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© Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.GOP says main goal is to deny Obama re-election
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Eshadow
Great job GOP. Make your goal more stupid political mudslinging BS instead of trying to actually focus on working together to fix any problems.
Triumvere
Oh, Jesus.
The new Republican House's job is not to screw over the President and the Democratic Party, but rather the governance of these United States. Governance requires compromise, and the American people expect their legislatiors to put the interests of the country above partisan political concerns. If the Republicans can't do this then they'll be out again in 2 years.
Klein2
Wow. It took Mitch McConnell two whole days to figure out what a veto is. He could have read JT and figured that out before the election.
I think the headline says it all. Stay classy GOP. All of the balanced budgets (Rand Paul promised us one!) and program cutting (100 billion. That's a promise.) that voters wanted and every GOP candidate promised---it's all meaningless. Forgotten already. "We heard you America." is now "What has the electorate done for me lately?" Boehner says we are going to get more finger pointing at Obama for two years. Because it's easy. And because gooby GOP voters will fall for it over and over again. Karl Rove will see to that.
I see sharp salesmanship here, but where is the customer service? Where is the value?
Japan. It's like a Honda or a Sony. It just works. The US is a Magnavox or a Pinto. It's always gonna be something. And people seem to like it that way. They choose that. They chose it two days ago. Buy in haste, regret at leisure.
"we gave voters a real choice on Election Day.” -- Mitch McConnell
“the customer can have any colour as long as it is black”. -- Henry Ford
TimRussert
The GOP wants to deny Obama re-election?
Half of his own party has the same goal.
Politico is reporting how bad the so-called Blue Dog Dems fared because of Pelosi and Obama:
“No,” Matheson said flatly when asked if Pelosi should seek the job [of House Minority Leader]. “We just got whupped.”
"Matheson, one of a handful of Democrats who still represent districts that backed John McCain in the 2008 presidential election, said he does not have a favorite candidate in mind to support for minority leader. But he contends that Pelosi is no longer in position to lead the party.
"I’m just suggesting that when you have the largest turnover since 1948 then it’s time to shake things up,” said Matheson, who watched as more than half of the Blue Dog districts flipped into Republican hands on Tuesday night. "
smithinjapan
Fix the economy? Nah. Health care or other social services? Nah. Education? clearly the GOP doesn't need any, so why should the rest of Americans?
Nah... the goal for these guys has nothing to do with their country -- only a specific political agenda to stick it to the other guy. Amazing... and only a couple of days after getting the house.
Zenny11
For me to fix any economy a key-factor is good and affordable health-care.
Workers that are often sick and worried about medicine, etc bills don't make good workers.
This means a LOT of money is lost to both the companies and the workers = bad for the economy as spending power decreases.
samwatters
If Americans really want to fix America then there must be a grass-roots effort to institute and enforce term limits. As long as life-time poloticians exist, business will buy off the necessary people to get what they want. At this point, members of both parties are equally worthless.
Junnama
What happened? Deny reelection? What about the people??
yabits
With millions out of work, it's nice to know the GOP has got its priorities in order:
Number One: Focus on getting more power for US by undermining and otherwise destroying our president. (Screw the unemployed.)
Why? Because we love America.
betterdays
Ohhh what an agenda...
yabits
Republican Michelle Bachman and other conservative talking heads (Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, etc.) are wasting no time cranking up the lie machine to undermine our president.
The latest lie is the presidential trip to India, which these dishonest people claim is going to cost -- get this -- $200 million per day.
Such stupidity and absurdity are what pass for truth on the US right.
TimRussert
Notice that smithinjapan can never get specific about the US economy...
Not a single Democrat wanted to be tied to ObamaCare this election year.The public knows it was a mistake.
Is that "clever", where you are from? In district after district across the country conservatives and liberals want school vouchers and CHOICE, but Dems and the all-powerful teachers' unions seek deny American kids the kind of education we need to compete. So I can only assume what you consider an education is little more than the post-modernist slogans and silly notions of one-worldism you were forced to memorize...
