Republicans

Pressed On How Obama Made The Economy 'Worse' GOP Says 'He Passed Health Care Reform!'

Brian Beutler | June 29, 2011, 10:10AM

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

The GOP has a new favorite line about President Obama and if the speed with which they've all adopted it is any indication, then it works well with focus groups, and, through sheer repitition, it makes its way seamlessly into news article after news article.

Obama inherited a tough economy, they say, but "he made it worse."

Mitt Romney's saying it, members of the GOP congressional leadership say it over and over again at their weekly press conferences. It's not going anywhere.

The problem is that, by most metrics, this is simply false. Yes, the economy shed millions of jobs in late 2008 and early 2009, so unemployment is higher now than it was when Obama took office. But, as others have pointed out, when he took office the economy was shrinking, it's now growing again. When he took office, the economy was shedding jobs, it's now creating them. You can fault him for doing too little, or not doing it well enough, but as bad as things are, they're not worse than they were two and a half years ago. And non-partisan fact checkers agree.

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Democrats

Democrats Explicitly Call Out GOP For Sabotaging The Economic Recovery

Brian Beutler | June 22, 2011, 12:36PM

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL)

They've made it explicit. Democrats are accusing Republicans of trying to sabotage the recovery -- or at least stall it -- by blocking all short-term measures to boost the economy, even ones they previously supported.

In a Capitol press conference Wednesday, the Senate's top Democrats argued that Republicans don't want to pass measures like a temporary payroll tax holiday for employers because they'll improve President Obama's re-election chances.

"Our Republican colleagues in the House and Senate are driven by putting one man out of work: President Obama," said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL).

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Harry Reid

With Economy Faltering, Dems Seize On GOP About-Face On Payroll Tax Cuts For Businesses

Brian Beutler | June 22, 2011, 5:45AM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) with Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Charles Schumer (D-NY)

Democrats are increasingly concerned that Republicans are setting them up to endorse large spending cuts in a deal to raise the national debt limit without giving ground on anything -- even GOP-friendly policy measures like tax cuts for business owners -- to stimulate the economy in the near-term.

The concern arises as numerous top Republicans react coldly to the prospect of temporarily reducing the payroll tax burden on employers and employees -- to juice the economy before federal spending draws down in the years ahead.

Traditionally, and particularly in tough economic times, this and a handful of other stimulative policies have enjoyed bipartisan support. But with the outcome of the 2012 election likely to hinge on the nation's economic trajectory, the GOP is mysteriously rethinking those positions. And Democrats are starting to note of the suspicious timing.

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Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander On Blocking Nominations: That's What Nominations Are For!

Brian Beutler | June 16, 2011, 5:45AM

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN)

Presidential nominations: What are they good for? Absolutely nothing! Except being blocked in the Senate.

At least that's Sen. Lamar Alexander's (R-TN) understanding.

"That's what nominations are for," he quipped to reporters Wednesday after a Capitol briefing on GOP tax and regulatory proposals. "When I was nominated to be Education Secretary, Senator [Howard] Metzenbaum held me up for three months.

At the time he wasn't pleased, but since becoming a senator, his prerogatives have changed. Though he helped broker a modest truce between the parties over obstructive tactics at the beginning of the year, he still supports a senators right to use advise and consent powers to block nominations and extract policy concessions.

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Barack Obama

Top Republicans Pour Cold Water On Obama's Last-Ditch Stimulus Plan

Brian Beutler | June 15, 2011, 3:04PM

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN)

Two leading Republicans say they do not support President Obama's plan to broaden, deepen, and extend a payroll tax cut to stimulate the economy in the short-term.

In a briefing with reporters in the Capitol Tuesday, the House and Senate GOP conference chairs said they're through with short-term stimulus measures, even if they take the form of tax cuts.

"Well they've tried this once, and it hasn't seemed to be working," said Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX).

His Senate counterpart, Lamar Alexander (R-TN) echoed this view.

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