Biden: Republicans think compromise is a "dirty word"

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrives on stage during a campaign event at the Chesterfield Country Fairgrounds September 25, 2012 in Chesterfield, Virginia.

/ Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

CHESTERFIELD, Va. -- Countering Republican claims that President Obama has failed to resolve partisan gridlock in Washington, Vice President Joe Biden said GOP nominee Mitt Romney and running Paul Ryan think compromise is a "dirty word," and blamed Ryan for contributing to the budget stalemate in the House.

"They have rejected every effort to reduce the national debt if that effort required even one dollar, one dime in additional revenue coming from people making more than one million dollars. That's a fact," Biden told about 600 people at a campaign rally. "Ladies and gentlemen, these guys think compromise is somehow a dirty word."

Biden cited comments by Romney during the Republican primaries when he said that as president he would reject a hypothetical plan to reduce the national debt if it raised taxes, even if the ratio was $10 of spending cuts for every $1 in new tax revenue. He also cited Romney's choice of Ryan as his running mate as proof he is uninterested in legislative deal-making.

As the chairman of the House Budget Committee, Ryan wrote a conservative-backed budget proposal that called for freezing most domestic spending for five years, repealing President Obama's economic stimulus law and lowering the top tax rates for individuals and corporations from the current 35 percent to 25 percent. The House failed to pass a budget after the majority Republicans and the Obama White House failed to agree on a compromise.

Biden also criticized Romney for secretly recorded remarks that 47 percent of Americans pay no taxes and so won't vote for him. "The fact is, these people pay a lot of taxes," Biden said. "Social Security taxes, Medicare taxes, state and local taxes, gas taxes, property taxes."

[davidd5063]

You know, I hadn't thought about it, but Big Joe is really getting the short end of this whole Mittens implosion thing. In all fairness, the campaign time is the best time for the VP to be able to get out there and really tear down the opponent - the VP gets ATTENTION! But Mittens couldn't let Big Joe have that - this shout's out to you Big Joe - you're having to tear down the GOP House to avoid piling on Mittens.

[sjc_1]

"They have rejected every effort to reduce the national debt if that effort required even one dollar, one dime in additional revenue coming from people making more than one million dollars. That's a fact,"

During the GOP debates, all candidates said they would not even accept $1 in revenue to $10 in cuts. This is the insanity of Norquist's fascist extortionist pledge.

[tsigili]

It is amusing when the Dems blame the GOP for doing what the DEMS do!

It is Obama who NEVER compromises! IT is Reid, who lets nothing even come up for discussion in the Senate, unless Obama approves it!

It is Reid who has an entire stack of GOP bills from the House, He has simply piled in a drawer, never to be seen in the Senate.

It is the democrats who are the Partisans. It is the stupid people of this country, who allow them to get away with that!

[GoGoUsa]

Only in backwards land could that be true.

[todaymessage]

tsigili is typical a GOP/Tea party hired gun. Even he is clearly in Romney 47%, he wouldn't join the 47%. So sad.

[Sebalina]

...and Biden would be the one that knows the most about "dirty" words

[empirebuilder]

The Village Idiot is at it again!!!!!!They shouldn't have let him out~doesn't Bozo Biden remember how his fellow Dems under Pelosi and Reid refused to allow Repubs in the health care meetings held behind closed doors and closed to the public??? Has he forgotten how his fellow Dems keep trying to tie- up legislation in the Senate??? Come on, Joe, say it ain't so that you are sooooooo ridiculously.... (fill in your own word for stupid)

[TimeToEvolve]

Remember the drunk Republiclown John Boner? "We will negotiate but we won't compromise". That says all you need to know about the extremist, failed Republicons.

[Silly_liberals]

"I won, get over it."
"You should get to the back of the bus"
Yep, the president has been a gracious leader.
Republicans did compromise and the president back out of the deal once he got what he wanted.

[GoGoUsa]

Silly, 08 was a high voter turnout year 2010 was a 38% percent turnout year. The only real victory for your side was convincing a majority of voters to stay home. But your 2010 win was hardly a victory for anyone, including yourself.

[BrianM503]

How amusing. The usual bunch of unsupported hot air from desperate Republicans,four sets of opinions and not a fact in sight.

The FACT is that McConnell said in public that his most important task was to make sure Obama was a one-term President. The deliberate non-cooperation of the Republicans with the Democrats to meet this end has caused many of our present problems and it looks as though the American public, which is smarter than the Republicans imagine, is going to have its revenge on the Republican party.

[BrianM503]

How amusing. The usual bunch of unsupported hot air from desperate Republicans,four sets of opinions and not a fact in sight.

The FACT is that McConnell said in public that his most important task was to make sure Obama was a one-term President. The deliberate non-cooperation of the Republicans with the Democrats to meet this end has caused many of our present problems and it looks as though the American public, which is smarter than the Republicans imagine, is going to have its revenge on the Republican party.

[MadMaxxMad]

we have never had a presidency until the O/B circus that couldn't get cooperation from all parties involved. They continue to make attacks against reuplicans, like they don't realize that is a lot of americans. When the president goes on the tv and calls republicans enemies, he is just creating deep lines, and dividing us as a country. I would take carter back before I ever vote for these two OBummer and AARP BIDEN knuckheads.

[jstengren]

You've got an entire political party, who controls both the house and the congress, flat-out refusing to do anything that would help Obama get re-elected, including passing any of his bills... What do you expect the Democrats to do, lay down and surrender? Give me a break. Even if that's what you'd *like* them to do, think about it realistically for a second. The president's only option is to call attention to the party that's admitted they'll do whatever it takes to make him a one-term president, and you're crying foul? Not to mention the fact that the Republicans certainly have their own hands dirty when it comes to creating enemies and dividing the country (hello socialism, war on religion, death panels, muslims). Give it a rest.

[Silly_liberals]

"You've got an entire political party, who controls both the house and the congress"
Go back to 5th grade and learn the branches of government. You are too stupid to even have a debate with. You must have gone to the Chuck Schumer school. Bet you think there are 57 states too.

[mjvwsr]

Years of compromise is what got us into $16 trillion in debt. And yes, I'm pissed at both Repubs and Democrats.

If you compromise your principles, you don't have any principles.

[dj_chi]

A fat chunk of that $16T debt was rung up with the GOP controlled all of Washington. There was no compromise, there was just spending.