Obama Criticizes Congress in Speech to Auto Workers

Source: NY Times

“There’s nothing wrong with our country,” Mr. Obama said, speaking to Johnson Controls, a maker of battery systems. “There’s something wrong with our politics.”

Mr. Obama characterized the last few months in Washington as the “worst kind of partisanship, the worst kind of gridlock,” which he said had “made things worse instead of better.”

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As has been so often the case, Republicans were quick to differ. The office of the House majority leader, Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, put out a statement taking Mr. Obama to task for pushing for higher fuel-efficiency standards in the first place.

“While the goal of promoting more fuel-efficient vehicles is laudable, such costly new regulations will only create more obstacles to growth and make it harder for working families and small businesses,” Mr. Cantor said. “With 10.5 percent unemployment in the Great Lakes State, the president should explain to people of Michigan how his calls for tax increases and new regulations will create jobs or spur economic growth.”



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/12/us/politics/12obama.html?_r=1&smid=tw-nytimes&seid=auto

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In the speech, President Obama also pledge to deliver new ideas every week to create jobs, but as Eric Cantor's comments make clear, House Republicans are going to continue to shoot them down, because the Tea Party believes that cutting spending even more is the key to job growth.

My take is that President Obama should go ahead and lay it on the line even if the ideas don't pass Congress. Expose the House of Representatives for its complete lack of action, except for trying to protect tax breaks to the rich. Yes, the Tea Party would rather drive the Nation into default rather than do anything that can be seen as beneficial to President Obama's elections chances such as improving employment, but lets start drawing distinctions.

obstructionists" and I like it! :evilgrin:

Obama seems incapable of speaking the plain truth -- the problem is the Republicans, not "Congress", not "Washington". Seems he is trying to start a third party, the "Bi-Partisan Party" and is afraid to offend any Republicans who might consider joining. But there are no Republicans who want to be "bi-partisan", so Obama will be very lonely in his "Bi-Partisan Party" of one.

Obama should be drummed out of the Democratic Party, since he definitely doesn't seem to support any of its policies, and he can take the rest of the damned Blue Dog "New Wave" faction with him. Enough is enough!

I don't know if he's getting bad advice, of if it's in his nature to kiss up to bullies, but either way he's not fighting the right fight.

Wonder if anyone there held up a mirror to the Big O when he said, “There’s something wrong with our politics.”

I should think the higher standards will save on fuel costs and mean more jobs.