Obama Vs. Boehner: The Gloves Are Off

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Economy ,; White House ,; Obama Administration

President Obama's speech in Cleveland today was many things: The official unveiling of new economic proposals, a call for letting the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans expire, an attempt to draw a contrast between the Democratic and Republican vision for the economy.

But it was also a direct attack on House Republican Leader John Boehner, who the White House appears to be trying to elevate into its main adversary in the GOP.

Boehner gave his own speech in Cleveland two weeks ago, where he called for the president to fire his economic team; this morning, the Ohio congressman again went after the administration. The White House, meanwhile, was not shy in the run-up to the Ohio speech in portraying it as a direct response to Boehner, possibly in an effort to put a face to its efforts to create a contrast with the GOP.

The president opened his speech by saying the prosperity Americans experienced under Republican leadership was an "illusion" taking place as the economy weakened. He soon took direct aim at Republicans, and specifically Boehner, for refusing to come up with new ideas to set the economy on track.

"My hope was that the crisis would cause everybody, Democrats and Republicans, to pull together and tackle our problems in a practical way," the president said. "But as we all know, things didn't work out that way. Some Republican leaders figured it was smart politics to sit on the sidelines and let Democrats solve the mess."

He said that the GOP has elected to "ride this fear and anger" that many Americans are feeling "all the way to Election Day." He then lit into Boehner:

"A few weeks ago, the Republican leader of the House came here to Cleveland and offered his party's answer to our economic challenges. Now, it would be one thing if he had admitted his party's mistakes during the eight years they were in power, if they had gone off for a whole and meditated and come back and offered a credible new approach to solving our country's problems.

But that's not what happened. There were no new policies from Mr. Boehner. There were no new ideas. There was just the same philosophy that we had already tried for the last decade - the same philosophy that led to this mess in the first place: cut more taxes for millionaires and cut more rules for corporations.

Instead of coming together like past generations did to build a better country for our children and grandchildren, their argument is that we should let insurance companies go back to denying care to folks who are sick, or let credit card companies go back to raising rates without any reason. Instead of setting our sights higher, they're asking us to settle for a status quo of stagnant growth, and eroding competitiveness, and a shrinking middle class."

That wasn't the last time the president took aim at Boehner: He later lit into the House Republican leader for opposing a permanent extension of a research and development tax credit, as an alternative to tax loopholes that incentivize investment in overseas jobs. On top of that, he suggested that Boehner doesn't think the jobs of teachers and police officers aren't worth saving. He said:

"To most of you, I'll bet [extending the tax credit while closing tax loopholes] is just common sense. But not to Mr. Boehner and his allies. For years, Republicans have fought to keep these corporate loopholes open. In fact, when Mr. Boehner was here in Cleveland he attacked us for closing a few of these loopholes - and using the money to help states like Ohio keep hundreds of thousands of teachers and cops and firefighters on the job. Mr. Boehner dismissed these jobs - teaching our kids, patrolling our streets, rushing into burning buildings - as quote 'government jobs' - jobs that I guess he thought just weren't worth saving.

Later, the president complained that "Mr. Boehner and the Republicans in Congress said no" to investment in infrastructure projects. "Fought them tooth and nail," he added. "Though I should say that didn't stop a lot of them from showing up at the ribbon-cutting ceremonies and trying to take credit. That's always a sight to see."

Then, speaking of the Republican argument that the Bush tax cuts should be extended for high earners, the president said this: "Make no mistake: [Boehner] and his party believe we should also give a permanent tax cut to the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans. With all the other budgetary pressures we have - with all the Republicans' talk about wanting to shrink the deficit - they would have us borrow $700 billion over the next 10 years to give a tax cut of about $100,000 each to folks who are already millionaires."

And later, speaking on the issue of deficits: "When these same Republicans - including Mr. Boehner - were in charge, the number of earmarks and pet projects went up, not down. These same Republicans turned a record surplus into a record deficit. When I walked in, wrapped in a nice bow, was a $1.3 trillion deficit. Sitting right there on my doorstep. A welcoming present. Just this year, these same Republicans voted against a bipartisan fiscal commission that they themselves had proposed. Once I decided I was for it, they were against it. And when you ask them what programs they'd actually cut, they don't have an answer. That's not fiscal responsibility. That's not a serious plan to govern."

But that seemed relatively restrained in light of the fact that according to President Obama, John Boehner is a fiscally irresponsible political hack with no new ideas who doesn't care about teachers, firefighters and cops. It seems safe to assume the next bipartisan meeting at the Oval Office might be a touch awkward.

