Posted on 09/06/2015 12:21:41 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
In a Labor Day message, posted to YouTube by The White House on Saturday, President Obama called on Americans to remember what the upcoming holiday is really about.
I wanted to take a moment to talk to you about the real meaning of Labor Day a day we set aside every year to honor the hardworking men and women who fought for so many of the rights that we take for granted today.
Among those rights, the president highlighted the eight hour work day, 40-hour work week, weekends, overtime pay, a minimum wage, safer workplaces. health insurance, Social Security, Medicare, and retirement plans, just to name a few.
As the president points out in his speech, those gains werent handed to our parents and grandparents by their kind and generous employers. They are rights that previous generations of American workers bravely fought for. But those rights are once again under attack from republicans all across the US, like presidential candidates Scott Walker and Rand Paul, as well as right wing governors like Michigan governor Rick Snyder and Illinois governor Bruce Rauner, Tennessee governor Bill Haslam, and many, many others..
But the presidents message was aimed at the anti-union, anti-worker, anti-middle-class GOP Congress, who are yet again threatening another government shutdown this fall.
As the president explains in his three-and-a-half minute weekly address:
As always, the deadline for Congress to pass a budget is the end of September. Every year. This is not new. And if they dont, theyll shut down the government for the second time in two years. At a time when the global economy faces headwinds and Americas economy is a relative bright spot in the world, a shutdown of our government would be wildly irresponsible.
Another shut down of the federal government would hurt working class Americans. It would once again damage the U.S. economy, which has finally returned to pre-recession health, in spite of republican sabotage.
In 2013, when the republican congress shut down the government for 17 days, nearly two million people were laid off or furloughed. The estimated economic losses associated with the 2013 shut down were more than $300 million dollars per day.
But the president also stresses that another government shutdown does not have to happen.
If Congress wants to support working Americans and strengthen our middle class, they can pass a budget that invests in, not makes cuts to, the middle class. If they pass a budget with shortsighted sequester cuts that harm our military and our economy, Ill veto it. If they make smart investments in our military readiness, our infrastructure, our schools, public health, and research, Ill sign that budget and they know that.
During the last few moments of his speech, President Obama calls out the irresponsible and reckless actions of the republican congress in no uncertain terms, saying:
Our economy doesnt need another round of threats and brinksmanship. Nobody gets to play games with our economy or the middle class I grew up in, and that you grew up in. So tell Congress to pass a budget that reflects the values we honor on Labor Day. Rewarding hard work. Giving everybody a fair shot. And working together to give all of our kids a better life.
That's rich coming from the Obama administration that brought us job destroying Obamacare with part time jobs - hurt small business hiring - keeps the economy from recovering (not to mention it's cost and intrusion into our lives). Almost 9 million Americans are out of work
Donald Trump helped elect Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi with his financial backing. Trump praised Hillary and has contributed to her - along with Chuck Schumer and other Democrats that wrought the havoc of Obamacare. Trump lined up with those calling for universal healthcare.
When Gov. Scott Walker entered office January 3, 2011, he signed his state on to the lawsuit against Obamacare the same day.
Gov Scott Walker then took on the unions and won. He faced recall (and won) and a 5-year John Doe witchhunt (and was exonerated along with targeted state conservatives); he remains determined to guide the state out from under Democrat control and oppression. He began and continues (reelected for 2nd term) the dismantling of the Democratic Party Machine - their money generating streams that give them money and muscle.
Wisconsin's economy is strong, employment is up, the state's pension fund is flush, and Walker is ready to carry his leadership to the White House.
Governor Walker released his plan to repeal Obamacare and address the nation's healthcare receiving high marks: With His Health-Care Plan, Scott Walker Shows His Titanium Core "tough and specific"; The Walker Health Care Plan "sets a very high bar;"
Left hates it: Conservative Media Laud Scott Walker's Harmful Health Care Proposal
Lighten up Barry, you jerk!
I don’t see why Obama would slam the GOP Congress. They give him everything he asks for.
The 2011 Wisconsin protests were a series of demonstrations in the state of Wisconsin in the United States beginning in February involving at its zenith as many as 100,000 protesters opposing the 2011 Wisconsin Act 10, also called the "Wisconsin Budget Repair bill." Subsequently, anti-tax activists and other conservatives, including Tea Party advocates, launched small pockets of counter protests. The protests centered on the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, with satellite protests also occurring at other municipalities throughout the state. Demonstrations took place at various college campuses, including the University of WisconsinMadison and the University of WisconsinMilwaukee. After the collective bargaining bill was upheld by the Wisconsin Supreme Court on June 14, the number of protesters declined to about 1,000 within a couple days.
The protests were a major driving force for recall elections of state senators in 2011 and 2012, the failed recall of Governor Scott Walker in 2012 and a contentious Wisconsin Supreme Court election in 2011."...
Talk about preaching to the choir: it was harder to tell which was the more dogmatic Socialist/Communist, Obama or the author.
The GOP congress is sleeping with the enemy, you be the bad guy this week and ill be the bad guy next week and the people remain stupid
Says the guy born with a silver spoon in his mouth who has not spent a single day of his wretched communist life doing real labor.
0bama brought us the 29 hour work week.
0bama is responsible for economic climate change of jobs.
He did.
He’s anti-American.
That’s what you get when you have an electorate who falls for “Hope and Change.”
There is something wrong when a country is dependant on the government’s largess for economic stability.
Exactly. The give-aways, transfer of wealth and magnets need to be rolled back.
Why would he slam his chief enablers?
“I dont see why Obama would slam the GOP Congress. They give him everything he asks for.”
To keep up the appearance that they’re adversaries. Which is of course laughable.
The Unemployment rate is now a joke after Obama quietly changed how that figure is calculated.
Something we never hear our side explain to the low-information voter.
Hoo-Ray Scott Walker ! ..a good man at the wrong time.
Wrong time being the "anti-establishment, anti-politician sentiment"
And of that 94 million out of the workforce 59 million are on Social Security (includes disability numbers of 11 million) so what about the other 35 million.
Trump has made it clear if you attack him, he will immediately unload on you. McCon-job and Bone-head will not be heard from.
I’d say a complete government shutdown would be wildly responsible.
If the GOP have any wish or desire to stay a prominent political party, they should shut it down until demands are met, investigations are started, and arrests are made.
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