Barbour slams Obama on taxes, economy
(CNN) - Mississippi Republican Gov. Haley Barbour on Saturday criticized President Obama's economic policies and urged fiscal discipline in Washington.
Speaking in Des Moines, Iowa, to a crowd of conservative activists, the potential 2012 GOP presidential contender said, "When the government sucks all the money out of the economy, how is the private sector supposed to create jobs?"
Barbour slammed the Obama administration's tax policies for placing an extra burden on taxpayers and inhibiting job growth.
"The president from the beginning has been calling for the largest tax increase in American history," Barbour said, adding "the policies of this administration in every case have made it harder to create jobs."
Barbour also struck out at taxes placed on the oil industry, saying they would be passed on to consumers.
"Who’s he think is going to pay that? Exxon?" Barbour said, "That's going to be paid by the people who are pumping gas and diesel fuel into their cars & trucks."
Citing the need to jumpstart the economy, Barbour told the crowd that reducing spending would be key.
"I urge you to remember the most important thing, cutting spending is the means to an end, the end is to continue to grow our economy,” he said.
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Teh governoer does not seem to have a good vision for the country. I am not surprised his state is one of those struggling economically. Criticizing a national leader is easy but you have to have constructive plans to do so.
Barbour is a little late in asking these questions. He should have asked these questions when G.W. Bush initiated 2 wars and cut taxes on the wealthiest Americans at the same time. Unlike Reagan, Bush failed to see the mistakes he had made. He simply continued to dig the hole and proudly announced that ending the wars would be the "next president's problems." Nice. Now, Barbour and his ilk expect Obama to work miracles that W. couldn't? You cannot cut taxes, wage 2 costly wars and expect the debts to disappear! At least Reagan realized his errors and raised taxes nearly a dozen times to before he left office. Even so, Bush #41 had to raise tax almost immediately after taking the oath of office. Our leaders are lacking in basic math skills.
Barbour is so wrong in so many ways. The USA is the only country in the history of the world to lower taxes during a war, then turn around and borrow the money from foreigners to prosecute the war. How's that for "fiscal disipline"? The "private sector" doesn't create jobs. Jobs are created by consumer demand. If the people have no money they buy nothing. Manufacturers and factories respond to consumer demand. The closet Klansman hasn't a chance to become president.. He's in it for the money and it's sickening.
It's amazing how many lies Barbour can pack into his short speech.
Well gee if the government is sucking all the money out of the economy so the private sector can't create jobs then why is it that the economy has been adding jobs for the past 12 months? Can mr barbour answer that. Plus, given the economy of Mississippi how does the governor of that state have much credibility to criticize Obama?
And did anyone notice the convenient lack of specifics? A typical tactic by the GOP...criticize everything...despite the facts.
Really, this guy just drones on about the same old thing many Republicans drone on about? Sad thing is many people actually listen. We need leaders! Not talking empty shells and half truths!!!
In 2010, Mississippi was noted to be "the fattest state" for the fifth straight year. I rest my case.
Where are the jobs, GOP?
How does a guy who heads the poorest state in the nation have the nerve to "slam" anyone on the economy? Especially when he's lying?
Do members of the GOP even listen to themselves? Mr. Barbour and the rest of the GOP should be embarrassed at the way they left this country in such a mess. Instead they are constantly whining and blaming the Democrats for everything. A CLUE: what is happening now is the direct result of your 8 years of mismanagement of America. Haley, why don't you get on back to Mississippi and let the big boys handle America?
We just extended the tax cuts while fighting (now) three unnecessary wars. In the 1950's the highest tax bracket paid 91% in income taxes. The economy boomed.
He WILL get my vote!
Yes! I am being taxed to death. After my federal tax refund, I ended up paying $400.00 in taxes to the federal government for 2010! This is too, too much! Cut taxes more. My family and I are suffering horribly.
Republican't moron!