GJDailleult
Get ready for two more years of kabuki theater.
A not very nice guy once said the following - "The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie."
The problems in the USA all come from once source, the inevitable collapse of the debt-based monetary system. And there are two parts - the damage caused to the American economy and society during the building of history's biggest debt bubble (ie. hey let's move this factory to China!), and the damage being done now by the insane and criminal attempts to keep the collapsed system in place. Any politician who, due to either corruption or incompetence, denies that and attempts to place the blame on other sources such as who the president is, big government, socialism etc. is promoting and participating in a lie. They would be wise to think about what the not very nice guy said, because the consequences of that lie seem to be getting bigger and bigger.
ElJeffeEnJapon
I love how Republicans are focused more on the partisan politicking than actually trying to do what's right for this country. Nearly all Politicians make me sick but Republicans should be saved a space in the afterlife right next to lawyers and pedophiles.
Triumvere
I'm not sure that you (or the Republicans) are drawing the correct conclusions...
Polls indicate that ObamaCare is unpopular. The same polls indicate repealing ObamaCare is equally unpopular.
How do we interpret this? I think the message is that, while Americans may think that Obama's healthcare bill is flawed, they recognize that the healthcare system in the US is broken and needs serious reform. To undo what little progress the legislature has made toward reform would be a serious mistake on the Republicans' part. If the Republicans were to repeal ObamaCare (impossible while the Democrats hold the Senate and the Veto, but assuming a Republican president in 2012...) but fail to pass substancial reform legislation of their own, it would be a politcal disaster.
Republicans seem to think this election was a "mandate" for the Republican agenda. I don't think that's true (otherwise they would have taken the senate and even more of the house). The truth is that Ameicans in general don't really give a damn about "Big Gov't vs Small Gov't" or any other political dogfight. What Americans want is "Jobs", a "good economy", and "affordable health care". They don't care how they get it. The Democrats haven't been able to deliver in a timely fashion, so they are out. Republicans will suffer the same fate unless they can provide, and to do so will require that they be more than the "Party of No"; they need to become the "Party of Solutions".
I am skeptical, but I fervantly hope they can.
TimRussert
Stay classy. We'd expect nothing less from a progressive, or whatever it is you guys call yourselves this year...
TimRussert
Why not deny Obama re-election. This administration is so out of touch it is frigtening. Bloomberg had this today - -
"In the midst of debates on financial regulation and China’s currency in April, Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner sat down to discuss the U.S. economy — with comedian Jon Stewart."
RomeoRamenII
With millions out of work, it's nice to know the GOP has got its priorities in order
With millions out of work, Obama takes off on a taxpayer all expenses paid, $2 billion vacation to this part of the world. It's nice to see he has got his priorities in order.
RR
Junnama
Well, I guess two years in the house majority is about right. Boehner really isn't leadership material is he?
TimRussert
To his credit - Obama created hundreds of new jobs last Tuesday, in the House and Senate and in state legislatures across our great nation. Add the staff these newly elected Repubs need and we may be talking hundreds of thousands of new jobs.
Heh heh heh.
skipthesong
GOP says main goal is to deny Obama re-election' Maybe we can move Marco up
adaydream
Wow, the last two years was about saying "NO!" We saw how that worked out. Now you're going to work the next two years working on not allowing Obama getting a second term. Is that what you were elected for. You're kinda shortsighted.
I wish you'd have stated that before the elections. I bet there would be less republicans if they knew that's why you were running for office.
Oh, has Mitch McConnell been running his mouth again?
I hope that's not you went to office. < :-)
Klein2
Boehner has officially stated that the GOP's main goal is not to deny Obama reelection. McConnell has DEFINITELY said that is the main goal. The Tea Party has definitely asked for high ranking committee seats and positions, and the GOP leadership in the house has denied them.
The Tea Party has definitely stated that their number one goal is dismantling health care. GOP says that keeping tax cuts for the rich is the number one legislative priority.
