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Carolyn Kaster / AP
President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign event at G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium, Friday, Sept. 21, 2012, in Woodbridge, Va.
President Barack Obama struck back Friday at Mitt Romney's attempt to cast himself as a candidate of "change" as well as the GOP nominee's surreptitiously-recorded comments at a fundraiser earlier this year.
The president delivered some of his most forceful criticism of Romney at a campaign rally in northern Virginia, seizing on Romney's secretly videotaped remarks that he was not looking to appeal to 47 percent of the country.
“The values we believe in don't just belong to workers or businesses, the 53 percent or the 47 percent, the rich or the poor, the 1 percent, the 99 percent -- these are Americans values. They belong to all of us!” Obama said to a cheering crowd of 12,000 at a minor-league baseball stadium in Woodbridge, Virginia.
Obama also noted as a point of contrast that he happened to lose, as a matter of coincidence, 47 percent of the vote in the 2008 election, but still looked to lead as president those Americans who did not vote for him.
“In 2008 47 percent of the country didn't vote for me. But on the night of the election I said to all those Americans, I may not have won your vote but I hear your voices, I need your help and I will be your president,” he said.
“And for everybody who's watching or anybody here who's still undecided, I don't know how many people are going to vote for me this time around, but I'm telling the American people, I will be fighting for you no matter what,” he continued.
The president also took issue in Woodbridge with Romney’s statement during the fundraiser that that 47 percent of voters, who don’t pay income taxes and may be on government assistance, are “victims.”
“I don't see a lot of victims in this crowd today,” he said. “I see hard-working Virginians.”
Recommended: Obama's battleground advantage grows
Obama also struck back on Romney’s criticism Thursday after Obama, speaking at a Univision town hall that day, said he realized after taking office that “you can’t change Washington from the inside.”
At a rally in Sarasota, Florida, shortly after Obama finished his town hall, Romney retooled his stump speech to include this criticism: “The president today threw in the white flag of surrender again. He said he can’t change Washington from inside, he can only change it from outside. Well, we’re going to give him that chance in November. He’s going outside!”
“I can change Washington, I will change Washington, we’ll get the job done from the inside,” Romney continued.
Friday, Obama turned Romney’s words against him, mocking him for getting “really excited” about the remark and rewriting his speech.
“He stood up at a rally. Proudly declared: I'll get the job done from the inside,” Obama said. “What kind of inside job is he talking about?”
Later, he repeated the charge: “We don't want an inside job in Washington. We want change in Washington!”
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Please tell me also how a Commander in Chief can be sitting at a $40,000 a plate dinner while the American Flag is being burned in 8 countries. Please tell me why Colin Powell is not out there working to get our Commander in Chief re-elected. Please tell me why Mrs. Clinton is not extoling the virtues of our Commander in Chief yet her husband is being paid for Democrat commercials. Please tell me why employers are offerring $50 under the table to move a load of pipe to a job site or $25 to haul fry grease to a recycle center-both with the same comment - we would like to hire you full time but we are too afraid w/ the new Obama health care plan-we may have to offer you insurance and the economy being what it is - we might have to lay you off later. Mr. Romney said security first, jobs second - he gets it and he gets my life and he gets my vote.
will watch.......you said (in a comment elsewhere):
This is relevant here because it highlights how detached your impression of the Romneys is from reality.
Auto WORKER!!.......really? Try his dad was CEO of American Motors in addition to Governor of Michigan. Oh yeah....Romney is (NOT) just a "regular" guy.
You folks are about as short on shame as you are on information.
You don't think Obama is now wealthy due to book sales?
He should have added: But, we will if Romney is elected.
Perhaps Romney merely sees the 47% as (his) POTENTIAL victims.
Obama sees 100%... of his potential victims..a population of about 300 million!
We know that only the dumbest of the dumb parasites,freeloaders, marxists and commies voted for this loser and still support him. Of all papers, this writer from the W. Post gives all intelligent people his take on the commie Obama:
The real truth!!
Matt Patterson (columnist for the Washington Post, New York Post, San Francisco Examiner)
Government & Society
Years from now, historians may regard the 2008 election of Barack Obama as an inscrutable and disturbing phenomenon, the result of a baffling breed of mass hysteria akin perhaps to the witch craze of the Middle Ages.
