WH Statement: "We cannot ask the middle-class and seniors to bear all the burden..."

Statement from White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer on Budget Negotiations

“The President believes that solving our fiscal problems is an economic imperative. But in order to do that, we cannot ask the middle-class and seniors to bear all the burden of higher costs and budget cuts. We need a balanced approach that asks the very wealthiest and special interests to pay their fair share as well, and we believe the American people agree.

“Both parties have made real progress thus far, and to back off now will not only fail to solve our fiscal challenge, it will confirm the cynicism people have about politics in Washington. The President believes that now is the moment to rise above that cynicism and show the American people that we can still do big things. And so tomorrow, he will make the case to congressional leaders that we must reject the politics of least resistance and take on this critical challenge.”

http://usabreakingnews.wordpress.com/2011/07/09/statement-from-white-house-communications-director-dan-pfeiffer-on-budget-negotiations/

Be more specific!

It's the fat cat's turn in the barrel. Not one more cent from the middle class or seniors.

The middle class has paid enough already. We deserve a break not to be broke.

Don't let up.

It's crunch time.

and the country is being threatened, the President should declare Martial Law.

Neither the WH or the Congress have much that Americans want to listen to anymore anyway. Its all bullshit on top of bullshit.

<< Neither the WH or the Congress have much that Americans want to listen to anymore anyway. Its all bullshit on top of bullshit. >>

Sorry to intrude with facts, but a huge majority of liberals approve of President Obama's job performance, so the only "bullshit" appears to be your rhetoric... unless you're talking about teabagger Americans, that is. Then, you'd be accurately describing their perspective on the WH.

Whew. I thought screwing the old and unemployed would cause him problems, but evidently not. So screw them. Let's party.

:sarcasm:

But you go ahead and live your life by polls and popularity. Whatever you do, don't go out on the streets and meet real people. Your keyboard buddies are so much less depressing.

Out in the real world, the world that doesn't give a damn about polls and rock-stars, it is depressing. The republicans have run all over our president as he has followed the third way philosophy of giving preference to big money givers regardless of who they are or what they want. The man on the street doesn't have a chance as long as republicans keep thumping the president and he gives all his attention to the wealthy. Of course he gives a nice little pep talk to the people every once in a while to chide them for not being patient, for fussing about lack of medicine and food and stuff.

Third way, all the way, for our current and last Democratic administrations.

Are you going to denigrate other self-described liberals' definition of themselves, too? :sarcasm:

Now if you mean Obama is popular the way that CSI or American Idol is popular, I would agree with you.

Being a liberal actually means something. When some people call themselves a liberal, it is like how lieberman use to call himself a Democrat.

Anyone who calls him/herself a liberal but supports cutting SS, discrimination, unwarranted wiretapping, tax cuts for the wealthy is simply wrong. They can call themselves liberal. I could call myself a great opera singer, but if I can't carry a note and can't name five operas, I would be self-deluding. If it walks third way, talks, third way, and supports centrist concessions to RW ideology, it ain't a liberal.

But you go ahead and enjoy those polls. For you, they seem so much more important than actually achieving liberal goals.

Well that's progress.

I know full well how Gallup polls. You know full well that is not the point of my post.

As for Gallup's polls, you are the one who said the respondents were "self-identified" liberals. During the election I came across a lot of novice political activists. Some of them reminded me of the war protesters and civil rights marchers I knew in the sixties. Back then it was "cool" to be a protester. We were glad of their efforts and happy to have them help, but knew it was the fad not the facts that motivated them. When time passed and the hot and hip thing was to be conservative and sneer at the dirty hippies from the sixties, these guys all became reaganites. Fad and fashion over principle and conviction. So it is hip to be a liberal now, what with the rock star president. We are glad to have everyone's help in an election, but we liberals would really appreciate a little more concern with the issues and the goals of liberalism than with the popularity and reelection goals of one man.

So. Glad you will be there to help with some of this. Check back in thirty years, after Obama has retired and the word liberal is connected with issues again and not with being attached to a celebrity.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll
Sunday, July 10, 2011

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 21% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty percent (40%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -19 (see trends).

The Presidential Approval Index is calculated by subtracting the number who Strongly Disapprove from the number who Strongly Approve. It is updated daily at 9:30 a.m. Eastern (sign up for free daily e-mail update). Updates are also available on Twitter and Facebook.

Overall, 46% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the president's performance. Fifty-three percent (53%) at least somewhat disapprove.

