CQ TODAY PRINT EDITION
March 4, 2009 – 8:54 p.m.
In a Shift, House Republicans Take On Obama
By Edward Epstein, CQ Staff
After carefully avoiding direct criticism of President Obama, House Republican leaders are now more aggressively trying to link him with new federal spending that they believe is excessive and ultimately won’t be popular with voters.
“Americans like the president. They want him to succeed. But the things his administration is doing are becoming unpopular,” Minority Leader John A. Boehner told reporters.
The House GOP’s new position, fueled by Obama’s proposed $3.6 trillion fiscal 2010 budget that Republicans slam for raising taxes and spending, has been echoed in statements issued by Boehner’s House communications team: “Obama vs. Obama,” a press release blared on Wednesday. The release highlighted what it said were troubling contrasts between Obama’s campaign pledge to crack down on appropriations earmarks and make government spending more transparent, and his support for a $410 billion omnibus spending bill (
On March 3, the Republican Study Committee assailed Obama by name for his spending proposals. “Obama’s special interest doublespeak,” read the headline in the statement from the caucus of the most conservative House GOP members.
“President Barack Obama took political rhetoric to a new level this weekend when he vowed to take on ‘special interests,’ all the while pushing his record-setting budget. Even the most cursory look at the president’s proposal makes it clear that his language simply does not match reality,” the Study Committee said.
On Wednesday Obama unveiled proposals to change federal contracting and procurement procedures. It didn’t take California’s Darrell Issa long to level criticism: “The solutions President Obama is offering to reduce waste and abuse pale in comparison to the new levels of waste and abuse created by his massive spending spree,” said Issa, the ranking member on the Oversight panel.
Before this week, Republican leaders had largely blamed Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for ignoring Obama’s calls for a new bipartisan atmosphere on Capitol Hill in favor of a solely Democratic approach to drafting legislation that they said shut out Republicans. But Republicans now sense an opportunity to hold Obama accountable for what they view as a new era of big spending.
“We’re going after his proposals,” Boehner told a group of reporters. “It’s the president’s budget, and we have a very big disagreement with the president over his budget.”
But Boehner said Republican leaders realize they have to stay away from personal attacks on the president: “We can disagree without being disagreeable.”
Democrats have been painting the Republican minority as the party of “no,” one that attacks Obama’s proposals without offering anything positive other than old ideas for tax cuts for the rich.
New polling suggests why Republicans have chosen to attack Obama’s message, but not the messenger. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, conducted Feb. 26 through March 1, shows that 60 percent of those surveyed approve of the president’s performance in office, while 26 percent disapprove. But the poll also showed that 44 percent of Americans fear the country is still headed in the wrong direction, compared with 41 percent who feel it is headed in the right direction, although that is down from the 59 percent to 26 percent who felt that way in early January.
Tough Times
Boehner admitted that it has been difficult at times for Republicans to get their positive issue message widely heard in the early days of the Obama administration, when voters are so deeply worried about the economy and want action. He said the party will persist, feeling that Obama’s spending proposals and the $787 billion stimulus package (PL 111-5) that Congress passed last month will prove increasingly problematic for the Democrats.
”The big picture is that we have to build solutions to problems every American faces, and they have to be based on our principles. We need to contrast our better solutions with what they’re offering,” he said of Obama and congressional Democrats.
Boehner, R-Ohio, also said that the White House has been engaged in diversionary tactics by playing up recent comments from conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh about how he wanted Obama to fail as president because he abhors his policies. “This is a big distraction from the real issues,” Boehner said. “It’s created by the White House.”
The White House said that Republicans are lashing out. “What may be frustrating to many Republicans in Congress is they finally have somebody in town who’s willing to address wasteful spending,” said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. “They finally have somebody in town who’s willing to provide a tax cut for the American people that need it. There’s finally somebody in town that’s willing to undergo honest budgeting.”