How, they will wonder, did a man so devoid of professional accomplishment beguile so many into thinking he could manage the world's largest economy, direct the world's most powerful military, execute the world's most consequential job? Imagine a future historian examining Obama's pre-presidential life: ushered into and through the Ivy League despite unremarkable grades and test scores along the way; a cushy non-job as a "community organizer"; a brief career as a state legislator devoid of legislative achievement (and in fact nearly devoid of his attention, so often did he vote "present") ; and finally an unaccomplished single term in the United States Senate, the entirety of which was devoted to his presidential ambitions.
Not content to wait for history, the incomparable Norman Podhoretz addressed the question recently in the Wall Street Journal: To be sure, no white candidate who had close associations with an outspoken hater of America like Jeremiah Wright and an unrepentant terrorist like Bill Ayers, would have lasted a single day. But because Mr. Obama was black, and therefore entitled in the eyes of liberaldom to have hung out with protesters against various American injustices, even if they were a bit extreme, he was given a pass. Let that sink in: Obama was given a pass - held to a lower standard - because of the color of his skin.
Podhoretz continues: And in any case, what did such ancient history matter when he was also so articulate and elegant and (as he himself had said) "non-threatening," all of which gave him a fighting chance to become the first black president and thereby to lay the curse of racism to rest? Podhoretz puts his finger, I think, on the animating pulse of the Obama phenomenon - affirmative action. Not in the legal sense, of course. But certainly in the motivating sentiment behind all affirmative action laws and regulations, which are designed primarily to make white people, and especially white liberals, feel good about themselves.
Unfortunately, minorities often suffer so that whites can pat themselves on the back. Liberals routinely admit minorities to schools for which they are not qualified, yet take no responsibility for the inevitable poor performance and high drop-out rates which follow. Liberals don't care if these minority students fail; liberals aren't around to witness the emotional devastation and deflated self esteem resulting from the racist policy that is affirmative action. Yes, racist. Holding someone to a separate standard merely because of the color of his skin - that's affirmative action in a nutshell, and if that isn't racism, then nothing is.
And that is what America did to Obama.. True, Obama himself was never troubled by his lack of achievements, but why would he be? As many have noted, Obama was told he was good enough for Columbia despite undistinguished grades at Occidental; he was told he was good enough for the US Senate despite a mediocre record in Illinois; he was told he was good enough to be president despite no record at all in the Senate. All his life, every step of the way, Obama was told he was good enough for the next step, in spite of ample evidence to the contrary.
What could this breed if not the sort of empty narcissism on display every time Obama speaks? In 2008, many who agreed that he lacked executive qualifications nonetheless raved about Obama's oratory skills, intellect, and cool character. Those people - conservatives included - ought now to be deeply embarrassed.
The man thinks and speaks in the hoariest of cliches, and that's when he has his teleprompter in front of him; when the prompter is absent he can barely think or speak at all.
Not one original idea has ever issued from his mouth – it's all warmed-over Marxism of the kind that has failed over and over again for 100 years.
And what about his character? Obama is constantly blaming anything and everything else for his troubles. Bush did it; it was bad luck; I inherited this mess. It is embarrassing to see a president so willing to advertise his own powerlessness, so comfortable with his own incompetence.
But really, what were we to expect? The man has never been responsible for anything, so how do we expect him to act responsibly?
In short: our president is a small and small-minded man, with neither the temperament nor the intellect to handle his job.
When you understand that, and only when you understand that, will the current erosion of liberty and prosperity make sense. It could not have gone otherwise with such a man in the Oval Office.
We'll see who can speak while on their feet during the upcoming debates!
Why is it, that the majority of Republicans are SO angry...and love to write with such anger and vulgarity?
Dems have a tendency mind you, but if you read the posts from almost any article..who are the most angry? Is it a prerequisite to be angry and hateful before you can register as a Republican?
p.s. Imagine that? His mother and grandmother gave him positive encouragment all through his life..boy were they horrible in providing a strong environment to become someone...no matter what obstacles he may face!
