Brett Baier should be given the Pulitzer Prize for journalism because of this interview. The video is approximately 19 minutes long in case you missed it.
Here is part 1 of the interview speaking on the subject of health care and procedure.
Part 2 of the Fox news interview with President Obama touching on foreign policy.
President Obama: “I don’t spend a lot of time worrying about what the procedural rules are in the House or Senate. What I can tell you is that the vote that’s taken in the House will be a vote for health care reform. And if people vote yes, whatever form that takes, that is going to be a vote for health care reform. And I don’t think we should pretend otherwise. And if they don’t, if they vote against it, then they’re going to be voting against health care reform and they’re going to be voting in favor of the status quo. So Washington gets very concerned with these procedures in congress, whether republicans are in charge or democrats are in charge
The Obama administration and the far left Congress are creating a showdown between the Federal government and the individual states.
The State of Idaho has become the first to have a bill passed in its state legislature and signed by the Governor rejecting the federal mandate in the health care bill that would require its citizens to purchase health insurance. 37 other states have similar measures pending. From the AP.
BOISE, Idaho — Idaho took the lead in a growing, nationwide fight against health care overhaul Wednesday when its governor became the first to sign a measure requiring the state attorney general to sue the federal government if residents are forced to buy health insurance.
Similar legislation is pending in 37 other states.
Constitutional law experts say the movement is mostly symbolic because federal laws supersede those of the states.
But the state measures reflect a growing frustration with President President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. The proposal would cover some 30 million uninsured people, end insurance practices such as denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, require almost all Americans to get coverage by law, and try to slow the cost of medical care nationwide.
Democratic leaders hope to vote on it this weekend.
With Washington closing in on a deal in the months-long battle over health care overhaul, Republican state lawmakers opposed to the measure are stepping up opposition.
Otter, a Republican, said he believes any future lawsuit from Idaho has a legitimate shot of winning, despite what the naysayers say.
“The ivory tower folks will tell you, ‘No, they’re not going anywhere,’ ” he told reporters. “But I’ll tell you what, you get 36 states, that’s a critical mass. That’s a constitutional mass.”
Last week, Virginia legislators passed a measure similar to Idaho’s new law, but Otter was the first state chief executive to sign such a bill, according to the American Legislative Exchange Council, which created model legislation for Idaho and other states. The Washington, D.C.,-based nonprofit group promotes limited government.
Update:
Virginia Attorney Generals office has confirmed that it will in fact sue the federal government. Recently elected AG Ken Cuccinelli wrote a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, courtesy of the Washington Post.
March 17, 2010 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Office of the Speaker H-232, U.S. Capitol Washington, D.C. Dear Speaker Pelosi: I am writing to urge you not to proceed with the Senate Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act under a so-called “deem and pass” rule because such a course of action would raise grave constitutional questions. Based upon media interviews and statements which I have seen, you are considering this approach because it might somehow shield members of Congress from taking a recorded vote on an overwhelmingly unpopular Senate bill. This is an improper purpose under the bicameralism requirements of Article I, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution, one of the purposes of which is to make our representatives fully accountable for their votes. Furthermore, to be validly enacted, the Senate bill would have to be accepted by the House in a form that is word-for-word identical (Clinton v. City of New York, 524 U.S. 417 (1998)). Should you employ the deem and pass tactic, you expose any act which may pass to yet another constitutional challenge. A bill of this magnitude should not be passed using this maneuver. As the President noted last week, the American people are entitled to an up or down vote. Sincerely, Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II Attorney General of Virginia
Ok, I very much consider myself a news junkie. It’s bordering on an obsession of mine. So, how did I miss the earthquake that struck Hawaii??
I didn’t. The mindless power grab of the Obama administration continues. Quick, get that man a teleprompter!!
