(CNN) - President Barack Obama on Saturday urged congressional action to help cash-strapped local governments fund teacher positions, while Republicans called for passage of their jobs plan and repeal of the health care law.
Obama and Rep. Erik Paulsen, a Minnesota Republican, issued their appeals in their weekly addresses.
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Paulsen advanced Republican-backed measures they have branded the Plan for America's Job Creators, some of which have passed the House but not fared so well in the Senate.
"One of those initiatives, passed just this week, repeals a massive job killing tax increase on medical device manufacturers that is in the president's health care law," Paulsen said.
"Repealing this job-crushing tax is a critical step, also worthy of the Senate's support."
He criticized the 2010 health reform law, the anticipated effects of which he said have caused some small businesses "to lay off workers and they may even have to shut their doors completely."
Obama, meanwhile, called for Congress to plant seeds for future economic growth by hiring teachers to educate young people who will become the country's work force.
That would reverse a trend of layoffs in education, he said.
"Think about what that means for our country," Obama said of layoffs. "When there are fewer teachers in our schools, class sizes start climbing up. Our students start falling behind. And our economy takes a hit."
When states face "tough times," he said, "it's up to Congress to step in and help out."
But one hurdle in the way of progress on Obama's and Paulsen's proposals - or even compromise - is posturing ahead of the November election.
"I know this is an election year," Obama said. "But some things are bigger than an election. Some things are bigger than politics."
Paulsen made no reference of the upcoming election, but his call - for repeal of the health care law - is central to the platforms of many Republicans.
From CNN Politics
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GOP is for the destruction of USA!!! Drive these SOBs out!!!
Notice Republican, negative, gloom and doom, fear. Obama, positive, inspiring, hope. Wake up conservatives, your "leaders" are not honest!
obama watch includes;
Top secret leaks
Fast and Furious
19 (known) green failures amounting to payoffs obama and pelosi
Credit down grade
The economy
Jobs
deep divide between the citizenry
Intentional lack of leadership
obama one and done!!!!!!
This is not obama's amerikka, it is still our America!!!!
Business are not paying the individual mandate. Republicans stopped the employer mandate in Hillary Clinton's proposed health care plan, because they preferred that individuals bear the cost of insurance. In fact, Republicans proposed the idea of individual mandate in the early 1990s. If businesses want to buy insurance for their employees, they are free to do so. If businesses are not making enough profits to cover the cost of group insurance, they should not be buying group insurance in the first place. Businesses have been shifting more of the cost of providing group insurance to their employees anyway, so Republicans' complaint that the new law threatens businesses is just laughable.
President Barack Obama on Saturday urged congressional action to help cash-strapped local governments fund teacher positions
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Our towns and cities decide how many teachers we need and can afford. Why is this buffoon meddling with cities and towns now? To get and keep them addicted to the federal teet, just like half the country is?? Or maybe as payback to the teachers union that are one of his biggest supporters?? What next? The feds paying for local dog catchers? The Obama clown show just keeps on rolling.... but only for a few more months hopefully.
I was just watching the Bill Maher show from last night.
One of his panelists said that he had spoken to a teapublikkkan in congress who told him that turtle (sorry guys) man has put in place orders that they are doing absolutely NOTHING until after the November elections.
They want to make the President look bad and a one termer and they are sticking to their guns (pun intended).
The Democrats better start working on this one term BS and make sure it's out there in the open. There are plenty of examples of how low these teapublikkkans in congress will go and it doesn't matter that they are taking the whole country down.
Obama is great at reading speeches from a teleprompter, not so great at inspirering action.
I wish, for once, the Republican congress would do something constructive!
All those Bills the Republicas have been pushing at the Senate, does absolutely nothing for us .. they are laced with bad intentions, and does harm, not good .. for everyone.
Guess he is tired of Obama and his Rock Star buddies getting all the attention go for it Mitt we need a person like you in the WH that will put an end to all of Obama out of control spending.
Glad to see we have a person that actual knows what having a job is and not just talk about what he could just blame on other people.
Time for Obama to step down as he promised three years and I haven't seen many if any of his promises that he made were kept. He does know how to waffle that's for sure.
Mittens is meeting today with the rich to divide up their new plutocracy of 'Amercia.'
Time for republicans to stop creating near depressions and deep recessions so their billionaire cronies, big oil and big banks can screw us again.
While politicos are saying that the private sector is not doing fine, it is clear that the top people in some companies are receiving very large salaries and benefits. One only has to look at a list of companies and the salaries of their top management people. All the while the companies are not moving forward with hiring, etc., to the detriment of the people and economy. The Republican leadership will never investigate because this whole idea supports their cry of only one year. Meanwhile the politicians have jobs, will not cut their expenses. and still receive their salaries and benefits even though they have done virtually nothing for two years.
We need to challenge those companies to explain the high salaries and to explain why they are holding back and why they have sent jobs overseas when the unemployed in this country need jobs.
A person has to be a fool if he has not noticed the end of the unnecessary war in Iraq, the end of Al Qaida, the creation of 4.3 million jobs without a single republican vote, American auto industry has been saved, taxes their lowest in 50 years, deficits down $600 billion under Obama compared to Bush, and consumer protections in place so we will not have another TARP. Or, you have to a member of the Taliban or republican party.
I believe that republicans who constantly criticize our president for using a teleprompter never saw the debates against McCain, witnessed a press conference, or saw any presidential interviews. People that critical are just dumb and always vote for the GOP.
Marie MD
I was just watching the Bill Maher show from last night.
One of his panelists said that he had spoken to a teapublikkkan in congress who told him that turtle (sorry guys) man has put in place orders that they are doing absolutely NOTHING until after the November elections.
They want to make the President look bad and a one termer and they are sticking to their guns (pun intended).
The Democrats better start working on this one term BS and make sure it's out there in the open. There are plenty of examples of how low these teapublikkkans in congress will go and it doesn't matter that they are taking the whole country down.
So what was the problem the first two years when the Dems controlled both the house and senate and there was no such thing as a teabagger to slow up "progress".
People who vote for Romney think they will get an elevator in their garages too. In the end, they will only get the shaft.
When will republican realize that in order to control the senate, you need 60 votes? To think that Lieberman was a democrat is delusional. Come on Dean, get real.
Under Obama, America is still in our hands, and not under control of the wealthy, the Taliban, or domestic terrorists. Let's keep it that way.
bill maher is a jerk from sin city somewhere out in a desert with satan. This is a foul mouth person whom will have to answer to the Almighty one day soon. And he has a face that look like his but when he walks away. This guy is one big mac moron and his discusting talk is for gutter fodder.Only an idoit would watch this foul mouthed nerd.
Obama wants to talk about anything except:
the economy
jobs
White House leaks
national security
healthcare
honesty
his record.
You get the idea. Are you worried yet?
It's amazing what the president has done to pull us slowly out of the Bush mess with the other party doing absolutely nothing except the opposite of anything he says or proposes, They have used well over 500 filibusters to kill jobs bills and that's why the ubemployment rate remains high. Their only purpose is power for the rich donors and themselves, even if they have to cause a real depression for the rest of us. Most people still blame Bush for the economy.
If you notice, the republicans will never push for education. They need an ignorant electorate. Its easier to control the masses that way and they are easier to scare with right wing propoganda. The deep south is the most ignorant part of the country and they always vote republican.