Text of Sen. Marco Rubio’s GOP response to Obama
By The Associated Press
This article was published February 13, 2013 at 7:58 a.m.
- Comments (60)
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The text of the Republican response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, as prepared for delivery by Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, and provided by the press office of the speaker of the House:
———
Good evening. I’m Marco Rubio. I’m blessed to represent Florida in the United States Senate. Let me begin by congratulating President Obama on the start of his second term. Tonight, I have the honor of responding to his State of the Union address on behalf of my fellow Republicans. And I am especially honored to be addressing our brave men and women serving in the armed forces and in diplomatic posts around the world. You may be thousands of miles away, but you are always in our prayers.
The State of the Union address is always a reminder of how unique America is. For much of human history, most people were trapped in stagnant societies, where a tiny minority always stayed on top, and no one else even had a chance.
But America is exceptional because we believe that every life, at every stage, is precious, and that everyone everywhere has a God-given right to go as far as their talents and hard work will take them.
Like most Americans, for me this ideal is personal. My parents immigrated here in pursuit of the opportunity to improve their life and give their children the chance at an even better one. They made it to the middle class, my dad working as a bartender and my mother as a cashier and a maid. I didn’t inherit any money from them. But I inherited something far better — the real opportunity to accomplish my dreams.
This opportunity — to make it to the middle class or beyond no matter where you start out in life — it isn’t bestowed on us from Washington. It comes from a vibrant free economy where people can risk their own money to open a business. And when they succeed, they hire more people, who in turn invest or spend the money they make, helping others start a business and create jobs.
Presidents in both parties — from John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan — have known that our free enterprise economy is the source of our middle-class prosperity.
But President Obama? He believes it’s the cause of our problems. That the economic downturn happened because our government didn’t tax enough, spend enough and control enough. And, therefore, as you heard tonight, his solution to virtually every problem we face is for Washington to tax more, borrow more and spend more.
This idea — that our problems were caused by a government that was too small — it’s just not true. In fact, a major cause of our recent downturn was a housing crisis created by reckless government policies.
And the idea that more taxes and more government spending is the best way to help hardworking middle-class taxpayers — that’s an old idea that’s failed every time it’s been tried.
More government isn’t going to help you get ahead. It’s going to hold you back.
More government isn’t going to create more opportunities. It’s going to limit them.
And more government isn’t going to inspire new ideas, new businesses and new private-sector jobs. It’s going to create uncertainty.
Because more government breeds complicated rules and laws that a small business can’t afford to follow.
Because more government raises taxes on employers who then pass the costs on to their employees through fewer hours, lower pay and even layoffs.
And because many government programs that claim to help the middle class, often end up hurting them instead.
For example, Obamacare was supposed to help middle-class Americans afford health insurance. But now, some people are losing the health insurance they were happy with. And because Obamacare created expensive requirements for companies with more than 50 employees, now many of these businesses aren’t hiring. Not only that; they’re being forced to lay people off and switch from full-time employees to part-time workers.
Now does this mean there’s no role for government? Of course not. It plays a crucial part in keeping us safe, enforcing rules, and providing some security against the risks of modern life. But government’s role is wisely limited by the Constitution. And it can’t play its essential role when it ignores those limits.
There are valid reasons to be concerned about the president’s plan to grow our government. But any time anyone opposes the president’s agenda, he and his allies usually respond by falsely attacking their motives.
When we point out that no matter how many job-killing laws we pass, our government can’t control the weather — he accuses us of wanting dirty water and dirty air.
When we suggest we strengthen our safety net programs by giving states more flexibility to manage them — he accuses us of wanting to leave the elderly and disabled to fend for themselves.
And tonight, he even criticized us for refusing to raise taxes to delay military cuts — cuts that were his idea in the first place.
But his favorite attack of all is that those who don’t agree with him — they only care about rich people.
Mr. President, I still live in the same working-class neighborhood I grew up in. My neighbors aren’t millionaires. They’re retirees who depend on Social Security and Medicare. They’re workers who have to get up early tomorrow morning and go to work to pay the bills. They’re immigrants, who came here because they were stuck in poverty in countries where the government dominated the economy.
