(CBS News) Coming off a week containing political highs and lows for Republicans and Democrats alike, representatives of both parties used their weekly addresses on Saturday to emphasize their party's commitment to creating jobs and improving the economy - while attacking their opponents' ability to do so.
In his Saturday video address, President Obama touted measures included in a law he signed Friday that will prevent the doubling of interest rates on new student loans, and which authorizes $100 billion in highway and transportation spending over the next two years, which backers estimate will save or create 2.8 million jobs, mostly in construction.
"Those steps will make a real difference in the lives of millions of Americans. But make no mistake: we've got more to do," Mr. Obama said, according to prepared remarks. "The construction industry was hit brutally hard when the housing bubble burst. So it's not enough to just keep construction workers on the job doing projects that were already underway."
Multiple times in his remarks, the president noted that he had been "calling on Congress" for months to act on issues like student loan reform, domestic construction projects and other job creation measures.
"Our mission isn't just to put people back to work - it's to rebuild an economy where that work pays; an economy in which everyone who works hard has the chance to get ahead," he said.
Meanwhile, Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, R-N.Y., criticized the president for refusing "to change course" on his economic policies despite Friday's lower-than-expected jobs report and an unemployment rate that remained at 8.2 percent."The American people know what has to be done - get Washington out of the way, empower individuals and small businesses, let them flourish - but the president still refuses to change course," Buerkle said in the weekly Republican address. "He's doubling-down on policies that are holding us back and making things worse, starting with his health care law, which is driving up costs and making it harder for small businesses to hire workers."
The Affordable Care Act, she argued, "carries an astronomical price tag and a mess of regulations, taxes and fees, fosters a climate of uncertainty and instability throughout our economy."
"The Court's decision and yesterday's jobs report add to the urgency of repealing the president's health care law in its entirety, and next week, the House will vote to do just that," Buerkle said.
House Republicans plan to hold a vote next week to repeal the health care law, but the legislation is almost certain to fail in the Democratic-led Senate.
Obama and the Republicans should both stop wasting atpe anthe taxpayers money ; saying the same thing over and over again.
WE GET IT! Congress and Obama.!
The problem is none of you seem to get it.
What part of braying the same words over and over again has accomplished ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.!
If all this BS going back and forth all this time hasn't solved this yet, what part of repeating all this BS AGAIN is going to solve it.
DUMBASSES.!!!
Since neither party has learned anything from past experience, it would seem you are not going to learn anything this time around either.
As you have failed to move one inch forward in 3 1/2 years, I suggest you resign immediately and give somebody else who is not corrupt and not-bought-and-paid-for a chance.
You were elected to enact legislation to improve conditions for your constituents here in the United States.!
As you cannot show one thing that has improved my life, get out now, go!, take a hike and make it a one way trip.
Your approval rate is 17%, yet you have the nerve to run for re-election when you should really be running for the hills.
The dam of Americans putting up with anymore of your monkeycrap has BURST.
GET REAL OR GET OUT.!!
The FACTS clearly show you haven't a clue about current events, and only have a need to parrot the usual fox/rush misinformation!
Corporate Profits Reached Record High In 2011
http://www.dailymarkets.com/economy/2012/04/08/corporate-profits-reached-record-high-in-2011/
Robert Draper's book underscores how a relatively small radical segment of the Republican Party is now trying to secretly diminish and seemly dismantle our "We the people" government simply for their narrow short-term election year power gains. Behind what appears to be the necessary checks and balances by Congressional governance, it's now really all about winning elections, staying in office, making money, agitating class warfare, political distractions, coded rhetoric, and setting-up to win the next election to make more money.
Perhaps both Dems and Reps would be so kind as to spend half of their bloated projected campaign war chests (about $1000000000 each) to plant seedlings in rural areas, and collect trash from vacant lots in urban areas. The candidates could put some money where their mouths are and still have plenty left over for the media blab circus. A billion bucks could employ 40000 people for a year doing simple needed work.
"I keep reading that President Obama has done nothing to help business since he's been in office. May I ask a simple question? How do you explain the fact that businesses under President Obama are making record breaking profits?"
Yes, this is one of the truths that the GOP cannot face!
Corporate Profits Reached Record High In 2011
http://www.dailymarkets.com/economy/2012/04/08/corporate-profits-reached-record-high-in-2011/
***************
This fact flies in the face of the mitt romney proposal of lowering taxes and deregulating business even more, which will not create any jobs -- only increasing demand from the consumer-based economy will.