And Boehner has said that Dems are "in denial" because they have not heard the voters' message. Uh huh. And if the GOP heard that message, then how come they are all spouting a different set of priorities? And I thought Angle, Fiorina, O'Donnell and others articulated the GOP/TP line pretty well, and they were rejected. Boener will say that the GOP represents all the people, but it does not even represent the tea party, apparently.
Word on the street is that the GOP cannot pass a budget in the house without tea party votes. That should make the GOP's idea of "compromise with Dems" a little bit tricky. And if the GOP is not going to give tea party people some tasty committee appointments, how willing will tea party people be to compromise at all.
Hit that GOP party with a hammer, and it will shatter into a million pieces.
SezWho2
I don't think that should be any surprise. Denying Obama re-election has been the number 2 GOP goal for the last two years. Their other goal was to return to Congressional power.
The GOP's only plan to solve any of America's fundamental problems is to do more of what didn't work during the Bush years. All democratic politicians capitalize on the impatience of the electorate. However, nowhere is the electorate more impatient than in America, with its insouciant belief that every problem can be solved lickety-split and that if a problem ain't solved yet it must be the fault of the guy in the oval office. The GOP is highly skilled in creating a good story. The problem is, it ain't a true story.
The truth is, Americans need to learn to live with less--a lot less. Those jobs are not coming back. It's time to stop living in the 18th century and notice that many of the most successful countries in the world today have elements of socialism that are anathema to the followers of Alexander Hamilton and which dwarf any of the Obama plans that have been flagellated by block-voting idiots.
smithinjapan
Triumvere: "Republicans seem to think this election was a "mandate" for the Republican agenda."
Seems pretty clear the only thing on their agenda is to deny Obama re-election, which takes me back to all the things I said before; Republicans are not at all concerned about the nation -- only attacking the other guy. What is their agenda? I never heard any of them talk about it during the election -- they simply said they want to repeal this and that, and that's all.
Klein2
"Governance requires compromise, and the American people expect their legislatiors to put the interests of the country above partisan political concerns."
Truth. The gospel truth. This is definitely true. Now check this out though. The Tea Party people believe that they were elected NOT to compromise. They really believe that.
The GOP, if it embraces that, is bringing its agenda to an absolute halt and surrendering its entire structure and leadership to the Tea Party.
If that threat arises, the Tea Party will be gone. Plain and simple. Marginalized. They cannot win again if they can't accomplish anything. And they will not get anything if they don't compromise.
That is why I say that Karl Rove has saved the Republic. He has given the GOP the clout and the opportunity to get rid of the tea party once and for all. It might take months, a year, or two years, but America cannot function with a House full of protest votes. The GOP can't either.
The only way it could is if the GOP/TP could muster 2/3 in both houses, and it can't. Not even in the worst of times with all the fear mongering they could possibly do.
Watch for more bluster and bluffing from Boehner. He knows that the only way he is going to get anything done is by forcing Obama and the Dems to give up. He can't stand up to the scary TP, and he thinks the Dems will cave. Forget it. The more he talks tough, the less likely it is that anyone will compromise. I think I see flop sweat there.
And Obama has already invited Republican leaders to lunch, for heaven's sake. He has nothing to worry about. He could offer the moon and the TP won't take it. It is an easy position for any negotiator when there is nothing to negotiate.
skipthesong
can you guys please throw your support around Marco Rubio... I'd like to see a Cuban American president for once since it looks like my chances have faded
Molenir
You're making a mistake here. See, Boehner doesn't have to do anything in order to accomplish what the Tea Party wants. In fact, that is precisely what many of them want. If congress, and specifically the house doesn't pass legislation authorizing spending, then it doesn't get spent. If they don't authorize for example that the department of energy receives its money for the year, then they don't get it. Thats the power of the purse. Thats what the dems have controlled for the past 4 years. Thats what they lost. Republicans now have control over how much money gets spent, and where. And if they don't agree, they can simply shut down the government. When it comes down to it, that is what many in the Tea Party want. And Dems know this. If they want their little health care bill funded, the house has to authorize it. If the IRS wants to hire the additional agents to enforce it, the house must authorize it. That is not going to happen. Obama is going to have to agree to reductions in spending, or sacrifice everything.
adaydream
skipthesong, No. < :-)
Triumvere
Rubio seem to get a lot of good press. You may one day see him as a Presidential candidate.