The tax increases and the deficit spending you propose will hurt middle-class families. It will cost them their raises. It will cost them their benefits. It may even cost some of them their jobs.
And it will hurt seniors because it does nothing to save Medicare and Social Security.
So Mr. President, I don’t oppose your plans because I want to protect the rich. I oppose your plans because I want to protect my neighbors.
Hard-working middle-class Americans who don’t need us to come up with a plan to grow the government. They want a plan to grow the middle class.
Economic growth is the best way to help the middle class. Unfortunately, our economy actually shrank during the last three months of 2012.
But if we can get the economy to grow at just 4 percent a year, it would create millions of middle class jobs. And it could reduce our deficits by almost $4 trillion dollars over the next decade.
Tax increases can’t do this. Raising taxes won’t create private-sector jobs. And there’s no realistic tax increase that could lower our deficits by almost $4 trillion. That’s why I hope the president will abandon his obsession with raising taxes and instead work with us to achieve real growth in our economy.
One of the best ways to encourage growth is through our energy industry. Of course solar and wind energy should be a part of our energy portfolio. But God also blessed America with abundant coal, oil and natural gas. Instead of wasting more taxpayer money on so-called “clean energy” companies like Solyndra, let’s open up more federal lands for safe and responsible exploration. And let’s reform our energy regulations so that they’re reasonable and based on common sense. If we can grow our energy industry, it will make us energy independent, it will create middle-class jobs and it will help bring manufacturing back from places like China.
Simplifying our tax code will also help the middle class, because it will make it easier for small businesses to hire and grow.
And we agree with the president that we should lower our corporate tax rate, which is one of the highest in the world, so that companies will start bringing their money and their jobs back here from overseas.
We can also help our economy grow if we have a legal immigration system that allows us to attract and assimilate the world’s best and brightest. We need a responsible, permanent solution to the problem of those who are here illegally. But first, we must follow through on the broken promises of the past to secure our borders and enforce our laws.
Helping the middle class grow will also require an education system that gives people the skills today’s jobs entail and the knowledge that tomorrow’s world will require.
We need to incentivize local school districts to offer more advanced placement courses and more vocational and career training.
We need to give all parents, especially the parents of children with special needs, the opportunity to send their children to the school of their choice.
And because tuition costs have grown so fast, we need to change the way we pay for higher education.
I believe in federal financial aid. I couldn’t have gone to college without it. But it’s not just about spending more money on these programs; it’s also about strengthening and modernizing them.
A 21st century work force should not be forced to accept 20th century education solutions. Today’s students aren’t only 18-year-olds. They’re returning veterans. They’re single parents who decide to get the education they need to earn a decent wage. And they’re workers who have lost jobs that are never coming back and need to be retrained.
We need student aid that does not discriminate against programs that nontraditional students rely on — like online courses, or degree programs that give you credit for work experience.
When I finished school, I owed over $100,000 in student loans, a debt I paid off just a few months ago. Today, many graduates face massive student debt. We must give students more information on the costs and benefits of the student loans they’re taking out.
All these measures are key to helping the economy grow. But we won’t be able to sustain a vibrant middle class unless we solve our debt problem.
Every dollar our government borrows is money that isn’t being invested to create jobs. And the uncertainty created by the debt is one reason why many businesses aren’t hiring.
The president loves to blame the debt on President Bush. But President Obama created more debt in four years than his predecessor did in eight.
The real cause of our debt is that our government has been spending $1 trillion more than it takes in every year. That’s why we need a balanced budget amendment.
The biggest obstacles to balancing the budget are programs where spending is already locked in. One of these programs, Medicare, is especially important to me. It provided my father the care he needed to battle cancer and ultimately die with dignity. And it pays for the care my mother receives now.
I would never support any changes to Medicare that would hurt seniors like my mother. But anyone who is in favor of leaving Medicare exactly the way it is right now, is in favor of bankrupting it.
Republicans have offered a detailed and credible plan that helps save Medicare without hurting today’s retirees. Instead of playing politics with Medicare, when is the president going to offer his plan to save it? Tonight would have been a good time for him to do it.