Fox News: OBAMA: I am certain that we’ve made sure, for example, that any burdens on states are alleviated, when it comes to what they’re going to have to chip in to make sure that we’re giving subsidies to small businesses, and subsidies to individuals, for example. BAIER: So the Connecticut deal is still in? OBAMA: So that’s not — that’s not going to be something that is going to be in this final package. I think the same is true on all of these provisions. I’ll give you some exceptions though. Something that was called a special deal was for Louisiana. It was said that there were billions — millions of dollars going to Louisiana, this was a special deal. Well, in fact, that provision, which I think should remain in, said that if a state has been affected by a natural catastrophe, that has created a special health care emergency in that state, they should get help. Louisiana, obviously, went through Katrina, and they’re still trying to deal with the enormous challenges that were faced because of that. (CROSS TALK) OBAMA: That also — I’m giving you an example of one that I consider important. It also affects Hawaii, which went through an earthquake. So that’s not just a Louisiana provision. That is a provision that affects every state that is going through a natural catastrophe. Now I have said that there are certain provisions, like this Nebraska one, that don’t make sense. And they needed to be out. And we have removed those. So, at the end of the day, what people are going to be able to say is that this legislation is going to be providing help to small businesses and individuals, across the board, in an even handed way, and providing people relief from a status quo that’s just not working. BAIER: OK, the Florida deal, in or out? OBAMA: The Florida deal — BAIER: Paying for Medicare Advantage, exempting 800,000 Floridians from — OBAMA: My understanding is that whatever is going to be done on Medicare is going to apply across the board to all states.
The disarray of the Democrat leadership all the way up to the top is staggering. He clearly does not have any idea what he is talking about on these issues. That may be due to the fact that this is not about healthcare reform, it’s about the power that Washington will hold over the citizens of this land if this bill passes.
The Hawaii earthquake. Another example of the mindlessness flowing out of Washington DC.
Does anyone remember the email address set up by the White House where the American public was instructed to snitch on their fellow citizen for spreading “misinformation”? I do…it was Flag@Whitehouse.gov.
Yes…3000 percent drop in insurance premiums everyone.
Sounds like a bit of misinformation to me. In the words of Fox News…I report you decide. But lets see first what the American Thinker has to say.
Monday in Strongsville, Ohio, President Obama said that ObamaCare will reduce health insurance premiums by “3,000 percent.” Considering that a 50 percent decrease in premiums would mean that we’d be paying half as much as we now pay for health insurance and that a 100 percent decrease in premiums would mean that we’d be paying nothing for health insurance, President Obama is telling us that insurance companies will actually start paying us money to keep our health insurance.
If your current health insurance policy costs $5,000 a year, insurance companies will pay you $145,000 a year (2,900 percent multiplied by $5,000). If you’re fortunate enough to be paying $25,000 a year for health insurance, insurance companies will pay you $725,000 a year. There’s no word whether you can purchase a more expensive health insurance policy to increase the amount of money that insurers pay you each year.
I guess when the facts are working against you, you should always revert to the WOW factor. 3000%……wow!
If the President really believed any of the garbage he is spewing about his agenda and his push to nationalize the health care industry, he should get off the teleprompter and speak from the heart. It cannot be done. It is not a passionate idea for him, it is merely a power grab. A power grab that I might add is being vehemently resisted by the American public. We will not allow it to happen, and if you make it happen without the consent of the governed public, we are endowed by our Constitution to dispose of this government. I would add to that statement by any means necessary…to quote the illustrious Nancy Pelosi.
3000%
These people are a joke. A bad joke. Unfortunately our great nation is the butt of this joke. But not for long.
I guess this is what happens when you get that sweet taste of absolute power on your lips. Your beliefs no longer matter when it fits your own purposes, and that is what we have here. President Obama back in 2005 (along with many other Senate Dem’s at the forefront of the healthcare debate) brought strong language against the Senate Republicans (the majority at the time) who had threatened to use reconciliation as a means to pass their agenda.
NO NO NO…you can’t do that!!!
Oh my what a difference a few years makes. Here is the blatant hypocrisy from the lips of Dear Leader Obama, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer among others. Watch this all the way through. It’s precious material.
Well, I can’t fault the guy for being creative in spouting his rhetoric and propaganda concerning the healthcare boondoggle that he plans on forcing down the throats of an American public who does not want it.
Since no one ever watches these useless propagandizing weekly addresses, I’ll put it out there for you, if you can stomach it.
