December 22, 2011 1:41 PM

Obama on payroll tax cut: "Enough is enough"

By
Lucy Madison
Topics
Obama Administration
President Obama on Thursday continued his campaign on behalf of a short-term extension of the payroll tax cut, blasting House Republicans for holding up a Senate-passed bill and wondering, "Has this place become so dysfunctional that even when people agree to things we can't do it?"

"It doesn't make any sense," he told reporters in a press conference. "Enough is enough."

House Republicans argue that the Senate bill - which was negotiated in a bipartisan effort by leaders Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Harry Reid, D-Nev., and which sailed through the chamber last weekend with broad bipartisan support - is a short-term fix for a long-term problem.

On Thursday, Boehner was sticking to his guns even while fellow Republican McConnell urged House lawmakers to pass the Senate bill.

"Everybody has already agreed that the best policy is a one-year extension," Boehner told reporters on Capitol Hill. The speaker has instead called on Democrats to appoint lawmakers to work with the Republicans to hammer out differences between a House bill and the Senate bill.

Mr. Obama pointed to House Republicans' refusal to yield as an exemplification of Washington's problems.

"What's happening right now is exactly why people just get so frustrated with Washington. This is it. This is exactly why people get so frustrated with Washington," he said. "This isn't a typical Democrat versus Republican issue. This is an issue where an overwhelming number of people in both parties agree. How can we not get that done?"

"This is not just my view," said Mr. Obama. "Just a few hours ago this is exactly what the Republican leader of the Senate said we should do. Democrats agree with the Republican leader of the Senate, we should go ahead and get this done."

McConnell is not the only prominent Republican to call on Boehner to change tacks. Karl Rove, an outspoken conservative and former adviser to President George W. Bush, said Wednesday that House Republicans "have lost the optics on" the issue and that "the question now is how do the Republicans get out of it."

Mr. Obama, in his remarks, called on Republicans to get this done "sooner rather than later."

"This should not be hard," he said. "We all agree it should happen. I believe it's going to happen sooner or later. Why not make it sooner rather than later? Let's give the American people, the people who sent us here, the kind of leadership they deserve."


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by independent8 December 24, 2011 1:07 PM EST
Hey RobAla--what you don't understand is that you have to "deficit spend" in order to get out of a bad recession, just like FDR did. If you don't, the economy goes under. (And it's nothing like balancing a checkbook!...as the right wing uneducated would have you believe). Eg., if we hadn't put the stimulus in place a few year ago, we would be done. Further, Social Security is fine--NO Problem..it just needs to be tweaked a bit.. AND when the GOP stops obstructing and gets voted out next year, we can really get the economy fired up (it's starting now)...Then there will be planty of (tax) money to fund everything!! The right wing GOP acts like this economic situation will continue forever--it won't! Just get the right wing out of the way and implement Obama's plan and stop talking right wing absurdities like cutting taxes for the wealthy (whose rates are the lowest in 40 years and who haven't created jobs in 8 years), raising taxes on the middle class, and drastically cutting spending which will put us into a depression. It's really very simple but we have to get rid of the absurdly backward and erroneous thinking t-bags so we can move this country forward! End of story. Now, Rob, do you get it??
Reply to this comment
by RobAla December 23, 2011 8:38 AM EST
I don't want to hear more lectures from President Obama about tax money. He and his family are burning through $4,000,000 tax dollars as they live it up in Hawaii. Extravagance on the public's dime has been a continual practice by this man.

The left leaning media has already begun beating up on Republicans, and ignoring President Obama. The media concentrates on Romney not releasing tax returns (which he does not have to do legally), and ignores the fact that the Obama family is burning through $4 million of American tax dollars to live it up in Hawaii.

I remember President Carter turning down the heat and wearing sweaters in the WH during times of economic tough times. The press complained about President Bush vacationing in his own ranch in Texas. Yet, the Obamas burn thorough $millions of tax payer money going on extravagant vacations and throwing expensive parties. The media makes them out to be "of the people". The media concentrates on a stupid 2 month bill and ignores the wild waste of the Obamas.

In 2008, the media ignored President Obamas relationship with Bill Ayers (a member of the domestic terrorist group the Weathermen in the 1960s, who bombed police stations) and President Obamas 20 year membership in a wacky and racist church run by Rev. Wright. The media continues to ignore the failed policies of President Obama.

