What will come of Obama's bus tour?

[Bull Moose Base]

A Paul Krugman column ripping Obama for proposing tweets to congress about payroll tax holiday instead of a new stimulus bill.

[Bull Moose Base]

Apparently, the current economic mess is the result of "Bad luck" and has nothing to do with Obama and his policies...

So says the president......

http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/obama-i-reversed-recession-until-bad-luck-hit

Unwilling to take responsibility, heh? Sounds like a song sung by most every person in Washington, Democrat or Republican. "It's the other guy's fault".

Hey, Mr. President, I don't care whose fault it is, I just want something productive done about it and you are the leader America has chosen for herself, YOU need to step up. Don't wait on Boehner and Reid to act, DO IT YOURSELF.  LEAD BY EXAMPLE.

I know what I'm saying is falling on deaf ears where they count, but, hey, it feels good to get it out.

What exactly can Obama do without congress?

[Bull Moose Base]

What exactly can Obama do without congress?

See "Bill Clinton, 1994-2000 - Working with a GOP Congress to Balance Budgets and achieve 4% unemployment rate"

Of course it was easier then because Newt was just a joy to work with

Let me know when this congress is ready to return to Clinton's tax rates and I'll let you know when deficits are ready to start shrinking.

Apparently, the current economic mess is the result of "Bad luck" and has nothing to do with Obama and his policies...

So says the president......

http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/obama-i-reversed-recession-until-bad-luck-hit

Unwilling to take responsibility, heh? Sounds like a song sung by most every person in Washington, Democrat or Republican. "It's the other guy's fault".

Hey, Mr. President, I don't care whose fault it is, I just want something productive done about it and you are the leader America has chosen for herself, YOU need to step up. Don't wait on Boehner and Reid to act, DO IT YOURSELF.  LEAD BY EXAMPLE.

I know what I'm saying is falling on deaf ears where they count, but, hey, it feels good to get it out.

What exactly can Obama do without congress?

He can do what his predecessors have done.  LEAD.  He can say to Congress, both parties, "This is what we're doing, like it or not, now give me ideas on how to implement this and figure out how much it costs, and we're not leaving here until this done."

He can also stop scurrying under the bed everytime Speaker Boehner or Minority Leader McConnell (or Leader Reid and Minority Leader Pelosi, for that matter) balk or bats an eyelash at what he's proposing.

He can stop with this rhetoric of "it's the Republicans fault" and step up and take leadership and ownership of one issue at a time and do something about it.  I will reiterate what I said before, "I don't care whose fault it is, you have the opportunity to fix it, so fix it.  I'll deal with the ones at fault at the ballot box.  If you don't fix it, I'll deal with you at the ballot box."

Bottom line, he needs to work with Congress and lead Congress.  He can lead Congress, because the Vice President is the boss of the Senate and the President is the boss of the Vice President.  That's how I look at it.  The President is also the boss of the Speaker of the House.  I know their job status is determined by the voters, but in the hierarchy, the President needs to be a LEADER, not a BLAMER.

You make the president sound like the CEO of a company or something.  Obama can't make congress do anything.  You can't say "This is what we're doing like it or not."  Obama has already said things he wants to do, before and on this tour: modest changes to entitlements, have the richest pay more taxes than they now do, extend the payroll tax holiday, infrastructure bank.  He can't fire Boehner and Tea Partiers for refusing to do it.  To vaguely say "Obama should lead" is actually the empty rhetoric he himself gets accused of.  He can't do much without congress agreeing.

And which president hasn't blamed someone else when things are messed up?  Clinton did, Reagan did, FDR did, any of the current Republicans would.  That's the way it is.

[Bull Moose Base]

Let me know when this congress is ready to return to Clinton's tax rates and I'll let you know when deficits are ready to start shrinking.

President Obama - January 2009-January 2013
Senate - 58 + 2 Democrats 2009-2011
House of Representatives 256 Democrats - 178 Republicans.

The only think standing in the way of the Democrats was, well, the Democrats. 

2009 was the most concentration of power in one party since FDR.

Let me know when this congress is ready to return to Clinton's tax rates and I'll let you know when deficits are ready to start shrinking.

President Obama - January 2009-January 2013
Senate - 58 + 2 Democrats 2009-2011
House of Representatives 256 Democrats - 178 Republicans.

The only think standing in the way of the Democrats was, well, the Democrats. 

2009 was the most concentration of power in one party since FDR.

Dem supermajority second half of 2009 only.
GOP record-shattering use of filibuster 2009-2011.
(And I think Dems under LBJ had larger majorities.)