Posted on 01/31/2009 8:13:37 AM PST by markomalley
Republicans wrapped up their retreat Friday by signaling they are losing patience with President Obama and the Democratic leadership in Congress.
Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.) criticized the new administration on Friday, saying it had promised to reach out to Republicans on the Capitol Hill, but then offered an economic recovery package that included few, if any, proposals from the minority party.
Romney, who helped write the House Republican substitute voted down Wednesday afternoon, said enough of the rhetoric, it's time for Obama to act.
"Meeting with someone is not negotiating, meeting with someone to say 'here's my plan, take it or leave it,' that is not negotiating, that is not reaching out," Romney told reporters after his lunchtime speech.
Earlier in the day, House Minority leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) emphasized that he had pressed the president to intervene with the Democratic Congressional leadership in order to give Republicans a chance to negotiate on a final economic recovery package. The House passed a Democratic-sponsored version but it happened without a single Republican vote.
Boehner noted he made it clear to Obama after the vote that Republicans would remain united if the final stimulus bill did not include tax relief increases and cut down on government spending.
But Boehner seemed to place most of the blame with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) when he said he was realistic about how much a new president, 10 days into his term, can do when faced with powerful forces at the other end of Pennsylvania Ave.
Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) agreed.
"President Obama is saying one thing – Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are doing another, that's at the end of the day what we're dealing with," Cantor said. "Either they are going to be about a real stimulus bill or they're not. They're nothing but the biggest spending plan to come across the House floor. Period."
House Republican Conference Chairman Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) said the GOP's message on the stimulus plan is getting through. He noted their offices have received a deluge of calls and emails from concerned voters.
Boehner agreed. "All of our offices have been swamped for a week, both before and clearly after," with concerns about the economic stimulus bill, he said.
Republicans left their retreat Friday evening feeling optimistic, particularly toward the 2010 election. In off-year elections, the party opposite the president's traditionally pick up several Congressional seats.
Romney predicted that House Republicans will make up the distance and retake majority control in 2010. His message on how to do that was clear: Republicans must present original alternatives and solutions to the American people, as they have done during the economic stimulus debate.
His sentiments were similar to those of former Speaker Newt Gingrich, Thursday night's key note speaker.
Gingrich, too, said Boehner would be the Speaker of the House in the 112th Congress, according to several members at the event.
Over 130 House Republicans made the five-hour trek to Hot Springs, Va., to participate in the yearly issues retreat.
Pence organized the event and brought in speakers with expertise in various areas, including how to communicate messages effectively.
Gov. Mitch Daniels (R-Ind.), another speaker, offered his keys to success in politics: be bold, be yourself, toss the talking points, speak from the heart, get to know the people you work for.
Have slumber parties with your constituents, he told the early risers. "End up places candidates don't go," he said.
"I talked a lot about getting your hands dirty; being with and connecting and really understanding the lives of real people. I travel all the time, I stay over night at peoples homes all over Indiana, I've been doing this for five years. Incidentily it makes a much better office holder out of you," Daniels revealed. "I think it makes a more effective advocate of you."
Well, that didn't take long.
What a headline!
The Democrat Party is full of lies. The MSM, which is the voice of the Democrat Party continues to lie. They can’t hide their lying eyes. When someone lies over and over again, there is no trust. The GOP has the opportunity to expose all these lies. We are all sick and tired of being lied to about every thing under the sun.
What if that cut down on government spending was a 10% cut (rumored in a post last night) in the pentagon budget? That enough for the Republicans to sign on?
Pence’s plan sounds good. And with Michael Steele, !!!!
I, for one, am not impressed at all with the House Republicans and their “bold move”, their “solidarity in opposition” to Obama’s stimulus plan. Big deal, so you phony clowns decide to get serious after completely blowing years of opportunity in prior years to actually implement YOUR supposed agenda. Our Republican “leadership” is a complete sham. Big empty solidarity statements when out of power, caving to the left when they are in power. End result is a continuing leftward drift in this country.
Any IN FReepers have an overnight guest? I wonder how he chooses people.
If Obama can't even take on Pelosi and Reid, don't hold your breath for him to take on Putin, Chavez, Castro 2, Ahmadinejad , Ortega, Hamas, Hezbollah, al Quaeda, SEIU, UAW, NPR, or any of America's other enemies...
Does any freeper live in Heath Shuler’s district? I heard he had to bow down to Nancy Pelosi and ask permission to vote against Obama’s stagflation Bill.
Campaign commercials could be fun (If he runs again).
“saying it had promised to reach out to Republicans on the Capitol Hill”
That was the sound byte the obamanists wanted the press for public view. 0’s administration had no plans for actual implementation(except to show mclame brownnosing). Now the press can tell the public that it is Republicans who refuse to cooperate with “the one”.
You mean the radical left is NOT dropping its pants and self-lubricating with vaseline like those steel-spined republicans during their majority years? SHOCKED. SHOCKED, I SAY!
Saddling future generations with unimaginable debt is not hope, nor is loading one's administration with Clintonites change. Fauxbama is phony through and through.
As if anybody here is really surprised by that?
[”President Obama is saying one thing – Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are doing another, that’s at the end of the day what we’re dealing with,” Cantor said. “Either they are going to be about a real stimulus bill or they’re not. They’re nothing but the biggest spending plan to come across the House floor. Period.” ]
This is a good strategy. Don’t go after Obama yet. The Obama worship is still too strong. Americans will still be all to willing to give Obama a pass. This also allows Republicans to be able to point out over and over that the Rats have been in charge of Congress since 2006. They have been in charge throughout this financial meltdown.
What the Hell do you think has been going on with Democrats for the past 50 years you idiot!
This is the way they play.
This is the way they act when they are in power.
Trying learning something from this.
Goddamighty what nitwits we have in the R Party.
Hey RINO's, here's a clue for you, go to the library and check out all the books on Great Moderates in American Political History!
ping
Well Mitt, they ARE reaching out to Republicans. They're bitch slapping them. Obama wants the appearance of bi-partisanship, but he'll go with total domination without much complaint.
So, watcha you goin do?
‘here’s my plan, take it or leave it,’ that is not negotiating, that is not reaching out,”...
One should never negotiate with enemies of the United States.
0 and the dims are enemies of the U.S. and are nothing but sock puppets of the Socialist Internationale (aka George Soros).
Conservatives are tired of being called has-beens. Tired of hearing GOPers say that Reagan Conservatism is dead.We did not leave the party, the party left us.
I also think that people like Gingrich, who sounds more and more like he is starting to lean left just so the Democrats will like him and Romney who has always leaned left need to shut up unless they start being Reagan Conservatives in talk and action.
We do not want a repeat of the useless majority we had when we held the house and senate. They were so giddy with having won, they sold us down the river with their 'can't we all get along' BS. It does not work, Democrats want to destroy our party and totally take over the country.
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