Of course, we face other challenges as well. We were all heart broken by the recent tragedy in Connecticut. We must effectively deal with the rise of violence in our country. But unconstitutionally undermining the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans is not the way to do it.
On foreign policy, America continues to be indispensable to the goal of global liberty, prosperity and safeguarding human rights. The world is a better place when America is the strongest nation on earth. But we can’t remain powerful if we don’t have an economy that can afford it.
In the short time I’ve been here in Washington, nothing has frustrated me more than false choices like the ones the president laid out tonight.
The choice isn’t just between big government or big business. What we need is an accountable, efficient and effective government that allows small and new businesses to create middle-class jobs.
We don’t have to raise taxes to avoid the president’s devastating cuts to our military. Republicans have passed a plan that replaces these cuts with responsible spending reforms.
In order to balance our budget, the choice doesn’t have to be either higher taxes or dramatic benefit cuts for those in need. Instead, we should grow our economy so that we create new taxpayers, not new taxes, and so our government can afford to help those who truly cannot help themselves.
And the truth is every problem can’t be solved by government. Many are caused by the moral breakdown in our society. And the answers to those challenges lie primarily in our families and our faiths, not our politicians.
Despite our differences, I know that both Republicans and Democrats love America. I pray we can come together to solve our problems, because the choices before us could not be more important.
If we can get our economy healthy again, our children will be the most prosperous Americans ever.
And if we do not, we will forever be known as the generation responsible for America’s decline.
At a time when one showdown after another ends in short-term deals that do little or nothing about our real problems, some are starting to believe that our government leaders just can’t or won’t make the right choices anymore.
But our strength has never come from the White House or the Capitol. It’s always come from our people. A people united by the American idea that, if you have a dream and you are willing to work hard, nothing should be impossible.
Americans have always celebrated and been inspired by those who succeed. But it’s the dreams of those who are still trying to make it that sets our nation apart.
Tonight, all across this land, parents will hold their newborn children in their arms for the first time. For many of these parents, life has not gone the way they had planned.
Maybe they were born into circumstances they’ve found difficult to escape. Maybe they’ve made some mistakes along the way. Maybe they’re young mothers, all alone, the father of their child long gone.
But tonight, when they look into the eyes of their child for the first time, their lives will change forever. Because in those eyes, they will see what my parents saw in me, and what your parents saw in you. They will see all the hopes and dreams they once had for themselves.
This dream — of a better life for their children — it’s the hope of parents everywhere. Politicians here and throughout the world have long promised that more government can make those dreams come true.
But we Americans have always known better. From our earliest days, we embraced economic liberty instead. And because we did, America remains one of the few places on earth where dreams like these even have a chance.
Each time our nation has faced great challenges, what has kept us together was our shared hope for a better life.
Now, let that hope bring us together again. To solve the challenges of our time and write the next chapter in the amazing story of the greatest nation man has ever known.
Thank you for listening. May God bless all of you. May God bless our president. And may God continue to bless the United States of America.
Comments on: Text of Sen. Marco Rubio’s GOP response to Obama
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allanpruitt06211235 says... February 13, 2013 at 10:03 a.m.
That response was great! It was just what this country needs! I really hope Senator Rubio runs for President in the next Presidential election.
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BillSmith says... February 13, 2013 at 10:16 a.m.
Just what this country needs........
FORT SMITH — Whirlpool Corp. wants Fort Smith to make it illegal to drill water wells near the site of its former factory.
Representatives of the company explained to city directors Tuesday that a spill of a degreasing solvent in the 1980s left contamination in the groundwater.
The Southwest Times Record reported that the company wants to prevent people from tapping water contaminated with trichloroethylene, which is believed to be a cancer-causing chemical.
City Attorney Jerry Canfield said the proposed ordinance would not block residents’ from pursuing Benton Harbor, Mich.-based Whirlpool for compensation.
Whirlpool closed its Fort Smith refrigerator plant last year and moved the work to Mexico.
