(CNN) - Top Romney surrogate Rob Portman blamed President Obama Tuesday for impeding the nation's economic recovery through ineffective policies and poor leadership
"We gave him the ball," the Ohio senator said. "It's time to give the ball to someone else. He fumbled the ball."
– Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
– Check out the CNN Electoral Map and Calculator and game out your own strategy for November.
"He has the experience, the record and the policy to do it," said Portman, affirming his support for the conservative contender at the Associated Builders and Contractor's Convention in Washington, DC. "That's why I'm supporting Mitt Romney."
Portman, a swing state leader and prime vice presidential option for the presumptive Republican nominee, confirmed to CNN that he met with Romney staffers while in Boston fundraising for the candidate over the weekend.
Highlighting the current administration's record of slow job growth, Portman said that in comparison the United States is almost 5 million jobs down from the recovery effort under President Reagan's leadership after the 1981 recession, with 7 million jobs created then.
Portman decried Obama's Monday announcement advocating for an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for those who earn $250,000 or less only.
Obama in an East Room speech said: "We need policies that grow and strengthen the middle class. Policies that help create jobs, that make education and training more affordable, that encourage businesses to start up and create jobs right here in the United States so that's why I believe it's time to let the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, folks like myself, to expire."
But Portman countered: "I know it may be good politics for the president to play the class warfare, but it's bad economics." He also called for full tax cut extensions, including the cuts for those making over $250,000.
House Speaker John Boehner, who also addressed the convention, echoed the Ohio senator's remarks, questioning why job creators are being taxed.
"It's not a problem that our taxes are too low, it's that our spending is too high," said Portman of the national deficit, warning that under Obama's economic leadership the United States could follow Greece into bankruptcy.
The two conservatives also took on Obama's Supreme Court healthcare victory, agreeing with Romney's classification of the mandate as a tax, not a penalty.
Boehner vowed to repeal Obamacare noting Wednesday's upcoming house vote to do just that. The Senate however is likely to avoid following through on the legislation as it has done time and again in the past.
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
And "we" gave the ball to the Republicans in the House and they have deflated it with every obstructionist idea
they could come up with.
Boehner has to pretend he is doing something, after all, they just came off their tenth week-long vacation since January, and they have to get ready for their full month vacation in August.
Is this "your tax dollars working for you?".
What economic recovery, we / America is in a depression at 14% plus unemployment for 3 plus years. To compound the nation’s problems; we now are stuck with Obamacare, ObamaTax, the American people can tolerate an incompetent president and administration but what we will not tolerate being lied to.
I wish this were not true, but I also believe our current President has made things worse – not better.
"Portman said that in comparison the United States is almost 5 million jobs down from the recovery effort under President Reagan's leadership after the 1981 recession, with 7 million jobs created then"
-------------------
Did Reagan begin his watch with a complete meltdown of the global economy? No.
Were the recessions Reagan experienced caused by his own fiscal policies? Yes.
Did Reagan raise taxes and/or increase spending to fix it? Yes, he did both.
OMG!! Now they want to use football analogies. Look here you Bush cronie, YOU are part of the reason why we're in the mess we're in today. Weren't you the budget director? You are in no position whatsoever to be giving criticism.
Nothing wrong with fumble the ball as long you recover it in the end zone...mission accomplish.
Good Lord. How can this guy ever making it through the vetting process alive as a potential VP. He already looks like a corpse.
"We gave him the ball," the Ohio senator said. "It's time to give the ball to someone else. He fumbled the ball."
It's hard to score when half of your team is blocking the goal. This comment is particularly rich coming from a Republican Senator - like he ever "gave" our President anything but complaints, obstruction, false promises and foot-dragging. Throw the bums out! In November let's give President Obama a team that can do the job and, more importantly, *wants* to do the job! It's time for America to win for a change.
Slow recovery by Obama? Gee, I wonder WHY? Is it me or are these guys just flat out criminal in their deceit? It's not even funny. To pledge not to work with the President.. To pledge to making it their job that he is a 1 term president... To run on Jobs Jobs Jobs but tell us lies lies lies... Then expect Americans to believe them when they want to put a predator lender named Romney who keeps his loot and labor force offshore... Well, these guys just scare me. A true threat to the middle class.
At least he recognizes that we are in a recovery. How long should it take with a " Do-Nothing Congress" ?
Instead of making the tough choices to turn the economy around, the President instead decides to sell worthless economic ideas to the middle class in exchange for votes. We eat it up because it is a few extra dollars in our pockets, but what we don’t realize is that in a few years, those dollars will be worthless if the economy isn't fixed.
