Boehner: Obama, Democrats "In Denial" after Elections

President Obama acknowledged yesterday that he and the Democratic Party took a "shellacking" in the midterm elections, but the presumed next speaker of the House is unconvinced the president received the message voters were sending on Nov. 2.

"There seems to be some denial on the part of the president and other Democratic leaders of the message that was sent by the American people," House Republican Leader John Boehner said in an interview that aired on ABC's "World News" tonight. "When you have the most historic election in over 60, 70 years, you would think the other party would understand that the American people have clearly repudiated the policies they've put forward in the last two years."

One such policy is health care reform, Boehner said. He stood by his promise to try to repeal the massive legislative package.

"I'm pretty confident that come next year that we will have the votes to repeal that [health care] bill and replace it with common sense reforms to bring down the cost of health insurance and expand access," he said.

President Obama, meanwhile, said at a press conference Wednesday that while he is willing to work with Republicans to refine the health care bill, it would be "misreading the election if we thought that the American people want to see us for the next two years relitigate arguments that we had over the last two years."

The president, however, has signaled a willingness to work meaningfully with Republicans. He has invited the top Democratic and Republican congressional leaders to the White House on November 18 for what he said should be substantive discussions on the upcoming lame duck session in Congress.

One topic certain to come up will be an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of the year. Democrats have said they want to extend all of them except for the wealthiest Americans, while Republicans have called for an extension of all the tax cuts. The Tea Party, meanwhile, wants a permanent extension of all the tax cuts. Boehner would not say whether he would support a temporary extension of all the tax cuts or a permanent extension.

"We're going to have this debate in Congress," he said.

As for whether he could enjoy a Slurpee with the president at their Nov. 18 meeting, Boehner said, "I don't know about a Slurpee. How about a glass of merlot?"

Boehner took a less defiant tone when speaking about his relationship with the president than Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has in the wake of the election. McConnell said that in order for Republicans to accomplish the items on their agenda, they needed to ensure Mr. Obama is a one-term president.

Boehner, however, said his priority was job creation: "I think the American people want us to focus on their message during the election: stop the spending, get rid of the uncertainty. Let's get around to creating jobs again."

[documemts]

I like that Boner used the word "denial" because that is what he and the R's are going to do these next two years. Deny that they're stalling. Deny that they are blocking legislation. Deny that they are taking major kick-backs from foreign interests. Good I'm happy to know Boner's got his word choices down for the next two years.

[scathingres]

Come on guys! When the government is trying to work all the Republicans can do is tell lies like this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKcOqGTkZYs
seriously?! watch the video, it explains a tremendous amount.

[atomant59]

Get ready for two years of why God, Guns and Anglos made this country what it is, all while America slips backwards into the toilet again!!!!

[Dave_P6]

Boehner, you and the GOP are in denial of the fact that Dems still have the White House and the Senate, and that's because of voters too.

You're not going to be able to push through some radical, right-wing agenda and get it past the Senate or Obama. You can either work with Democrats, or accomplish nothing for 2 years, and doing nothing isn't going to help the GOP in 2012.

[RobAla]

Boehner s right. President Obama has not yet coe to grips with this election, and what it means. President Obama says that he just didn?t communicate his message well enough. He says that we just didn?t hear what he plans for the nation. In reality, he communicated his policies well ? the majority of Americans just don?t like what he is selling. It is the President who is not listening to the American people. The majority of Americans made it clear that we do not want him to nationalize health care, yet he did it anyway. He is a progressive, at heart. He surrounds himself with left wing extremist progressives (his cabinet), and has a history of having close associations with radicals (like Rev. Wright and Bill Ayers). It is he, who is out of the mainstream. President Clinton is a progressive at heart, but is a skilled and practical politician. President Clinton attempted to nationalize health care in 1993. Americans revolted in 1994, giving control of Congress to Republicans for the first time in 40 years. Clinton moderated after about 6 months, worked with a Republican Congress, and the nation prospered. President Obama actually nationalized health care, resulting in an even greater revolt by the American people in the 2010 election. In this election, Americans placed Republicans in Congress in such a massive manner that nothing has been seen like this since the 1932. Although the Republicans did not take control of the Senate, they made strong gains. In the Governor races across the nation, the Republicans won 29 seats to the Democrats win of 17 ? giving the Republicans an 11 seat gain. The Republicans gained 682 members in state legislatures, as local Democrats were ousted. President Obama is a far more radical and extremist progressive than President Clinton. We will see if President Obama will moderate and make huge concessions to Republicans, or we will see him continue to fight against the will of the majority of Americans. It is his call. If he reverses course, the United States may see promise of regained prosperity.