One last thing...get your facts straight...
oh wait...'this campaign won't be run by fact checkers.." Mitt Romney
Matt Patterson is NOT employed by the Washington Post, but has done a few columns which are commentaries..that means opinion! Secondly, do your research ( I can't say ahead, because I looked it up after I read that horrid commentary) and you will find that the 'The mysterious Matt Patterson might be the Matt Patterson who contributes to the Examiner newspaper
here in D.C. and who works for the conservative Capital Research Center. His work has appeared in The
Post, but not this work." Posted at 09:56 PM ET, 11/04/2011 TheWashingtonPost Reader Meter:..The 'Post's' Matt Patterson
He wasdn't even a competent city organizer! He represented slumlords in court who were providing housing that was clearly sub standard! Other organizers resented him because he was part of the Democrat political machine in Chicago! Check the public records!
Hey Stupid: The American People (for generations so come) are the Victims of your reckless spending, grossly-neglegent foreign policy, and socialist economic policies. Can you SEE THEM?
I wonder if these are his official IRS tax returns? (Did I miss this part of the article?) or an estimate..since he filed for an extension of 2011 taxes. I'd rather see the tax returns prior to his unloading of millions, just before he announced his candidacy...his millions in his son's names etc. (see Forbes June 2012) where his net worth WAS 230 Million! Not knocking his fortune, but his belief that he is paying his fair share. If you look at the millions that the 1% DON'T pay..you'll see that the wealthy are getting wealthier and benefitting from the poor economy..Does anyone see a pattern here..and the potential for true danger and uprising? Hmm..History does repeat itself.. New article..
Net worth of richest Americans soars by 13 percent in 2012
By Shannon Jones
21 September 2012
Hard-pressed workers struggling to hang on to jobs and pay their bills will be relieved to learn that the America’s billionaires are not suffering due to the ongoing economic disaster. In fact they have never had it so good.
From the Obama's tax returns of the last ten years, it looks like they are doing pretty well also. About to become part of that 1% group. And it looks like Mr. Romney is a lot more charitable.
Well..Obama will see to it they are strripped of their riches. I bet you are drooling to get your hands on some of that dough! Don't spend it yet..Obama will try to buy the Arab's trust with it!
Official..yes! His other tax records for the last 20 years were certified by Price -Waterhouse that he never paid less than 13.4% and up to 20%. Maybe a smaller percentage than you..but a year's taxes is probably more than you will have in your lifetime!
Well a statement by Obama I can agree with. He doesn't see a lot of victims, well folks he has had his head stuck where the sun don't shine for the last four years So I understand it is tough to see anything from there.
The victims are the working middle class remember us...the ones that are doing fine! He hasnt got a clue!
According to SeekingSanity and Feisty, Barry Hussein Soetoro will not be in the Dew Drop Inn which originally was a place in a small town Ohio, he will be at the showing of 2016 Obama in Roseville or a backup in Rocklin, CA hosted by Feisty and Sandra Fluke!
Feisty is trying to convice Barry he is far ahead in the polls and if he produced his educational records he would jump very far ahead of Mitt Romney! SeekingSanity disagrees and said the main issue of today on the minds of the American people, is the contraception problems being encountered by Sandra Fluke!
It appears Fluke a new an active far left liberal who is being touted for BFD Biden's position as VP can not afford her supply of condoms and wants the taxpayers to contribute more to her plight!
Standby for more details after the mainstream media edits these comments!!
Sirie, Your very anxious to put a Man In Office - Who does not have the Patriotic Values to be there!!!!
Millions in Swiss Bank Accounts!!!!!! Sounds like an inside job to me!!!
Six of Obama's inner circle have money hidden overseas..maybe they recognize that Romney is a smarter caretaker of his money than Obama!
The victim here is Obama. He parades about blaming eveyone but himself for his problems.
Please people! Enough slamming Romney over things that you have no clue about.
What I would like is for someone to explain to me what it means when a current president's campaign is 100% focused on cutting down his opponent? Can you really for a second tell me that he isn't trying to win by making Romney look bad? Think about it, it's like selling me a Hyundai by telling me how crappy Kias are. It's stupid logic that people only use when they can't sell something based on its merit. I wish for one second we could hear Obama talk about Obama.
The bottom line is that Obama has no leg to stand on and will get torn apart during the debates. No one wants to hear his lame ass excuses and blame game anymore.
