Obama: ‘Last thing we need’ is for Congress to return to DC

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: The Hill

Obama blasted Congress from the road on Thursday, saying things would be worse if lawmakers returned to Washington.

“There is nothing wrong with our country,” Obama said in a speech at a Holland, Mich. plant. “There is something wrong with our politics.”

Obama rolled out what sounded like a new campaign theme Thursday that makes Washington gridlock his foil and the obstacle to increased economic recovery.

Obama criticized and mocked Congress's months-long fight over a deal to raise the debt ceiling and reduce deficits, and said he would not heed suggestions to call Congress back to Washington during the August recess.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/news/176523-obama-blasts-gridlock-blames-congress-for-sap-downgrade

[bluestateguy]

1. Calling Congress into special session would just be a cheap stunt

You can call a special session anytime you want but you can't make them do anything.

And what would be the point? We all know what the makeup of Congress is right now. They would do nothing but hold useless committee hearings, press conferences and silly parliamentary games.

[dtexdem]

3. Whereas politicians prefer very-expensive stunts.

Well, maybe it's time for the stunts to be cheap for once.

[BackToThe60s]

33. Republican tactics consist almost ENTIRELY of cheap stunts

And the fact they wouldn't do anything could and should be used by Obama to skewer them!

[mike_c]

2. oh boy, another campaign theme that sounds good but has zero substance....

“There is nothing wrong with our country-- there is something wrong with our politics.”

At least "Hope" and "Change" were succinct.

[JAnthony]

7. Actually, I think the evidence of the last 2.5 years proves he is once again

SPEAKING the TRUTH!

Altho I would like to know precisely WHAT Obama has in mind in "savings" for Medicare, Medicaid, and SS... versus the hundreds of billions we could save if we cut SOME defense installations in Europe and Japan.

I think Obama is partially right, but hasn't figured out how to sell the defense base closures, and has let go of control of budetary issues to the "wrong" politicized Congress... which scares me.

[L0oniX]

11. LMAO

[dgibby]

22. As if you could somehow magically separate the two. n/t

[ladjf]

4. He said many meaningless, insipid remarks. What a bore!

[Proud Public Servant]

5. "There's something wrong with our politics"

Says America's most prominent politician. Great messaging, guys! "There's something wrong with this slogan" is more like it.

[No Elephants]

20. Hey, it's a huge improvement over his WTF slogan.

Winning the Future.

I hope we did not pay his campaign advisors too much for that one.

I think even Palin caught that flaw immediately.

[swilton]

38. I couldn't have said it any better

Pathetic strategy - can't he come up with something better than this...

It sounds like an excuse from someone who is afraid of Congress! What a statement from the President!!!

Sick!

[DCKit]

6. I always felt far safer when W was out of town, too.

I'd have to agree. They can do far more damage here.

[demosincebirth]

8. This is what he should be doing all over the country. He should be

more specific and call out those who are holding up progress in DC. Where is FDR?

[DeSwiss]

9. He's part of what is ''wrong with our politics.'' - K&R n/t

[L0oniX]

10. I was born in Holland Mi and I can tell you this....

I left that f*cking hole because the people there are the most religious ignorant bigoted assholes I have ever been around. If you were black you had to live outside of town. Racist assholes! I left there as soon as I got out of high school. The f*cked up place is absolutely packed full of repukes. WTF is Obama doing there? ...OH I know ...he's morphing into something other than what I voted for. Oh yea don't forget ...that m*ther f*cker Eric Prince is from that hell hole too.

[Uncle Joe]

12. Yes "It wouldn't be prudent" to recall the Congress from their vacations and fund-raising,

requiring them to actually work, while the nation is in an economic crisis.

I believe Obama has it backward, politics is on the road, policy is passed in D.C.

Thanks for the thread, Freddie Stubbs.

[MessiahRp]

13. Isn't there a bunch of FAA workers that need Congress to come back?

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/congress-leaves-faa-workers-high-dry-decision-budget-14229052

Sounds rather callous to say that to me.

Rp

[kirby]

16. That was already resolved on Aug 5.

It is a six week extension, so on Sept 16 there will need to be more work, but I just wanted to correct your assertion.

[MessiahRp]

18. Correction noted. I was unaware that was resolved. Thanks for the update.

I appreciate the info.

Rp

[tawadi]

14. This blame game needs to stop

The country needs hope and sutuons. We need to put people back to work. That is, back to work with real jobs paying adequate salaries.

[Maven]

15. "There's something wrong with our politics" = as meaningless as "change we can believe in"

[Cool Logic]

17. Well, the Bill of Rights does indeed begin with the words...Congress shall make no law.

According to the Office of the Federal Register, the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), the official listing of all regulations in effect, contained a total of 134,723 pages. Additionally, the U.S. tax code is 71,684 pages in length.