More coverage:

In Ohio, Obama Challenges GOP on Tax Cuts
Obama: GOP Holding Middle Class Tax Cuts "Hostage"
Text: President Obama's Speech on the Economy
David Axelrod: End GOP Tax Cuts for Millionaires
No Tax Cut Extension for Wealthiest Americans
Obama to Call for Business Investment Tax Breaks
Boehner Slams Obama Economic Plans
John Boehner Enjoys White House Spotlight

Brian Montopoli is a political reporter for CBSNews.com. You can read more of his posts here. Follow Hotsheet on Facebook and Twitter.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by PacificGatePost September 9, 2010 12:31 PM EDT: After almost two years of demonizing corporate America, holding a ?boot to its neck,? and doing nothing for small businesses, Obama suddenly pretends to reverse himself with a ?corporate tax break.?

http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2010/09/more-erratic-economic-notions-from.html

America is looking for a firm policy statement such as immediate major cuts in government spending.; Reply to this comment


by votedforobama September 9, 2010 12:09 PM EDT: Dems,read between the lines. The fact that Obama is now duking it out with Boehner says that he must now take him seriously (i.e., as the next speaker of the house). The white House already knows what is going to happen in November. They forecast this stuff well in advance of elections and this new focus on Boehner tells the tale. Pretty clear that the republicans are taking back the house and this indicates that the WH has come to that conclusion as well.; Reply to this comment


by abbe91 September 9, 2010 10:01 AM EDT: CEO to minimum wage ratio

1978: 78
2005: over 800

enough said.; Reply to this comment


by RobAla September 9, 2010 7:01 AM EDT: I am not a member of any political party, as I am an independent. However, it is obvious that the progressive Democrats now running the country are running our nation into the ground. Boehner is exactly correct in his assessment.

The problem is having an out of control federal government irresponsibly over spending hundreds of billions, not a lack of taxes. President Obama and this Congress have spent hundreds of $billions on bailouts and bogus stimulus packages that should have never happened. Many businesses are sitting on cash rather than hiring people, because they know the stupid health care bill will give them huge additional cost later. This bill has to be repealed; not tweaked, the entire bill must be repealed. The Democrats forced this terrible bill on a majority of Americans who did not want it, and still don't. Progressives have been totally in charge of Washington over the last 20 months. What has gotten better? Nothing.

We have to stop the increases in taxation, which takes money out of the economy and redirects it into Washington. We must reduce the federal government to a manageable size. We are going in the wrong direction. We have to turn this around by voting these people out in November.; Reply to this comment

by Dave_P6 September 9, 2010 1:15 AM EDT

DEMOCRATS: PLEASE GET OUT THERE AND VOTE FOR DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES FOR THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS TO DO THE SAME!!

Reply to this comment


by MurdochSucks September 9, 2010 2:12 PM EDT: Again, demonstrating your ignorance, jwilwade. The money hasn't all been spent yet.

by wfw3536 September 8, 2010 10:16 PM EDT

Yes Obama said when he ran for office he would be the great uniter. How sad.

Reply to this comment


by MurdochSucks September 9, 2010 3:15 AM EDT: Sort of like how Lincoln was a uniter. You may have to crack some imbecile skulls to keep the nation united as one.

by RobAla September 8, 2010 9:22 PM EDT

Boehner emailed out this response to the speech: "If the president is serious about finally focusing on jobs, a good start would be taking the advice of his recently departed budget director and freezing all tax rates, coupled with cutting federal spending to where it was before all the bailouts, government takeovers, and 'stimulus' spending sprees."

Boehner is exactly correct in his assessment. President Obama has driven the nation to a record breaking $1.47 trillion deficit, and now he wants to add another $50 billion. This has to stop. What we can't afford is irresponsible crazy spending by the federal government. We can certainly afford tax cuts if the stupid federal government stops raiding the future of the nation by nutty spending.

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by 1renegade September 8, 2010 9:55 PM EDT: Don't forget that extending the tax cuts would cost 700 billion over 10 years. What Obama has proposed will be 3 trillion over 10 years. I think I'll take the 700 billion.


by MurdochSucks September 9, 2010 3:20 AM EDT: Hawk, do you think everything is a conspiracy from some "liberal" forces of evil? You need meds. A) the mainstream media show no bias that is not present in society - if a majority support the Iraq war, the majority of news outlets support it - B) $1.3 T in deficit was handed to Obama by your village idiot, Bush, C) You cannot give tax cuts to the wealthiest (which presumable, you are not a subset of) without creating a deficit, you must offset that with a cut in spending - what do you propose cutting? Perhaps if Bush didn't beef up military spending to go after a single guy in the desert?


by retm-w September 8, 2010 8:57 PM EDT: The only thing obama did in Cleveland today was screw up the evening rush hour traffic, with another closed door meeting. Only a few dems from the college were invited.; Reply to this comment


by MyAIC September 8, 2010 5:54 PM EDT: The Weak Economy versus Burgeoning Deficit Debate and the Dividend Tax Highwire Act

I?ve written before about the compelling case for maintaining the current dividend tax rate at 15%. In part, it?s about helping our utility companies fund desperately-needed infrastructure projects. But it?s also about maintaining important income investments for middle-class Americans ? 65% of taxpayers reporting qualified dividends earn less than $100,000 per year, and 36% earn less than $50,000.

In other words, middle class Americans are already suffering enough. With nearly 1 in 10 out of a job any further weakening of the economy would be devastating. Yet we all seem to agree that letting the Bush tax cuts expire would do just that ? further weaken the economy. So here?s hoping that this fall Congress will eschew partisan politics and do what?s right for the American economy ? and the American worker.

http://www.arizonaic.org/blog/285-arizona-investment-council-dividend-tax-cut-weak-economy-budget-deficit; Reply to this comment


by BRANIC1 September 8, 2010 5:50 PM EDT: Will love to see this fights. Pretty boy Boehner will not need to go to tanning salons for months. He will will be covered with Red, Blue & Black; Reply to this comment