In President Obama’s press conference yesterday, he fired some warning shots across the bow of the Republican party and put them on notice that he’s going to make them suffer for their obstruction of the American Jobs Act. He also called out the brain dead media and I really hope that continues. Take it away Mr. President…
“[W]hat I’ve tried to do is say, here are the best ideas I’ve heard. Not just from partisans, but from independent economists. These are the ideas most likely to create jobs now and strengthen the economy right now. And that’s what the American people are looking for. And the response from Republicans has been: No. Although they haven’t given a good reason why they’re opposed to putting construction workers back on the job, or teachers back in the classroom.
“If you ask them, ‘Well, okay, if you’re not for that, what are you for?’ Trade has already been done; patent reform has been done. What else? The answer we’re getting right now is, well, we’re going to roll back all these Obama regulations. So their big economic plan to put people back to work right now is to roll back financial protections and allow banks to charge hidden fees on credit cards again or weaken consumer watchdogs, or alternatively they’ve said we’ll roll back regulations that make sure we’ve got clean air and clean water, eliminate the EPA. Does anybody really think that that is going to create jobs right now and meet the challenges of a global economy that are — that is weakening with all these forces coming into play?
“I mean, here is a good question, here’s a little homework assignment for folks: Go ask the Republicans what their jobs plan is if they’re opposed to the American Jobs Act, and have it scored, have it assessed by the same independent economists that have assessed our jobs plan. These independent economists say that we could grow the economy as much as 2 percent, and as many as 1.9 million workers would be back on the job. I think it would be interesting to have them do a similar assessment — same people. Some of these folks, by the way, traditionally have worked for Republicans, not just Democrats. Have those economists evaluate what, over the next two years, the Republican jobs plan would do.
“I’ll be interested in the answer. I think everybody here — I see some smirks in the audience because you know that it’s not going to be real robust.”
If Republicans think that message isn’t resonating with the American people, they are even more stupid than we all thought. I’m pretty sure that John Boehner had to run to the cloak room commode to change his Underoos after hearing the President spell it out so clearly. But the President went even further and warned them that he will beat the living shit out them with every part of the legislation and demand that Republicans tell us why they don’t want to create jobs. Go President Obama…
“[If Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell] chooses to vote against it, or if members of his caucus choose to vote against it, I promise you we’re going to keep on going, and we will put forward maybe piece by piece each component of the bill. And each time they’re going to have to explain why it is that they’d be opposed to putting teachers back in the classroom, or rebuilding our schools, or giving tax cuts to middle-class folks, and giving tax cuts to small businesses. […]
“If … everybody on Capitol Hill is cynical and saying there’s no way that the overall jobs bill passes in its current form, we’re just going to keep on going at it. I want everybody to be clear. My intention is to insist that each part of this, I want an explanation as to why we shouldn’t be doing it, each component part: putting people back to work rebuilding our roads, putting teachers back in the classroom, tax cuts for small businesses and middle-class families, tax breaks for our veterans. We will just keep on going at it….”
Mr. President, more please!
Cross-posted at Angry Black Lady Chronicles
Extreme Liberal's Blog 
The media is brain dead. The GOP does not actually care; and, most of the people who vote GOP do not actually care. The GOP is what it is; and, those who vote GOP are who they are.
The media is an entertainment center; a device to gather an audience in order to sell that audience. The product being sold is the audience.
Yes, the media, the GOP and their voters don’t care. We don’t care about them either. It is the masses of voters who are jobless, broke and trying to feed themselves and their families who we are trying to reach. Those people are waking up. They are listening to Obama and weighing what both parties are saying and doing. Obama just laid out the GOP obstruction in terms anyone can understand. This article is right on target: the Republicans are wetting their pants right now.
I, most certainly, hope that they do wake up.
It is to be made clear: the GOP has nothing; no ideas, no logic, no plan. The GOP is a blind kitten.
That was a great blog post.
It is confusing when the president says the Republicans are holding up the jobs bill yet it is Harry Reid who will not put it on the floor for a vote. It would be nice to see a political party, or politicians for that matter, do something that is good for the American people instead of good for their party or themselves.
This jobs bill is not about jobs because it would create few and at a very high cost. This is about political posturing and trying to make the other side look bad. The democrats say the republicans are holding the bill up while Harry holds the bill for a vote and the republicans do not submit a bill they would vote on. The American public is the one who looses all around.
skudrunner:
It is far past the point of arguing about policy and what needs to be done. It is, now, about politics; open and raw.
The President’s jobs plan is gaining support among the people:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/WashingtonPost/Content/Blogs/behind-the-numbers/StandingArt/2011-10-03%20BTN%20jobs%20trust1.jpg?uuid=oq__LO9pEeCszgKB_zehYQ
excellent
Good to see that Independents are gaining confidence in Obama. However, I fear too many Democrats will stay at home. There are still a lot of “progressive” firebaggers who want to see this president fail as much as teabaggers just so they can gloat, “I told you so!”
I don’t think so Obama’s support among democrats are very high. The firebaggers are actually not democrats and usually stay home and not vote no matter what. When they rarely go out and vote it tends to be someone like Ralph Nader or Ron Paul even.