Prez: Maybe they just couldn’t understand the whole thing at once, so we’re going to break it up...

[bigtree]

. . . into bite-size pieces

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/l4iqStAeOcYdOrnABadP0g--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD02MTI7cT04NTt3PTQ2Mw--/
(AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

FLETCHER, N.C. (AP) — Railing against Republicans, President Barack Obama on Monday pushed for a jobs package that Congress is splintering into pieces, as the White House predicted the Senate would start taking votes soon. Obama pressed lawmakers to act first on his idea of funneling aid to states to hire teachers and other workers.

Noting that Republicans in Senate rejected consideration of his whole $447 billion plan, Obama sought anew to turn that vote against them.

“Maybe they just couldn’t understand the whole thing at once, so we’re going to break it up into bite-size pieces,” Obama said . . .

read: http://www.salon.com/2011/10/17/obama_seeks_votes_on_jobs_piece_by_piece/


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(REUTERS/Jason Reed)

“I am going to get a chance to hear form folks about how they are doing,” he said. “What direction do they want to take the country? I am going to be doing some talking but mostly listening. Because there doesn’t seem to be a lot of listening going on in Washington these days.”

“It is pretty clear what your leaders in Washington should be spending their time on,” he said. “We should be talking about jobs.”

President Obama said his plan will mean 2 million jobs through tax cuts to small business. He said the plan would mean road construction, modernization of schools and expansion of local airports, like Asheville Regional Airport.

“Then you got their plan, which is let’s have dirtier air, dirtier water, less people with health insurance,” he said.

read: http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20111017/NEWS/310170043/Obama-pledges-new-push-jobs-bill?odyssey=nav%7Chead



(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

My "bill will help put people back to work and give our economy a boost right away," Obama told the crowd at Asheville Regional Airport. "But apparently none of this matters" to GOP leaders.

"I've gone out of my way to find areas of cooperation" with congressional Republicans, the president declared. "We're going to give members of Congress another chance to step up to the plate and do the right thing."

But "if they vote against these proposals again ... then they're not going to have to answer to me. They're going to have to answer to you," he said.

read: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/17/politics/obama-jobs-tour/?hpt=ibu_c2



(Jewel Samad, AFP/Getty Images)

"I need you to make your voices heard," said Obama. "I need you to give Congress a piece of your mind. These members of Congress work for you. If they're not delivering, it's time to let them know."

Obama used the backdrop of the Asheville Regional Airport as an example of how his plan help fund work to rebuild a runway and taxiway at the airport. He said as part of his $50 million infrastructure proposal, jobs would be created in western North Carolina.

The crowd interrupted his speech Monday morning by chanting "four more years." Obama replied to supporters, "I appreciate the four more years, but right now I'm thinking about the next 13 months. Yes we have an election coming up, but the election is a long ways away and a lot of folks can’t wait. We don’t have time to wait. We have a choice right now.’’

read: http://www.ncnn.com/edit-news/7351-pres-obama-in-nc-give-congress-a-piece-of-your-mind

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(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)


related:

Teachers to come first in jobs vote
“The Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act will help states and local governments keep teachers in the classroom and police officers and firefighters on the beat.”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66144.html

[cutlassmama]

1. loved that part when I heard it this morning. He was chuckling as he said it too.

LOL, mocking the GOP, good job!

[monmouth]

10. Our President does snark very well. Wonder what his name is on DU...LOL...n/t

[Scuba]

2. It was easy enough for the People to understand. n/t

[Atman]

3. GODDAMMIT, Mr. President! Don't fall for this shit!

You have to know that the only "pieces" the GOP will agree to are the ones in which they get tax breaks! How on earth can you fall for their shit once again? Stand up against them. The people are on YOUR side, not theirs. Stand up to them and make them explain...you don't have to, you're the president!

:banghead:

[bigtree]

4. ?

