Obama sharpens language against House GOP
(CBS News) Tossing aside friendlier language from weeks past, President Obama for the second time used his weekly address to urge House Republicans to vote the "right way" on a bill to extend middle class tax cuts.
Whether the "typical family" will be hit with $2,200 in tax hikes next year now rests in the Republican-controlled House, the president said, lauding the Senate's passage this week of his plan to extend the George W. Bush-era tax cuts for American families making less than $250,000 a year. "If 218 Members of the House vote the right way, 98 percent of American families and 97 percent of small business owners will have the certainty of knowing that that their income taxes will not go up next year," he said.
While his message was not unfamiliar (he delivered similar remarks two weeks ago), Mr. Obama's language was noticeably more aggressive. Whereas his prior plea recognized House Republicans and presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney as having "different" economic ideas from his own, this week he said their "top-down" approach is flat-out "wrong," holding up the contrasting plans as props.
But while the president chided Congress for "holding these tax cuts hostage," Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, charged Mr. Obama in the Republicans' weekly address with "holding America's economy hostage."
Hatch made the case most conservatives support, agreeing with Mr. Obama that middle-class tax cuts should be extended but arguing for the extension of all Bush-era tax cuts, including for the wealthiest Americans. "Unfortunately, Washington Democrats' default position appears to be to let everyone's taxes skyrocket, if Congress doesn't agree to their plan to raise taxes on one of the most productive segments of our economy," he said.
"This isn't the time for political games and vilifying job creators," Hatch continued. "The president and his Washington allies need to stop holding America's economy hostage in order to raise taxes on those trying to lead our economic recovery. Let's roll up our sleeves to ensure that America remains the leader we know it to be."
Popular in Politics
- Obama to view Oklahoma tornado damage Sunday
- IRS' Lerner: "I have not done anything wrong" 669 Comments
- Christie: Keep politics out of Oklahoma disaster relief
- Former Miss America might challenge McConnell
- WH says criticism of its handling of IRS story is "legitimate"
- Anthony Weiner comeback try begins: Running for NYC mayor 121 Comments
- Officials on Benghazi: "We made mistakes, but without malice"
- Poll: Most think IRS targeting was deliberate 282 Comments
"Can anybody suggest a Republican president from within 30 years who created a surplus by cutting taxes"?
As a matter of fact, the only ideology that republicans keep foisting upon Americans is "supply side economic insanity" -- which has already been proven not to increase economic growth or create jobs!
But, it certainly has always increased budget deficits and the debt!
Every time, starting with saint ronnie, that these morons foisted their SSE on America, history has proven that economic growth is anemic and job creation is non-existent -- yet that is exactly what mitt the twit romney wants to give us too -- more tax cuts and more deregulation which is the bush economic policy on steroids!
WRONG! Personally, I've never belonged to any union, but see the need for livable wage jobs in America -- not "working-poor" jobs like the Waltons offer to WalMart employees -- which just need to be subsidized by taxpayers with food stamps and Medicaid.
You conservative republican ideologues just fail to see the problem with your endless attacks on livable wage jobs -- whether they are public-sector jobs or union jobs -- and ignorantly 'think' that everyone is an entrepreneur like bill gates or steve jobs.
You wrongly believe that those that imploded our economy in 2008 were successful businessmen, betting against America and Americans with risky derivative instruments, and those corporate raiders like mitt the twit romney, destroying businesses and middle class lives in order to maximize profits for a select few, are people to worship!
Sorry, but you and your ilk are the problem with America today!
LOL!
America existed before WalMart, and many small business owners were still in business, making money and hiring those same Americans!
U.S. manufacturing was strong then, with millions of employees, and those American-made products were being sold in those same "mom and pop" stores!
Just because you far-right extremists have a need to turn America into a 3rd world country with ever-increasing income inequality and many more working-poor, doesn't mean that the vast majority of Americans need to agree with you or support your ignorant ideology!
occupy, you are so obviously a union tool it's not funny. Walmart is a non-union company and that is the sole basis for your argument. What is funny is that you never hear walmart employees complaining like you and your union goons do. And why weren't you complaining when Hillary Clinton sat on the Walmart Board and Michelle Obama was working for walmart's largest vendor?"
I think you misspeak here. Occupy hasn't mentioned word one about unions that I can see. In fact, the people suffering at WalMart's hands are not just underpaid workers (and yes there have been law suits by the dozen from the workers themselves over WalMart's labor practices) but the astounding number of Mom and Pop establishments WalMart has put out of business and the number of manufacturers they have squeezed out (remember Tupperware?). This is all abundantly documented in numerous places, but you seem quite ignorant of it. Are you willfully ignorant, perhaps?
Obama is such an A$$,it is shameful. Tax all the rich and it will take 200 years to pay down the deficit,the dumba$$ needs someone with brains to tell him we need to stop spending"
LOL, no the debt would be paid off much more quickly than that with a sound tax policy that required everybody to contribute their fair share. Looks like the RepubliCON House is going to sit on it's hands till Dubya's googy cuts expire, that will help a bit. Time the free loading bums that don't want to pay for services paid up!
8 years of Bush and Republican control can NOT be undone in 3 years.
It makes no sense to give the economy back to the party that destroyed it in the first place.
Bin Laden is dead and the economy is getting better. It would even be better; if the Republicans are not always trying to sabotage Obama's efforts.
Those three, the triple treat, increase the NATIONAL DEBT from $1 Trillion to $10 Trillion. And you tools want to complain about PRESIDENT Obama's $1T? During a CREATED (and expected) recession? What the HE!! did you expect when you gave the top 10% to tuck their money away and not invest in the Country? The working class CANNOT BUY ANYTHING! The cons have convinced you it is the little people that are the problem. My GOD, wake up! The GOP has sold us down the river and will continue to do so until we rise up and SLAY THEM (metaphorically speaking, at the BALLOT BOX). Contrary to popular believe, we DO HAVE THE POWER. Let's use it. Send these howa's back to their johns. Let's see if they will still get paid if they are not on their backs for the wealthy...
What Obama is hiding is the fact that if 218 House members vote the "right way"...100% of Americans get a tax cut! Even the richest 2% of Americans get a tax cut on the first $250,000 of income.
Right wing conservatives have every right to wail about the devastating economic woes America will face if the 8,274 Americans who make over $10M per year (Think "Mitt the Twit" here) can ONLY get a tax cut on the first $250,000 income.
The horror!
Thanks to Obama, we are doing much better than Europe.
Austerity and debt repayment can come later when unemployment is lower and the economy is stable.
If this is not anti middle-class, I don't know what is.