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“You Say We Can't Wait, Then Why Have You Waited?”

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CHUCK TODD:  “You are saying you can't wait. Then why have you waited? Why haven't you been -- why didn't you start doing this six weeks ago as you guys were pushing the jobs bill? Do it simultaneously if this stuff is going to work, even around the margins why wait as long as you have?” (MSNBC’s “Daily Rundown,” 10/27/11)

Especially When Obama Had Control Of The White House, The Senate And The House Of Representatives For Two Years  

“Mr. Obama Has Been The Least Obstructed President Since LBJ In 1965 Or FDR In 1933, Which Is How We Got Here.” “The larger political subtext of Mr. Obama's speech is that if Congress doesn't pass his plan, he'll then campaign against Republicans as obstructionist. Thus his speech mantra that Congress should ‘pass it right away.’ This ignores that Mr. Obama has been the least obstructed President since LBJ in 1965 or FDR in 1933, which is how we got here.” (Editorial, “The Latest ... more

“In August, Nonfarm Payroll Employment Decreased In 30 States And The District Of Columbia …” (“Regional And State Employment And Unemployment – August 2011,” Bureau Of Labor Statistics, 9/16/11)

• “Twenty-Six States And The District Of Columbia Reported Unemployment Rate Increases …” (“Regional And State Employment And Unemployment – August 2011,” Bureau Of Labor Statistics, 9/16/11)

Nevada’s Unemployment Rate Continues To Lead The Nation

In August, Nevada’s Unemployment Rate Increased From 12.9 Percent To 13.4 Percent. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 9/16/11)

Nevada’s Unemployment Increased For The Third Straight Month, To 13.4 Percent. “Nevada's unemployment rate has climbed to 13.4 percent in August in the third straight month the numbers have increased. Last month's figure is a jump from July's 12.9 percent jobless rate but is still lower than last August's 14.9 percent.” (“Nevada Jobless Rate Rises To 13.4 Percent In August,” The Associated Press, 9/16/11)

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In an attempt to build support for the President’s second stimulus, within a highly critical democratic caucus, the White House scheduled a meeting to brief members on Obama’s new plan to stem the mortgage crisis. Democrats who were expecting to receive a briefing on “a very significant housing initiative” from Federal Housing Finance Agency director Edward DeMarco, were instead greeted by career employees who admitted that the agency didn’t know anything about President Obama’s plan to fix the housing market.

The Hill reports today on the furor this caused among members who were expecting more than lip service on the foreclosure crisis from the Obama administration:

“Leading House Democrats Are Accusing The Obama Administration Of Ignoring The Lingering Mortgage Crisis And Threatening Tens-Of-Millions Of Americans With Foreclosure In The Process.” (Mike Lillis, “Dems Rip White House For Going ‘AWOL’ On Mortgage Crisis,” The Hill, 9/16/11)

Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA): “The ... more

Obama political appointees from the Department of Energy and Office of Management and Budget testified today before the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight, but didn’t really answer many questions or acted as if they were very well aware of what was going on.

Here’s Department of Energy official Jonathan Silver not being able to answer a simple question about whether he received any communications from any individuals in the White House, to the point that he has to be reminded that he is under oath:

Further stonewalling and claims of ignorance came when Rep. Steve Scalise asked Mr. Silver who in the Obama White House made the decision to put taxpayers at the end of the line and on the hook for the $535 million loan to Sylndra. Mr. Silver, not surprisingly, refused to answer the question. Lots of questions that remain to be answered – why are taxpayers guaranteeing a $535 million loan behind private investors, including a prominent Obama donor/bundler?

And just more ... more

If losing Brooklyn wasn’t a bad enough wake-up call for President Obama, this morning Politico finds that his proposal to pay for another $450 billion stimulus package is facing “unexpected turbulence” from his own party. As you can see below, Democrats on the Hill are not sold on Obama’s recycled tax hikes, the same tax hikes they’ve rejected since 2009.