If conservatives want to know why the Obama campaign keeps bringing up the name George W Bush, you only need to look at this guy and a host of others to understand why. He's a former Bush cabinet official. If you want to return to the Bush administration's fiscal policies, elect Mitt Romney. Don't forget where the large annual deficit came form either.
We're spending too much huh? Okay former Bush Budget Director. Does two unpaid for wars, a Medicare prescription plan and some tax cuts ring a bell???
Job training for Obama will be over in November. He will be ready for some job.
The problem is that Obama has offered ideas that need to be done anyhow, but I haven't heard the Congress do anything about them. The road, bridges and other areas that were built once need to be either repaired, rebuilt from scratch or built initiallly because there is a need. The no-spend-publicans don't want the government to do anything which is going to cost local governments more than they can handle.
Core republican Value #11: If the truth looks bad, spend a few minutes coming up with misleading "spin" phrases to defect, lie, and mislead.
In addition to his lack of integrity, I am disappointed that Mr. Portman thinks the 1% deserve a tax break.
...and what kind of ball was that YOU gave him. Balanced, well shaped? Or was it a "s-ball" that was on fire when you gave it to Obama. You make it sound like all was well when you gave him the "ball". How long was it supposed to take him to fix it, even with GOP help? 3 years? 4? Oh yeah, if he can't answer those questions, make him VP anyway. Real winner.
""We gave him the ball," the Ohio senator said. "It's time to give the ball to someone else. He fumbled the ball.""
Weeeeeooooooooo Weeeeeeeeooooooo...make way make way, bald-faced Lie Police coming thru.
THE GOP NEVER GAVE OBAMA THE BALL: THEY TOOK THEIR BALL AND WENT HOME IN JANUARY 2009.
"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president."
-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
""It's not a problem that our taxes are too low, it's that our spending is too high," said Portman of the national deficit, warning that under Obama's economic leadership the United States could follow Greece into bankruptcy."
SOMEONE TELL ME WHO...WHO VOLUNTARILY EVISCERATES THEIR REVENUE WHENIT IS SUFFICIENT TO PAY THE BILLS AND THEREBY MAKES IT INSUFFICIENT TO PAY THE BILLS?
Hint: BTC
He didn't fumble the ball........he was handed a ball with no air in it. It's taking a while to pump it back up......that's not the same as fumbling.
The Republicans don't have a magic wand that could make the recovery instant. Bush left us in a really big hole, it will take a long time to get back.
Obama in an East Room speech said: "We need policies that grow and strengthen the middle class.
--------------------------
Republicans say we need to help the "job creators" and let the middle class wait until the wealth trickles down to them.
Why would a wealthy individual go out and create a job just because he got a tax cut. "Gee, thanks IRS. I think I will go out and create a job for some person less fortunate than me." If you believe that, then I have bridge to sell you.
No. What really happens is the individual doesn't go out and create a job. If they do, it is because they had the idea or need to expand before they got the tax cut. Tax cuts do not create demand for goods and services, which is what creates jobs.
Bobby Portman said:
"We gave him the ball," the Ohio senator said. "It's time to give the ball to someone else. He fumbled the ball."
What he left out was: "We gave him the ball, then half the team decided to play for the other team and tried to tackle him at every opportunity but he still keeps moving the ball down the field....and actually Johnny Boehner took his ball and went home and cried."
Rudy,
you mean to tell me that corporations, being the benevolent people that they are, don't have a sole mission of going out and providing for a less fortunate individual? I thought the good corporation persons were all about people first?
Shocked, shocked I tell ya.
remember, current congress has not done (or even proposed) solutions. They're single focus is to make obama look back anyway and every they can. In one way I hope Romney does win, as within 6-9 months I'd be peppering the internet about how republicans have made is worse. Remember, they currently state the country cannot afford to increase spending on anything, but yet we already know they will significantly increase military funds. For what reason? Most americans want out the middle east (but the GOP will of course ignore that part). As for health care... assuming they do repeal obamacare, we will be back to health care under Bush's time. We have already heard the GOP agreed the health care system has been broken for years.Yet the GOP did nothing under a republican president and refused to do anything under a democrat president. They did nothing for 11 years (and you wonder where they get the "Do nothing congress" name?). As for religion, Romney and Santorum will push and force people to live their beliefs. Their religious beliefs are the only REAL beliefs. All others are just plain wrong. They cannot do what JFK did and state that their beliefs are their owns period. They will not force their religious beliefs on anyone else. GOP will not make commitment. GOP also feel is American's right to police the world period.