Gibbs: Republicans are accountable now
(CNN) - With significant Republican gains in the U.S. House and Senate and a new session of Congress around the corner, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the Republican Party now has more responsibility to govern.
"There was a responsibility of government that I think the Republicans got in the November elections and they began to understand that responsibility a little bit more in this lame duck session than they had in the previous, quite frankly, 18 months or so," Gibbs said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."
He said the party can no longer afford to "simply sit and say no," and instead needs to continue the trend from the lame duck session of being part of a constructive conversation. Gibbs said part of that trend should be making 2011 a year to put politics aside because there will be plenty of time to campaign for the 2012 elections.
However, when Congress returns in January members will likely face a legislative agenda that includes typically partisan issues. Gibbs said the president wants to strengthen entitlement programs for future generations and address the long-term deficit and education.
"We are certainly hopeful that the Republicans come into next year with a willingness to sit down at that table and begin having a discussion about how we're going to make progress," Gibbs told CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley. "Sometimes the first step is the biggest one."
Gibbs also said he doesn't expect major changes in President Obama's Cabinet and would be surprised if the president decided not to run for reelection.
"We're making progress and I know he wants to continue making that progress and finish those jobs," Gibbs said.
Watch State of the Union with Candy Crowley Sundays at 9am ET. For the latest from State of the Union click here.
Yeah after you & Obama/Dems drove the economy off the cliff!!! So all this time of blaming the Republicans was what? More lies? How funny. Obama is the President. The buck stops with him moron. I love the hypocrisy. LOL!!!
So who really is in charge. Republicans or Obama?
We still have to tolerate Gibbs, as the voice of Obama???? Sad.
Not until 1/2//2011; however, RINOs did facilitate the passage of some egregiously bad bills during the lameduck session. They will be held accountable in 2012.
Not until 1/5/2011...
Republicans are all ignorant slobs and with the increase in their numbers, in the election bought by special interests, expect more grid lock and ignorance coming out of people like McConnell and Boner! The Robert's Court gets the credit for crating an America bought by Big Business, Big Oil and Wall Street!
History will show that, The dems have brought back this country from the second worst economic disaster in this young country's history, they did this virtually by themselves, since the repugs choose to play politics instead of putting out a helping hand. They have a chance now to be involved in the country's great comeback. The economy is fixed and is striving, the only lingering thing that need to fix are the high employment, budget and housing woes, the housing woes will rebound if the repugs are willing to help the dems bring back the middle class, so they can resume buying the high end items of the economy, like houses and vehicles. Will come back as the president is already doing, is put money in the customers pockets, so they can spend money creating demand so that employers have to hire folks to tend to their customers. The budget will be a problem since their seem to be no one who have the guts to raise taxes and bring in more revenue to the goverent. That's probably will be the most difficult aspects "GUTS" to raise taxes.
Obama can forget it. The Conservatives are commited to a gridlock strategy. They would much prefer to rule a bankrupt America than help govern a prosperous one. The suckers and hayseeds who vote for Conservatives are voting completely contrary to their own self-interest.
The solitary goal of the Republican Party from now until election night 2012 is to prevent the nation from solving any of its problems.
A response to Gil . . . and where did you get your information? More items from the talking points of the marist/liberals????
Has there ever been a more obnoxious press secretary than this guy. I would much rather hear from some harvard educated leftist elite snob (you know like some of obamas economic advisors) than this political hack...
Now we will see what the Republicans are really about. They talked a lot about over spending and cutting the deficit. Now lets see what they do about it. Lets see if they can help improve the economy and create jobs they claim will be created after getting their tax break and adding another 700 BILLION to the deficit.
Obama/Dems drove the economy off the cliff? Delusional... The problem with the economy was years in the making with responsibility lying in city/state/federal government's and our own short sightedness.