[bwhite36613]

What 90% of good press are you talking about? Yes, maybe from CNN... who despite what many of you say or think (or rather want to think) is the most credible news source. Fox News has continued to misinformed you people into believing whatever it is that bigots like O'Reilly continue to spew your direction. They are pissed because they are uppity old white men who are mad that this black president is going to do away with tax breaks... No not raise taxes, simply return them to where they were before America got into this mess that we are in. No, I don't think its all about racism... more so classicism dampened with racial overtones. They are pissed because he does not have their best interest in mind, 8% of the population, and they try to confuse you others into believing he's not considering your best interest.

What good does giving the rich tax cuts if they are not going to invest in people and jobs? The economy will end up in a worse situation because more people will have less money, and then the rich will only cut back more jobs to stock pile their money because of the economic climate. People suggest more and more budget cuts... but think about it, the more budget cuts you make the more jobs we lose and that's not a solution at this point and time. Someone has to give leeway and it should be those making the most money... they should be willing to invest in our country... The one they claim to love so much.

[euge005]

I see one way to help with the debt. A tax on lobbists and on political donations above 100$. Say about 50%.

[whjohnsonjr]

GOP obstruction worked like a charm. I see no reason to expect anything else for the next 2 years. Democrats are such saps. If someone pushes you around like this on the street, you could legally shoot them in my state.

[alphaa10000]

"GOP OBSTRUCTION"

whjohnsonjr said, "GOP obstruction worked like a charm. I see no reason to expect anything else for the next 2 years. Democrats are such saps. If someone pushes you around like this on the street, you could legally shoot them in my state..."
---

The wild west mentality works only in Hollywood. Back in what passes for civilization, people who shoot other people for political beliefs are called terrorists.

But you have made one honest admission-- the GOP is not a patriotic entity, working with all Americans for recovery.

Instead, as you say, the GOP led a campaign to obstruct constructive efforts at recovery. That leaves the GOP looking very unpatriotic.

Perhaps, where you live, anti-patriots shoot themselves in the collective foot?

[whjohnsonjr]

I campaigned for the president in 2008. I've never campaigned for anyone in the past. I've been disappointed at Obama's willingness to fight for things he said he believes in and against what he says he opposes. If he caves in to the Bush Tax Cuts for the rich, I will be wishing for a Hillary challenge. If we had a single-payer system, I think the DEMS would have won big on Tuesday.

[jimbot1957]

All right! Another shot of Koolaid for whjohnsonjr...make that a double! :>D

[alphaa10000]

CAMPAIGNED FOR OBAMA

whjohnsonjr said, "I campaigned for the president in 2008. I've never campaigned for anyone in the past. I've been disappointed at Obama's willingness to fight for things he said he believes in and against what he says he opposes...
---

Agreed, but voting in bed on election day never changed things.

Even so, try telling that to the millions who simply stayed home. "THE HIDDEN TRUTH OF THE MIDTERMS" (below) describes why many progressives were as bitter about Obama as GOP regulars.

This tells us something very important about what people voted for, in 2008-- they wanted a complete housecleaning in Washington. And had many been aware of the term, an "exorcism" of the Washington patronage system, lobbies and all.

In vital races for incumbent progressives (reformers), the casualty rate was only one percent. In areas where support for reform was inconsistent, about 47 percent went down because they did not represent reform to their voters.

[alphaa10000]

THE HIDDEN TRUTH OF THE MIDTERMS

Here is a fascinating, but fast-paced segment from MSNBC's The Last Word, with host Lawrence O'Donnell interviewing Michael Moore, a noted Progressive critic of Obama.

Listen carefully for these points on the 2010 midterm election--

1. In 2008, Obama won a record 23 million young voters, but got only 9 million in 2010

2. After his inauguration, Obama literally abandoned the 50-state grassroots network (founded by former DNC chairman Howard Dean, 2005-2008) that built his own campaign.

After Obama's inauguration, the explosive energy of "Obama for America" texting and outreach video messages simply stopped for two long years-- resuming very late in the campaign of 2010.

3. Some 420 bills already have been passed in the US House by the energetic Pelosi leadership, and now await Senate passage. Yet, the log jam ahead in the Senate is personal, not procedural-- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he fears a filibuster, yet admits he successfully passed health care despite his fears.

