Obama to Congress: Work together to aid jobless

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By ERICA WERNER

VINEYARD HAVEN, Mass. (AP) - President Barack Obama says members of Congress should put country before politics, set aside their differences and find ways to get people back to work.

The president is vacationing on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, but he recorded his weekly Saturday radio and Internet address earlier in the week while in Alpha, Ill., during an economy-focused Midwestern bus tour.

He said lawmakers in Washington could learn something from the people in small towns in Illinois and Iowa. Obama said there are some things they could get done right away, such as passing a road construction bill or extending a reduction in the payroll tax that pays for Social Security.

"These are common-sense ideas - ideas that have been supported by both Democrats and Republicans," Obama said. "The only thing holding them back is politics. The only thing preventing us from passing these bills is the refusal by some in Congress to put country ahead of party. That's the problem right now. That's what's holding this country back. That's what we have to change."

Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20110820/D9P7R3003.html

[WI_DEM]

1. This should have been the focus from day one. I hope they can get something passed

but with the GOP House, I doubt it or it will be so watered down as to be pointless. California just announced that they have a 12% unemployment rate. The unemployment rate nationally is 9.2% which is higher than when Obama came into office. If he can't make some headway on jobs it is going to be very difficult for him to win re-election.

[Countdown_3_2_1]

2. Fantasy. Nothing is going to work with a divided partisan congress. nt

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. The country needs to start manufacturing and exporting again

make it easy for people to start small businesses and help them to maintain them. Stop shipping jobs overseas.

[FreakinDJ]

5. The kicker is the Corp Tax Code

Until they address the "Tax Advantages" given Corps that outsource manufacturing to China then nothing will change

[Rosa Luxemburg]

7. Unions should complain more about outsourcing

as individuals we don't seem to have a strong enough voice. I don't know how many times I've complained to my Congressmen!

[AndyTiedye]

11. Dems Have Tried to Repeal That Repeatedly, Repigs Always Filibustered

[Doctor_J]

29. Then go nuclear

the country needs to be fixed, and blaming the disaster on the minority sounds weak and stupid.

[truedelphi]

22. And time after time, when Big Manufacturers have moved out of the

USA, they talk about the savings they realize by no longer having to purchase health insurance for workers.

So President Obama forgetting his Candidate Obama statement about

SINGLE PAYER UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE

as being the best and most logical solution to the Health Care situation was really a low blow for any hopes for the return of Big Manufacturers.

Universal HC would have solved so many of the nation's problems that I sometimes think I wouldn't no where to begin, but the return of manufacturing giants is definitely worth the mention.

[grahamhgreen]

4. His two ideas: More free trade and extending the FICA tax holiday WILL NOT WORK.

There is no evidence that free trade creates jobs in America - the opposite is true, and the FICA tax holiday damages the long term outlook for SS.

He's on the wrong track - the neocon track

[dgibby]

6. So lame.

Three and a half years, and this is the best he can come up with? Jeeze!

[CrispyQ]

16. How does the FICA tax holiday help someone without a job?

I have an old Bush bumper sticker that I'm thinking of pulling out of the archives:

Hey GeorgeObama, Tax Cuts Don't Matter if You Don't Have a Job

[emulatorloo]

18. What about his idea to repair roads, bridges, and railroad tracks? Big infrastructure rebuilding .

Is that a bad idea too? Why did you leave that one out?

[grahamhgreen]

31. Two thumbs up, if he can get the money after his all cuts deal.

[defendandprotect]

25. They're not intended to work, except to help elites/corporates and destroy Social Security ...

[primavera]

8. Perhaps he should try working with his party...

... to come up with solutions that make things better rather than working with right-wing wackos devoted to making things worse.

[AndyTiedye]

13. His Party (Our Party) Hasn't Got Enough Votes to Pass Anything…

…and the Repigs want to wreck the economy so they can win the elections next year.

It is a no-win situation.

[cstanleytech]

19. Agreed. If we want to fix it then the only way is if we can push the republicans

back out of congress and make them so much of a minority that they cant even use the threat of a filibuster as effectively as they have been but to be honest I dont see that happening either anytime soon because of the gerrymandering that thats been going on in so many states by the republicans.
That alone will take us a good 20 - 40 years to fix imo.

[defendandprotect]

26. Evidently, they don't even have tongues to speak with -- quite some SILENCE ... over decades!!

[BiggJawn]

9. They can't even work together to declare National Girl Scout Cookie Week.

And if Obama suggested that they do so, Cantor, Bachmann, and Ryan would fight him tooth and nail over it.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

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[JDPriestly]

12. Uh-oh. Here come more tax cuts for the rich!

Obama has been schmoozed by the rich at Martha's Vineyard. Oh, dear. We will pay dearly for this one.

Also, could we have some consistency in the message on Social Security?

If Social Security is going broke, why would anyone suggest cutting or dropping the payroll taxes even in the short run?

And if Social Security is so solvent that we can do without that tax revenue for a while, then why cut it?

Somebody is lying -- blatantly. You can't have it both ways.

Either Social Security is in trouble and needs to be cut and shored up by increasing, not decreasing payroll taxes or,

Social Security reserves are huge and we don't need so much payroll tax revenue.

Let's have some clarity on this please.

Stop scaring old ladies about how they are going to survive if they live a long time if in fact we can afford to cut payroll tax revenue.

[russspeakeasy]

14. Has begging worked in the past ?

:evilfrown:

[defendandprotect]

27. No -- but evidently blackmail works --

[russspeakeasy]

28. You nailed it you cynic you...

:evilgrin:

[Amonester]

15. CONgRe$$ to Obama: NO.

Have you got it yet? :shrug:

[frylock]

17. is this his big jobs plan they're rolling out?

really?!

[jwirr]

20. Took a survey today and they asked exactly what was causing our

fluctuating stock market - my answer - rethug obstructionism.

[tblue]

21. It's NOT "CONGRESS," Mr. President!!!

It's Republicans! Please stop grouping together Al Franken and Maxine Waters with John Boner! And it's not ONLY Congress who should be taking up the mantle. You, too, have a role to play and NO ONE has the bully pulpit like you, sir. Respectfully.

And if I hear "common-sense ideas - ideas that have been supported by both Democrats and Republicans" one more time, I WILL ESPLODE:nuke:MY HEAD!!!

[coalition_unwilling]

23. What a pathetic excuse for presidential leadership. And he

deigned to suggest help for the jobless while "vacationing on Martha's Vineyard"? Well, I guess that's this century's version of 'noblesse oblige'.

Un-friggin-believable.

[Doctor_J]

30. He is really a sad sack

no leadership at all.

[defendandprotect]

24. Obama has to be talking about ECONOMY, JOBLESSNESS day after day ....