RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, Elected Officials to Visit El Paso and Mesa Counties for Early Vote Push

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus will be making stops in El Paso and Mesa counties Thursday to encourage Coloradans to vote early for the GOP ticket. At each stop, Chairman Priebus, elected officials and Republican supporters will hold Commit to Mitt Early Voting events and make phone calls to remind people to vote early or return their absentee ballots. These events are part of a national effort to reach voters before Election Day and encourage them to cast their ballots for Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan. Colorado will play a crucial role in the November 6 election, and with Republicans maintaining a lead over Democrats in absentee and early votes cast, Colorado voters are clearly showing they cannot afford four more years like the last four years.
Our nation is at a turning point. Americans can’t afford another four years like the last four years under President Obama’s failed policies. When Mitt Romney is president, he will work with Democrats and Republicans, put the interests of the American people first, and deliver the real recovery President Obama could only promise. We know he can do it because he’s done it before in business and as Governor of Massachusetts. This election is a choice between the status quo and real change – change that offers promise that the future will be better than the past four years.

Thursday, November 1, 2012
Event: El Paso County Early Vote Push
Who: RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, COGOP Chairman Ryan Call, U.S. Congressman Doug Lamborn
Location: El Paso County Victory Office
205 Sutton Lane
Colorado Springs, CO
Time: 11:45 AM MDT
———————
Event: Mesa County Early Vote Push
Who: RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, U.S. Congressman Scott Tipton
Location: Mesa County Victory Office
1114 North 1st Street, Suite 102
Grand Junction, CO
Time: 2:15 PM MDT

The Other $4 Trillion

Obama Touts Fact-Challenged $4 Trillion Deficit Reduction Plan While Running Up Fourth Straight Trillion Dollar Budget Deficit

THE CLAIM: Obama: “I’ve Proposed A Specific $4 Trillion Deficit Reduction Plan.” OBAMA: “I’ve proposed a specific $4 trillion deficit reduction plan. … The way we do it is $2.50 for every cut, we ask for $1 in additional revenue.” (President Barack Obama, Presidential Debate, Denver, CO, 10/3/12)
THE FACTS: “Virtually No Serious Budget Analyst Agreed With This Accounting.” “But virtually no serious budget analyst agreed with this accounting. Obama’s $4 trillion figure, for instance, includes counting some $1 trillion in cuts reached a year ago in budget negotiations with Congress. So no matter who is the president, the savings are already in the bank.” (Glenn Kessler, “Factchecking The First Presidential Debate Of 2012,” The Washington Post ‘s The Fact Checker , 10/4/12)
THE IRONY: New CBO Numbers Indicate That This Is The “Fourth Straight Year Of Trillion Dollar Deficits On President Barack Obama’s Watch.” “A new estimate puts the deficit for the just-completed 2012 budget year at $1.1 trillion, the fourth straight year of trillion dollar deficits on President Barack Obama’s watch.” (Andrew Taylor, “CBO Tallies 2012 Deficit At $1.1T,” The Associated Press, 10/5/12)

• “It’s Official: The Federal Budget Deficit Blew Past The $1 Trillion Mark For The Fourth Year In A Row.” (Seung Min Kim, “CBO: Deficit Tops $1 Trillion Again,” Politico, 10/5/12)

The CBO Estimates That The Federal Budget Deficit Was About $1.1 Trillion In Fiscal Year 2012. (“Monthly Budget Review: Fiscal Year 2012,” Congressional Budget Office, 10/5/12)

• The Deficit Thus Remains Greater Than That Of Any Year Since 1947. “At 7.0 percent of gross domestic product, the 2012 deficit was down from 8.7 percent in 2011 and 9.0 percent in 2010 but greater than in any year between 1947 and 2008.” (“Monthly Budget Review: Fiscal Year 2012,” Congressional Budget Office, 10/5/12)

• “Social Security Outlays Rose By $42 Billion (Or 6 Percent) In 2012, Somewhat More Than In Recent Years.” (“Monthly Budget Review: Fiscal Year 2012,” Congressional Budget Office, 10/5/12)

Politifact: Gov. Romney’s Statement That Obama Pledged To Cut The Deficit In Half Is “True.” “Romney reminded Obama during the debate, ‘you have said before you’d cut the deficit in half.’ The statement is accurate. Obama made the pledge shortly after taking office in 2009. Today, the deficit is smaller, but it’s not half the size it was. We rate Romney’s statement True.” (“Romney Says Obama Promised To Cut Deficit In Half,” Politifact, 10/3/12)

• The Figures Show That “The Government Borrowed 31 Cents For Every Dollar It Spent.” “The administration will release the official deficit numbers around mid-October, but they should line up closely with the CBO estimate, which shows that the government borrowed 31 cents for every dollar it spent.” (Andrew Taylor, “CBO Tallies 2012 Deficit At $1.1T,” The Associated Press, 10/5/12)

Obama “Promised To Cut The Deficit In Half By The End Of His First Term, But Deficits Have Instead Remained At Eye-Popping Levels…” “Obama inherited an economy in recession and a deficit in excess of $1 trillion. He promised to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term, but deficits have instead remained at eye-popping levels, including a record $1.4 trillion deficit in 2009 and deficits of $1.3 trillion in each of the past two years. The 2012 deficit was 7 percent of the size of the economy, an unsustainably high level.” (Andrew Taylor, “CBO Tallies 2012 Deficit At $1.1T,” The Associated Press, 10/5/12)