Myth Robme and Lyin Ryan need no help looking BAD, they do it all by themselves.
It amazes me that this post is so full of Obama supporters who have been posting all day while most of us are at WORK. Its sad that we have made some humans the only creatures on this earth who don't have to struggle to ensure their own survival. And I'm not talking about retired or actually disabled people. (Being a drunk or addict isn't diabled) I'm talking about the ones we catered to that have made it a career choice. Don't pay a dime in income tax all year get 5 or 6k back, not bad. Glad I got this free cell phone to tell everyone. As soon as I sell these steaks I got on my food card I'll buy some beer to celebrate. Kids getting braces tomorrow cause I don't want them to have crooked teeth like the neighbor. His parents are saving for them but with their crappy jobs it will take forever. Fools ha ha. I like all this fighting about whether I'm Democrat or Republican cause it shows how dumb people are. If I'm too lazy to get a job what makes them think I've got enough in me to register and vote. They talk about making me show a picture ID to vote, thats easy.If they were smart they would ask me for a paystub from any of the last 5 years. Man I'd be screwed. Wake up people. I dealt with these types for years til I told the state to jam it.
Obama has just lied twice to the public...ONE: he was on univision and asked way he didn't do immigration reform like he promised...he lied ...said it was republicans fault but was caught red-handed because first 2 years he had both house and senate...and yes he had the 60 votes some people that lie will say he didn't have...he could have done it...the reporter knew..so he lied TWO: said the muslin unrest was caused by that filmmaker and hillary said so too then carney the circus freak...when evryone knows it was preplanned ..the head honcho of libya said so himself...so you have obama ,hillary and a slew of Obama henchman lying to the public...it goes on and on and on and on with their incompetence...and you idiot's still keep voting for them..WHY? WHY?? WHY???
Because you idiots vote for Republicans like Myth Robme and Lyin Ryan, George Bushwhacker, and war hawk Lamey Chaney, thats why.
no matter what either combatant says during this election, Obama learned the lesson that Mitt Romney has just proven he will never understand: Apathy is death.
But Mr. Obama is VERY wealthy....he just doesn't SAY it out loud...but you bought his books, so....what did you think would happen?
Come on down to visit my family, Mr. President. I'll show you a few victims of your cronyism of paying back your union supporters instead of helping the home building industry. You must be pretty nearsighted thinking you are for 100% of the country's citizens.
Romney says he will change Washington,but what he didn't tell you is he will change it to Beijing.
Maybe you should go to factcheck.org and stop spreading liberal lies Actually Obama has employed more Chinese with the help of his buddy Harry Reid. He also outsourced NASA to the Russians
Viknat - thanks for reminding everyone of the truth about shipping jobs to China. People on this site keep mentioning Romney sending jobs to China even though it has been shown that was done after he left Bain and it was being run by a democrat, Obama fundraiser/bundler.
I have asked this question before but none of the Obama supporters seem to have an answer for me - where are all those Apple products everyone loves made? Why is it okay for Steve Jobs to manufacture everything out of the US but not for other companies. Typical liberal phonies who pick and choose their morals and values.
Obama you didn't see any victims? How about the 6 trillion you robbed from the American taxpayers
Someone mentioned that they wanted to see romney's kindergarten records. well I would like to see Obama's. Do you think they grade the same way in Muslime countries?
Romney showed us his taxes. That’s what you wanted. Now, I would like to see where Obama’s stimulous money went. Show
us the money!
I can assure you that if Myth Robme and Lyin Ryan get in, the forty seven percent WILL be victims.
No..we will all be vivtims of a President that is bankrupting this country!
If you could only spell....you must've received your education in Illinois
If you were preident for all Americans..you would not have run up $5.5 trillion in debt, you would not have given us the ACA that 70% of us don't want, you would have created jobs for 23 million unemployed, you would have cut the deficit in half as you promised, you would have been transparent as promised, you would have been bipartisan, you would not added 45% more users of food stamps, you would noy gone on a apology tour, you would have adequately protected our Ambassador in Libya, you would not have blamed everone else for your mistakes, you would not have passed stimulus money to your donors and friends, you would not have alienated Israel and you would not have forced contraception rules on Catholics while playing cozy with Islam!
