Obama to Redouble Effort on Core Principles
ABC
by Jake Tapper
En route back to Washington after a 10-day trip overseas, President Obama was introspective about his first two years in office. The president told reporters aboard Air Force One that he had an “obsessive focus” on policy and he will now “redouble” efforts to get back to his core principles.
Obama said he “neglected” things that matter a lot to Americans in his rush to get major legislation passed. He explained those things as maintaining a bipartisan tone, dealing with earmarks, making sure that policy decisions are fully debated and shaping public opinion. He can better focus on these principals now, the president explained, because the economy is more stable.
The president plans to meet with Congressional leadership this week and said he expects that even though his party lost badly in the midterm election, Republicans will work with him to get things done.
“I am very confident that the American people were not issuing a mandate for gridlock,” Obama said. “They want to see us make progress.”
Obama repeated his belief that the country can’t afford to extend the Bush tax cuts for people earning more than $250,000 a year.
“I believe it is a mistake for us to borrow $700 billion to make tax cuts permanent for millionaires and billionaires,” he said.
Reflecting on his stop in Asia, the president said he leaves with the impression that America will need to step up its game because countries across the Asian continent are working to better educate their workforces, rebuild their economies and enter into new markets around the world.
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Obama: Just-Say-No is Over
NY Daily News
Sunday Nov. 14, 2010
Ahead of his meeting with the Republican leaders this week, President Obama today warned them the era of just-say-no is over.
The GOP opposed nearly every initiative Obama and the Democrats offered — and sometimes passed — over the last two years.
The were so successful at casting those policies as job-killing bailouts that were deadly to the economy that voters on election day still believed — by a two-to-one margin — that the economy was shrinking, bailouts were ongoing and their taxes were going up — even though the opposite was true.
With the GOP gaining greater say in the Senate and taking over the House, Obama thinks they’ll have to play the game differently over the next two years.
“Campaigning is different than governing,” Obama told reporters as he flew home from his 10-day Asia trip this afternoon, suggesting Republicans will walk back some of their more adamant rhetoric in coming days as they take stock of reality.
“They are flush with victory after a campaign of just saying no,” Obama said. “But I’m sure the American people did not vote for more gridlock.”
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Wild Thing’s comment……..
Holy crap! Where do I begin?
“maintaining a bipartisan tone”
Maintain? When has that ever happened?
making sure that policy decisions are fully debated and shaping public opinion
Debated? You mean like before when the Republicans were locked out of discussions and then accused of being the party of “NO”?
Shape public opinion?
You mean by appearing daily on radio, tv, etc. repeating your faux talking points over and over and when Americans don’t swallow what you’re selling you call them stupid?
the economy is more stable
More stable? Like more stable than Cuba or Greece?
“I am very confident that the American people were not issuing a mandate for gridlock,”
I believe they did vote for gridlock. If Congress does nothing, we’re better off.
Even though obama sees his agenda being rejected at home and his prestige in the world turning to garbage, I really believe that he won’t compromise. I think he will use every trick, lie and bit of energy to ram his socialism through. The election earlier this month put a huge speed bump in his path. If our newly elected congresspeople stand their ground then obama may not be able to get anything done. Let’s hope.
Absolutely Tom. Gridlock or whatever ‘bamie’ wants to call it if nothing gets done we are that much better off.
Obama and principles do not go together, at all. Much less in the same sentence. He is a man child without any principles, period.
Jim, Ditto all you said!!!
Tom, I agree so much with all you said. Our side has got to be really strong. They know now more then ever we are watching and backing them up as long as they keep strong.
Mark, I sure hope they can hold him off on his agenda.
Glenn, yes, there isn’t anything good that would go with his name or anything about him.