• Obama Has Said His Budget Plan Shaves $4 Trillion From The Deficit, “But He Counts $1 Trillion From Savings Already Accomplished…” “In Wednesday night’s debate, Obama said he has a budget plan to shave $4 trillion from the deficit over the coming decade, but he counts $1 trillion from savings already accomplished in budget deals with Republicans last year and $848 billion from winding down wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.” (Andrew Taylor, “CBO Tallies 2012 Deficit At $1.1T,” The Associated Press, 10/5/12)

Obama Has Now Run The Four Largest Deficits In U.S. History

“This Is The Fourth Straight Year That The Deficit Will Exceed One Trillion Dollars, All Under President Obama.” (Erik Wasson, “CBO Says 2012 Deficit Has Reached $1.17T,” The Hill, 9/10/12)

• FY2009: The Federal Budget Deficit Was $1.413 Trillion, The Highest In U.S. History. (“Monthly Budget Review: November 2011,” Congressional Budget Office, 11/7/11)

• FY2010: The Federal Budget Deficit Was $1.294 Trillion, The Third Highest In U.S. History. (“Monthly Budget Review: November 2011,” Congressional Budget Office, 11/7/11)

• FY2011: The Federal Budget Deficit Was $1.299 Trillion, The Second Highest In U.S. History. (“Monthly Budget Review: November 2011,” Congressional Budget Office, 11/7/11)

• FY2012: The Federal Budget Deficit Was $1.1 Trillion, The Fourth Highest In U.S. History. (“Monthly Budget Review: Fiscal Year 2012,” Congressional Budget Office, 10/5/12)

The Obama Housing Briefing Book

 

FOUR YEARS AGO TODAY, OBAMA WAS IN NEVADA PROMISING TO HELP STRUGGLING HOMEOWNERS, FOUR YEARS LATER THEY ARE NOT BETTER OFF

 

“President Barack Obama Will Be In Las Vegas, Nevada For A Campaign Rally On Sunday, September 30, 2012 …” (David Phillips, “Obama Will Spend Three Days In Las Vegas For Rally And Debate Prep,” Las Vegas Democrat Examiner, 9/26/12)
THEN: Four Years Ago Today, Obama Was In Nevada Lamenting The Foreclosure Crisis. OBAMA: “Because of the housing crisis — and nobody’s been hit harder by foreclosures in the housing crisis than Nevada — we are now in a very dangerous situation where financial institutions across this country are afraid to lend money.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At A Campaign Event, Reno, NV, 9/30/08)

• Obama Said “We Can’t Help Banks On Wall Street Without Helping The Millions Of Innocent Homeowners Who Are Struggling To Stay In Their Homes. They Deserve A Plan, Too.” OBAMA: “Second — second, I said we can’t help banks on Wall Street without helping the millions of innocent homeowners who are struggling to stay in their homes. They deserve a plan, too.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At A Campaign Event, Reno, NV, 9/30/08)

NOW: The Fiscal Times Headline: “Homeowners Not Better Off Now Than Four Years Ago” (Liz Peek, “Homeowners Not Better Off Now Than Four Years Ago,” The Fiscal Times, 9/5/12)

• “Are We Better Off Than We Were Four Years Ago? ‘Absolutely’ Chirps Obama’s Hallelujah Chorus. ‘No Way’ Say Struggling Homeowners, And They Have A Point.” “Are we better off than we were four years ago? ‘Absolutely’ chirps Obama’s hallelujah chorus. ‘No way’ say struggling homeowners, and they have a point. Despite tens of billions of dollars pledged and a veritable barrage of government programs, more than one in five borrowers hold underwater mortgages, just as they did when Obama took office.” (Liz Peek, “Homeowners Not Better Off Now Than Four Years Ago,” The Fiscal Times, 9/5/12)
• “The Simple Truth Is That Geithner And Treasury Chose To Never Treat The Foreclosure Crisis, Or Their Promises To Congress To Help Homeowners, With The Same Seriousness And Resolve That They Applied To Rescuing The Banks.” (Neil Barofsky, Bailout: An Inside Account Of How Washington Abandoned Main Street While Rescuing Wall Street, 2012, p. 199)

OBAMA AND HIS OWN ADVISERS ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR POLICIES HAVE FAILED

“This Summer At The White House, Obama Offered A Rare Acknowledgment That His Response To The Housing Crisis Had Fallen Short.” (Zachary A. Goldfarb, “Obama’s Efforts To Aid Homeowners, Boost Housing Market Fall Far Short Of Goals,” The Washington Post, 10/23/11)

• Obama Said That Housing Has Been The “Most Stubborn To Us Trying To Solve The Problem.” OBAMA: “We’ve had to revamp our housing program several times to try to help people stay in their homes and try to start lifting home values up. But of all the things we’ve done, that’s probably been the area that’s been most stubborn to us trying to solve the problem.” (President Barack Obama, Twitter Town Hall, Washington, D.C., 7/6/11)
• Obama Said “I’ll Be Honest With You, [Housing] Is Probably The Biggest Drag On The Economy Right Now.” OBAMA: “Well, it’s a good question. And I’ll be honest with you, this is probably the biggest drag on the economy right now that we have — along with I know the frustrations people have about gas prices. What we’ve really seen is the housing market, which was a bubble, had greatly over-inflated in all regions of the country. And I know I probably don’t get a lot of sympathy about that here because I can only imagine what rents and mortgages you guys are paying.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks By The President At A Facebook Town Hall, Palo Alto, CA, 4/20/11)

Treasury Secretary Geithner: “But Our Programs Have Dramatically Underperformed What We Thought. … We Are Very Disappointed And Frustrated By It And We Have A Lot Of Challenges Ahead.” (Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Committee On Financial Services, U.S. House Of Representatives, Testimony, 10/6/11)