As for my support it always goes to the best candidate, D or R. If that is Rubio, then I'll vote for him.
Junnama
That's the GOP strategy? Lol, well 2012 is going to be easy for the dems...
Klein2
No mistake Molenir. I have been paying attention to this stuff for about 40 years now.
Yes the house has to do appropriations, but if the budget gets vetoed nobody gets any money. If the house does not give Obama a budget he wants to pass, he won't. Even continuing resolutions will come down to the wire and involve a LOT of compromising, which will make the Tea Party a laughing stock. People will get sick of them fast, and the GOP will be happy to let them take point while the GOP fat cats hunker down in the back.
Power of the purse? Sure. You did your civics homework. Let's see how that works against the power of the veto.
But yes, you are right, the GOP now can shut down the government. Of course that is true, and I suspect they will IF they are not willing to compromise. That is the only thing that has changed. The Tea Party can crash it all, which makes them a threat to the GOP too. To everyone, actually. They believe that money is more important than people, apparently, which is just the opposite of what they promised.
When push comes to shove, I suspect that the GOP will break. The pigs at the GOP trough are pretty big and they will get hungry fast. Also remember that if Obama does nothing, then Bush tax breaks end forever. They will have to be passed again, and I don't think that the fattest of the fat cats want to run that by the US public again without a war or depression to dull their critical thinking.
Remind me again why the Tea Party, friend of the working man, is willing to crash the government just to get tax breaks for billionaires. Why is that again? And it wants to roll back health care for ALL Americans to protect a system that benefits rich people. Is that right?
Boehner is flop sweating because he is starting to realize that dealing with the Tea Party is going to be one big headache. He is powerless if compromise is off the table.
By the way, if you want to see the creative stuff Obama can do with the budget when push comes to shove, go look up what Nixon did. It will curl your socks. HINT: Just because Congress appropriates funds, Obama does not have to authorize them. "Spend" them. Which means that if people REALLY want to get partisan, he can start cutting subsidies to GOP fat cats. Just for fun. Nixon did it. You might also look up what "executive" means. That way, Obama will be able to cut the deficit all by himself and let each one of those fat cats explain to the American people why money for some farmer's new yacht or some Texas rancher's new golf course is more important than medical care for children.
But it won't come to that, will it?
yabits
Such is the stupidity and absurdity that passes for Republican "truth" these days.
MisterCreosote
The Left in America (and beyond) had no problem when George Soros, not even an elected politician and only recently an American citizen, spent 25 million dollars in 04 to try and defeat the last Republican to occupy the WH.
Lets call this article what it is - - a palliative of sorts for the heartbroken Obama fans here.
yabits
No. If the spending is legislated as "mandatory," which the vast majority of health care is, then Congress must appropriate spending.
No. Congress can't "rob" the executive branch of the funds mandated to perform its mission -- the Department of Energy being one of those departments deemed needed by every chief executive since the department was established. This principle is backed up by over 200 years of legal precedent.
I believe there are GOP newcomers who don't know that. Just like the Republican senate candidate who didn't know about the establishment clause in the First Amendment. (Some of these folks are just plain ignorant.)
yabits
Klein2 is right about this: The only way Congress can deny funds to legislation they've already passed as mandatory is to shut down the government entirely and deny funds to everyone and everything.
They did this back in Clinton's time, of course, but the nation wasn't fighting two wars. It would take a mind that is both stupid and sadistic to attempt to shut the government down completely in these times, and I've tried to say all along that many on the conservative side have those traits abundantly.