It is time to quit blaming the other side (and I mean Repubs by Dems and Dems by Repubs)
What this clown Gibbs failed to mention was that for the last 18 months the Dems wrote the bills by themselves, barred any amendments, filled the tree in the Senate to block amendments and thankfully the GOP had the numbers to stop these loons from jamming far left liberal BS down our throats. Candy should have called him on this point, Gibbs and OB can lie all they want, but the People know what was happened and ended it on 11/2.
This is to all unemployeed Republicans. Remember it was Obama who kept your check comming. If it was up to your own party you would not get anything and would have to go on Welfare to support your family. So ask your self what has the Republican party done for you over the last 2 years. The answer is obvious, NOTHING !
If we lie to Congress, its a felony and If Congress lies to us, its just politics. If we dislike a black person, we're racist but if a black dislikes whites, its their 1rst amendment right! In public school, you can teach that homosexualality is OK, but you better not mention or teach about God or Jesus. Our government says its OK to kill an unborn child but its wrong to execute a mass murderer in many states. We cannot close our border with Mexico, but have no problem protecting the 38th parrallel in Korea. Our government takes money from the hard working and give it to those who don't want to work. What has America become???
And when the economy comes back around on the GOP watch, he'll forget what he said and give the credit to Obama. Republicans taking over both houses during Clinton's term got him re-elected.
No Country Left for Kids====Do you honestly think the economy was great/ok during the eight years of Bush? Do you really think the economy has gone south in just the past two years of Obama? Then perhaps you should read a middle of the road newspaper or watch TV other than FOX news. Did you know under Ronald Reagan and both Bushes, they are credited with creating 19.8 million jobs in 20 years? Under Clinton in just 8 years he is credited with 22.7 million jobs. Hell, for that matter Jimmy Carter in just 4 years created 10.3 million jobs. Yeas Obama has a long way to go to catch up,but GWB left him behind the 8 ball.
Hey Bobby Gibbs be very careful for what you say, it can come back to haunt you.
No Country, are you kidding? Obama drove the economy off a cliff. What ever you are on stop taking it. It's making you delusional. Obama inherited the worst economy since the great depression. If you think it's any other way. You needn't bother posting anymore, because you have no clue.
Forget it. It's a zero sum game to Republicans. In order for them to win the whitehouse, their strategy has been and must always be mud slinging. The other side must be destroyed by investigations rumors, inuendo, allegations and phony impeachment attempts. We'll have 2 years of maggot infested Republican trickery and gamesmanship so they can give away more of America to banksters, big pharma and oil trillionaires. Not that the Dems are much better.
The blame game is alive and well. We shall see! The last time Republicans had a say our IRA's dropped on average 35-40%. Like him or not, at least with Obama and the Dems, my IRA has recovered. In the meantime restructure your IRA in a conservative model to play it safe.
Typical liberal democrat pile of crap. Dems are still in charge in the senate and the white house and trying to pass off accountability. No leadership qualities whatsoever. Is Obama going to comeback and correct what Gibbs is saying?
If the greedy corporate Americans would bring back our jobs this would be a good start. Millions of hard working Americans are now signing up for food stamps which is a glorified soup line. We need jobs, if not we will become the laughing stock of the world.
0704American, since you seem to be a liberal, you shouldn't blame the GOP for putting the USA in the hands of the Chinese with all those big spending programs plus you seem to forget that the DEMS had control of the Senate and House for the past six years with even a majority the last two years and sat around on their hands and didn't govern. As for Gibbs, he should be taking speech lessons so he can put a sentence together with out those ridiculous pauses (uh, huh, etc) when trying to talk instead of going after the GOP. Won't the things they be voting on most of the time be coming from the Whitehouse or are they going to let the GOP provide the agenda for the 102 congress.
Does that mean they need to learn to say something other than 'No'?
This "party of no" garbage is just that – garbage. Every party in the minority is not going to simply kowtow to the party in power. If not agreeing with everything Democrats say means Republicans are the party of no – so be it. I can't wait to see the libs become the party of no in House next month. Of course the MSM will tout how the left is standing up for its principles. Truly pathetic.