• Geithner Admitted That The Administration’s Housing Programs Have Not Lived Up To Expectations. “Mr. Geithner said that he agreed that the administration’s efforts had not met expectations, and he pointed to efforts by the Federal Housing Finance Agency to reduce barriers to refinancing, which he said could be introduced next week. ‘We are doing as much as we can with the authority we have to help people caught up in this crisis,’ Mr. Geithner said.” (Binyamin Appelbaum, “Treasury Secretary Urges Quick Action On Jobs Plan,” The New York Times, 10/6/11)

OBAMA’S HOUSING FAILURES HAVE HELPED NOWHERE NEAR THE 7 TO 9 MILLION HOMEOWNERS HE PROMISED THEY WOULD HELP

PROMISE: Obama Promised That His Housing Program Would Prevent 7 To 9 Million Families From Foreclosure. OBAMA: “And we will pursue the housing plan I’m outlining today. And through this plan, we will help between 7 and 9 million families restructure or refinance their mortgages so they can afford—avoid foreclosure.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks On The Home Mortgage Industry, Mesa, AZ, 2/18/09)

• Obama Said That “All Of Us Will Pay An Even Steeper Price If We Allow This Crisis To Deepen – A Crisis Which Is Unraveling Homeownership, The Middle Class, And The American Dream Itself.” OBAMA: “All of us will pay an even steeper price if we allow this crisis to deepen – a crisis which is unraveling homeownership, the middle class, and the American dream itself.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks On The Home Mortgage Industry, Mesa, AZ, 2/18/09)

FACT: Obama Promised His Foreclosure Prevention Program Would Help 9 Million Homeowners, But It Has Only Assisted About Two Million Homeowners. “The foreclosure prevention fund was the heart of his promise. Obama originally pledged $10 billion but ended up setting aside $75 billion, using TARP funds. He predicted the money would assist 9 million homeowners. But after three years, only about 2 million people have won permanent mortgage help, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.” (Molly Moorhead, “President Barack Obama’s Efforts To Help Foreclosure Crisis Have Fallen Short,” Politifact, 5/28/12)

• “Obama Didn’t Deliver On His Vow That Day To Avert As Many As 9 Million Foreclosures.” (Clea Benson, “Obama Housing Fix Faltered On Carrots-Not-Sticks Policy,” Bloomberg, 6/11/12)

OBAMA’S FAILURE TO ADDRESS CHINESE CURRENCY MANIPULATION HAS COST HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN JOBS

Obama’s Failure To Confront China Cost The United States 450,000 Jobs From 2008 To 2010. “American jobs have been shifting to low-wage countries for years, and the trend has continued during Obama’s presidency. From 2008 to 2010, U.S. trade with China alone cost about 450,000 American jobs because of the growth of Chinese exports, said Robert E. Scott, a pro-labor advocate at the liberal Economic Policy Institute. That figure was less than in previous years, but the decrease was probably tied to the U.S. economic slowdown, which crimped demand for imports. ‘I think he has walked away from the campaign commitments,’ said Scott, the institute’s director of trade and manufacturing policy research. ‘He has done far too little to improve U.S. trade.’” (Tom Hamburger, Carol D. Leonnig and Zachary A. Goldfarb, “Obama’s Record On Outsourcing Draws Criticism From The Left,” The Washington Post, 7/9/12)
“Obama’s Critics, Primarily On The Political Left, Say He Has Repeatedly Failed In Other Ways To Protect American Jobs From Being Moved Overseas” Including Confronting China. “While White House officials say they have been waiting on Congress to act, Obama’s critics, primarily on the political left, say he has repeatedly failed in other ways to protect American jobs from being moved overseas. They point to a range of actions they say he should have taken: confronting China, reining in unfettered trade and reworking a U.S. visa program that critics say ends up sending high-tech jobs abroad.” (Tom Hamburger, Carol D. Leonnig and Zachary A. Goldfarb, “Obama’s Record On Outsourcing Draws Criticism From The Left,” The Washington Post, 7/9/12)

• Robert Scott Of The Economic Policy Institute: “I Think He Walked Away From The Campaign Commitments.” “‘I think he has walked away from the campaign commitments,’ said Scott, the institute’s director of trade and manufacturing policy research. ‘He has done far too little to improve U.S. trade.’ According to a study by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, large American companies in 2010 barely added any workers in the United States, increasing their numbers by 0.1 percent, while they expanded their foreign workforce by 1.5 percent.” (Tom Hamburger, Carol D. Leonnig and Zachary A. Goldfarb, “Obama’s Record On Outsourcing Draws Criticism From The Left,” The Washington Post, 7/9/12)

• Scott Paul, Head Of The Alliance For American Manufacturing, Is “Perplexed” By Obama’s Refusal To Label China A Currency Manipulator. “But Obama’s critics say the most important step the president could take – but hasn’t – is to declare China a ‘currency manipulator,’ which could ultimately allow the U.S. government to erect tariffs to protect American industries. ‘I’m perplexed by this decision because it runs counter to the goal of re-shoring jobs from China,’ Scott Paul, head of the labor-backed Alliance for American Manufacturing, said in a May statement.” (Tom Hamburger, Carol D. Leonnig and Zachary A. Goldfarb, “Obama’s Record On Outsourcing Draws Criticism From The Left,” The Washington Post, 7/9/12)