They'll treat veterans and the unemployed the way Stalin treated the Ukrainians.
yabits
Since his spending went to 527 organizations and not to candidates or campaigns, and therefore completely legit, most real Americans wouldn't have a problem with it either.
lostrune2
Obviously, the first thing they should do is cut spending on social security, Medicare, and the military. They just need to go out and say it.
yabits
Did you see Boehner crying -- weeping!! -- when imploring his Republican colleagues to pass the TARP bill?
lostrune2
The good news for Obama is that in the latest polls, he is still competitive against a hypothetical Republican challenger in 2012. He trails Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee in 2012 both by a small margin and within sampling error, but he's healthily favored over Sarah Palin (in all regions of the US: east coast, west and rockies, and surprisingly by 50%-49% also in the midwest and the south, go figure).
That's why traditional Republicans are afraid that Palin would run for the Presidency because she has a good chance to win the Republican Primary but won't win the middle (the middle/moderates are the fastest growing political wing, growing from 18% in the 70's, to 26% in the 90's, to 34% in 2010 - basically now, 1/3 are Republicans, 1/3 are Democrats, and 1/3 are the middle). Palin could almost assure another term for Obama. Obviously, Repubs straw poll favors Romney and Huckabee in a dead heat in a healthy margin over Palin.
Still, 2012 is a lifetime away in politics, so anything can happen.
MisterCreosote
I sometimes have doubts Obama's mental health will be intact by then. He is growing freakishly Nixonian before our eyes.
MisterCreosote
yabits
"Since his [ Soros] spending went to 527 organizations and not to candidates or campaigns, and therefore completely legit, most real Americans wouldn't have a problem with it either."
Thats rich, on the heels of Obama's brain Axelrod falsely accusing the American Chamber of Commerce (!) of accepting foreign money so as to buy seats in Congress.
yabits
Such is the stupidity that passes for Republican truth these days.
The Chamber of Commerce is a 501-(c)(6) organization that does not have to disclose the source of its funds and can directly run campaign ads in support of their candidates and positions. They solicit and raise money from many foreign sources, especially corporations.
Vastly different from a 527, which is why you know how much Soros contributed and to who.
MisterCreosote
Oh, my. Seems our super terrific president, for whom bright young things of the Democrat persuasion once fainted, has lost even Esquire Magazine:
Why President Obama Will Never Be Barack Obama Again
November 4, 2010 at 9:20AM by Tom Junod
Wh'appened?
Junnama
I'm sorry. The conversation is not Obama it is the GOP strategy. On topic please!!!
skipthesong
repub or dem... I don't care, two people from my birth state tore up some butt... Marco Rubio and Lt.Col Allen West.
Klein2
Junnama. Here is something. Mitch MCConnel has announced that the GOP will NOT repeat NOT be trying to repeal the health bill.
I wonder how the Tea Party feels about that. I think the GOP does not care how the Tea Party feels about that. So it looks like Obama offering some concessions on the tax bill has got even the Senate GOP leaders looking at offering other concessions. Oh my.
Here we go the votes are even counted in all the races and the republicans are already backing down on one of their big promises, the repeal of health care.
I think the GOP and TP lied to the voters. They are already breaking their promises. It also shows that Obama and the Dems are scaring them. If they thought they could do it, the GOP would do it. Two days after the "tsunami" they are already running scared. Just as I predicted, the TP is being thrown out with the garbage.
Klein2
"The good news for Obama is that in the latest polls, he is still competitive against a hypothetical Republican challenger in 2012. He trails Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee in 2012 both by a small margin"
Great news for Obama? It is great news for the GOP. The course is clear. If they can dump the Tea Party as a neo-Bush bunch of crazies, their moderates have a chance in 2012. If they keep the TP, then Palin will want to get involved and sink them all.
Let's face it, the TP are hucksters and everyone is figuring it out at the same time.
Klein2
Yabits, if I was wrong about anything, it might be the legality of what Nixon did. He did it all right. He withheld funds because he was the executive, but I think he let up after he was threatened with prosecution.