So, I think we could probably get by for a while without them. :sarcasm:

[No Elephants]

21. And how many of them establish a state religion?

Is taking something that far out of context suppose to make a point of some kind?

[Cool Logic]

24. I don't use those emotion icons very often...

On edit I put one in just for you.

[pam4water]

19. Wait what? He is all over the place crazy.

[No Elephants]

23. .What was wrong with our politics between your inauguration and 7 months ago?

[russspeakeasy]

25. Another futuristic plan....I am beginning to think he is not as bright

as I had assumed...:smoke: Actually, Mr. President there is something wrong with our country; we are letting the crazy people set the agenda...as for the politics; are you above "the politics?".

[Itchinjim]

26. Democratic Underground has turned into a giant circle jerk in an echo chamber of

negativity. I don’t know why I bother coming here anymore.

[JNinWB]

27. ..It's far too early for Obama's campaign mode rhetoric

...barbs will sharpen considerably once the R's anoint their nominee.

[madrchsod]

28. there`s something wrong with you barack....

you forgot who brought you to the dance.

[Vattel]

29. Those damn Democrats and Republicans in Congress!

Also from the article posted: In Michigan, Obama did not single out Republicans or Democrats, but blasted Congress for what he said had been “the worst part of partisanship, the worst part of gridlock.”

[Badsam]

30. He is flat out scared to death of them.

Will not vote for him again.

[sofa king]

36. Scared that they might pass more of HIS OWN legislation?

That's what this debt plan is, the plan that the President proposed in March.

Of course, the plan was modified somewhat at the last minute. The President got more of what he wanted, and by letting the Republicans take it to the wire, he diverted the blame for the plan to the Republicans, so that angry voters take it out on them instead of him. He even set it up so that further Republican game-playing ensures that the largest and most difficult cuts (the very ones Republicans don't want) will go through.

That's not the maneuverings of someone who is scared of Congress. That's a very, very clever politician running rings around an adversary too greedy and malicious to understand the ramifications of the agreements they have made until it is too late.

Or, as I suggested in my post below, he may have just pulled the gloves off and effectively ended Congress' autonomy in the American political process forever....

[sofa king]

31. Oh, lurking Freeeepers....

Read this.

Are you wondering now how exactly the President's own debt plan was the one that got passed, when it was the Republicans' intent to tank the economy, extend the tax cuts, and steal your Social Security?

Are you wondering how it is that the President's plan to create a "super-committee" also got through? What were your little teabagger boys doing that day, when they surrendered all of their influence to twelve Beltway regulars?

Maybe they didn't have a choice. Maybe the President got fed up and dusted off NSPD-51, so that he could use the dictatorial authority cooked up by Dick Cheney to fuck you in the ass.

Maybe you just caused the crisis necessary for the President to install himself as a silent dictator, and now when he says the last thing he needs is Congress to return, he can use the Bush Administration's "unitary theory" of the Presidency to lock your teabagger diaper-chasers out of Washington forever.

Have a nice vacation, Republicans. If you ask nicely, maybe he'll let your little Kiwanis club come back. But if he doesn't, there's not a damned thing you can do about it, thanks to your hero, George Bush.

[Major Hogwash]

32. Ha ha ha!!!! Tell it like it is, Obama!!!

Those sorry fucks would sell off the National Parks if you gave them half a chance!!

[blueclown]

34. Please, President, stay out of campaign mode until next year.

It's far too early, and you have too many other pressing concerns. Like decreasing that unemployment rate. Getting people back to work.

[Unvanguard]

35. It's not CONGRESS, Mr. President. It's ONE PARTY IN CONGRESS.

We need to keep the Senate. We need to take the House. Both of those are important. Your re-election is not the only important thing.

[w0nderer]

37. and all congress people are missing the chance

for some GREAT brownie points

'my constituents are in dire needs, we must all give up things, i'm giving up my vacation and will work through my vacation without pay'

sha right..oh well

[JDPriestly]

39. Obama should have walked away from the Tea-Baggers in Congress long ago.

They are hopeless.

Obama is right to take his message straight to the people.

But if he listens, he will soon learn that ordinary people do not want any changes to Social Security or Medicare. Those programs should not be touched.

[unkachuck]

40. "There is nothing wrong with our country,"

"There is something wrong with our politics."

....I'm not sure....wouldn't politics be a reflection of our country, Mr. Prez?

....and as our top politician, how do you fit in with the 'something wrong with our politics, not with our country' theme? Don't we have a lot of 'wrong' everywhere?

....but what the hell, if can keep a straight face, you might as well run against Washington too.

[Igel]

41. Could he call Congress back?

They're not adjourned. They have pro forma sessions.

The Senate even managed to pass legislation during a pro forma session.

They're in session. They're just not around.

[dflprincess]

42. Let me know when he "criticizes and mocks" Republicans in Congress n/t