(CNN) – President Obama, moving into campaign mode ahead of the midterm elections, has added new, sharper language to his stump speech – twice this week invoking the name of his predecessor.
Obama frequently criticizes Republican policies on the economy – that is certainly nothing new. But the latest wrinkle in Obama's rhetoric is that until now, he has avoided referring to former President Bush by name. That changed this week.
Thursday marked the second time in a week that Obama has mentioned Bush. During a fundraiser in Chicago for Democratic Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias, Obama said Republicans are "betting on amnesia" as trying to make the economy an issue in fall races around the country.
"They haven't come out with a single solitary idea that is different from policies that held sway for eight years before Democrats took over, not a single policy difference that's discernible from George W. Bush. Not one," he told the crowd at the Palmer House Hilton on Chicago.
Before about 400 donors, Obama said, "they're betting that you just forgot about the eight years that they were in charge of Washington. They're betting that you didn't notice that the recession started under their watch and the deficit started under their watch".
The comments were similar to remarks the President delivered at a party fundraiser in Atlanta Monday. In that speech he also referred to GOP efforts to "extend Bush tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires."
Obama attended 3 fundraising events in Chicago Thursday, including two for the Democratic National Committee. He goes back on the road Monday for fundraising events in Texas.
From CNN Politics
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1. This is a Congressional election
2. The Dems have been in contol of that since 2006 (4 years)
3. Up until the Dems won congress (Obama included) the economy was robust (just go look it up, 4.6 unemployment, DOW at 13000, 3.6 GNP growth)
November will be the end of this liberal agenda because nothing gets through after that... and the whitehouse will be a lame duck until 2012... there has been enough damage already
BYE...
Blaming the Bush administration for current problems is not only "boring", but it makes Obama a small person when he should be standing tall.
That's Obama's only hope, run against Bush again. He has disappointed his base, he has alienated the American people with his progressive agenda and is even being disowned by the candidates in his own party. I know, I know, I'm a racist because I disagree with him, but so be it.
Is this all President Empty Suit can do – continue to criticize his predecessor? He has never left the campaign trail since he was elected.
Wait until Obama and his jack booted thugs turn the IRS and other Federal agencies loose on his political opposition.
The Democratic Party's desperation about the upcoming mid-term elections becomes more apparent every day. Yesterday, a story that candidates are avoiding Obama's help. Today, Obama directly naming George Bush for all of the problems that Obama didn't even know existed until he took office and "inherited" all of Bush's issues. This of course happens to every incoming president, Obama has always felt and whined that it was unfair that it had happened to him. Obama, Pelosi and Reid all know that no matter how much they try to convince the public otherwise, they are going to take a beating for a 10% + unemployment rate and record budget deficits not to mention increasingly unpopular "achievements" such as Obamacare. I would expect that Rahm and his propaganda team will continue to lash out at every possible target until the election so the only question will be who the Dems will pick as the next target; so far, Palin, Bush, ???
It's about time President Obama started calling them out. Democrats need to stop playing nice and hold the Republicans accountable for their actions or LACK of actions.
Republicans need to be exposed for their ineptitude and all their negativity and efforts in dragging this country down.
Way to go President Obama!
This is because Obama has to blame someone else. He knows he will never get elected again as President. We the people, are not very happy with the changes Mr. Obama has made. Somewhere along the line his "changes" must have gotten all mixed up between election time and voting until now.
Well, at least Bush was a two-term prez. No way that Obama gets re-elected.
You can tell Obozo is desperate. America is rejecting obamunism fast.
I can't believe that no one ever calls this guy out for his comments about the Repubs being in charge for 8 years. If I recall, the Dems took over Congress in 2006 after campaigning against a war (which we're still involved in.) THEN the housing market went in the tank b/c they wanted banks to loan money to everyone regardless of if they had the money to pay it back. THEN the rest of the economy went to crap on the Dems watch, not the Repubs. I would like to see one instance of a Democrat warning of financial problems before they took office. I wish our president could get his own facts straight, but if he won't someone with a louder voice than mine needs to set him straight.