The Republican leadership plotted from the night of the inauguration to destroy Obama and let the nation be dammed in the process. Fifteen Republicans met and agreed that they would never cooperate with the new President.
Republicans didn't sit down and evaluate Democratic proposals when they were put forward. They went into denial mode without any analysis of the needs and benefits to the nation a piece of legislation might offer, without any sincere search for compromise, and without a concern for anything but a cynical grab for power.
The next time you hear a Republican or some other fat head on Fox News talk about how little Obama has accomplished during his first term think about how much he did accomplish in spite of the Republican sabotage. He sincerely planned to govern with bipartisanship, but from the very day he took office they were engaged in an unprecedented act of destruction. It may not be treason under the law, but it is treason in spirit. They deserve the contempt of the nation.
Whenever a Democrat is in the White House, the Republicans believe they are free do whatever they want to block him from solving national problems, making him look weak and ineffectual.
Republicans view the White House as its birthright and Democratic control of the Executive Branch as illegitimate.
...and no, more deficit spending on temporary government jobs is NOT the answer. Permanent job growth MUST come from the private sector.
When President Obama is reelected, they will invest this money in American jobs, rather than hoping for Bishop Romney giving them more tax breaks to create Communist Chinese jobs.
Whenever a Democrat is in the White House, the Republicans believe they are free do whatever they want to block him from solving national problems, making him look weak and ineffectual.
Republicans view the White House as its birthright and Democratic control of the Executive Branch as illegitimate.
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
'Do Not Ask What Good We Do: Inside the U.S. House of Representatives' by Robert Draper
Robert Draper's book underscores how a relatively small radical segment of the Republican Party is now trying to secretly diminish and seemly dismantle our "We the people" government simply for their narrow short-term election year power gains. Behind what appears to be the necessary checks and balances by Congressional governance, it's now really all about winning elections, staying in office, making money, agitating class warfare, political distractions, coded rhetoric, and setting-up to win the next election to make more money.
Ironically, the GOP started out as an anti-slavery, socioeconomic rights and political equality party in the 1850s when we were a young nation and a very divided republic -- including our national "birth defect" of slavery and various forms of racial terrorism, according to former (Republican) U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The bottom line: today's GOP brand has been mostly body-snatched by self-serving special interest parasites. The strategy of pre-emptive politics and fear mongering for short-term gains is the new status quo -- the divide and conquer tactic.
The Republican leadership plotted from the night of the inauguration to destroy Obama and let the nation be dammed in the process. Fifteen Republicans met and agreed that they would never cooperate with the new President.
The 15 participants of that night's meeting were Republican Reps. Eric Cantor (Va.), Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), Paul Ryan (Wis.), Pete Sessions (Texas), Jeb Hensarling (Texas), Pete Hoekstra (Mich.) and Dan Lungren (Calif.), along with Republican Sens. Jim DeMint (S.C.), Jon Kyl (Ariz.), Tom Coburn (Okla.), John Ensign (Nev.) and Bob Corker (Tenn.). The non-lawmakers present included Newt Gingrich and Frank Luntz.
Republicans didn't sit down and evaluate Democratic proposals when they were put forward. They went into denial mode without any analysis of the needs and benefits to the nation a piece of legislation might offer, without any sincere search for compromise, and without a concern for anything but a cynical grab for power.
The next time you hear a Republican or some other fat head on Fox News talk about how little Obama has accomplished during his first term think about how much he did accomplish in spite of the Republican sabotage. He sincerely planned to govern with bipartisanship, but from the very day he took office they were engaged in an unprecedented act of destruction. It may not be treason under the law, but it is treason in spirit. They deserve the contempt of the nation.
Unemployment last 4 presidents,2(D),2(R)
First full month in office compared to last full month in office.
GHW Bush Feb 89 5.2 Dec 92 7.4
Clinton Feb 93 7.1 Dec 2000 3.9
GW Bush Feb 01 4.2 Dec 08 7.3
Obama Feb 09 8.3 June 2012 8.2
http://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet
Based on this metric, President Obama looks a lot better than President Bush. Mr. Bush started his presidency, with Karl Rove as a senior adviser, with a $127 billion budget SURPLUS.