GOP: Don't let Obama shift the blame on the economy
(CBS News) Republicans are seizing on President Obama's remarks Thursday night that he at times "forgets" about the magnitude of the recession -- a remark that gave the GOP one more opportunity to hold the president accountable for the current state of the economy. The GOP pushback comes as the president's re-election team attempts to remind voters of the dire conditions Mr. Obama faced at the start of his term.
At a campaign event in Seattle, Mr. Obama recalled that the U.S. recently experienced "the worst crisis that we've seen since the Great Depression. And sometimes people forget the magnitude of it, you know?... Sometimes I forget."
Not missing a beat, the Romney campaign slammed the president Thursday evening.
"It's not surprising that a president who forgot to create jobs, forgot to cut the debt, and forgot to change Washington has now admitted that he's forgotten about the recession," Romney campaign spokesperson Andrea Saul said in a statement. "In fact, it seems that the President has forgotten that he's been in office for the last three-and-a-half years. In November, the American people won't forget."
The campaign blasted out a series of discouraging statistics strictly from the president's term in office; for instance, in last month alone, more than 340,000 workers dropped out of the labor force.
The Republican National Committee on Friday released a web video with Mr. Obama's remarks over somber music, followed by the words, "how can a sitting president forget about the recession?"
Of course, Mr. Obama didn't say he forgot about the recession. If anything, he was once again reminding voters of the economic conditions that existed when he took office. Mr. Obama went on to say, "In the last six months of 2008, while we were campaigning, nearly 3 million of our neighbors lost their jobs; 800,000 lost their jobs in the month that I took office."
These repeated reminders from the Obama camp aren't surprising, since there is evidence to show that voters don't entirely blame the president for the nation's ongoing economic woes and that this sentiment has inflated the president's overall approval rating.
The state of the economy should be taking a bigger toll on the president's approval rating, John Sides, a George Washington University political science professor, argues in the New York Times. As one possible explanation for this, Sides points to the fact that many Americans blame the Bush administration for the poor economy. A poll from the Economist and YouGov last month showed that only a third of voters blame the president while another third blame former President Bush for the economy. A Washington Post poll from January of this year showed that 54 percent said Mr. Bush was more to blame than Mr. Obama for the current economy.
A new Associated Press-GfK poll released today shows that Mr. Obama remains relatively popular, with a 53 percent approval rating, even as Americans remain discouraged about the economy. Just 22 percent said the economy improved in the past month, down from 28 percent who said so in February.
With unemployment at 8.1 percent and about 12.5 million Americans out of work, the stalled economy remains the president's biggest vulnerability. The Associated Press-GfK poll shows voters split over whether they trust Mr. Obama or Romney more to handle the economy. The Romney campaign's task, then, is to convince voters that Mr. Obama should've done more by this point.
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Dan,
Considering how Walker in Wisconsin is on record of using divide and conquer to bust unions, it has been class warfare since Reagen.
It it time for the bottom 98% to revolt, through out the power hungry GOP and start over.
As Walker said, a lose would set the conservative agenda back 10 years! Lets kick out the GOP and set thier plans to divide and conquer us indefinitely
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Sir...in Wisconson, it was not about power..it about us taxpayers held hostage by the unions.
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Dan,
You obvious have been brainwashed by Fox news. My advice is to use the critical thinking skill they show and apply it to the republicans for once.
Do you have any comments about the "right to work" film clips that have recently surfaced in Wisconsin? How about asking the question of "What does the billioniare who gave Walker $ 510,000 in political contribution expect in return for their sponsorship?"
I know as a Wisconsin taxpayer, I would like to know what tax breaks Walker is going to give this person for their support, at my expense.
My advice is to stick to the facts and not add your ingnorant comments that clearly show you do not have a clue!
Stay out of Wisconsin politics, because unlike you I live here!
Deficit: As previously posted Bush cut taxes and increased spending with the full support of the GOP majorities in both houses of congress. Now they want us to beleive they will be fiscally responsible if we give them back the Whitehouse? Come on people, are we still wet behind the ears?
Job Creation: The GOP has been doing everything possible to cut domestic spending on programs and infrastructure citing fiscal responsibility. We'll given their record on spending its very clear that is a total lie. The real reason for the spending cuts is to stop the economic recovery and improve Romney's chances of winning the presidential election.
Taxes: We'll if Romney is elected you can expect Ryan's budget to go through. The problem is how are we going to pay for it? We'll remember the nice deductions for local income taxes, healthcare and the mortgage interest? Kiss them goodbye because the GOP will cut them to keep the foriegn investment tax credits to pay for Ryan's budget.
What is the effect, well if you are a couple making 100K per year your tax bracket will likely be 25% and eliminating these deduction will increase your taxes by $ 5,000. It's very nice of them to raise your taxes so their wealthy base can have their taxes cut! If we elect Romney,my advise to the majority it to WATCH YOUR WALLET!
I can go on, but its very obvious who the GOP represents...let me give you a clue, it's not the working class.
Of course I will!!! Obama is the worst President in the HISTORY of this country. I will do anything to get him out of office. ANYTHING.
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Reported to the Denver office of the Secret Service. Dan, you're to remain in your Lazy Boy until directed by Federal officials to do otherwise.
I am sure you ARE going to HELL. You are are not sure of anything. I am sure of my morals and purity. You need to rid yourself of the evil in your soul,,,rid it!!
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"purity"...don't you mean "piety"???? Well...that really doesn't fit you either. Forget it....
I hope other people see this.
Im no Obama fan but the hypocrisy of the social right(fiscal libs) is NUTS.
The Republicon Party is a disaster and a ship of fools. They cannot be trusted in government jobs or any other positions of power. Time to rid America of their scourge and disease.