All Reid must do is pass the legislation already waiting, and get Obama's signature. By contrast, in the next congress, Reid will have no reform bills of any kind from a GOP House. Instead, Reid will confront Boehner's campaign to undo health care and financial reform.

The next two years are best described as "back to gridlock", with occasional surprises. Today radically differs from the gridlock of 2006-2008 because Democrats will be unable to generate budgets or revenue-related legislation-- the exclusive constitutional prerogative of the House. The Senate can modify through conference committee, but cannot create its own budget or revenue legislation.

And with the GOP ideologically opposed to the same reforms for which Obama was elected, the legislative process is essentially dead. This recalls a similar situation in 1994, and the clash between Clinton and House Speaker Newt Gingrich, with both houses of congress GOP. It was a period filled with soundbites and posturing, but relatively little accomplishment.

In response to Obama's invitation to work out a path forward, Senate Minority Leader McConnell told the press he will devote his time to make Obama a one-term president. McConnell led the "Party of No" during the last two years, proposing little of substance but running a war to defame, deny or delay all Obama legislation. This week, House Speaker John Boehner was even more defiant-- "There will be no compromise."

To the GOP, the next two years is not about national recovery, but about winning an ideological battle. To fight that battle, the GOP is willing to place on hold the entire country and its economic recovery.

What the GOP does not yet understand is apparently too obvious-- and they missed it entirely in 2008. The American voter awards power, and voters will snatch power back from any unresponsive party, Democratic or Republican.

Who is unresponsive? The Democrats who remained true to the reforms for which America voted in 2008 lost about one percent of their number. In contrast, Blue Dogs (Democrats not consistently behind Obama reforms) lost 47 percent of their seats to GOP challengers.

The 2010 midterm election was not a decisive victory for the GOP, since that party won only gridlock. And the same election well could have continued the Democrats in both houses of congress, but for the notable absence of original Obama supporters, young and old. In race after race where GOP candidates gained seats, such Democrats stayed home in decisive and alarming numbers.

In the end, it was indifference of the Democratic progressive base to Obama-- his promise vs. his performance-- that left a GOP house. There were not too many Republicans, but too few of the Obama Democrats who once believed Obama would bring about massive, Washington-changing reform..

With so much hope of reform from 2008 absent from the polls in 2010, anything could happen, and it did.

Here is the link--
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-in-the-news/video-michael-moore-last-word

[simpleconservative]

They call them deliberative bodies exactly because our founders wanted the legislative process to be slow, painful and illuminating to the general public. There was never any intention to allow quick action in any body except for the executive branch in matters of war and peace. Given the damage congress has done already, gridlock looks like a very attractive alternative!

[alphaa10000]

NO PRECIPITATE ACTIONS, PLEASE

simpleconservative said, "They call them deliberative bodies exactly because our founders wanted the legislative process to be slow, painful and illuminating to the general public. There was never any intention to allow quick action in any body except for the executive branch in matters of war and peace. Given the damage congress has done already, gridlock looks like a very attractive alternative!"
---

If you are concerned about damage to the republic through lack of due deliberation, gridlock means no deliberation at all.

Your comments about deliberation describe what historians say was the fear of the founders about "mob rule" attending popular rebellions, such as that matter in France.
However, they did not distrust the people, nor believe due deliberation was a synonym for a House of Lords inertia or ignoring needs of the people.

In the case of the GOP House and His Excellency, Lord Boehner, the greater danger is no action at all, when constructive action (national economic crisis) is the only remedy. Even Lords of business in late 2008 agreed action was urgent, if only on their immediate behalf-- the nagging problem is they believed all aid should go to them. The rabble (other Americans, in foreclosure) could fend for themselves.

Amazingly enough, those protesters who complained about such Wall Street corporate welfare-- effectively, a safety net for Wall Street Casino Capitalism-- drank GOP KoolAid about their own financial recovery. The photocopied GOP mantra handed to them was Fiscal Conservative Principles-- principles the GOP never practiced in the decade and more previous. The Tea Partiers promptly fell into a trance, pointed at themselves, and repeated the GOP slogan, "No stimulus aid to rabble like you!"

Speaking of due deliberation, where were you when, hours before a vote or recess, the standard operating procedure for a GOP congress was to dump a massive pile of paper on the desk of each congressman? (ie. the Gramm legislation for financial DEregulation, in [very late] 2000)
See-- http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/6007788.html

(Did the Democrats learn that from Republicans, or the reverse?)