Pres. Obama's War on Republican Obstructionists in Congress
This week, President Obama continued calling out Republican obstructionists: "if it’s the inside job of rubber-stamping the top-down, lobbyist-driven agenda of this Republican Congress, we don't want that":
THE PRESIDENT: I don’t think we can get very far with leaders who write off half the nation as a bunch of victims who never take responsibility for their own lives. I know I travel around a lot in Virginia and across this country -- I don’t meet a lot of victims. I see hardworking Virginians. I see students trying to work their way through college. (Applause.) I see single moms, like my mom, putting in overtime to raise their kids right. (Applause.) I see senior citizens who have been saving for retirement your entire lives. (Applause.)
Like Jim Webb said, I see a whole bunch of veterans who are -- served this country with bravery and distinction. (Applause.) And I see soldiers who defend our freedom every single day. And I see those military families -- (applause) -- who are wondering whether their loved ones are going to come back home, safe and sound. That’s who I see.
We don’t believe anybody is entitled to success in this country. We don’t believe government should help folks who aren’t willing to help themselves. But we do believe in something called opportunity. We do believe in a country where hard work pays off, where responsibility is rewarded, where everyone gets a fair shot, and everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody plays by the same rules. We believe in an America where no matter what you look like, no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, no matter who you love, you can make it if you try. (Applause.) [snip]
Now, in fairness, my opponent also has a plan. But as President Clinton pointed out down in Charlotte, there’s one thing missing from it -- arithmetic. (Laughter and applause). Arithmetic. My opponent somehow says we can lower our deficit while spending trillions of dollars more on new tax breaks for the wealthy. And it doesn’t add up. [snip]
[O]ne of the things I learned after four years, it reminded me that change doesn't come from the inside; you got to change Washington from the outside. And you change it with the help of ordinary Americans who are willing to have their voices heard. And for some reason, this got Governor Romney really excited. And he rewrote his speech, and he stood up at a rally and he proudly declared, I’ll get the job done from the inside -- which got me thinking, what kind of inside job are you talking about? (Laughter and applause.)
Because if it’s the inside job of rubber-stamping the top-down, lobbyist-driven agenda of this Republican Congress, we don't want that.
AUDIENCE: No!
THE PRESIDENT: If it’s the inside job of letting oil companies write energy policy, insurance companies writing health care policy, outsourcers writing our tax code, we don't need that.
AUDIENCE: No!
THE PRESIDENT: If it’s the inside job of trying to control the health care choices that women are perfectly capable of making themselves, we’ll take a pass on that. (Applause.)
We don't need an inside job. We want change in Washington. And I’ve always said that change takes more than one term or one President. It takes more than one party. It can't happen if you write off half the nation before you take office. (Applause.)
In 2008, 47 percent of this country did not vote for me. But the night of the election, I said to all those Americans, I said, I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voice. I need your help. I will be your President, too. (Applause.)
And so I say this to Virginia: I don't know how many of you out there will be voting for me. (Applause.) But I’ll be fighting for you no matter what. I’m not fighting to create Democratic jobs or Republican jobs -- I’m fighting to create American jobs. (Applause.) I’m not fighting to improve schools in blue states or red states -- I’m fighting to improve schools in the United States. (Applause.)
The values of hard work and personal responsibility and looking after your neighbor -- those aren’t just values of rich folks or poor folks, or the 1 percent or the 99 percent. They are American values and they belong to all of us. And if we reclaim those values now, if we rally around a new economic patriotism together, we can rebuild this economy together. We will grow the middle class together. We will move forward together.
Weekly Address: It's Time for Congress to Help Responsible Homeowners
This morning, President Obama contrasted the responsible behavior of hardworking Americans, including homeowners, with the irresponsible behavior of those whose "reckless behavior in the housing market" almost crashed our economy four years ago this month. President Obama pointed out that the refinancing plan that he sent to Congress seven months ago would save homeowners about $3,000 a year on their mortgages, but irresponsible Republicans in Congress have obstructed this (along with practically everything else he and the Democrats have tried to get done) and need to be reminded to do their jobs when they return to Washington:
Back in February I sent Congress a plan to give every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgages by refinancing at lower rates. It’s a plan that has the support of independent, nonpartisan economists and leaders across the housing industry. But Republicans in Congress worked to keep it from even getting to a vote. And here we are – seven months later – still waiting on Congress to act.
This makes no sense. Last week, mortgage rates were at historic lows. But instead of helping more and more hardworking families take advantage of those rates, Congress was away on break. Instead of worrying about you, they’d already gone home to worry about their campaigns.
The truth is, it’s going to take a while for our housing market to fully recover. But it’s going to take a lot more time – and cause a lot more hurt – if Congress keeps standing in the way. If you agree with me, I hope you’ll make your voices heard. Call your Representative. Send them an email. Show up at their town hall and tell them that when Congress comes back to Washington, they better come back ready to work. All of you are doing everything you can to meet your responsibilities. It’s time Congress did the same.
See
Susan Gardner's regular Saturday morning diary,
Obama to Congress in weekly address: Pass mortgage refinancing bill, for full transcript and discussion.
Link to Transcripts and Documents.
Donate to re-elect Obama/Biden through ActBlue:
ObamaNightlyNews for Obama/Biden 2012.
Buy Obama/Biden gear at the Obama 2012 Store.
Volunteer at Obama For America to help register voters and participate in GOTV events. And check with your state Democratic Party office to find volunteer opportunities.
Share two sites that help voters in each state:
Gotta Register generates a voter registration form for your state; Gotta Vote explains how to vote early, how to find your polling place, and what to bring when voting in each state. Voters can also download convenient checklists with all of that information and sign up for voting-related reminders.
Obama Nightly News posts every night at 9:00 ET / 6:00 PT
|
7:12 PM PT: Dartagnan posted a perfect link and comment to go with the Virginia video:
From TPM--Romney's 47% Video (5+ / 0-)
has become the "grand unifying theme" of the Democratic critique of Romney's candidacy.
“Rather than callously writing off half the nation, we’re both giving voice to those ‘victims’ Romney scorned and clearly telling those who have worked hard and paid their fair share exactly what kind of President our opponent would be,” Obama campaign spokesman Adam Fetcher told TPM.
* * *
Now Priorities USA sees Romney’s “47 percent moment” as its best bridge between its personal attacks and policy attacks. “It has broken through in a really profound way,” Burton told TPM Friday, noting one recent PPP poll in Florida showed a whopping 89 percent of voters were aware of Romney’s comments.
Hot damn.