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cal04

(41,505 posts)
Sat Jun 28, 2014, 12:06 PM Jun 2014

President Obama: Congress obstructs, so I act alone

Source: Washington Post

President Barack Obama says he’ll keep acting on his own as long as congressional Republicans block his economic agenda.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama says he has moved to attract jobs, raise workers’ wages and help students pay off loans because Republican obstructionism is keeping the system rigged against the middle class. He says if it makes Republicans in Congress mad that he’s trying to help people, they can join him so they can work together.




Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/congress/obama-congress-obstructs-so-i-act-alone/2014/06/28/90183f38-feab-11e3-b57b-a7a0ebc8dd2d_story.html?tid=rssfeed



In this week’s address, the President discussed his recent trip to Minneapolis where he met a working mother named Rebekah, who wrote the President to share the challenges her family and many middle-class Americans are facing where they work hard and sacrifice yet still can’t seem to get ahead. But instead of focusing on growing the middle class and expanding opportunity for all, Republicans in Congress continue to block commonsense economic proposals such as raising the minimum wage, extending unemployment insurance and making college more affordable.

The President will keep fighting his economic priorities in the weeks and months ahead, because he knows the best way to expand opportunity for all hardworking Americans and continue to strengthen the economy is to grow it from the middle out.

(snip)
The problem is, Republicans in Congress keep blocking or voting down almost every serious idea to strengthen the middle class. This year alone, they’ve said no to raising the minimum wage, no to fair pay, no to student loan reform, no to extending unemployment insurance. And rather than invest in education that helps working families get ahead, they actually voted to give another massive tax cut to the wealthiest Americans.

This obstruction keeps the system rigged for those at the top, and rigged against the middle class. And as long as they insist on doing it, I’ll keep taking actions on my own – like the actions I’ve taken already to attract new jobs, lift workers’ wages, and help students pay off their loans. I’ll do my job. And if it makes Republicans in Congress mad that I’m trying to help people out, they can join me, and we’ll do it together.

The point is, we could do so much more as a country – as a strong, tight-knit family – if Republicans in Congress were less interested in stacking the deck for those at the top, and more interested in growing the economy for everybody.

So rather than more tax breaks for millionaires, let’s give more tax breaks to help working families pay for child care or college. Rather than protect tax loopholes that let big corporations set up tax shelters overseas, let’s put people to work rebuilding roads and bridges right here in America. Rather than stack the decks in favor of those who’ve already succeeded, let’s realize that we are stronger as a nation when we offer a fair shot to every American.

I’m going to spend some time talking about these very choices in the week ahead. That’s because we know from our history that our economy doesn’t grow from the top-down, it grows from the middle-out. We do better when the middle class does better. That’s the American way. That’s what I believe in. And that’s what I’ll keep fighting for.

Transcript
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/28/weekly-address-focusing-economic-priorities-middle-class-nationwide
32 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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President Obama: Congress obstructs, so I act alone (Original Post) cal04 Jun 2014 OP
Yes, it was clever Turbineguy Jun 2014 #1
So frustrating his message isn't breaking through cilla4progress Jun 2014 #2
Too much, too little, too late Demeter Jun 2014 #3
a mystery to me, too MBS Jun 2014 #4
I'm convinced history will bear this out. cilla4progress Jun 2014 #5
I agree completely!!n/t MBS Jun 2014 #7
Maybe you just don't see the President when he's out and about with the People, cilla? Cha Jun 2014 #20
MSM is the sole reason for that. They didn't block FDR's Fireside Chats, they didn't edit out, freshwest Jun 2014 #15
True. Whoever calls it the liberal media is full of baloney. Louisiana1976 Jun 2014 #26
It's getting through.. don't listen to the negative bullshit. The polls will change too.. Cha Jun 2014 #19
Sweet! cilla4progress Jun 2014 #23
UR Welcome, cilla! Cha Jun 2014 #32
the party of NO rides again. allan01 Jun 2014 #6
good, now stick to it and stand your ground, Mr. President wordpix Jun 2014 #8
By Myself valerief Jun 2014 #9
I'll Walk Alone valerief Jun 2014 #10
He's driving them batshit crazy. truthisfreedom Jun 2014 #11
" " " " n/t MBS Jun 2014 #12
this should have been his approach by about 18 months into his first term yurbud Jun 2014 #13
one thing Democrats should have learned from Baby Bush: process means nothing to the public yurbud Jun 2014 #14
Yes. They should abolish the filibuster and secret holds. Louisiana1976 Jun 2014 #27
This is like totally Dirty Harry! Except w/out a gun. I'm digging it. McCamy Taylor Jun 2014 #16
Let's look at the REAL reason for the obstruction.. AngryDem001 Jun 2014 #17
That's part of it but it goes deeper than that jmowreader Jun 2014 #18
Exactly. Louisiana1976 Jun 2014 #28
Do not forsake me ... 1000words Jun 2014 #21
The way I hear it is.. humbled_opinion Jun 2014 #22
Message auto-removed Name removed Jun 2014 #24
Charming? He is the best President of my lifetime. Evergreen Emerald Jun 2014 #25
True. Louisiana1976 Jun 2014 #29
GObama! RobertEarl Jun 2014 #30
This is what I want to do in the GD Host forum itsrobert Jun 2014 #31

Turbineguy

(37,212 posts)
1. Yes, it was clever
Sat Jun 28, 2014, 12:08 PM
Jun 2014

of the republicans to give GW Bush all those extra powers. It really cuts down on their work load.