As the Winter Olympics draw to a close this weekend, I just want to take a minute to congratulate all the athletes who competed in these games. And I especially want to say how proud I am of all the American men and women have achieved over the last few weeks.
Whether it was the men’s hockey team’s stunning upset of the Canadians on their way to the gold-medal game, Lindsey Vonn’s heroic gold-medal comeback from a shin injury, or Apolo Ohno becoming the most decorated American winter Olympian of all time, you can’t help but be inspired by the sheer grit and athletic prowess on display in Vancouver.
And it’s not just the medal count that’s inspiring – though we’ve certainly done great on that score. What’s truly inspiring is the character of the men and women who have won those medals. The sacrifices they’ve made. The integrity they’ve shown. The indomitable Olympic spirit that says no matter who you are or where you come from or what difficulties you may face, you can work hard and train hard and still triumph in the end. That is why we watch. That is why we cheer. That is why in the middle of an extremely challenging time for America, we’ve been able to come together as one nation for a few weeks in February and swell with pride at what our citizens have achieved.
Now, when it comes to meeting the larger challenges we face as a nation, I realize that finding this unity is easier said than done – especially in Washington. But if we want to compete on the world stage as well as we’ve competed in the world’s games, we need to find common ground. We need to move past the bickering and the game-playing that holds us back and blocks progress for the American people.
We know it’s possible to do this. And we were reminded of that last week when Democrats and Republicans in the Senate came together to pass a jobs bill that will give small businesses tax credits to hire more workers. We also saw it when Democrats and Republicans in the House came together to pass a bill that will force insurance companies to abide by common-sense rules that prevent price-fixing and other practices that drive up health care costs.
We need that same spirit of cooperation and bipartisanship when it comes to finally passing reform that will bring down the cost of health care and give Americans more control over their insurance. On Thursday, we brought both parties together for a frank and productive discussion about this issue. In that discussion, we heard many areas of agreement. Both sides agreed that the rising cost of health care is a serious problem that plagues families, small businesses, and our federal budget. Many on both sides agreed that we should give small businesses and individuals the ability to participate in a new insurance marketplace – which members of Congress would also use – that would allow them to pool their purchasing power and get a better deal from insurance companies. And I heard some ideas from our Republican friends that I believe are very worthy of consideration.
But still, there were differences. We disagreed over whether insurance companies should be held accountable when they deny people care or arbitrarily raise premiums. I believe they should. We disagreed over giving tax credits to small businesses and individuals that would make health care affordable for those who don’t have it. This would be the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history, and I believe we should do it. And while we agreed that Americans with pre-existing conditions should be able to get coverage, we disagreed on how to do that.
Some of these disagreements we may be able to resolve. Some we may not. And no final bill will include everything that everyone wants. That’s what compromise is. I said at the end of Thursday’s summit that I am eager and willing to move forward with members of both parties on health care if the other side is serious about coming together to resolve our differences and get this done. But I also believe that we cannot lose the opportunity to meet this challenge. The tens of millions of men and women who cannot afford their health insurance cannot wait another generation for us to act. Small businesses cannot wait. Americans with pre-existing conditions cannot wait. State and federal budgets cannot sustain these rising costs.
It is time for us to come together. It is time for us to act. It is time for those of us in Washington to live up to our responsibilities to the American people and to future generations. So let’s get this done.
Thanks for listening.
Strange, but I don’t think the Olympic spirit and the dedication of American athletes has anything at all to do with an arrogant executive forcing his will against the will of the people he works for…call me crazy.
Maybe next week you will have a better comparison Mr. President.
I didnt find myself shocked when I saw this poll from CNN.com, I did however find myself pleased to see that the American public is now fully awake and fully aware of what is going on in this country, and the threat that the Obama regime is posing to the rights of the citizens of the United States. From CNN.com
Fifty-six percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday say they think the federal government has become so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens. Forty-four percent of those polled disagree.
The survey indicates a partisan divide on the question: Only 37 percent of Democrats, 63 percent of independents and nearly seven in 10 Republicans say the federal government poses a threat to the rights of Americans.