*Whirlpool Paid No Taxes Over The Past Three Years, Got A $64 Million Tax Refund In 2010
By Zaid Jilani on May 9, 2011 at 3:30 pm
Today, BusinessWeek reports that Whirpool, the world’s largest appliance maker, has been a major tax dodger. The company had negative income tax rates over the past three years, and reported a $64 million income tax benefit last year. It expects similar results this year
Eric Cantor calls for lowering corporate tax rate
Cantor's remarks put him on the side of companies including Cisco Systems Inc., Apple Inc. and Pfizer Inc., which are mounting a lobbying campaign to call for a repeat of a 2004 law that allowed companies to bring home profits held offshore that haven't been subject to U.S. taxation.
"It's wrong that American companies are paying taxes at rates that are 50 percent higher than even those in Europe," Cantor said in prepared remarks.
**
It make’s no difference what the tax rate is on paper is , it is how umuch they actually paid that counts.
We saw proof of that with Mitt Romney’s 13.9% tax paid on income of 21 million.
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BarichMilhusseinObamaNixonPOTUS says... February 13, 2013 at 10:37 a.m.
Bill you have become very adept at cut and paste; did your grandkids teach you?
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morebeer says... February 13, 2013 at 10:43 a.m.
Bill, Bill, Bill, it's cruel to post hard, truthy facts when dudes like cups don't want their pretensions punctured and fairy tales debunked.
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T6 says... February 13, 2013 at 10:48 a.m.
Rand Paul's rebuttal was better than Rubio's. Rubio doesn't impress me.
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lazybar says... February 13, 2013 at 11:18 a.m.
bs,what was your tax rate after you filed?
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johncoleman03151012 says... February 13, 2013 at 12:25 p.m.
Typical for Arkansas. How are you going to include the "Sen." to describe Rubio but not "Pres." to describe Obama. Now that's disrespectful using someone's title with a lower office than the person they're responding to.
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PaulRevere says... February 13, 2013 at 12:42 p.m.
Mr. Coleman: Yes, many Arkansans fully, deeply, sincerely, and aggressively disrespect Obama, his policies and his phony speeches. Not using his title is the least we can do to express depth of disrespect we hold for the guy.
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morebeer says... February 13, 2013 at 12:55 p.m.
Unbalanced's ancesters felt the same way about Lincoln. Rubio is such a calculated choice by the RNC. Florida is a key swing state, and they're trying to appeal to Hispanic voters. The problem with Rubio among Hispanics is that many illegal immigrants that are not Cuban resent that Cubanos who floated over are not considered illegal, but Mexicans and South Americans who climbed over are treated as criminals.
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djigoo says... February 13, 2013 at 1:35 p.m.
Pass the jelly; Rubio is toast after last night. He made Bobby Jindal's response look positively polished.
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WhiteRiverInMyVeins says... February 13, 2013 at 2:42 p.m.
Well that was a waste of time reading....Did he not listen to the speech last night? I am not a big supporter of President Obama but the blame game goes both ways. He says the Preseident blames everything on Bush and then turns right around to blame everything on Obama. Surely he is smart enough to know a majority of the debt was rollover debt. Things that are locked in years in advance like Military, Medicare, Medicaid, public works etc.... I suppose the we were suppose to bring all of those to a standstill and start over once a new President is elected. When a new President is elected in 4 years, I wonder if he will blame the new President? If it is a democrat, I bet he does! What has the finger pointing done for the good of America? Nothing! The stock market is doing better than it has in many moons, houses are being built and bought at a steady pace, jobs are returning and these are all negative. Exactly what some on the right feared! We own a small business and our check cashing is up 43% compared to 2009....but again, this is bad news to some! To a small business owner this is great news and who do I give credit? Surely not the ones that have been elected from others suffering... I give the President and Congress praise when it is warranted......in this case, I give credit where credit is due. It just amazes members of Congress haver a lower approval rating than the President....but it is all his fault! Fear-mongering at it's best. Blame, Blame and Blame seems to be the normal now days...That in itself, is one of the most serious problems we face as a country. Since everyone but the current administration is perfect, I expect to see a perfect world in the near future. Do as I say, not as I do!
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GAITOR says... February 13, 2013 at 3:32 p.m.
It really doesn't take much to out logic BHO's old, flawed and totally failed policies and ideas. Bubio did a good job, as did Rand. The problem is BHO is the one that the uneducated and unthinking put in the White House and he is determined to use Socialism to acheive his faulty ends.