President Obama’s “Terrible” Plan To Raise Taxes To Pay For His Second Stimulus Is Hitting Stiff Opposition From His Own Party

“President Barack Obama’s New Jobs Plan Is Hitting Some Unexpected Turbulence In The Halls Of Congress: Lawmakers From His Own Party.” (Manu Raju, “Hill Dems Pick Apart Obama Jobs Plan,” Politico, 9/14/11)

• “Limiting Deductions To Upper-Income Families Was Opposed By All But Three Senators In The Democratic-Controlled Senate In 2009.” (Manu Raju, “Hill Dems Pick Apart Obama Jobs Plan,” Politico, 9/14/11)

Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) Called Obama’s Tax Hike Proposals “Terrible.” “‘Terrible,’ Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) ... more

This morning on NBC’s Today Show, White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley was asked about President Obama’s comment to Matt Lauer in 2009 that he had three years to turn the economy around or he faced the prospect of becoming a one-term president. Daley implies that the president should no longer be held to his own standard because the economy turned out to be “much worse than anyone thought.” Unfortunately, as you can see below, President Obama knew exactly what he was taking on.  

THEN: In 2009, Obama Said If “I Don’t Have This Done In Three Years, Then There’s Going To Be A One-Term Proposition.”  OBAMA: “That's exactly right. And — and, you know, a year from now I think people — are going to see that — we're starting to make some progress. But there's still going to be some pain out there. If I don't have this done in three years, then there's going to be a one-term proposition.” (NBC’s “The Today Show,” 2/2/09)

NOW: Bill Daley Says “No One At That Time Of That Interview Had Any ... more

Dem Rep. Peter DeFazio Of Oregon Said Obama Has No “Fight” In Him And That Oregon Is In Play For 2012. “Saying there’s no ‘fight’ in President Barack Obama, a House Democrat home in Oregon for the congressional summer recess says he isn’t sure the president can win a second term or even carry his very blue state.” (Jennifer Epstein, “Dem Rep. DeFazio: Obama Could Lose,” Politico, 8/19/11)

• Rep. DeFazio Thinks Oregon Could Be In Play Given The Economy. “And, DeFazio said, he’s not sure that Obama will do well in Oregon in 2012, even though he won nearly 57 percent of the vote there three years ago. ‘I believe Oregon is very much in play,’ he said. ‘I mean we are one of the harder hit states in the union, particularly my part of the state …. [P]eople are shaking their head and saying ‘I don’t know if I’d vote for him again.’” (Jennifer Epstein, “Dem Rep. DeFazio: Obama Could Lose,” Politico, 8/19/11)
• Rep. DeFazio: “Fight? I Don’t Think It’s A Word In His Vocabulary.” “DeFazio ... more
  
  

Now That His Economic Policies Have Repeatedly Failed, Obama Says That “The Mess Has Been Bigger” Than He Anticipated:

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer: “When you took office, you said if I don’t have this done in three years then it's going to be a one-term proposition, meaning you’re going to be a one term president. Do you remember that?”

President Barack Obama: “Well, here’s what I remember. When I came into office, I knew I was going to have a big mess to clean up. And frankly, the mess has been bigger than I think a lot of people anticipated at the time.”

(CNN’s “The Situation Room,” 8/16/11)

However, In 2008, He Described The Economic Crisis As One Of “Historic Proportions” And The Worst Since The Great Depression:

Obama In October 2008: “We Meet Here At A Time Of Great Uncertainty. Our Economy Is In Crisis.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks, La Crosse, WI, 10/1/08)

Obama In November 2008: “We Face The Worst Economic Crisis Since The Great Depression.” “We face the worst economic crisis ... more

1)    After Pressing Jay Carney For A Plan To Avoid Default, The White House Accused Reporter Ed Henry Of “Creating A Thing” For Fox News:

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2)    One Day Earlier, Jay Carney Spent 10 Minutes Saying The White House Won’t Release A Plan They Might Not Have:

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3)    In A Press Conference, Obama Revealed He Wants To Raise Taxes After He Is Reelected:

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4)    After Obama’s Press Conference About The Debt Ceiling, CNN’s Gloria Borger Said President Obama Was The Only One Talking About Tax Increases:

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5)    Jay Carney Struck Again, This Time Saying “Leadership Is Not Proposing A Plan:”

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