According to CNN poll numbers released Sunday, Americans overwhelmingly think that the U.S. government is broken, though the public overwhelmingly holds out hope that what’s broken can be fixed.
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows that 23% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-three percent (43%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -20. For President Obama, the Approval Index has been lower only once (see trends).
Americans are strongly rejecting anything and everything that Obama is proposing, anything that he says. We have awaken to the reality that elections do in fact have consequences and that the American people will be rectifying this mistake come November of 2010, and November of 2012.
Sadly, the President cannot hear all of the noise.
It’s the Chicago strong armed thuggery in the White House that we have become so accustomed to seeing. More of it on display at yesterdays health care summit.
President Obama declares that the Democrat caucus will be moving forward on a socialist takeover of the United States healthcare system, with or without the GOP support. Apparently that also means with or without the support of the American people, who have been stating their case overwhelmingly against this bill.
That’s what we have elections for he says…well Mr. President, thats also what we have revolutions for. Roll the tape.
Obama knows full well that if this ever gets passed, it will be next to impossible to undo it, hence the high intensity energetic push to get it done in a “few weeks”. Dont worry about getting it right, just get it done. Mr. President, scoring a political victory by passing a disasterous bill will not work out well for you. The American people have spoken, and should you continue to not listen…well, who knows what happens next.
Ronald Reagan once said “the closest thing to eternal life on this earth is a government program”. Obama knows this.
This one phrase and snitty remark thrown out by the President really summed up the entire sham of a summit yesterday. Ironically, the President throughout the day kept accusing Republicans of grandstanding and playing politics, when in fact the entire excercise at Blair House was nothing more than a political grandstand for the President, throwing out some faux bipartisanship in order to slap down all GOP ideas and move forward anyways.
Roll the tape, and see if you can’t put your finger on the irritation and argumentative spirit that Obama came to the table with.
I love John McCains response “I am reminded of that every day Mr. President”
I wonder if it is the shocking deficits that act as a reminder for him??
Some of you may have heard, there was a football game last night. If you hadn’t yet heard, you need to come out from underneath your rock.
Since America cannot seem to get away from our narcissist-in-chief, I suppose it was to be expected that he would definetely have to be interviewed for his take on the Super Bowl. Katie Couric got the “honor”.
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Sunday that the Indianapolis Colts “have to be favored” in the Super Bowl, even though he has a “soft spot” for the New Orleans Saints.
Obama’s Super Bowl prediction was based on his opinion that the Colts have “perhaps the best quarterback in history.”
“Peyton Manning is unbelievable,” the president told CBS’ Katie Couric during a live pregame interview.
Still, Obama said he has a soft spot for New Orleans, “mainly because of what the city has gone through over these last several years” since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.
Obama said he might be biased against the Colts since they beat his hometown Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.
There has been no confirmation thus far of any statements coming out of the White House blaming Bush for the inaccurate pick by the President, but we will stay vigilant. It shouldn’t take long.
At what point does MSNBC (shameless as they are) get embarrassed by continuing to trot out Chris “Tingles up my leg” Matthews to offer up political analysis…and believe me, I use the term analysis very loosely in this sense. What makes it worse, is they continue to trot him out live…and in front of a camera. The only thing MSNBC has working in their favor is the fact that nobody really watches their channel, because well…they are all nuts. But I digress.
In the aftermath of the State of the Union address, Matthews apparently “forgot he was black” speaking of President Obama, and continued on with that theme for entirely too long. Apparently the rest of the country has become color blind, except for the leftists that can’t seem to stop bringing it up. Just watch the video…it actually will do the soul some good to see Tingles Matthews embarrass himself…AGAIN.
Politico’s Micheal Calderone put together a list of some of the reactions that came flying out of the blogosphere and internet. Quite comical really.
Still, that single line quickly bounced around Twitter and the blogosphere, along with widespread criticism of Matthews on the left, on the right and in between.
The Matthews comment was met immediately on Twitter with both confusion and contempt, and later “Chris Matthews” became a top trending topic.
The New Republic’s Michael Crowley wrote: “Huh?” with The Huffington Post’s Jason Linkins asking, “W to the F?”
