Tales From The Inside: What Obama Told Republicans
By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
President Barack Obama went to Capitol Hill today to push Republicans to back his $825 billion stimulus plan. While they probably won't, he won points for reaching out to the minority, making good on campaign promises. What's more, chief of staff Rahm Emanuel plans to fete more Republicans tonight. At the meeting today, Obama's comments were to be off the record, but we've got some notes on how it went down. Here's what we were told and E-mailed from various sources:
- "Obama is speaking now. He is talking about how bad the economy is and that it is deteriorating rapidly."
- "Mentioned Caterpillar and Microsoft having to layoff workers."
- "The president said that the stimulus is 'just one leg in multi leg stool to get economy going.'
- "He wants to deal with the housing market more aggressively."
- "This is just the first step."
- "Obama said the he would 'like not to have to spend the stimulus money.'"
- "He also said that he has 'no interest in increasing government just to increase the size of government.'"
- On taxes, "Obama says tax relief for some working families must come from payroll so even families who don't pay income taxes get relief and they will spend it."
- On GOP complaints, "he said that 'there will be time to beat him up and a time for politics. He said I understand that and I will watch you on Fox News and feel bad about myself.'"
- "Obama said if we can do more small business tax relief, 'we should do it, but I am just as concerned about the long term impact of tax cuts as I am about spending.'"
- "He also issued concern about the debt. 'I will be judged by the legacy I have left behind. I don't want to leave our children with a legacy of debt. I am inheriting an annual yearly debt of over $1 trillion.'"
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Tags: Republicans | Barack Obama | Rahm Emanuel
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Reader Comments
NOPE and spare change
When the ghetto's and poor start getting agitated that their lives aren't getting better, rather worse, under his administration, and the riots start, the rest of the world will cheer for the carnage.
Uh huh...will you be taking your pickup truck to the lynching?
The Republican double standard
Republicans, face it, the majority of you dont give a what about anyone but yourselves. You dont care about America or its people. You just use policies to mask your underlying selfishness, greed, and racism. The reason I am saying this is because many of you never, ever take responsibility for your mistakes. How can you say: you hope Obamas policies fail?? Do you know how selfish that is?? There are people who cannot FEED their children right now. Losing their homes, jobs and more. And all you can hope for is failure? How selfish, how Un-American. Even if you dont like Obama, know that his failure is Americas failure. How dare you disrespect people who are struggling right now like this?? You should pray to God that Obama succeeds. It does not matter whose policy succeeds as long as America is no linger suffering. The American people need this win. But you dont care about that do you?? Let them suffer if its Obama who is in charge. How low of you to feel that way. THis is peoples lives we are talking about.
Im neither party, but I will say that Republicans are turning off massive amounts of people. I was considering the republican party until the level of ignorance was unbearable.
We are in this mess BECAUSE of the past Republican president. Blame it on the Democratic policies, but then that simply means in 8 years your president couldnt turn it around. That means failure. That means you are not equipped to lead.
You have been voted out of the presidential office, and have been limited to a few seats in Congress.
Wake up or your brand will die until your intelligence returns. Republicans dont care about the stimulus package not creating jobs, TARP has not created a single job, but was basically welfare for the rich.
Or maybe you are afraid a Black man can succeed where a Republican white man failed?? Maybe your true fear.
FoxNews and Rush
are now the symbols of the Republican Party. That's why Obama always brings them up. He knows this country is not center right, that even the most rural areas are full of people who have family members on food stamps and who believe in their public schools.
Democrats will happily get us out of this financial mess the same way we got the country out of every other economic crisis and war.
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