This guy is one lying machine. First, the tax structure is the result of republicans insisting on tax cuts for the rich by holding the middle class hostage. Taxes are so low on the rich right now that the top 10% control 70% of the wealth. Barbour is a fat, entitled republican who care not one whit about "creating jobs." He only cares about draining government dry by cutting taxes for the rich at the expense of the middle class.
Who does the cruel RADICAL RIGHT think they are fooling? If you cut spending, people don't have jobs. If they don't have jobs they can't spend. If you can't spend money, money won't be churned making the economy stagnant. It isn't big business spending money that keeps the economy going it is the "little people" with their little money that keeps the big boys in business.
Taxes are lower now than they have been in decades. But that doesn't fit in with Barbour's distorted reality, so he might as well just lie about it.
This bozo claims that oil companies are going to pass the cost to the consumers if they start paying taxes. I wonder what the oil companies exuse the past couple of years when gas was almost $5 a gallon..
I am going to let the know-it-all right have it in 2012 and see if the windbags can do any better. I bet the Old South will be coming back to the Democrats in droves and impeaching the fat cats on the way.
what a coincidence – don't raise taxes on the oil companies, in fact old Haley wants to preserve the tax breaks and subsidies we allow them, but let's not tie them to job creation let's just trust them to do it. Let's just tie them to campaign contributions.
Okay, this is going to be good, I absolutely cannot wait for the GOP primaries. How are this clown, Gingrich, Palin, Bachmann, Romney, etc. going to out lie and fire breath each other? Anyone who has studied economics and who understands some basic principals about finance can tell you that the government cannot solve the budget issue with spending cuts alone, it must increase revenue as well. But despite this fact, this fool is ignoring the fact that taxes overall have gone down under Obama, not up. And lest we forget that it is in fact Ronald Reagan, the beloved fiscal conservative who was not in fact fiscally conservative in any sense, that presided over the largest tax increase in American history. Obama has advocated for the top two tax brackets, and no one else, to be returned to their pre-2000 levels. Nearly every non-Faux News economist will tell you that those people will not be hurt or affected by that relatively minor increase in their taxes. If the GOP were actually concerned with policy instead of fact-less partisan bickering it might support the idea of tax reform. They sure want that Corporate Tax Rate lowered, but just curious, how do you pay less than $0?
So, Mr. Barbour, according to you, the fact that many corporate titans, including the ones who caused this whole mess, should be allowed to skimp on their responsibility is a GOOD thing? You yell about spending, while not acknowledging that if the prior administration had done a little regulating of the financial markets, or if they hadn't done so much cutting of taxes while spending like a shopping addict, we wouldn't be in the fiscal mess we're in now? I'm always amazed how the American people let the GOP get away with that contradiction: while they fault the Democrats for "tax and spend", at least they follow the way financial transactions work; while the GOP cuts taxes AND raises spending, which means they limit money coming in while raising the money going out. Result: certain deficit. I'd LOVE to know how that's fiscally conservative, but then, maybe they have a different definition than I do.
The collection of Republican wannabees is starting to resemble the bar scene in the first Star Wars movie.
When crooked wall street execs and insurance companies suck all the money from the economy it's time to get rid of the sell out politicians. I thought all the bail outs and tax breaks for the rich were supposed to create jobs yet the rich are sitting on their money. Now he blames this on the government but yet I don't see him taking a pay cut. Hypocrisy is rampant in the Republican party.
Barbour can't talk! He's been governor of MS for all these years and the state still ranks last in everything good and #1 or #2 in everything bad. MS is the poorest state in the nation. I was born and raised in that dump. Good ole boys like Barbour try to keep it in a 1950 mindset, they keep the people poor and uneducated so that they can stay in power, control, and rich. Everyone back in MS says he and the wife are drunks. I'm white as a lily but I'm voting for Obama AGAIN. What can he do for the USA besides make the rich more richer. He has done not one thing to truly help his state. Do you really want this guy to be your president? If you want the rest of the country to turn into one big Mississippi go right ahead! I'll be in Canada!
Where was Haley when oil jumped 400% from $28/barrel to $140/barrel in only 30 months under "W"?!?!?!