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| Weekly Address: Working Together on the Economy |
I have interjected my thoughts in italics throughout the President's speech. If you have ever seen someone yell at the TV, then hang on, because this might be considered a little bumpy by some.
Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
The White House
October 30, 2010
"Tuesday is Election Day, and here in Washington, the talk is all about who will win and who will lose – about parties and politics.
But around kitchen tables, I’m pretty sure you’re talking about other things..."Actually NO, Mr. President, politics is heavy on our minds. You wouldn't believe all the patriots, NOT ENEMIES, that are standing to their feet and yelling at you on the TV. You wouldn't believe how irate the American people are with your inability to lead, how sick we are of being treated like end-of-the-line, 2nd class citizens. No Mr. President, we are thinking about you, your party, and the "elitism" posture so prevalent in Washington that has held us hostage for the last 22 months.
"...about your family finances, or maybe the state of the economy in your hometown; about your kids, and what their futures will bring. And your hope..."Wrong! This is not our hope, this is our EXPECTATION.
"...is that once this election is over, the folks you choose to represent you will put the politics aside for a while, and work together to solve problems.
That’s my hope, too."Mr. President, we EXPECT you to EXPECT something of yourself first, and then with that leadership, EXPECT the same thing of those in Washington. This "hope" stuff is not getting anything done.
"Whatever the outcome on Tuesday, we need to come together to help put people who are still looking for jobs back to work. And there are some practical steps we can take right away to promote growth and encourage businesses to hire and expand..."Okay Mr. President, then why haven't you taken these practical steps already? If they can be taken right away, as you say, what's the wait? Not enough people unemployed yet? Not enough of a crisis to swoop in and be the savior of? What's the hold up? Is the national debt not high enough?
There are a lot of people that would love to go to work. There are a lot of small business owners (those evil rich people you talk about all the time) that would love to keep their doors open and payrolls full. Why have you got America on hold? I mean, after all, for almost the last two years you have had the majority and could do, essentially, whatever you want.
"These are steps we all should be able to agree on – not Democratic or Republican ideas, but proposals that have traditionally been supported by both parties.
We ought to provide continued tax relief for middle class families who have borne the brunt of the recession."Mr. President, in case you haven't figured it out yet, all of America is bearing the brunt. Well, I do take that back some, government employment and Washington lawyers are experiencing a growth curve right now. SORRY - my bad! But, aside from those two groups, we are all feeling the brunt.
"We ought to allow businesses to defer taxes on the equipment they buy next year. And we ought to make the research and experimentation tax credit bigger and permanent – to spur innovation and foster new products and technologies."You see Mr. President, you do come close at times to realizing that government is the problem! Else, you would have no need to suggest government get out of the way by letting more people keep more of their money...yes I know you call it "tax deferments" and "tax credits." You are still a long way off on that one. In other words, let me explain this in terms you might be able to understand. I don't need a credit from you, it was my money from the start. I expect you to understand you are dealing with my money - and to tell me I can have a credit, and should be excited about that? - you obviously don't live in the real world.
"Beyond these near-term steps, we should work together to tackle the broader challenges facing our country – so that we remain competitive and prosperous in a global economy."Did you just say "work together?" What's your version of "together?" Because, if it is anything like the last 22 months, your leadership will further "un-together" everything.
"That means ensuring that our young people have the skills and education to fill the jobs of a new age. That means building new infrastructure – from high-speed trains to high-speed internet – so that our economy has room to grow. And that means fostering a climate of innovation and entrepreneurship that will allow American businesses and American workers to lead in growth industries like clean energy."Mr. President, you don't have to "ensure" anything; Liberty and the free market has already got that one covered. O, and Liberty does a far superior job compared to what you could have ever hoped or dreamed of doing. By the way, the American people also recognize this, that is why they are headed to the polls tomorrow. They don't like this current crowd of Liberty and free market assassins that are running around Washington.
"On these issues – issues that will determine our success or failure in this new century – I believe it’s the fundamental responsibility of all who hold elective office to seek out common ground. It may not always be easy to find agreement; at times we’ll have legitimate philosophical differences. And it may not always be the best politics. But it is the right thing to do for our country."Well, well, well Mr. President, obviously what you say you believe and what you actually practice are two different things. In other words, your actions are screaming so loud I can't hear what you are saying about the "fundamental responsibility" thing.
"That’s why I found the recent comments by the top two Republican in Congress so troubling. The Republican leader of the House actually said that “this is not the time for compromise.” And the Republican leader of the Senate said his main goal after this election is simply to win the next one."Mr. President, you don't disappoint, do you? You truly do stick close to your code of conduct. That is admirable - to someone, somewhere, although I am not sure who or where!
Enter the Master of Blame, the President of the United States! Everyone give him a big round of applause, then sit down, shut-up, because he is about to pontificate! It is those nasty Republicans...yada...yada...yadadada. I know, the crowd has learned to skip to the next paragraph, so I'll do the same.
"I know that we’re in the final days of a campaign. So it’s not surprising that we’re seeing this heated rhetoric. That’s politics. But when the ballots are cast and the voting is done, we need to put this kind of partisanship aside – win, lose, or draw.
In the end, it comes down to a simple choice. We can spend the next two years arguing with one another, trapped in stale debates, mired in gridlock, unable to make progress in solving the serious problems facing our country. We can stand still while our competitors – like China and others around the world – try to pass us by, making the critical decisions that will allow them to gain an edge in new industries."Well Mr. President, has it ever occurred to you that if we end up with a stale debate, gridlock, and a lack of solutions to our problems, that it is your job to lead us out of that? How long do you think a CEO of a private (non-government) business would last if all he or she could do is blame all the problems on everyone else? I think we all know that the board would exchange that CEO for one that knows how to take responsibility and ownership of the situation. So, do you have it in you? You didn't think leading the world's greatest superpower would be easy now, did you? O, and you better not stand still, you don't get paid (taxes) by us to stand still!
"Or we can do what the American people are demanding that we do. We can move forward. We can promote new jobs and businesses by harnessing the talents and ingenuity of our people. We can take the necessary steps to help the next generation – instead of just worrying about the next election. We can live up to an allegiance far stronger than our membership in any political party. And that’s the allegiance we hold to our country."Hmmm..."moving forward" with whose agenda, the President's, or the American people's agenda? I guess time will tell. I am not going to un-cross my fingers just yet.
"Thank you."
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