BILLIONS WERE SHOWERED ON GREEN ENERGY STIMULUS PROGRAMS THAT RELIED ON FOREIGN MANUFACTURERS IN LOW-WAGE COUNTRIES

A Department Of Energy Study Found “That 60 Percent Of The 40 Largest Wind Farms Then Financed By The Stimulus Relied On Foreign Manufacturers For Their Central Components, Including Turbines.” “According to some critics, a galling example of the Obama administration fostering overseas work came as part the 2009 stimulus program. They point to millions of dollars meant to develop a domestic clean-energy industry that instead landed in the hands of foreign businesses. An April 2010 study by the Energy Department found that 60 percent of the 40 largest wind farms then financed by the stimulus relied on foreign manufacturers for their central components, including turbines.” (Tom Hamburger, Carol D. Leonnig and Zachary A. Goldfarb, “Obama’s Record On Outsourcing Draws Criticism From The Left,” The Washington Post, 7/9/12)
The Liberal Apollo Alliance Found That 41 Percent Of The Funds Awarded Through The Stimulus’ 48c Advanced Manufacturing Program Went To Foreign Based Companies Which Were Awarded On Average $20 Million Versus $11 Million For U.S. Companies. “The results are somewhat less encouraging when we look at the distribution in dollar terms. U.S.-based recipients account for only 59 percent of the total, reflecting the fact that the projects proposed by foreign-based companies tend to be larger in size and thus receive larger tax credits, which are calculated as a percentage of the intended investment. The average project involving a U.S.-based parent company is $11 million; for those with a foreign parent, the average is $20 million.” (“Winning the Race: How America Can Lead the Global Clean Energy Economy,” The Apollo Alliance and Good Jobs First, 3/4/10)
“In Total, The U.S. Has Awarded $458 Million In Advanced Energy Tax Credits To 23 Companies That Are Also Investing Money And Creating Jobs In Low-Wage Countries.” (“Winning the Race: How America Can Lead the Global Clean Energy Economy,”The Apollo Alliance and Good Jobs First, 3/4/10)

• 17 Of The 25 Foreign Companies That Received Advanced Energy Tax Credits Had Already Or Had Plans To Setup Operations Overseas In Low-Wage Countries. “Of the 25 foreign-based companies involved in 48C projects, we found that 17 have either already set up wind or solar production operations in low-wage countries or have plans to do so in the near future. These include 13 companies with plants in China: Alstom, BP, Brevini Power Transmission, Führlander, Gamesa, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Moventas, Nordex, Siemens, Suntech Power, Vestas, Winergy, and Yingli Green Energy (Suntech and Yingli are based in China). There are three with plants in India (BP, Gamesa and Winergy); two in Mexico (Ingeteam and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the latter a joint venture with TPI Composites); two in the Czech Republic (Flabeg and Schott); one in Brazil (Alstom); and one in Singapore (Renewable Energy Corporation).” (“Winning the Race: How America Can Lead the Global Clean Energy Economy,” The Apollo Alliance and Good Jobs First, 3/4/10)

• Those 17 Companies Accounted For $406 Million Out Of The $1.6 Billion Awarded Through The Program. “Altogether, the 17 foreign-based corporations with operations in low-wage countries account for $406 million of the $1.6 billion in 48C tax credit dollars authorized for wind and solar production.” (“Winning the Race: How America Can Lead the Global Clean Energy Economy,” The Apollo Alliance and Good Jobs First, 3/4/10)

• Six U.S. Based Companies That Received Awards Have Also Expanded Operations To Low Wage Countries Such As China, Mexico, Philippines And Malaysia. “Among the 65 U.S.-based 48C recipients, six companies, accounting for $52 million in 48C credits, have made significant new expansions of clean energy manufacturing operations in low-wage countries: Advanced Energy Industries has a plant in China. Energy Conversion Devices (parent of United Solar Ovonic) has a plant in Mexico and a joint venture in China. First Solar has a plant in Malaysia. SunPower has plants in the Philippines and Malaysia and uses a Chinese subcontractor. Timken has a joint venture in China. TPI Composites has a plant in China and a joint venture in Mexico.” (“Winning the Race: How America Can Lead the Global Clean Energy Economy,” The Apollo Alliance and Good Jobs First, 3/4/10)

Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Bob Casey (D-PA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) And Jon Tester (D-MT) Urged President Obama To Suspend A Stimulus Program Sending Money Overseas To Foreign Manufacturers. “In the wake of a new report revealing that a clean-energy grant program in the stimulus has paid out more than $1 billion to foreign manufacturers, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Bob Casey (D-PA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Jon Tester (D-MT) urged the Obama administration Wednesday to suspend the program indefinitely until the law can be fixed so that funds only flow to projects that will create jobs in the United States.” (Press Release, “Schumer, Casey, Brown & Tester Urge Obama Administration To Suspend Stimulus Program Funneling Billions Overseas,” Office Of Sen. Charles Schumer, 3/3/10)

• Research From The Investigative Reporting Workshop Showed That 79 Percent Of The First $2 Billion Went To Foreign Manufacturers. “Administration officials have said they do not have the authority to prevent that payment. If the aid goes through, it would be just the latest example of a larger trend, according to an independent report conducted last month. The Investigating Reporting Workshop found that 79 percent of the $2 billion in grants doled out by the clean-energy program in the stimulus so far went to foreign companies.” (Press Release, “Schumer, Casey, Brown & Tester Urge Obama Administration To Suspend Stimulus Program Funneling Billions Overseas,” Office Of Sen. Charles Schumer, 3/3/10)

