It's all about jobs for Obama, Republicans in weekly addresses
Washington (CNN) - President Obama and Republicans again focused on job creation and the economy in their weekly addresses Saturday, returning to an issue that remains at the front of Americans' minds as millions continue to face unemployment and a lagging job market.
Obama, speaking from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, tied his decision earlier this week to withdraw 33,000 troops from Afghanistan by the end of summer 2012 to jumpstarting the economy.
"That's in the best interests of America's security," Obama said. "And it's also in the best interests of America's economy. Even though we've turned our economy in the right direction over the past couple of years, many Americans are still hurting, and now is the time to focus on nation building here at home."
Republicans used their address to criticize the president for what they said were misguided attempts to spur the job market.
"Unfortunately, the Democrats who run Washington say we should stay the course, keep spending money we don't have, and raise your taxes – all in the name of 'stimulus,'" Rep. Renee Ellmers, R-North Carolina, said. "These Washington-knows-best policies haven't worked. They have only made matters worse."
Ellmers said plans laid out by Republicans offered alternatives that would help small business owners begin hiring.
"Our approach starts with reducing the regulatory burden small businesses face and making Washington bureaucrats factor jobs into their decision-making process," Ellmers said. "Instead of knee-jerk reactions to high gas prices, we propose expanding domestic energy production to help lower costs and create jobs."
In his remarks, Obama made clear he was open to working with Republicans on improving the economy.
“Of course, there's been a real debate about where to invest and where to cut, and I'm committed to working with members of both parties to cut our deficits and debt,” Obama said.
In a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll taken June 3-7, 81 percent of Americans said the economic condition in the country was “poor.” Fifty-one percent said the economy was “extremely important” to their vote for president. That survey had a sampling error of 3 percentage points.
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The unemployment rate is a serious problem but the cause is understandable. Walk around your neighborhood and check the driveways, go shopping and look at the country of origin of the items on the shelves. Americans are enamored with imports. We even import water. Until we demand the gov. encourages domestic production and discourage imports there will be no jobs that don't require a hairnet and name tag. Do you think Japan would let the U.S. dump rice and destroy their rice farmers? The dumpers protect their market and bash us because we don't let them dump more and we bow and agree.
Until we level the playing field if you want a job you will have to move to China, Mexico, Korea, or Japan.
Thank you for reminding us about the shrub years and what got us into this mess ""Unfortunately, the Democrats who run Washington say we should stay the course, keep spending money we don't have, and raise your taxes – all in the name of 'stimulus,'" Rep. Renee Ellmers, R-North Carolina, said. "These Washington-knows-best policies haven't worked. They have only made matters worse." Shouldn't taxing the super rich be something that needs to be done?
That being said, your cronies ran in 2010 on JOBS, JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!!! All they are doing is go against the President and the Administration even on things that you were for before. You want him to fail and you repuiblikans don't care that the victims are the vanishing middle class and the poor!!!
good maybe the Republicans, that ran on a job platform in 2010 can tell us why they have done little to nothing to try to help create jobs. And why they keep going against the Democrats' job bills. The GOP seems focused moreso on cutting jobs than creating them. Have you seen how many jobs lost the Ryan budget plan would cost? Along with federal workers, educators and the like. I would love to hear their plan BESIDES tax cuts and coporate loopholes for a change.
The expenses of govt regulations on any business, large or small, are tax deductible. Additionally, the public benefits from those regulations. As such, regulations are beneficial both to businesses and the overall public. Higher taxes on businesses will not harm the economy but rather create new businesses and new jobs. That's because when a business invests their profits in the free market those investments are tax deductible. Those who think that higher taxes on a business will be passed on to the consumer don't seem to understand that for a business to do that would be shooting themselves in the foot because that higher price on their product translates to more profit for the business and thus higher taxes that business has to pay. It puzzles me that the GOP doesn't seem to understand all of this. Higher taxes will not result in more money for the govt to spend but rather encourage the very normal human response to avoid paying those taxes by investing in the private sector thus creating jobs. And those jobs will decrease the demand for govt benefits, thus reducing govt spending.
OBee is done. we dont need another term for him.
"These Washington-knows-best policies haven't worked
We do know for sure that the Republicans know best policy has been the worst failure in the history of the country. The Republicans trickle down, give only to the rich is a 100% failure and the Republicans have failed Americans for 10 straight years. The Obama slamathon that has been going on for the past few years has not helped the economy one little bit.The Obama administration has done 100 times more for middle class the the Republicans that ran on a JOBS platform only to give to the rich and take from the poor.
The trickle down theory did't work in the 70's and ten years of the Bush administraiton, and it won't work now. During hard times in the 80's, I got a second job and reduced expenses to meet my families needs. YOU HAVE TO INCREASE REVENUE AND CUT (DEFENSE, GIVE AWAYS TO OIL AND BIG BUSINESS). REDUCING REVENUES DOES NOT BALANCE THE BUDGET.
Jobs, that the GOP cons promised in 2010, but once again, folks that voted for them were conned and instead, got anti-abortion bills.