Meanwhile, The American Prospect’s Adam Serwer offered a terse response to the Matthews line: “F— You.” The Washington Independent’s Spencer Ackerman wrote that the MSNBC host should “get off the air.” And from the The Joshua Blog: “He needs to be gone from @MSNBC for good. Enough already
I guess the left isn’t quite as color blind as they purport themselves to be. Tingles was only able to forget he was black for an hour. Must not have been using that negro dialect right Harry Reid?
Michelle Malkin gives us a great line.
Who says such a thing? And they call Tea Party folks RAAAAAACISTS? Is there a more race-obsessed motor-mouth on TV than Chris Matthews?
Nope.
What does America’s Most Trusted Newsman have to say about all of this?? Jon Stewart, go ahead and weigh in sir!
Ahhh, the State of the Union address. The time in the political calendar in which we witness politicians falling in love with themselves all over again, year after year. There is so much to take away from last nights speech, but lets start with what has been sticking in my craw, and actually pulled me up out of my chair when it happened.
It was amazingly childish. It was awash in the hyper-partisan aura that dominated the entire evening. Frankly, it discarded the decorum of the evening, and was an act beneath the dignity of the United States President addressing the state of our union. In my time following politics, I have not yet seen something as brazen, but then again for a man who cannot seem to recognize the gravity and the duty and dignity of the office he holds, it came as no real surprise.
It was the blatant calling out of the Supreme Court in the middle of the speech, launching a political bomb at the Court as they sat stony faced in the front row. Politicization of the Court is beneath a President who has been lecturing throughout the evening on the need to discard the politicization of issues in Washington, and work on behalf of the American people. The reaction of the Democrat caucus was even more comical disgraceful, as clearly can be seen in the video. Chuck Schumer exhibits a particular lack of decency as he is almost giving an in your face to the Justices sitting nearest to him, clapping like a seal on the rocks.
POLITICO’s Kasie Hunt, who’s in the House chamber, reports that Justice Samuel Alito mouthed the words “not true” when President Barack Obama criticized the Supreme Court’s campaign finance decision.
“Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests — including foreign corporations — to spend without limit in our elections,” Obama said. “Well I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people, and that’s why I’m urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong.”
The shot of the black-robed Supreme Court justices, stone-faced, was priceless.
Oh but wait. We have come to this address to the nation’s version of the Joe Wilson “YOU LIE” moment. Justice Alito, who clearly was not particularly impressed with the Presidents hutzpah, gave a reaction that has set the political world on fire today. Check out the video here.
Again, we see the President lying to the American people, using scare tactics to bully his point across, blatantly telling falsehoods to the elation of his parties caucus. As a constitutional attorney, it is almost comical that he did not seem to research out the decision as it was given, neither reading the majority opinion or the dissenting opinion. It was obvious. Even the most novice of us who follow the Washington game can recognize his failure to educate himself on an issue explicitly put in his speech to attempt to discredit the Court and score cheap political points. For a more detailed analysis, Bradley Smith, who is a distinguished professor of law at the Capital University Law School weighed in on the subject in the Corner, the blog for the National Review. Emphasis mine.
Tonight the president engaged in demogoguery of the worst kind, when he claimed that last week’s Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC, “open[ed] the floodgates for special interests — including foreign corporations — to spend without limit in our elections. Well I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities.”
The president’s statement is false.
The Court held that 2 U.S.C. Section 441a, which prohibits all corporate political spending, is unconstitutional. Foreign nationals, specifically defined to include foreign corporations, are prohibiting from making “a contribution or donation of money or ather thing of value, or to make an express or implied promise to make a contribution or donation, in connection with a Federal, State or local election” under 2 U.S.C. Section 441e, which was not at issue in the case. Foreign corporations are also prohibited, under 2 U.S.C. 441e, from making any contribution or donation to any committee of any political party, and they prohibited from making any “expenditure, independent expenditure, or disbursement for an electioneering communication.”
This is either blithering ignorance of the law or demagoguery of the worst kind
Of course, the Democrat caucus loved it. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) commented afterward to Politico.