Zogby Poll: 67% say Nation headed in wrong direction.Obama approval 42% only 38% say he deserves to be reelected. http://t.co/L5KMkuW.
__________________________________________________________________________
Obama Job Performance Measurements between March 28 & June 21st. DISAPPROVAL of Obamas job performance NEVER DIPPED BELOW 51%, and approval numbers never topped 48%.


http://www.zogby.com/news/2011/06/30/ibope-zogby-interactive-poll-obama-approval-holds-43/

IBOPE Zogby Interactive Poll: Obama Approval Holds at 43%

64% Say Nation Headed in Wrong Direction

UTICA, NY - President Barack Obama's job approval rating is unchanged from earlier this month, and remains at 43%. The number of likely voters to say the nation is headed in the wrong direction also holds at 64%.

These results are from a June 17-21 IBOPE Zogby interactive poll of 2,013 voters.
Overall, do you approve or disapprove of Barack Obama's job as president?


June 21: 56% DISAPPROVED, 43% approved

June 9: 56% DISAPPROVED, 43% approved

May 31: 53% DISAPPROVED, 46% approved

April 25: 59% DISAPPROVED, 41% approved

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics...

Rasmussen Reports has been a pioneer in the use of automated telephone polling techniques, but many other firms still utilize their own operator-assisted technology (see methodology). Pollsters for Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton have cited our "unchallenged record for both integrity and accuracy."

The Pew Center noted that Rasmussen Reports beat traditional media in covering Scott Brown's upset win in Massachusetts earlier this year: "It was polling-not journalistic reporting-that caught the wave in the race to succeed Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy." Rasmussen Reports was also the first to show Joe Sestak catching Arlen Specter in the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary race last year.

Once again in 2010, Rasmussen Reports polling provided an accurate preview of Election Night outcomes. See how we did.
Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, noted, “This was one tough election to poll and forecast. Rasmussen Reports caught the major trends of the election year nationally and in most states.”

In December 2009, a full 11 months before Election Day. A Democratic strategist concluded that if the Rasmussen Reports Generic Congressional Ballot data was accurate, Republicans would gain 62 seats in the House during the 2010 elections. Other polls at the time suggested the Democrats would retain a comfortable majority. The Republicans gained 63 seats in the 2010 elections.

Rasmussen’s final 2010 projections were published in the Wall Street Journal. Scott Rasmussen noted that “it would be wise for all Republicans to remember that their team didn't win, the other team lost. Heading into 2012, voters will remain ready to vote against the party in power unless they are given a reason not to do so.”

In the 2009 New Jersey Governor's race, automated polls tended to be more accurate than operator-assisted polling techniques. On reviewing the state polling results from 2009, Mickey Kaus offered this assessment, "If you have a choice between Rasmussen and, say, the prestigious N.Y. Times, go with Rasmussen!"

In 2008, Obama won 53%-46% and our final poll showed Obama winning 52% to 46%. While we were pleased with the final result, Rasmussen Reports was especially pleased with the stability of our results. On every single day for the last six weeks of the campaign, our daily tracking showed Obama with a stable and solid lead attracting more than 50% of the vote.

Just most?

What about you guys have those wealthy folks who benefited from the causes of the current economic crisis pay for it instead?

They didn't create this mess. The rich with their tax breaks and neverending wars did.

The quisling wording bothered me, too.

On Saturday night Van Hollen criticized Boehner’s move.

"It's disappointing that the Republican fixation with protecting tax breaks for corporate special interests and the very wealthy prevented them from agreeing to a balanced and broad deficit reduction plan to help our economy and our country,” the Maryland Democrat said in a statement.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/170551-boehner-backing-away-from-grand-compromise-on-debt

Well played.

you are sounding like an NRA gun nut, a democrat saying "we will work to protect the Brady bill" becomes, "they are commited to taking all of our guns."

That is the point. Big is not the point. Excellence is the point.

are being asked to bear only a minuscule portion of the burden when 90+% would seem appropriate for them to bear with the Pentagon bearing almost all the remaining +/-10%. :patriot:

w/ defending tax breaks for millionaires

http://twitter.com/#!/ChuckSchumer/statuses/89886569347039232

Let's just hope they they do. Over and over.

More Obama 2008 campaign rhetoric flourishes. But little action. Little done to help the common man.

What is it with this shared sacrifice bullshit? Tell the wealthy to pay up and stop talking about cutting some from those with close to nothing.

Take away ten thousand dollars from everyone. Ten grand from the family of six without work or health insurance. Ten grand from Bill Gates. See that's fair.

These weasel words say nothing. The outcome could well be that the rich have to take a 30% discount on the taxes on their yacht or private jet instead of a 32% discount while the elderly on a thousand dollar a month SS check have to kick in an extra hundred for their Medicare. The administration would call that balanced and claim a victory.

lol...

The Democratic Party used to be about principles, not personalities.