What else is Obama going to do. He is just falling back on the typical democratic line, blame the republicans for all of your problems. Maybe it's good that Obama has yet to take on the role and responsibility of President, this way he won't feel to bad when he gets fired in 2012. Maybe then he can go play checkers with Jimmy Carter.
Even I'd call that un-classy.
They say all he does is blame bushy. Well the truth hurts don't it , they would want you to forget and forgive that even in 2006 by the time dems took over. That all of bush's policies had been enacted and fulfilled. So with that being said let the winging from the right begin. Because i know there's gonna be obama bashing about an already gained deficit. Food for thought ......................... Where would we be with a republican president . P.S. There's a lot of economist saying that even though there was wasted stimulus funds It saved the economy hands down.
Guess he can't campaign for ANYTHING the democrats have done – Bash Bush until 2012 and beyond. He will campaign for the rest of his life. NO LEADERSHIP at all.
I'm sure it was on his teleprompter. What a pitiful excuse for a President. It's all about what GWB did – and Obama has yet to take responsibility for one failure since he's been in office. Wake up folks – get your voting card out and please in November – exercise your God given right and vote to make sure that, at the least, some of his "followers" are gone.
Oh for the days when your President acted Presidential and not some 2-bit carney sideshow performer.
Let's see, two years in and his failed policies have done nothing to pull us out of this economic disaster, cost trillions to the future generations all brought on by the Dems wonderful ideology of taking others hard work and redistributing it to the lazy, undeserving and underachievers amongst us. Think back now and consider what sent us into this economic spiral, do you think the housing market collapse did it or a couple of billion on a war? I don't think so, thank you Barney and Chris, hope you have a wonderful retirement!
I can see it now, the Democrat war 2012 campaign slogan, "BUSH DID IT", what a bunch of freaking losers, don't forget your hats on the way out!
You neo-con Reds dismiss President Obama at your own peril.
Remember, it is called the "bully pulpit" for a reason.
REALLY? REALLY? Is this all that is left for Obama and the Democrats to run on? What Obama failed to mention is that after he took over along with the Democrats, the country got worst. The economy got worst, the deficit got SUBSTANTIALLY larger, unemployment is at a record high, and nothing is pointing to things getting better anytime soon. I'm no fan of Bush, but the state of our economy after he took over is his to own. If it had gotten better since he took over, I'm certain that he'll take the credit, but since it didn't he's blaming Bush. When will he man up and take responsibility for his and Congress' (controlled by Democrats) failed policies? He said that Republicans are "betting on amnesia"; but in reality, he's betting on voters to "have amnesia" and forget that he's been President for the last two years along with control of the Congress and the Senate. NO ONE is buying his junk anymore except for the far left.
This is great!
Dubya's corruption and incompetence led to this financial mess. Everyone should know!
The president has lost his mind. It is inconceivable that he is throwing stones. He's a loon!
Obama has proven to be worse and I voted for this...WILL NEVER BELIEVE A DEM AGAIN!!!!
It is about time that President Obama stops allowing these Repukes to set the tone as much as they do. He better start focusing his thoughts on what these clown have done and articulating why we should not go back to those days.
We should be reminded of our President who engaged in two very expensive and long wars. Who said he would bring in Ben L dead or Alive , Mission Accomplished . Who took his eye off the economy and almost crashed the market to the basement. Who when he came to office . the USA had 50% of the worlds renewable energy market , and on leaving office the USA had only 0.5 world market share.
Our military is out of fuel , personnel over stretched,THANKs GOERGE !
The market is coming back , yet unemployment is still to high.
Thanks George for your great Vision. Eight years of Bush put the USA ten years behind.
We remember Herbert Hover, Warren Harding, why not George Bush Jr.
It has been over 18 months since the egotistical, self-loving individual we call President has been in office and he has shown a lot of arrogance and self-righteousness; all that are demeaning to the office that he holds. In those 18+ months his predecessor has not said one bad thing about President Obama or his policies. Why is he now using President Bush's name - 'cause he is desperate and it is what he was taught in the ghetto and rotten politics of Chicago. His comments reflect a cruel, vicious man who is severely discrediting the office of POTUS. And the sad part is that through such words and actions he is dividing this nation all in the name of me, me, me.