But if Obama wanted to hold up subsidies to really wealthy Americans, he could probably get away with it. He could just order an audit of x and y before funds can be disbursed for xyz. Once the GAO gets in on things, everything gets fouled up. After all, part of his job is making sure things are done "by the book." Work slowdowns are often as effective as strikes.
This is why the GOP wants to compromise really badly. You think people are apt to riot about the deficit? What are they going to do when they don't get Social Security checks?
yabits
Sharron Angle wanted to starve out the unemployed. You've got several more among the Republicans who want to deploy Stalin's Ukraine tactics against Americans.
Sarge
Whoever contributes to stopping Obama's re-election will be doing the country and the world a huge favor.
Klein2
This is an exciting time for the GOP. All this conflict is going to help them resolve some issues that they have been wrestling with for years.
And the Dems have a definite role in that.
I think if you ran the game enough times, you would find that the pragmatists are going to win because they will help each other... cooperate... and the non-cooperative ones, the TPartiers, have probably already lost just by announcing that they will not cooperate. Either the GOP will reject them soon, or they will use them or sacrifice them to build goodwill with other groups, such as the Dems.
I predict they will try to buy off the TP Senators because they are there for 6 years and there are not that many. It might explain why Rove just stood back and let the TP Senate candidates lose. The Congressional reps will be generally ignored and replaced in 2 years. They are only good for one meaningful budget vote anyway. Kind of disposable.
That is the winning GOP strategy. Move to moderation and let the Tea Party martyr themselves as they slander Obama and lose touch... with everything.
sailwind
Pretty bold Yabits.......Do you have some sort of examples of this?
MisterCreosote
Hmmm, you mean to tell this Libertarian that the federal govt is looking to tell us what we can grow and sell?
Smacks of Wickard v. Filburn, don't it.
I do believe Yabits wants states' rights strengthened.
I am on board !
yabits
You've got a pretty tidy analysis going there, Klein2. How does Rubio fit into it? He's already gone on record as being critical of the current GOP leadership and favors the TBP agenda.
yabits
Not even close.
Molenir
Wow, guess its starting already. Republicans want to starve kids, and throw the elderly out on the streets right? That is what you're spinning right? And only the Democrats stand between the evil Republicans and their actually accomplishing their dastardly goals...
Thing is, if they don't have the Tea Party, then they lose a big chunk of their base. Without the Tea Party, all they have are the moderate, big government liberals, and the religious nuts. Not much to bring those 2 groups together. The Tea Party, the group that wants smaller government, is what gave the GOP the win here. And if they alienate them, or fail to at least make an effort to do something, then they can write off 2012.
yabits
A percentage of Republicans wouldn't give a damn. And that's the truth. Some don't give a damn that a cutoff of unemployment benefits means that families will lose their homes and their kids will go hungry. Many don't give a damn that over 40 million Americans had no health insurance.
Many are too busy concocting loony lies about President Obama's India trip costing $200 million per day. Just another thread in the Big Lie they promote.
Molenir
Really? You think that there are that many Republicans who simply wouldn't give a damn? I think it much more likely, that they, like me, actually don't believe that the role of government should be to feed children. But rather, that its the parents job to put food on the table.
And another big lie they discredit as well. Fox News was out there talking about the rumor, and saying how it was totally untrue. That it apparently came from some Indian guy. Now, 200 million Rupees might be a more accurate number, but that 200 million a day, is ludicrous. More like 2 million a day.
Molenir
Yabits, I did a bit of research out of curiosity. One of Bush's last trips cost 10 million a day. This trip dwarfs what Bush did, so a more reasonable figure is 15 to 20 million per day. Well under the 200 million, but still a significant chunk. Still, not Obamas call. Oh, who he puts on the jets, and how many staff and reporters he brings, that is. But Security is Security, the Secret Service handles that. I for one, don't want that changed, no matter who is President. Even if its an incompetent idiot like Obama. To me, this trip shouldn't be a political football. Republicans are wrong, calling him out for it.