 

Demeter

(85,373 posts)
3. Too much, too little, too late
Sat Jun 28, 2014, 12:21 PM
Jun 2014

It's the ninth inning, second half. The GOP is up to bat. No amount of defense is going to help the losing team even the score now.

cilla4progress

(24,588 posts)
5. I'm convinced history will bear this out.
Sat Jun 28, 2014, 12:32 PM
Jun 2014

That he is one of our finest Presidents, and a human being of the highest order.

It reflects more on us, than on him, that he has been unable to accomplish much of his agenda in his presidency.

Cha

(295,912 posts)
20. Maybe you just don't see the President when he's out and about with the People, cilla?
Sat Jun 28, 2014, 10:36 PM
Jun 2014

Like this thread when he was just in Minnesota?..

http://sync.democraticunderground.com/10025157249

freshwest

(53,661 posts)
15. MSM is the sole reason for that. They didn't block FDR's Fireside Chats, they didn't edit out,
Sat Jun 28, 2014, 03:50 PM
Jun 2014
ignore completely, talk over and denigrate every opportunity when former presidents spoke.

I grew up in a media era that when any announcement was made by the POTUS, he was on every station live, without commercials, able to talk straight to the American people in his own words.

Now they refuse to cover him, then claim he is negligent or has nothing to say, actively blocking him from coverage. Or they edit him, state outright lies, interrupt the most salient points with negative dialog or commercials. I didn't elect mealy mouth pundits to represent me, I want to hear from the man I voted for.

They have made us jump through hoops to hear his words at any time, unless they are banging away at him. They spend more time with endless Republican reviews after every major speech than his words. And that's not counting the daily mantra and psychological use of words to make him look naive, ineffective, dishonest - and that is the mainstream media.

It's hard to see him online or elsewhere if you can't catch a live event. This is wrong, it's censorship of the man we elected to do what we elected him to do. That's why his poll numbers aren't as high as they should be, like any Democrat who they give scant time to.

They have gone further in trying to own his very words, forcing people to go to commerical outlets to hear him. We have to pay them, to see or hear him, and then only a little bit in the middle of an ocean of dreckt.

They even went after the content provided by the official White House photographer by saying cormmerical media should have that job, not the White House. It's good that they ignored their demands to own the images, too.

MSM is totally out of control in their agenda to block this POTUS and the ideas and policies we elected him to perform. They are destroying this country one mind at a time.

Cha

(295,912 posts)
19. It's getting through.. don't listen to the negative bullshit. The polls will change too..
Sat Jun 28, 2014, 10:34 PM
Jun 2014

they're not stuck.

Hang in there, cilla!

wordpix

(18,652 posts)
8. good, now stick to it and stand your ground, Mr. President
Sat Jun 28, 2014, 12:52 PM
Jun 2014

These R-T party idiots are bringing the country down. They need to be brought to heel.

yurbud

(39,405 posts)
14. one thing Democrats should have learned from Baby Bush: process means nothing to the public
Sat Jun 28, 2014, 03:35 PM
Jun 2014

results are everything.

If Republicans want to block everything, immediately figure out how to work around them, including telling the Democrats in the Senate to get off their dead asses and change any rules like the filibuster and secret holds that make it even easier for Republicans to obstruct there than in the House.

But that would assume Obama and Senate Democrats had a more radically different agenda than the GOP.

AngryDem001

(684 posts)
17. Let's look at the REAL reason for the obstruction..
Sat Jun 28, 2014, 05:43 PM
Jun 2014

It's because they do not like the color of President's skin. It's just that simple and that repugnant.

John Boner and the tea-party nutcases in congress cannot let the black man in the WH get anything done.

jmowreader

(50,451 posts)
18. That's part of it but it goes deeper than that
Sat Jun 28, 2014, 08:01 PM
Jun 2014

They also don't like the president's political party, or his reticence to just rubber-stamp everything they want to do. (And by "want to do," that starts with overturning everything every Democratic president since Andrew Jackson has ever done.)

humbled_opinion

(4,423 posts)
22. The way I hear it is..
Sun Jun 29, 2014, 09:07 AM
Jun 2014

That the Presidents job is to bring the parties together not just complain that one party doesn't agree with the other party on ways forward. "What does he want single party rule"? "Dictatorship"? Hyperpartisanship enabled by the President will not solve the countries problems. He can lay out his agenda but there must be give to his take...

Everything I wrote is what I hear at my job and now not just from the rabid rightwingers but from some that I had considered centrists in the past.

The rabid wingers are laughing now and say things like, Just wait till a republican is in the White House again Democrats will rue the day they let this President get away with his lawlessness... ... "When Sarah Palin is telling you that you have to own a gun under penalty of law" Just remember when Obama said you are mandated to buy health insurance.... When good ole Sarah Opens up all public lands to drill baby drill... just remember when you let Obama suspend enforcement of the immigration laws... When Sarah takes her pen and phone and uses the IRS to enforce here view of what America should look like just remember who you let set the precedent....

I try to argue but it is useless, my fear is that a plurality are starting to think this way... why isn't the President polling better? This is an election year where the flip of the Senate will mean major changes to moving forward....

What more can we do?

Response to cal04 (Original post)

Evergreen Emerald

(13,069 posts)
25. Charming? He is the best President of my lifetime.
Sun Jun 29, 2014, 01:58 PM
Jun 2014

The economy is in the crapper because of the inaction of the republicans whose goal is to take down the president even if it means taking the country with them. And they are succeeding in part because of people like you who apparently believe the propaganda spewed at you daily.

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