Despite the increasingly heated rhetoric, Obama persists in his goal of reaching out to the opposition. On Wednesday evening, he and his wife hosted a bipartisan, bicameral White House dinner for the top leaders of Congress, committee chairs and ranking GOP members. Boehner was among those who planned to attend. His aides said it was the GOP leader’s third social visit to the White House since Obama took office on Jan. 20.
Comments
It appears that spending sprees are here to stay. I'm fine with that so long as the People and not the corporations are benefiting from it. Corporations can take care of themselves. I find it interesting that Republicans prefer big government spending on billion dollar war contracts vs. big government spending on the People. Both create jobs but, unless we give in to unending war, only spending on the People will serve the greater good in the long term.
Well, the Republicans managed it for six weeks. In the face of huge public support for President Obama, they tried to be realistic. John Boehner managed to keep his rhetorical fire aimed at Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. But we knew it wouldn't last. No way they could withstand Rush's right-wing spotlight. They wrap it all up, of course, in that ol' time religion: laissez faire free market capitalism, 'my country right or wrong' patriotism, low taxes for the rich, impotent government and stagnation for ordinary Americans. Like they say in politics, the hardest thing to fake is sincerity. The Republicans' sincerity might seem less fake if they had found it while George W. Bush was fiddling while greedy executives burned Americans' faith in capitalism, invading the wrong country in the name of fighting terrorism, cutting taxes for the rich, castrating the our regulators, ignoring ordinary Americans and, oh yes, running up the first trillion dollar deficit. And, oh yes, bailing out their friends hundreds of billions of unaudited taxpayer dollars. Well, they didn't' remember that ol' time religion while G. W. Bush was president. But, now that we have a Democrat in the White House, the Republicans are rediscovering their faith. As we all know, there are no atheists on death row.
Interesting...Republicans are sickened by Obama's policies, yet still accept that coveted social invitation to dine at the White House. I don't hear Rush complaining about that?
GOP still seems clueless on doctrine, strategy, counter-battery fire. Some of that is just false perception created by Dem spintronics (thanks, MSM). Some is real and will take time. If they can finally "get it" (small government, more individual economic freedom, less regulation, lower taxes, NO more global warming and other PC rubbish) then they could sweep in 2010. But that's a lot to do in the 18 months remaining. But the bitter Bush-bashers here are wasting their time. That is now officially last year. Obama owns the porkapalooza spending, the corruption of office (how many tax cheats in one Administration? how many fools and crooks in the Dem Congress, starting with Murtha, Rangel, Dodd, Frank, Burris?), the rapid collapse of geopolitical goodwill. Obama is going to get a lot of our kids killed in A-stan for nothing, because he has no idea and no will. Sometimes it looks as if he actually wants to ruin the country, instead of just screwing things up through sheer arrogance. So GOP has a great opportunity as he blows up, but it has to rebuild the brand. It will be an interesting year.
"Despite the increasingly heated rhetoric, Obama persists in his goal of reaching out to the opposition. " Spin. Obama persists in trying to appear that he is reaching out to the opposition, while ignoring their input.
*ignoring their terrible input
" I'm fine with that so long as the People and not the corporations are benefiting from it." And just what do you think corporations are made up of? Where do you think all those nasty corporate profits go? Why, right into the pockets of their employees and shareholders. Otherwise known as people.
How can anyone think that, for example, adding $30billion of tax burden to oil & gas producers is "good" for "ordinary Americans"? If your employer makes less money, YOU make less money, if you have a job at all. If businesses face higher taxes, they will raise prices on the goods you have to buy. They don't do this b/c they are evil, they do it b/c investors won't give hem money if they can't make money. This war on the rich cannot possibly improve the lives of ordinary Americans. We will all come out of this socialist experiment poorer with worse living conditions and weaker as a country.
"I'm fine with that so long as the People and not the corporations are benefiting from it. Corporations can take care of themselves." Um, what do you think a corporation is made up of? I'll give you a clue: employees and shareholders. All of which are people. I hope the spending spree isn't here to stay. That's what got us in this mess in the first place. Why can't "the people" just spend their own money instead of their grandchildren's?