Whoever wins the nomination of the Republican party will be fighting an up hill battle with the left leaning press. It will not be an even playing field. I have heard enough lectures from President Obama to last me a lifetime. I am ready for a new President.
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by DebbieCorona December 23, 2011 12:45 AM EST
Rove makes a statement because he's behind Romney and this fiasco hurts the campaign for the new Bush regime puppet.
Reply to this comment
by Lou239 December 22, 2011 11:09 PM EST
Dear President in answer to your question of "Has this place become so dysfunctional that even when people agree to things we can't do it?" Your attempts as so called leadership is what is DYSFUNCTIONAL!

If only some Germans stepped up to the dysfunctional planning of Hitler millions might have been saved. So when you and Reid plan to defer $121 Billion in needed revenue from today's Social Security funding - it is clear who has dysfunctional thinking!

So please tell the public how and when you will recover the missing $121 Billion funding of social security?

Reid and Obama certainly have the dumb and dumber rolls down quite well!

Lou239
Reply to this comment
by djseavy December 22, 2011 9:36 PM EST
The entire government is dysfunctional and has been for many years. They refuse to do anything that doesn't include their ear marks and pet projects. It isn't just Obama that's messed up - it's the entire system.
Reply to this comment
by noloyalisti December 22, 2011 7:49 PM EST
No enough is the minds of the Top 1% and the Republiclowns who they own and run is when they have absolute power. When everyone has to go by all the communist good from Mall Wart and the entire population are poor worker slaves for the billionaire corporates.

That's when enough will be enough.
Reply to this comment
by occupy_cbs December 22, 2011 6:14 PM EST
Too funny......speaker boner caves!
Reply to this comment
by bmallen3 December 22, 2011 6:28 PM EST
You idiot, Obama caved on the pipeline and the one yr extension of the tax cuts.
by slatep December 22, 2011 5:48 PM EST
Yes; Washington has become so dysfunctional; they can accomplish nothing.

In fact; they have become dysfunctional they haven't been able to accomplish anything major for the last three years with the exception of passing the abominable Obamacare bill.

Boehner is largely responsible for this do-nothing Congress.

Every time a major bill has come up for passage; Boehner has tied things up by insisting that some unpopular program be included.

This is BLACKMAIL; pure and simple.

The only way Congress is ever going to accomplish ANYTHING is if Boehner goes.

The Republican National Committee ousted Gingrich as head of the committee.

They need to get their act together and get rid of Boehner.
Reply to this comment
by Stopinstigating December 22, 2011 8:01 PM EST
If you'd put down your talking points and do the math, you'd realize that Speaker Boehner was trying to get you, me, and anyone else paying that payroll tax the FULL YEAR'S WORTH of tax cuts the President had asked for to begin with. That works out to $1,040 ($40 per the President's example for each of 26 bi-weekly paychecks) we should've received had the Senate done as the President requested.

But what did we get instead?

We got a tax cut good for only TWO MONTHS or $160 and a "thank you" from the Obama 2012 campaign!

But while you gloat, some of us were wondering what you and other Obama supporters intend to do about the $880 we WON'T be getting! Or should we just consider it a "donation" to his campaign? An expensive "talking point", perhaps?

Once again, the Progressive left trots us out for "Show 'N Tell" to score their political points while leaving us thinking we're better off for it!

What you call "blackmail" I call Boehner doing what he can to help some of us keep more of what we've EARNED.
by bmallen3 December 22, 2011 5:41 PM EST
OBAMA forgot to mention how he lied about OBAMACARE. Remember when the BCO scored Obama care as a deficit reducer? Remember what Obama said? The savings on reduced MEDICARE payments were worth $500B. Now, that everybody has forgotten, the Dems are pushing MEDICARE payments for doctors, thus absolutely destroying any chance that OBAMACARE saves a dime. Now it is a $400B budget buster.
Reply to this comment
by occupy_cbs December 22, 2011 6:15 PM EST
YOU LIE!

The Affordable Care Act saves $124 Billion over the first decade and saves over $1 Trillion during the second decade from the budgets!
by bmallen3 December 22, 2011 6:26 PM EST
occupy- the savings was based on MEDICARE payments to doctor's reduction which is now dead. Nice try. Obamacare is a total unequivocal disaster and always was.
by hypnotoad72 December 22, 2011 5:29 PM EST
If nothing else,

http://www.infowars.com/pdd-51-new-executive-order-give-obama-dictator-power/
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