Obama Blasts Republicans: ‘We Need To Put This Kind Of Partisanship Aside’ After Election
In this weekend’s YouTube address, President Obama spoke of Tuesday’s elections, and said that the parties must work together afterwards for the whole country. And he criticized Republican leaders for language indicating that they would not work on compromise with the White House, but instead attempt to accomplish his defeat in 2012.
“It may not always be easy to find agreement; at times we’ll have legitimate philosophical differences. And it may not always be the best politics. But it is the right thing to do for our country,” said Obama. “That’s why I found the recent comments by the top two Republican in Congress so troubling. The Republican leader of the House actually said that ‘this is not the time for compromise.’ And the Republican leader of the Senate said his main goal after this election is simply to win the next one. I know that we’re in the final days of a campaign. So it’s not surprising that we’re seeing this heated rhetoric. That’s politics. But when the ballots are cast and the voting is done, we need to put this kind of partisanship aside - win, lose, or draw.”
Boehner: Spending Cuts Would Be Change From Obama — And From Past GOP
In this weekend’s Republican address, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) called upon Americans to elect a Republican Congress that would cut spending — and he acknowledged that such actions would indeed be different from the last time the GOP controlled Congress.
“To help our economy get back on track, we have to stop all of the coming tax hikes and cut spending - and to cut spending, we need to change Congress itself,” said Boehner. “This is a new way forward that hasn’t been tried in Washington yet. It’s a break from the direction in which President Obama has taken our country. And frankly, it’s also a break from the direction in which Republicans were headed when Americans last entrusted us with the reins of government. The American people are in charge, and they deserve nothing less. Together, we can do these things. And in doing so, we can begin the drive for a smaller, less costly, and more accountable government that honors our Constitution and respects the will of the American people.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama departed from the White House at 9:45 a.m. ET, and from Andrews Air Force Base at 10 a.m. ET, arriving at 10:40 a.m. ET in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He will deliver remarks at a DNC event at Temple University at 11:25 a.m. ET. He will depart from Philadelphia at 1:20 p.m. ET, arriving at 2 p.m. ET in New York. He will deliver remarks at a 3:05 p.m. ET DNC “Moving America Forward” rally in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He will depart from New York at 4:50 p.m. ET, arriving at 6:55 p.m. ET in Chicago, Illinois, where he will deliver remarks at a 7:45 p.m. ET DNC “Moving America Forward” rally.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will travel to Quincy, Massachusetts. At 11:45 a.m. ET, he will deliver remarks at a rally for Congressional candidate Bill Keating.
Bill Clinton In Ohio
The Associated Press reports: “Former President Bill Clinton is headed back to Ohio to campaign for the state’s endangered Democratic governor and members of Congress. Clinton’s appearances in northeast Ohio and Columbus on Saturday are part of a big weekend push by Democrats. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will campaign in Cleveland on Sunday.”
Thousands Drawn To Stewart-Colbert ‘Sanity’ Rally
Perhaps the biggest political event today is Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear” in Washington, a parody of the various Tea Party marches on Washington. As the Associated Press reports: “Organizers insisted the “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear,” just days before the congressional elections Tuesday, wasn’t about politics. Still, supporters and left-leaning advocacy groups hoped it would rekindle some of the voter enthusiasm for Democrats seen in 2008, particularly among young adults.”
Eric Kleefeld
Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.
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