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY): “It is a no-brainer that stimulus funds should only go to projects that create jobs in the United States rather than overseas …”(Press Release, “Schumer, Casey, Brown & Tester Urge Obama Administration To Suspend Stimulus Program Funneling Billions Overseas,” Office Of Sen. Charles Schumer, 3/3/10)
Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) : “It’s simple: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act should reinvest in America and help America and American workers recover …”(Press Release, “Schumer, Casey, Brown & Tester Urge Obama Administration To Suspend Stimulus Program Funneling Billions Overseas,” Office Of Sen. Charles Schumer, 3/3/10)
Sen. Sherrod Brown(D-OH): “We cannot sit idly by while China races to the forefront of clean energy production at the expense of U.S. manufacturing, U.S. jobs, and U.S. energy independence. And we certainly can’t shoot ourselves in the foot by helping to finance Chinese clean energy production.” (Press Release, “Schumer, Casey, Brown & Tester Urge Obama Administration To Suspend Stimulus Program Funneling Billions Overseas,” Office Of Sen. Charles Schumer, 3/3/10)

With Jobs On The Line, Obama Doesn’t Want To “Embarrass” China

 

Asked About China’s Currency Manipulation And Unfair Trade Practices, Obama Said That He Did Not Want To “Embarrass” China. “President Barack Obama, addressing questions Wednesday about China’s alleged trade abuses and currency manipulation, said the United States must push back against unfair practices but not ‘go out of our way to embarrass’ the country. Doing so would risk ‘an all-out trade war,’ Obama told The Plain Dealer in an exclusive interview.” (Henry Gomez, “President Barack Obama Warns Against Embarrassing China On Trade Complaints: Plain Dealer Interview,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, 9/27/12)
Obama Claimed That Labeling China As A Currency Manipulator Would Have No Effect On Their Trade Practices. “Asked if the tag would present the embarrassment he is hoping to spare China, Obama suggested that the designation would accomplish little. ‘They’d have to push back, and there’s no automatic trigger that results from it,’ Obama said. ‘So the only thing that happens is we then have to go back and negotiate with them. The key here is just constant pressure, and that’s what we’ve applied in a much more aggressive way than the previous administration.’” (Henry Gomez, “President Barack Obama Warns Against Embarrassing China On Trade Complaints: Plain Dealer Interview,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, 9/27/12)

What Happened To Obama’s “Straightforward Proposition” From 2008?

In 2008, Obama Said He Had A “Pretty Straightforward Proposition” For China, “You Guys Keep On Manipulating Your Currency, We Are Going To Start Shutting Off Access To Some Of Our Markets.” OBAMA: “Now look, here’s the thing I think people don’t understand. China needs our market. Their economy is dependent on exports to the United States and we have bargaining power. The problem that we’ve got with China is not that we couldn’t work out a deal in which they are benefitting and we are benefitting. The problem is that through all the tough talk of George W. Bush, he is a patsy when it comes to negotiating these agreements. And, what we need to do is to just be better bargainers that say, ‘Look, here’s the bottom line, you guys keep on manipulating your currency, we are going to start shutting off access to some of our markets. If you are doing the right thing and not trying to manipulate your currency to disadvantage us, then you will have access.’ It’s a pretty, pretty straight forward proposition.” (Senator Barack Obama, Q&A At The AAM Forum, Pittsburgh, PA, 4/14/08)
Once In Office, Obama Retreated From His “Tough Talk” On The Campaign Trail And Decided Not To Label China A Currency Manipulator. “The Treasury Department on Wednesday declined to label China a currency manipulator, retreating from tough talk last year when a campaigning Barack Obama said Beijing had kept its currency’s exchange rate unfairly low.” (Glenn Somerville and Doug Palmer, “U.S. Again Declines To Brand China Currency Manipulator,” Reuters, 4/25/09)

• In May 2012, The Treasury Department Said That China “Did Not Meet The Definition Of A Currency Manipulator Under Its Standards.” “The Treasury Department on Friday once again declined to name China a currency manipulator despite bipartisan calls for action from Congress. Treasury noted that China’s currency has appreciated against the dollar since June 2010, and said it did not meet the definition of a currency manipulator under its standards.” (Julian Pecquet, “Treasury: China Not Manipulating Currency,” The Hill ‘s “Global Affairs” Blog, 05/25/12)

The Washington Post : “China’s Policy Has Probably Cost Americans Hundreds Of Thousands Of Jobs And Contributed To China’s Destabilizing Pile Of Trillions Of Dollars In Reserves.” “China’s undervalued renminbi is a long-standing, bipartisan concern, and it is not a phony one: In pursuit of growth led by exports, China has held the renminbi down in relation to the dollar, rendering its goods artificially cheap in the U.S. market. The renminbi would gain about 20 percent against the dollar if it were allowed to float freely like other currencies, according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics. China’s policy has probably cost Americans hundreds of thousands of jobs and contributed to China’s destabilizing pile of trillions of dollars in reserves.” (Editorial, “Breaking China? Last Thing Needed Is A Trade War,” The Washington Post, 9/1/11)
Obama’s Failure To Confront China Cost The United States 450,000 Jobs From 2008 To 2010. “American jobs have been shifting to low-wage countries for years, and the trend has continued during Obama’s presidency. From 2008 to 2010, U.S. trade with China alone cost about 450,000 American jobs because of the growth of Chinese exports, said Robert E. Scott, a pro-labor advocate at the liberal Economic Policy Institute. That figure was less than in previous years, but the decrease was probably tied to the U.S. economic slowdown, which crimped demand for imports. ‘I think he has walked away from the campaign commitments,’ said Scott, the institute’s director of trade and manufacturing policy research. ‘He has done far too little to improve U.S. trade.’” (Tom Hamburger, Carol D. Leonnig and Zachary A. Goldfarb, “Obama’s Record On Outsourcing Draws Criticism From The Left,” The Washington Post, 7/9/12)