Oh...we need a change in Washington all right!
I am a victim...and I paid my taxes in full, Mr. President. I am underemployed, and housing of my own is out of the question due to the housing crisis that has skyrocketed rent in my area. My roommate is on drugs - but you gave him unemployment for 3 years. (and he is underemployed now too - and won't look for a real job.) Romney doesn't despise the poor - he at least wants to help them. President Obama hasn't done a damn thing for me. I didn't vote for "Hope and Change" in 2008 - and I damn sure won't vote for his bullsh*t now.
Thank God were Americans -- We can express our thoughts -- Debate and Support our positions with the facts -- and hopefully earn the respect of those on both sides of the issues based on them. So far I've heard what I call hamburger helper thoughts and feelings without the complete facts from alot of sources and few if any specifics and details as to what they want to do and what their solutions are to the major issuses tnat can have both short and long term effects on this country that we all depend on for our way of life. Here are just a few of my thoughts as to what are key far reaching points:
1. With regard to Energy that directly effects ALL Americans -- Lights, Heat, Transportation, and Employment, ETC: Natural Gas for example has the potential to provide a substantlly cleaner America vs oil or coal, is more cost effective, greatly cut our dependence on imported oil, make us a more secure nation and make us an even more competitive country. These are just a few benefits but one of the big bonuses it can provide is a that the potentially for 100,000s to 1,000,000 of jobs can result from an aggressive move here. MORE JOBS = MORE REVENUE = MORE PROSPERITY = CUTS IN GOV DEBITS = A MORE STABLE ECONOMY = MORE +++.
2. Health Care Costs are eating us up alive as a nation, they have aggressively increased over the last decade more than ever before, they can destroy all you've worked for years in a matter of just seconds leaving you virtually just the cloths on your back. One of the biggest costs directly relate to the industry of liability insurance on medications, doctors, nurses, attorney, legal and so on. Reducing and Limiting these costs can potentially not only to control health care costs but reduce them over the coming years. For example the cost for drugs in general in Canada are 1/3 -- 33% lower than here -- Why -- Limits of Liability -- The right to Sue is driving your costs up like a rocket ship -- limit them to reasonable and the savings can be used to lower your cost greatly --Remember we all pay for the law suit which means we will continue to pay more and more as the clock ticks. Just A thought Here--
3. There are people out there who are receiving gov assistance that are not working and yet they are capable and can work -- well as they say freedom is not free and there are no free rides -- there are endless needs out there -- look at our roads, our parks, health system, these people can be put to work and earn that assistant in one form or another -- gov assistance is for the truly needy and we need to do a better job to recognize the differences. A personal note here -- after serving my / your country for years and working for years in the private sector I truly get POed at the Freebee Takers who are taking the food out of the mouths of the Truly Needy. The towns and city in my part of the counrty could sure us some helping hands.
4. Local, State, and Federal Works Pay and Benefit Packages in general are way out of line versus the private sector -- THAT WE THE TAX PAYERS ARE PAYING FOR -- I ASK WHY aren't their pay and benefits on a similar level to the private sector especially in light that we are footing the bill. As a country in debt and getting deeper I would think that these costs need to be addressed from the top down on all levels of government. I hard times or good times the we should be looking at cost reductions and controls especially in these areas. What about a 5% or 10% across the board pay and benefit cuts -- and yes at all leaves of government!!! Example: Some of the Salary and Benefits Packages that I've seen on a local level are driving their communities south big time for starters!
God Bless America and Especially Those Who Have And Are Servicing This Great Country!
FREEDOM AND FREE SPEECH IS NOT FREE -- YOU'VE GOT TO EARN IT EVERYDAY
signing off
over & out
That's odd. At the 2008 Democratic convention that nominated Obama, there was a whole parade of victims trotted out to support his candidacy.
Obama is a Chicago Democrat. 80% of the public school students can't read at grade level. They will never get good jobs and most will live on welfare. Only 60% graduate from high school. That means that 40% will never get a job! As a supporter of teacher unions who produce ignorance, Obama is proud of this level of ignorance in his city! More people are shot in a year than graduate with honors from high school. It is the Obama Way.