[Atman]

8. The reason the R's want to break it up into pieces is...

...so they can vote down all the pieces they don't like, and keep the pieces that give themselves tax benefits. Count on it. We've played this game with them too many times to expect them to be serious about negotiating anything.

.

[bigtree]

9. it isn't the 'R's' idea to force votes on individual pieces

The Senate plans to begin with helping save the teachers' and firefighters' jobs.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66144.html

Reid is holding a conference call on Monday afternoon to unveil The Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/17/teacher-aid-obamas-jobs-plan_n_1015854.html

[Atman]

11. Isn't this in response to the R's saying they won't pass it otherwise?

:shrug: or am I missing something?

[bigtree]

12. so you believe republicans want to see the Teachers and firefighters jobs saving bill come to a vote

that's news

[Atman]

13. I guess I am missing something, I admit.

But it wouldn't surprise me if they threw us a bone just to say "See, we're compromising!" and then demand their tax cuts. After all, the teachers and firefighters won't cost nearly as much as it will cost us for their tax cuts. I simply have no reason to trust that they're doing anything on the up-and-up.

.

[LonePirate]

7. Reid just needs to ensure each piece even the tax cuts are paid for by fractions of the 5.6% surtax

Hammer home who the Rs protect at the expense of everyone else.

[hfojvt]

5. this is kind of what I expected/feared

Obama advanced a plan with some good parts - infrastructure, aid to states, tax increases on the rich

and some bad parts - business tax cuts, social security tax cuts.

Now that Republicans killed the whole package, they will have a chance to just pass the bad parts. Thus Republicans will be let off the hook for their previous votes - after all they passed a "compromise" bill, and Obama will get to declare victory - a "victory" of signing another conservative Republican piece of crap.

I don't want even four more minutes of that type of "compromising".

When he should be hammering Republicans for voting against a jobs bill - because it increases taxes on the rich. Pound on them for putting the 1% ahead of the jobless, the hurting, the desperate. But instead Obama offers them a pass. If Republicans are savvy, they will pass the minor spending bill $35 billion in aid to states in exchange for the two big tax cuts for the rich. When it fails to create very many jobs - especially in the face of the coming budget cuts, Obama will take the hit. After all, Republicans passed most of his jobs bill, and it didn't work.

[bigtree]

6. Senate will vote first on teachers in jobs bill -- more what I expected

Reid will hold a press call Monday afternoon “to announce the introduction of the first individual component of President Obama’s jobs bill,” his office said in an email to reporters soon after White House press secretary Jay Carney alerted journalists aboard Air Force One. “The Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act will help states and local governments keep teachers in the classroom and police officers and firefighters on the beat.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66144.html

[TheKentuckian]

14. The probability of taking a large net screwing are high.

The ability to throw up some comparatively small fig leaf of a positive (with an indignant "you wanna throw ______ under the bus to not give tax cuts????") or a skirmish win in the partisan back and forth that supposedly once and for all expose how bad the the TeaPubliKlans are (a laughable proposition considering their long and ongoing crimes and general wickedness).

We are letting them pick us apart in exchange for temporary tokens, the strategy is doomed and the hole digging is not abated only the pace slacked and/or the focus of the shoveling shifted.

We are "compromising" our way to their long term goals, it is foolish.

[bigtree]

16. none of that resembles what the Senate leadership has planned

I don't believe there's anything 'compromising' about highlighting the Democratic initiatives in the jobs bill, a few at a time, and forcing votes on them. Frankly, for some, nothing they do will satisfy, but it's nonsense to assume Democratic legislators can just have their way, given the entrenchment of the opposition. The alternative? Sit on their hands?

[Romulox]

15. He got his "free trade" bill; I expect he'll get his tax cuts. What other "pieces" does he *really*

care about? :shrug:

[bigtree]

17. well

go find out.

It amazes me how many critics of this move have no idea at all just what the White House or the Senate leadership has planned. It's as simple to find out as it was to respond to this post.

[Romulox]

18. LOL. nt