Obama’s Biggest Mistake

After Insisting Four Times His Biggest Mistake Was Not Telling A Story, Obama Changes His Answer To Immigration Reform On Univision

TODAY, WHILE SPEAKING ON UNIVISION, OBAMA SAID THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF HIS FIRST TERM WAS NOT PASSING IMMIGRATION REFORM

Obama: “My Biggest Failure So Far Is We Haven’t Gotten Comprehensive Immigration Reform Done.” UNIVISION’s JORGE RAMOS: “What is your biggest failure?” OBAMA: “Well, Jorge as you remind me, my biggest failure so far is we haven’t gotten comprehensive immigration reform done, so we’re going to be continuing to work on that. But it’s not for lack of trying or desire.” (President Barack Obama, Univision Town Hall, Miami, FL, 9/20/12)

EVERY OTHER TIME HE HAS BEEN ASKED, OBAMA HAS CLAIMED THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF HIS FIRST TERM WAS NOT TELLING A STORY TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

One

Obama Thinks His Challenges Exist Because He Forgot To Tell A “Story.” “He was especially alive to the power of a story to influence the American public. He believed he had been elected chiefly because he had told a story; he thought he had had problems in office because he had, without quite realizing it, ceased to tell it.” (Michael Lewis, “Obama’s Way,” Vanity Fair, 9/12)

Two

Obama Said He Is Trying To Tell The Story Of His Presidency Better On The Campaign Trail. TIME’s MICHAEL SCHERER: “You said that one of the mistakes you see in the first term was not telling that story better. What does it mean to tell the story better in the next four years?” OBAMA: “…And that’s a story that I’m doing my best to tell during the campaign. That’s a story that I will continue to try to tell, if I’m fortunate enough to have a second term, in inaugurations, in States of the Union. I want to make sure that people understand that I’ve got a focus on growing this economy, not growing the public sector, but doing enough to ensure that we’ve got the best workers in the world, we’ve got the best technology in the world, and we’re competitive in the 21st century.” (Michael Scherer, “What He Knows Now: Obama on Popularity, Partisanship and Getting Things Done in Washington,” TIME, 8/30/12)

Three

Obama Said The Biggest Mistake Of His First Term Was Not Telling A Story To The American People. “Mr. Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama sat down Thursday with ‘CBS This Morning’ anchor Charlie Rose in the White House Blue Room, where they discussed the failures and successes of his administration as he heads into another election, among other things. ‘The mistake of my first term – couple of years – was thinking that this job was just about getting the policy right. And that’s important, but, you know, the nature of this office is also to tell a story to the American people that gives them a sense of unity and purpose and optimism, especially during tough times.’” (Lindsey Boerma, “Obama Reflects On His Biggest Mistake As President,” CBS, 7/12/12)
Obama: “In My First Two Years, I Think The Notion Was, ‘Well, He’s Been Juggling And Managing A Lot Of Stuff, But Where’s The Story That Tells Us Where He’s Going?’” “‘When I think about what we’ve done well and what we haven’t done well,’ the president said, ‘the mistake of my first term – couple of years – was thinking that this job was just about getting the policy right. And that’s important. But the nature of this office is also to tell a story to the American people that gives them a sense of unity and purpose and optimism, especially during tough times.’ Mr. Obama acknowledged the dissonance between others’ perception of his strength as an expert orator, and his own. ‘It’s funny – when I ran, everybody said, well he can give a good speech but can he actually manage the job?’ he said. ‘And in my first two years, I think the notion was, ‘Well, he’s been juggling and managing a lot of stuff, but where’s the story that tells us where he’s going?’ And I think that was a legitimate criticism.’” (Lindsey Boerma, “Obama Reflects On His Biggest Mistake As President,” CBS, 7/12/12)

Four

Obama: “Beyond That, I Also Think That Over The First Two Years I Was So Focused On Policy And Getting The Policy Right, That Sometimes I Forgot Part Of My Job Is Explaining To The American People Why We’re Doing This Policy And Where We’re Going.” OBAMA: “Beyond that, I also think that over the first two years I was so focused on policy and getting the policy right, that sometimes I forgot part of my job is explaining to the American people why we’re doing this policy and where we’re going. And so I think a lot of people started trying to figure out, well, how do all these pieces fit together. The auto industry has been saved, and that was a good thing. Well, that saved a million jobs, but people weren’t sure how did that relate to our housing strategy, or how did that relate to health care. And so I think that was something that I could have done better.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks At The University Of Maryland Town Hall, 7/22/11)
When Asked About His Regrets, Obama Said “I Could Have Told The American People More Clearly.” “Sounding like a job applicant asked to name his faults, Obama also said he could have ‘told the American people more clearly’ how dire the nation’s economic situation was, and that he was ‘so focused on … getting the policy right’ he failed to explain why he was taking the steps he took.” (Michael A. Memoli, “Regrets? Obama Has Had A Few,” Los Angeles Times, 7/22/11)

They Said It!