“He [Alito] deserved to be criticized, if he didn’t like it he can mouth whatever they want,” Weiner said. “These Supreme Court justices sometimes forget that we live in the real world. They got a real world reminder tonight, if you make a boneheaded decision, someone’s going to call you out on it.”
This actually goes to show the irony of the last name of the honorable representative from New York. The President never mentioned Alito, who in fact did not even write the majority opinion in the case. However, it is good to see that the Democrats have decided to wage war on the Supreme Court. Justice Alito would eat the lunch of any and all on the issue at hand, as he heard the case, researched the case, and adjudicated on the matter. This is not a debate that the Dem’s should try to engage in, it is one they cannot win and one that would make them look silly. But, Weiner apparently wants to make a showcase of the Alito reaction. It won’t play well Congressman.
Randy Barnett from the Georgetown University School of law weighs in.
In the history of the State of the Union has any President ever called out the Supreme Court by name, and egged on the Congress to jeer a Supreme Court decision, while the Justices were seated politely before him surrounded by hundreds Congressmen? To call upon the Congress to countermand (somehow) by statute a constitutional decision, indeed a decision applying the First Amendment? What can this possibly accomplish besides alienating Justice Kennedy who wrote the opinion being attacked. Contrary to what we heard during the last administration, the Court may certainly be the object of presidential criticism without posing any threat to its independence. But this was a truly shocking lack of decorum and disrespect towards the Supreme Court for which an apology is in order. A new tone indeed.
I haven’t been able to find much in favor of Obama’s decision to throw a political grenade at the court. Even the hyper liberal WH mouthpiece NY Times offered up analysis in its blog condemning the decision and the statement, deriding the Presidents clear lack of knowledge on the subject that he wanted to make a point on.
I will have more on the State of the Union address throughout the day, but I felt like I needed to get this one off my chest first. For a general roundup, go here.
Sarah Palin is at it again. This evening she posted yet another of her now infamous facebook notes for the world to see (she has more fans on her page than the President I might add). She informs the President that it’s time for him to listen to the American people, instead of forcing the American people to constantly listen to him. The former governor is once again right on the money, even though the leftist who are suffering from Palin Derangement Syndrome will of course not see it that way and will surely attack her from all sides. She actually understands what the American people at large are all about (campaigning for John McCain aside….we will leave that one for another day!)
So, without further delay….the infamous Palin Facebook note!
We’ve now seen three landslide Republican victories in three states that President Obama carried in 2008. From the tea parties to the town halls to the Massachusetts Miracle, Americans have tried to make their opposition to Washington’s big government agenda loud and clear. But the President has decided that this current discontent isn’t his fault, it’s ours. He seems to think we just don’t understand what’s going on because he hasn’t had the chance – in his 411 speeches and 158 interviews last year – to adequately explain his policies to us.
Instead of sensibly telling the American people, “I’m listening,” the president is saying, “Listen up, people!” This approach is precisely the reason people are upset with Washington. Americans understand the president’s policies. We just don’t agree with them. But the president has refused to shift focus and come around to the center from the far left. Instead he and his old campaign advisers are regrouping to put a new spin on the same old agenda for 2010.
Americans aren’t looking for more political strategists. We’re looking for real leadership that listens and delivers results. The president’s former campaign adviser is now calling on supporters to “get on the same page,” but what’s on that page? He claims that the president is “resolved” to “keep fighting for” his agenda, but we’ve already seen what that government-growth agenda involves, and frankly the hype doesn’t give us much hope. Real health care reform requires a free market approach; real job creation involves incentivizing, not punishing, the job-creators; reining in the “big banks” means ending bailouts; and stopping “the undue influence of lobbyists” means not cutting deals with them behind closed doors.
Instead of real leadership, though, we’ve had broken promises and backroom deals. One of the worst: candidate Obama promised to go through the federal budget “with a scalpel,” but President Obama spent four times more than his predecessor. Want more? Candidate Obama promised that lobbyists “won’t find a job in my White House,” but President Obama gave at least a dozen former lobbyists top administration jobs. Candidate Obama promised us that we could view his health care deliberations openly and honestly on C-SPAN, but President Obama cut deals behind closed doors with industry lobbyists. Candidate Obama promised us that we would have at least five days to read all major legislation, but President Obama rushed through bills before members of Congress could even read them.
