuckle of the day.
And believe me, it did take some doing to take that honor today.
"No more crawling around in the desert" - can I safely assume you are talking about the same desert that Obama campaigned on getting the troops out of....back in 2008? The same desert that they will still be in until the end of 2014 at least, according to the latest reported agrement with Karzai? More than a full term after his inauguration?
"Our Osama Bin Laden capturer in Chief"? Just checking here, but last I heard, he was dead, not captured - did I get that wrong?
Stealing from struggling Americans? Seriously? And to give to the "lavish living 1%rs"? Perhaps I misunderstood, but are you actually trying to say that the "1%ers" are riding around in their luxury automobiles looking for poor people to rob? Or are you suggesting that trying to curb spending is inherently bad because some of those cuts would impact you, and that you suddenly think that receiving less from the government somehow equals theft? And at what point was that directly giving to the "lavish living 1%ers"?
"Selfish republican conservative tea party cry baby country" - again, seriously? Did you actually miss the last 40 months or so, or do you not care? All the divisive rhetoric, all the political hatred, and you missed it entirely? Either that, or you fail to see that although the republicans did their part, it does actually require both sides to have a disagreement.
"More happy as a people"? OK, on this one, you do take the cake. I am fairly young - only in my mid 40s, but I cant recall a more hate filled, unhappy time in America. So I am pretty sure you are misunderstanding the word happy, or that you actually enjoy being deeply unhappy.
Despite being an atheist, I do agree with you on one thing though - God Bless the USA, and may we find our way to better times.
Thank You for a good laugh, though - I do truly appreciate it.
All his phony speeches, all his phony nonsense means nothing. All I know is that last weeks jobs and housing number were still in the tank. Hope and change? Oh' pleeeze!! We fell for that nonsense once, not again. Shame on you democrats for pinning fellow Americans against each other to further your political agenda. Dont know about the rest of you but I found out all I needed to know about liberalism from the OWS protests. No thanks. I'll take my chances with a GOP candidate.
I couldn’t stop laughing at this!
The super hero of the right wing is a yellow bellied coward when it comes to standing up for his possible 'convictions';
You can run Jimmy but you cannot hide forever! lol
The main point: For decades the US consumer was the driving force for the world economy. Republicans now want to outsource the US consumer as well as US jobs. More money and political control in the UAE perhaps...? Isn't the idea of austerity just sound so great. If you have yours and don't care, expect, but only after the US consumer is outsourced, massive inflation and property value collapse.