Obama In 1998: “I Actually Believe In Redistribution”

Obama: “Let me just close by saying as we think about the policy research surrounding the issues that I just named, the policy research for the working poor, broadly defined. I think that what we are going to have to do is somehow resuscitate the notion that government action can be effective at all. There has been a systematic – I don’t think it’s too strong to call it a propaganda campaign against the possibility of government action and its efficacy. And I think some of it has been deserved. Chicago Housing Authority has not been a model of good policymaking. And neither necessarily have been the Chicago Public Schools. What that means that as we try to resuscitate this notion that we’re all in this together, leave nobody behind. We do have to be innovative in thinking how – what are the delivery systems that are actually effective and meet people where they live? And my suggestion I guess would be that the trick – and this is one of the few areas where I think there are technical issues that have to be dealt with as opposed to just political issues. I think the trick is figuring out how do we structure government systems that pool resources and hence, facilitate some redistribution because I actually believe in redistribution, at least at a certain level to make sure everybody’s got a shot.” (State Senator Barack Obama, Remarks At Loyola University Panel, Chicago, IL, 10/19/98)

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Top 10 Things Obama Should Be Doing Instead of Hobnobbing With Jay-Z, Beyonce, Letterman

President Obama hobnobbed with Jay-Z, Beyonce and Letterman, but from finding a plan to decrease the number of Americans on food stamps to meeting with Netanyahu and giving us specifics on his plan to create jobs, here are the top 10 things he should be doing instead.

Top 10 Things Obama Should Be Doing Instead of Hobnobbing With Jay-Z, Beyonce and Letterman:

1. Get An Intelligence Briefing
National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor Dismissed Concerns That Obama Is Skipping His Daily Intelligence Briefings As “Not Particularly Interesting Or Useful.” ”I asked National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor about the findings, and whether there were any instances where the president attended the intelligence meeting that were not on his public schedule. Vietor did not dispute the numbers, but said the fact that the president, during a time of war, does not attend his daily intelligence meeting on a daily basis is ‘not particularly interesting or useful.’ He says that the president read his PDB every day, and he disagreed with the suggestion that there is any difference whatsoever between simply reading the briefing book and having an interactive discussion of its contents with top national security and intelligence officials where the president can probe assumptions and ask questions. ‘I actually don’t agree at all,’ Vietor told me in an e-mail, ‘The president gets the information he needs from the intelligence community each day.’” (Mark Thiessen, Op-Ed, “Why Is Obama Skipping More Than Half Of His Daily Intelligence Meetings?,” The Washington Post , 9/10/12)

2. Tell Americans How He’s Going To Get Nearly 47 Million Americans Off Food Stamps
“A Record 46.7 Million Americans Received Food Stamps In June…” “A record 46.7 million Americans received food stamps in June, up 0.4 percent from the previous month, the government said. Participation was 3.3 percent higher than a year earlier and has remained higher than 46 million all year as the unemployment rate has stagnated just above 8 percent. New jobless numbers will be released Sept. 7.” (Alan Bjera, “Food-Stamp Use Climbed To Record 46.7 Million In June, U.S. Says,” Bloomberg, 9/4/12)

3. Come Up With A Plan To Reduce The Number Of Americans Living In Poverty
In 2011, 46.2 Million People Lived In Poverty – Nearly One In Six Americans. “About 46.2 million people, or nearly 1 in 6, were in poverty. That is not statistically different from the 15.1 percent who were impoverished in 2010.” (“Census Bureau: Poverty Rate Remains At 15 Percent,” The Associated Press, 9/12/12)
“The Ranks Of America’s Poor Remained Stuck At Record Levels…” “The ranks of America’s poor remained stuck at record levels, although dwindling unemployment benefits and modest job gains helped stave off what experts had predicted would be the fourth rise in a row in the poverty rate.” (Hope Yen, “US Poverty Rate Unchanged; Record Numbers Persist,” The Associated Press, 9/12/12)

4. Meet With His Jobs Council
Obama Has Not Met With His Jobs Council In Six Months Because He Has Got “A Lot On His Plate.” REPORTER: “So there’s no reason they [the Jobs Council] haven’t met publicly?” WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JAY CARNEY: “No, there’s no specific reason except the President’s obviously got a lot on his plate.” ( White House Press Conference , Washington, D.C., 7/18/12)

5. Explain Why The Vice President Of The United States Would Cite The China’s State-Run News Agency To Attack Governor Romney Or For Anything For That Matter
Vice President Biden Cited The Chinese State-Run News Agency In An Attack On Governor Romney. BIDEN: “And we’re not the only ones who think it’s laughable. I seldom ever quote from the Chinese—official Chinese news agency. Seriously, this is what the Chinese government news agency said, and I quote: ‘it’s rather ironic that a considerable portion of this China battering politician’s wealth was actually obtained by doing business with Chinese companies before he entered politics’ end of quote.” (Vice President Joe Biden, Remarks, Burlington, Iowa, 9/17/12) Click Here To Watch

6. Meet With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
In unusual snub, Obama to avoid meeting Netanyahu: In a highly unusual rebuff to a close ally, the White House said on Tuesday that President Barack Obama would not meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a U.S. visit later this month, as tensions escalated over how to deal with Iran’s nuclear program. The apparent snub, coupled with Netanyahu’s sharpened demands for a tougher U.S. line against Iran, threatened to plunge U.S.-Israeli relations into crisis and add pressure on Obama in the final stretch of a tight presidential election campaign. An Israeli official, who declined to be identified, said the White House had refused Netanyahu’s request to meet Obama when the Israeli leader visits the United States to attend the U.N. General Assembly, telling the Israelis, “The president’s schedule will not permit that.” (Matt Spetalnick and Allyn Fisher-Ilan, “In Unusual Snub, Obama To Avoid Meeting With Netanyahu,” Reuters, 09/12/12)

7. Declare China A Currency Manipulator
In May 2012, The Treasury Department Said That China “Did Not Meet The Definition Of A Currency Manipulator Under Its Standards.” ”The Treasury Department on Friday once again declined to name China a currency manipulator despite bipartisan calls for action from Congress. Treasury noted that China’s currency has appreciated against the dollar since June 2010, and said it did not meet the definition of a currency manipulator under its standards.” (Julian Pecquet, “Treasury: China Not Manipulating Currency,” The Hill ’s “Global Affairs” Blog , 05/25/12)