Candidate Obama promised us that his economic stimulus package would be targeted and pork-free, but President Obama signed a stimulus bill loaded with pork and goodies for corporate cronies. Candidate Obama railed against Wall Street greed, but President Obama cozied up to bankers as he extended and expanded their bailouts. Candidate Obama promised us that for “Every dollar that I’ve proposed [in spending], I’ve proposed an additional cut so that it matches.” We’re still waiting to see how President Obama will cut spending to match the trillion he’s spent.
More than anything, Americans were promised jobs, but the president’s stimulus package has failed to stem our rising unemployment rate. Maybe it was unfair to expect that an administration with so little private sector experience would understand something about job creation. How many Obama Administration officials have ever had to make a payroll or craft a business plan in the private sector? How many have had to worry about not having the resources to invest and expand? The president’s big government policies have made hiring a new employee a difficult commitment for employers to make. Ask yourself if the Obama Administration has done anything to make it easier for employers to hire. Have they given us any reassurance that the president will keep taxes low and not impose expensive new regulations?
Candidate Obama over-promised; President Obama has under-delivered. We understand you, Mr. President. We’ve listened to you again and again. We ask that you now listen to the American people.
Apparently the teleprompters were used for the media and not for the kids, according to the Weekly Standard.
And the beginning of the video posted on the White House website shows that there are no kids between Obama and the news media during the remarks he makes using the teleprompters.The White House confirmed to TWS that the teleprompters were used for his remarks to the press, not with students.
Public Policy Polling recently released this poll in the aftermath of the Brown upset in Massachusetts and the results are stunning. I don’t remember any poll showing Obama losing to a GOP challenger up to this point so this is a noteworthy poll.
Mike Huckabee has a 45-44 advantage over Obama, aided largely by a 44-38 lead with independents. There continues to be no evidence of any negative fallout for Huckabee after murders of police officers committed by an ex-Arkansas inmate whose sentence he had commuted. His 35/29 favorability breakdown is actually slightly better than it was in November before that incident.
Mitt Romney does the next best, trailing Obama 44-42. His favorability is 36/32, and he’s the most popular Republican among independents (41/32). Romney actually matches Huckabee with GOP voters this month and gets over 50%, ending a trend in his numbers that had seemed to spell difficulty for snagging a Republican nomination.
Sarah Palin trails Obama 49-41 largely because she loses 14% of the Republican vote to him, making her the only one of the GOP candidates we tested who Obama could get double digit crossover support against. At the same time Palin continues to be the most well liked potential GOP candidate within her party- at 71% favorability. Her problem appears to be that the Republicans who don’t care for her will go so far as to vote for Obama instead of her.
Before all the rabid Palinites declare this poll to be completely irrelevant, there are other polls that there that would corroborate the PPP assessment that Palin loses to Obama due to the Republican cross-over voting in favor of Obama. According to a recent Fox News poll, it shows Sarah Palin losing 17% of the GOP vote to Barack Obama, giving him a solid lead against the former Alaskan governor.
16. What about if the candidates were: (ROTATE NAMES)
Democrat Republican (Don’t
Barack Obama Sarah Palin (Other) (Wouldn’t vote) know)
12-13 Jan 10 55% 31 4 4 5
Democrats 89% 5 1 1 3
Republicans 17% 68 6 6 4
Independents 56% 24 7 4 8
Time to take a second look at Mike Huckabee??
And do these numbers indicate why Mrs Palin is out campaigning for John McCain? Is it a play to get back that surprisingly large percentage of GOP voters that would defect?
I guess when the facts are working against you, you should always revert to the WOW factor. 3000%……wow!
We’ve now seen three landslide Republican victories in three states that President Obama carried in 2008. From the tea parties to the town halls to the Massachusetts Miracle, Americans have tried to make their opposition to Washington’s big government agenda loud and clear. But the President has decided that this current discontent isn’t his fault, it’s ours. He seems to think we just don’t understand what’s going on because he hasn’t had the chance – in his 
