Boehner says Obama should 'lead, not cast blame'
(CNN) - House Speaker John Boehner hit back at President Barack Obama's appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday, where the president faulted Republicans for the ongoing stalemate in the fiscal cliff battle.
Read Boehner's full statement after the jump.
[twitter-follow screen_name='politicalticker']
“Americans elected President Obama to lead, not cast blame. The president’s comments today are ironic, as a recurring theme of our negotiations was his unwillingness to agree to anything that would require him to stand up to his own party. Needed cuts and reforms that the president agreed to just last year were no longer on the table, as he cited an inability to sell them to Democrats.“In an effort to get the president to agree to cut spending - which is the problem - I put revenues on the table last year, and I put them on the table again last month. Republicans made every effort to reach the ‘balanced’ deficit agreement that the president promised the American people, while the president has continued to insist on a package skewed dramatically in favor of higher taxes that would destroy jobs. We’ve been reasonable and responsible. The president is the one who has never been able to get to ‘yes.’
“The House has passed legislation to avert the entire fiscal cliff, and the president has never called for the Senate to act on those bills in any way. He instead has simply allowed the Democratic-controlled Senate to sit on them and lead our economy to the edge of the fiscal cliff. I am pleased Senators from both parties are currently working to find a bipartisan solution that can finally pass that chamber. That is the type of leadership America needs, not what they saw from the president this morning.”
Maybe you should quit talking and take your own advice.
If Boehner really wants Obama to lead, the Boehner really needs to follow.
Does he mean lead like he did with his plan b debacle or allowing the farm bill to the floor for a vote after it has been passed by the Senate and the House agricultural committee.
And round and round we go. You do know you are a hypocrite, Mr. Boehner, by releasing this statement and perpetuating the finger-pointing, do you not? Now why don't you go follow your own advice and lead your party to settle this giant mess?
Obama has gone out of his way to get a deal. It's you Boehner who is no leader. It will be the Republicans alone who will take the blame if no deal is made. Let me remind you, President won the election by 5 million votes. The Amercan people have spoken. Be a leader and stop obstructing. do your job or step down. You are no leader.
Do people not know that Obama can only do what the senate and house gives him to sign? It's not Obama, it's the house and senate. Please stop and think about it. If one side tells you it's side two's fault and side two tells you it's side ones fault or both side's one and two tells you it's Obama's fault, they just want you not to blame them. The only ones to blame are the people that voted or didn't vote for new representatives they should't see it as a long term career but a short term service.
I hope these GOP / Tea Party fools keep up the good work. That'll assure Democratic victory in 2016, ...and beyond!
Once again, Boehner falls back on his same old worn out line of BULL! He won't rest until the last formerly middle class retiree dies of a combination of preventable diseases and starvation and all of those in America who are poor or unemployed are out on the street with nothing. The President and the Democrats in the Senate have offered a balanced approach that will help cut the deficit. The TeaPublicans Taliban just refuse to go along with anything that would let the President succeed at anything. Same old game! Do everything to kill the economy with the hope that the electorate will blame Democrats and they will win the next election. 2014 will be our chance to get things cleaned up. I home that Norquist does primary a lot of them out. Then it will be a lot easier for Democrats to run against the extremists.
Boehner has never heard pot, kettle, black. They blame Obama for everything including solar flares and hang nail epidemics for 4 years, then he gets his feathers ruffled when Obama blames back.
He is wrong, it will be his fault if the country goes down, he needs to do what our leader says and quit sticking it to the middle class and poor, shame on him and the rest of GOP for protecting the rich only.
enough is enough bonehead!! i am tired of republicans! u lost seats in the house and the senate! You lost the presidenecy ,,, AMERICA HAS SPOKEN! GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD
"Obama should lead"... "because I can't."
... "and if he TRIES to lead... we'll stand back and criticize him..."
I don't see the President as blaming anyone quite yet...Boehner should remember that the American people reelected Obama to a second term. You knew this moment in time was coming and Boehner was afraid of his far right party in the house. Couldn't even bring anything to the floor to vote on-even the package Boehner and Cantor proposed...Too bad so sad Boehner-if anyone is to blame it is YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
... "because that's just what we do."
Speaker Boehner should not cast stones when there he has failed miserably as Speaker of the House. His inability to deliver votes from his caucus has brought Washington to a stand still.
Boehner's call to lead would be farcically hilarious, if the occasions of his call were not so serious. To start with, by lead, he really means and has always meant follow [my agenda.] Secondly, a stronger example of a pot calling a kettle black has rarely existed. Boehner can't lead even that part of the house which is supposedly on his team. I allude to 'his team,' because the whole dysfunctional crew has clearly resigned from Team America .
This coming from a man who can't lead his own caucus. This latest stunt shouldn't come to a surprise by anyone who's been watching this mess for the last several months.
I guess when you have no idea how to lead, then you complain about someone else not leading. It is Boehner's job to lead the House which he hasn't been able to do, and it is the House's job to put forth the legislation, so what is Boehner complaining about? Does he want someone else to do his job?
Excuse me, Obama has never sown he is capable of leading or governing . Casting blame for his ineffectiveness, is his gift one to the American People First he blame for 4 years, President Bush, now he is blaming the Republicans. But let us not forget the Republicans over 4 years have passed 3 budgets and numerous other bills that the Democrats guided by Mr. Reid, would not allow the Senate to take up and the President vowed to veto if they did.
Boehner can say what he wants. 14 months ago a temprary agreement was reached to allow for time to discuss this. what was the Republican strategy? Wait and see if Obama got beat in November. So not only did he win, they lost seats in both Houses and did nothing to prepare for this situation. Complete incompetence and yet he blames the President for them not doing their job..presenting bills on the economy.
Speaker Boehner obviously forgot that leadership also requires a person to hold EVERYONE accountable and lets be serious multinational corporations are almost behind every move politicians make these days.
Speaker Boehner – Hush. The Speaker has had a full year to sit down with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and craft some form of legislation that would pass the Senate and gain the President's signature. Speaker Boehner shirked his responsibility off onto a Super Committee that yielded no results, instead of following regular order through the standing committees: Ways and Means, Appropriations and Joint Economic. The President cannot and should not do the job of the legislators. The President gave Congress a framework of what he has been willing to sign. Congress can follow the President's lead or come up with something better. The fiscal cliff is not the only issue where Speaker Boehner has been delinquent. We have seen this problem with the debt limit in 2011 and the pending agriculture bill. When will Mr. Boehner finally accept the fact that his role as Speaker requires that he serve the entire United States and not just the Republican Party?
Oh, John, just man up! Can't you control the right wingers in your party? Aren't you the Majority LEADER? They spun you around by your nose. Now you have punted the cliff to the Senate. You are in no position to talk on this subject with any credibility.
Boehner says the President should "lead" and McConnoll says he should 'dance'. Well, what the Republicans don't seem to get is the American people own the Ballroom and they hired the President to lead the cha cha and raise taxes on the top 2% of Americans... Someone must lead in that dance and someone should follow in that dance too. It was the President who is being told to "lead" so Bohner... please tell McConnoll to "follow" and ... dance!!!!