8. Provide A Detailed Plan For What He Is Going To Do To Create Middle Class Jobs
“Forget Concerns About Obama’s Campaign Message — To One Group Of Sober-Sounding Operatives, The Real Problem Is That He Doesn’t Have A Sharp Enough Policy Vision.” (Alexander Burns and John F. Harris, “Second-Guessing President Obama,” Politico, 6/14/12)
Obama’s DNC Speech “Included Nothing New In The Way Of Policy Initiatives Or Fresh Approaches To Job Creation.” “The poor report from the Labor Department took on added significance for Obama after a convention acceptance speech that received decidedly mixed reviews — even from sympathetic Democrats in Charlotte — and included nothing new in the way of policy initiatives or fresh approaches to job creation.” (Ben White, “Jobs Report Challenges Obama’s Economic Message,” Politico, 9/7/12)

9. Provide A Plan That Actually Balances The Budget At Any Point In The Future
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner Admitted The Administration Doesn’t Have “A Definitive Solution” To Our Long-Term Budget Imbalance. REP. PAUL RYAN: “Because we got 10,000 people retiring every day, and healthcare costs going up…” TREASURY SECRETARY TIMOTHY GEITHNER: “That’s right. We have millions of Americans retiring every day, and that will drive substantially the rate of growth of healthcare costs. You are right to say we’re not coming before you today to say we have a definitive solution to that long-term problem. What we do know is, we don’t like yours.” (Testimony Before The House Committee On The Budget, U.S. House Of Representatives, 2/16/12)

10. End The War On Coal That Cost 1,200 Jobs Just Today
This Morning, Alpha Natural Resources Announced It Is Eliminating 1,200 Jobs, Nearly A Tenth Of Its Work Force. ”Coal producer Alpha Natural Resources said Tuesday it’s cutting production by 16 million tons and eliminating 1,200 jobs companywide, including 400 with the immediate closing of eight mines in Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The mine shutdowns start Tuesday, while the rest of the layoffs will be completed by the end of the first quarter after Alpha fulfills current sales obligations, Chief Executive Officer Kevin Crutchfield said. In all, the layoffs amount to nearly a tenth of Alpha’s 13,000-person work force.” (Vicki Smith, “Alpha Closing 8 Mines, Cutting 1,200 Jobs In All,” The Associated Press, 9/18/12)

RNC Releases “The Breakup”

The Republican National Committee (RNC) released a new 30-second ad “The Breakup.” It’s been four years and it just isn’t working. President Obama is just not the person you thought he was. Tell us why you’re breaking up with President Obama at BreakUpWithObama.com.

The ad can be viewed here.

The ad can be downloaded here.

“After four years, it is clear that our country is not better off under Barack Obama,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. “Whether it’s because of his countless broken promises or failed economic policies, he is simply not what many hoped he would be. America needs a change. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will get our country working again and restore economic security to the middle class.”

Highlights From Conference Call With Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) on President Obama’s Green Energy Cronyism

U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY):

“I just want to tell you this whole thing smells. It’s the kind of thing that is so discouraging to the public and the taxpayers and I’m here today as kind of the only Republican in the Senate who is on both the Energy Committee as well as the Environment and Public Works Committee. On Energy I’m the ranking member of the Public Lands Subcommittee. What I want to discuss here though is the latest developments in the Obama administrations Chicago style crony-capitalism. Start with one of the revelations from today, it turns out that the supposedly independent investigator of the energy loan program that produced the Solyndra debacle is actually a donor to the president’s campaign, a major donor, Herb Allison a Wall Street executive. He testified before Congress that there had been no wrongdoing in the program that squandered billions of taxpayer dollars. And then, turns out, he’s donated $52,500 to the Obama campaign. That donation to me raises a major red flag.

“And I think to any outside observer, this operation by the Obama Energy Department, their loan program was a disaster. Half a billion dollars was lost on Solyndra alone, even though people in President Obama’s inner circle saw the warning signs and refused to act on it. And then when you look at the so called independent investigator, I mean to me it makes his so called independent investigation illegitimate. It was already questionable as an investigation but when you take a look at the fact that he’s donated over $52,000 to the president’s campaign, it looks like now he also made a major in-kind contribution by turning a blind eye to the administration’s reckless use of taxpayer dollars…

“Also out today, front page story New York Times, news that a company with long-standing ties to the Obama administration and, actually, to Barack Obama from his days in Illinois. Excelon received favorable treatment, special access. You know, this report is nothing new from an administration that has given preferential treatment to companies like Fisker, Solyndra, First Wind, many more that have special relationships with the White House. The president, he promised to change Washington, promised to have a more transparent administration. I think he actually said it was going to be the most transparent administration in history. But what we’re seeing is scandal after scandal and it’s clear that what the president may have said running up to his becoming President and even after being elected turns out to be empty rhetoric. So, you know, we should know a Chicago politician would play Chicago politics and that’s what we’re getting from Barack Obama.

“The final point, I think Tim mentioned it, was that today Mitt Romney is in New Mexico. He’s outlining his plan for North American energy independence by the year 2020. He has a plan to make energy more affordable, more secure, it creates jobs, it creates opportunity for the middle class. And I just look at that and see how it contrasts to President Obama’s record. The president’s record is one of handing out taxpayer dollars to energy companies, of his political supporters of his cronies, and trying to choose winners and losers and picking winners and losers is not an energy policy. I believe the president is clearly looking out only for himself and that at this time we need new leadership in the White House.”

Click Here To Listen To The Full Audio: http://ActNow.gop.com/uploads/8.23.2012_GOP.mp3