Posted on 08/14/2011 1:45:30 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
WASHINGTON — As the economy worsens, President Obama and his senior aides are considering whether to adopt a more combative approach on economic issues, seeking to highlight substantive differences with Republicans in Congress and on the campaign trail rather than continuing to pursue elusive compromises, advisers to the president say.
Mr. Obama’s senior adviser, David Plouffe, and his chief of staff, William M. Daley, want him to maintain a pragmatic strategy of appealing to independent voters by advocating ideas that can pass Congress, even if they may not have much economic impact. These include free trade agreements and improved patent protections for inventors.
But others, including Gene Sperling, Mr. Obama’s chief economic adviser, say public anger over the debt ceiling debate has weakened Republicans and created an opening for bigger ideas like tax incentives for businesses that hire more workers, according to Congressional Democrats who share that view. Democrats are also pushing the White House to help homeowners facing foreclosure.
....Dan Pfeiffer, the White House director of communications, said that there was no internal debate. “The president’s first priority is to work with Republicans and Democrats to grow the economy, create jobs and reduce the deficit, but if the Republican House continues its ‘my way or the highway’ approach, he will make sure the public knows who is standing in the way and why.”
The issue is being framed by the 2012 election. Administration officials, frustrated by the intransigence of House Republicans, have increasingly concluded that the best thing Mr. Obama can do for the economy may be winning a second term, with a mandate to advance his ideas on deficit reduction, entitlement changes, housing policy and other issues.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Obama has steered America onto the rocks and we're taking on water fast. Obama and his appointees have donned their life vests and headed to their assigned lifeboats.
Our country is sinking, we're bailing to stay afloat - keep our heads above water - and witnessing "Captain" Obama and his crew plotting to claim salvage rights.
Is there anyone left in the country, other than politicians, who still think free trade agreements create jobs in America?
The Obama administration is considering [which means it’s in the end stages of planning] merging the Department of Commerce with the Office of the United States Trade Representative - sprinkling it with various State Department economic divisions, in order to build a new central planning agency. They’re floating names: “Department of Jobs” and “Department of Competitiveness.”
You are correct - the vultures are plotting to get the best parts as the nation dies.
If we could get some of those who are supposedly conservatives, to do what the Dims are supposedly planning - tell the real truth about what is going on instead of pussy-footing - they would garner our support and probably even convert a few lefties...
These jerks don't get it.
If there is already reduced demand for a company's products, the company is not going to hire more people to replace the ones they just had to lay off.
Tried that. Didn't work. How come? Because nobody hires in order to get a tax incentive. Dopes.
Democrats are also pushing the White House to help homeowners facing foreclosure.
Tried that also. Also did not work. Frigging Muppets.
0bama's crew still believes the electorate will judge him on the basis of rhetoric instead of results. The only thing that's going to matter next year is if the unemployment rate is higher than 8%. If it is, he can speachify until he's blue in the lips, and it won't make a bit of difference. The President historically owns the economy and that's all there is to it.
You'd have to be pretty obtuse not to find this statement hilarious. Obama's idea of 'pursuing elusive compromise' is to whine, bully and lecture, in no particular order. It's certainly combative.
I don't know what 'more combative' would be. More whiny, more pushy, more sanctimmonious? Are they really wargaming that one, checking to see if it might hold some promise?
Hey, here's an idea. Give up. Get the hell out of the economy's way. Cut regulation. Cut spending. Then, when you're done, sail on to re-election.
Don't worry about the free advice. Obama would rather crash and burn than admit his policies don't work. That's why he's threatending to 'take it up a notch' rather than go back to the drawing board and get some real compromises going with the GOP. He's sooner lose an election than admit ideological defeat.
I believe the country falling apart is success in Obama's ideological world.
Those who agree cheer, those too stupid to understand are content to feed on the carcass.
Obama's bus tour an effort to connect with everyday Americans (been "trapped in Washington") ........"Obama appears to be trying out a campaign theme by blaming Congress - without a direction mention of Republicans - for the bitterness that led to an eleventh-hour debt limit agreement, and Earnest said the president was expecting to hear more anger on the road.
"The president does anticipate that he'll detect a little frustration about the dysfunction in Congress, and the strident position of some in Congress to put their partisan affiliation ahead of the country," he said.".....
= "Demonize, vilify, blackguard, and smear."
So what's up, Doc? Anything new over there?
he will make sure the public knows who is standing in the way and why.”
. . .
Yes, yes. It’s ATMs, earthquakes, Bush, Big Oil, the rich, Republicans, Arab Spring, tax cuts, speculators, bad weather.....
Right... More combative. What’s he going to do, kick it up a notch and label his opponents enemies and terrorists? Oh. Done that already.
Well, sure. Outsourcing and offshoring consultancies -- they were a booming business for about 10 years, and a very profitable sideline for outfits like McKinsey and Challenger, Gray.
Banner years, these last 15 years or so, as outplacement and rightsizing consultation leap from strength to strength.
Obama’s already started to blame the economy on the republican controlled House.
The BEST argument to bring to the American people is to remind them that until january or this year, Obama and the democrats had a super majority and did nothing with it.
Another reminder: Since 2006 they controlled Congress until they lost the House and republicans took over THIS year.
This needs to be one of our mantras
If higher taxes are so great and what a majority of Americans want, I sure hope Obama and the rest of the Democrats make that their #1 campaign platform for 2012.
this is his definition of hope and change.
“Department of Saved and/or Created”
“Administration officials, frustrated by the intransigence of House Republicans, have increasingly concluded that the best thing Mr. Obama can do for the economy may be winning a second term, with A MANDATE TO ADVANCE HIS IDEAS on deficit reduction, entitlement changes, housing policy and other issues.”
obama has been successful with his ideas in his first term. Of course he wants a second term to continue The Fundamental Transformation of the United States of America.
His “idea” on deficit reduction is to increase the deficit.
Entitlement change is to create more entitled people dependent on the State.
Housing policy: higher foreclosure rate with redistribution of the homes to the deserving entitlement class to achieve economic justice.
And whining to the public is leadership??? This is why his polls are sinking.
Anyone who looks at the data does. Here's some: http://www.tradingeconomics.com/mexico/balance-of-trade
For the last several years, Mexico, for instance, has imported more goods and services (Measured in US dollars) than it has exported. (Their trade balance swung into positive territory just this year because of oil prices.) This means that during the last several years, more jobs were created in the US due to the free trade agreement with Mexico than were created in the US.
I have not accepted the reality that this useless joker is really the POTUS.
It's mind boggling!
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