Obama embarking on bus tour in rural America to talk jobs

[n2doc]

KEN THOMAS
Associated Press
6:11 p.m. CDT, August 13, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trading Washington's hot house for states critical to his re-election prospects, President Barack Obama is headed to the Midwest after a summer of discontent over a protracted debt showdown with Republicans and the downgrade in the nation's credit rating.

Obama's bus tour, his first as president, begins Monday and will take him to prairie communities in Minnesota and through Iowa and Illinois, with stops in the farmland and rural towns that launched his first White House bid.

The former Illinois senator is expected to tell audiences that he agrees with their frustrations about a dysfunctional federal government.

"What we've seen in Washington the last few months has been the worst kind of partisanship, the worst kind of gridlock — and that gridlock has undermined public confidence and impeded our efforts to take the steps we need for our economy," Obama said Thursday in Michigan. "It's made things worse instead of better."


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http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-us-obama-on-the-road,0,2478008.story

[Hart2008]

1. If only Obama could do more then just talk. No executive action from him on jobs. NT

[Inuca]

2. Such as...?

What kind of executive action could he take? This is a serious question, I do not mean it as snark.

[Hart2008]

4. How about stop issuing work visas for foreign students to work at McDonald's, resorts, etc.

Let our own teenagers and college kids do these jobs.

Then cut back on the H1B tech visas to help our unemployed college grads who can't find jobs.

[Inuca]

6. I am almost sure that

this cannot be done at the executive level.

[Hart2008]

9. I am sure that it can. Remember "Yes, we can!"??

To get these visas, the employer must prove that there are no Americans who will do these jobs. That is an executive determination.

I am sure that with unemployment as high as it is, that these people exist in the U.S. The truth is that these employers do not want to hire Americans for these jobs. They can pay the foreigners less, and they have more control over them.

:rant:

[Inuca]

22. Slogans aside

I think it is something decided by Congress. But again, I am not sure.

[Hart2008]

27. The Exectutive branch must determine that no Americans can do these jobs.

These visas are conditional by law and not a matter of right.

The Executive branch, and ultimately the President, decides if that condition has been met.

Clearly Obama doesn't care about our unemployed youth.

[Donnachaidh]

5. how about STOP pushing for more trade agreements that suck jobs out of the country?

He's pushing *3* more of those deals!

[Inuca]

7. I do not have an answer to this

I do not know enogh about the issue to judge. I am sure it is not as black & white as usually portrayed, but based on the little that I know, I tend to agree with you.

[Hart2008]

8. Exporting jobs while importing more foreign workers is a policy for increasing unemployment.

And reducing the standard of living here in the U.S.A.

Neoliberalism: It's why America is in decline!

:grr::nuke: :grr::nuke: :grr::nuke: :grr::nuke: :grr::nuke: :grr::nuke:

[eilen]

16. Well for one, how about a concrete fucking plan

that does not have the phrase "tax cut" in it?

[Arkana]

20. Oh, for FUCK'S SAKE.

Just last week you and yours were squalling about him taking his case to Middle America. I correctly predicted that if he did, you'd move the goalposts to "HURF DURF ALL TALK AND NO ACTION THAT OBUMMER AMIRITE GUYZ?"

[JoePhilly]

23. YUP .... they toss the "bully pulpit" argument right into the wood chipper

Happens regularly.

[COLGATE4]

25. 'Taking his case to Middle America' is not the equivalent of

going on a Palin-like bus tour. He should do a series of Presidential addresses to the entire nation concretely specifying WHAT he intends to do to reverse the steady job loss in this country. Anything short of that is just cheap political theater.

[Arkana]

28. Nationwide bus tours didn't suddenly become terrible things

because Sarah Palin did it.

Sarah Palin breathes oxygen too--are all "true progressives" going to stop doing that?

He doesn't trust the media, and I don't blame him--they're in the GOP's pocket. Speaking at events where he is more at ease will get his message across far more effectively than doing it in the Rose Garden so that the "true progressives" can bitch that he used some sort of codeword that means he's going to sell them to zoos for meat and the media can parse his message to the point where it's unintelligible.

Bottom line: You know that bully pulpit you're always whining about? He's using it--and wonder of wonders, you're STILL whining. Why am I not surprised?

[glowing]

3. Talk is cheap. Jobs NOW!!

[OHdem10]

10. Why not draw up plan for putting America to work. In very

specific terms explain how any large company or organization
even when cutting back on spending, must still do things
and make improvements so when the economy picks up they
are ahead of the game Otherwise you just go out of business
or fall behind. Put the unemployed to work repairing
roads bridges buildings schools, building new stuff


Be so specific with Power Point or Charts.

Explain in clear steps how we at same time plan out
deficit reduction but how we must be careful not
to cut to deep too fast. How we must plan for
10 year reduction. Repeat things of emphasis.

My point is do not beg or fiddle around with Congress
GO TO THE PEOPLE. THEY MUST KNOW WHAT HE WANTS
TO DO if they are ever going to support him.

Enlist the people's help in getting this passed.

If Congress blocks it, at least they know Obama
stands on the people's side.

Right now, he looks like another Pol beholden to
Wall St who will kick the people under the bus.

This is how Clinton Reagan got things done.

[Lorien]

13. The problem is that Obama NEVER takes clear stands on the issues

or lays out any detailed plans for how he wants to change anything. Just more platitude filled speeches, which seems to be enough for some people.

[Lorien]

11. "Federal Government" isn't the problem; corporate greed is

I wish that Obama would QUIT with pushing RW talking points. And talking about whose fault it is won't help either; take action NOW Mr. President: Start a massive WPA program, invest in green energy, infrastructure, R & D, better schools, more teachers, etc. etc. PENALIZE the greedy fucks who outsource, and tell any banks that took TARP money that there will be no executive bonuses paid out and that they MUST begin lending again or face a huge interest rate increase on the money they "borrowed".

[LuckyLib]

19. +1,000! Obama needs to offer straight talk and a stick to business and banks!

[Whisp]

12. o no! he's worse than Palin!

[GeorgeGist]

14. How Palinesque.

[blkmusclmachine]

15. All talk, no action:

Seen this movie a hundred times already.

[donheld]

18. Speak loudly carry a little stick.

[larwdem]

17. ooh no

Even he cant afford to fly. So he has to take the bus!

[indepat]

21. The debt-limit-crisis grand plan signed into law has already derailed all

possible jobs' bus and train tours. :patriot:

[Honeycombe8]

24. I'm tired of talk. Talk doesn't create jobs. nt

[Armstead]

26. Buit will he even point a finger at Right Wing Republican Policies?