"... I don't hear Rush complaining about that." He wasn't invited, and (Dollar to a Do-Nut) probably wouldn't accept; and you never listen to Rush, so how would you know what he says?
For FY 2008 Rep. Darrell Issa spnsored $12,173,500 in earmarks. So much for fiscal conservatism. [Source: legistorm.com]
Hilary I love it when you capitalize people. I don't need to read the rest of your article to know exactly what you are going to say.
The things this president is doing aren't just becoming unpopular, they are damaging this country and its future. It would be nice if the opposition opposed them before they became unpopular. That's what leaders are supposed to do.
"Where do you think all those nasty corporate profits go? Why, right into the pockets of their employees and shareholders. Otherwise known as people." The question is not where it goes, but whether those that receive it will put it to use as consumers, or as investors looking for consumers. When money goes to the rich, they can only consume so much, but the low and middle income do not have enough money to consume what they need and want. Without consumers, the rich cannot find investments for their money except by creating a wartime economy. This is where George Bush has led us.
Actually, $12 Million on earmarks are rather on the modest end. Senator Clinton got a wee bit more than $1.5 Billion. And if you go to legistorm.com you'll notice that of the 13 representatives who sponsored no earmarks 12 were Republicans (Sen Claire McCaskil of Missouri was the only Dem not to sponsor earmarks...good on her!)l ...maybe there are some good men/women in politics!
'The rich can only consume so much.' Really? And that hides money away from the noble poor? So it must be poor then who run businesses and create and produce and employ. Hey. I need a job. I'll go ask the bum on the corner; perhaps he's hiring. Thanks for the tip! Know what happens when you confiscate the fruits of people's labors? That's where Barry O. is leading us. Know what happens when you don't defend yourself against those who are trying to kill you? That's also where Barry O. is leading us. Note to Republican leadership: Please DO be the Party of No. That's not just a great slogan; it would also make an excellent governing strategy.
Why is Obama talking about health care now when the banking system is in a free fall. Is he really that clueless and dense?
If you are going to quote poll results, let's be honest in reporting them accurately. "But the poll also showed that 44 percent of Americans fear the country is still headed in the wrong direction, compared with 41 percent who feel it is headed in the right direction, although that is down from the 59 percent to 26 percent who felt that way in early January." The only reason it was 59% in early January was because Bush was still in office and that reflected the Bush Derangement Syndrome. Once Obama gets in, all of a sudden it's down to 44%. Yet economic conditions have further deteriorated in the past 2 months. Shows you what a stupid electorate we have.
AMEN!!! Ron
Who gives a flying pig turd what the repukes and their rightwingnut hate-talkingheads say? They've already come right out and said THEY WANT AMERICA TO FAIL. Well, up their -- nose -- with a rubber hose, and blow it out the other end. Chicken George and his neonazis WRECKED THIS COUNTRY. The eight-and-nine-figure hate-talkingheads are terrified that President Obama might cost them an extra few hundred dollars that they would otherwise spend on cocaine and prostitutes, so they're wailing to their base of the ultra-stupid with moronic lies about how people who fly around in private jets are going to hire SOOOOOOO many people.
Why is that liberals can't see the truth about our failing economy? Read this very pertinent quote from Dr. Adrian Rodgers, Economist, and one will have to agree that punishing the producers will only lead to failure: "You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."
Just this past week I received an anti-stimulus flier from my republican congressman,i wondered why spend the money after the stimulus has passed,now it makes a little more sense.OBSTRUCTIONISM!!! Before they were obstructionist they were McCarthyites before then,the hoover party.
Shawni, Why should a person that punches a time clock pay a higher percentage of income tax then someone who makes money with money? Middle class workers have lost wage,wealth,savings since bush's tax cuts for the rich. The middle class has shrunk,as has our purchase power,the facts support my argument over yours. I paid twice the tax rate as the wealthiest american. Maybe thats seems fine to you,ITS NOT TO ME!!! Vote democratic to rebuild our middle class.
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