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Packman says... February 13, 2013 at 4:34 p.m.
"And the truth is every problem can’t be solved by government." This one line summed up a fundamental difference between modern day liberalism and conservatism. Liberals first look to government to solve both personal and societal problems. Conservatives believe in the empowerment of people as the best way to problem-solving. Marco Rubio in 2016!
Hey BillSmith and morebeer - Are you incapable of critical thought or simply so ingrained to liberal talking points you never question anything spewed from the mouths of the likes of Rachel Madcow, Chris Matthews, BH Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Micheal Moore and any card-carrying member of the American Socialists Party? If you would open your eyes you would see NOWHERE does the article allege that Whirpool cheated on its taxes. A "dodge" is not a cheat. With your pea brains I understand it is difficult to fathom how a company might receive a tax refund after paying no taxes for previous years. I have no personal knowledge of Whirlpool's tax liability but understand the concept of things like depreciation, interest, tax credits, inventory write-offs, profit and loss statements, and other factors influencing corporate taxes. Do you have any idea how much in taxes Whirlpool and their shareholders paid in taxes in the preceding years? Might there have been overpayments that carried over as payments in subsequent years? Education and critical thought are not bad things, BillSmith and morebeer, I promise. And are you seriously dogging Whirlpool for being a good corporate citizen by trying to protect groundwater?
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djigoo says... February 13, 2013 at 8:33 p.m.
Not the COMPLETE transcript. Where was the "glug glug?"
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BillSmith says... February 13, 2013 at 10:10 p.m.
Rubio:
Each time our nation has faced great challenges, what has kept us together was our shared hope for a better life.
Obama:
“Despite all our differences, most of us share certain hopes for America's future,” he said Nov. 6.
What is the fundemental difference in these two statements? I will tell you.
A republican spoke the first one and a democrat the second one.
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morebeer says... February 14, 2013 at 11:21 a.m.
Bill, did he say "shared hope"??? He's a Socialist!!!
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lazybar says... February 14, 2013 at 11:51 a.m.
there is a differance between rubio saying we all share the hope of a better life than obozo meaning share the wealth so the middle class can support his voters.
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Populist says... February 14, 2013 at 12:23 p.m.
Lazybar,
It's the rich people who want to "Share" the most. Isn't it the Kochs who are asking Arkansas taxpayers to invest in their steel mill? (Of course, it is for the "public good"--ha! ha!)
I'm with Djigoo. Rubio was awful. Nobody takes a water break on tv or in court for that short of a time period. The Republicans just lost the presidential election with these too far to the right whiny men. If they had any sense, they would have given Susan Collins or Lisa Muchowski a chance to respond in more moderate, polished manner. They just don't get it.
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rainbowharold55 says... February 14, 2013 at 12:24 p.m.
All the lies and spite sure did make him thirsty!
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morebeer says... February 14, 2013 at 1:31 p.m.
Populist, the problem with Murkowski is that she represents a state that is neck-deep in federal largesse. Per capita, Alaska gets the most federal dollars by far than any other state. The GOP needs spokesmen from states independent of federal tax dollars, like Alabama, Mississippi or Arkansas, haha.
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Packman says... February 14, 2013 at 2:44 p.m.
Hey Populist - "I'm with Djigoo." Bless your heart.
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RZRBKINTXS says... February 14, 2013 at 3:06 p.m.
Don't worry, Packman, you can always tell who the libs fear the most by how vigorously their trolls attack them. The fact that they are even talking about a guy taking a drink of water shows just how desperate they are to discredit Rubio.
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Populist says... February 14, 2013 at 4:52 p.m.
RZrbackinTXS,
I'm not afraid of Rubio. Hillary and many others would defeat him easily. Both Newt Gingrich and I predicted that Romney had not been fully vetted, and we were right. T
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Coralie says... February 14, 2013 at 5:15 p.m.
I liked just about all of the State of the Union except for Obama's promoting the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
It's another one of those secretive trade agreements, but worse than previous ones.
Many legal scholars and people in Congress have criticized it for
1. secrecy
2. would require changing U.S. laws
3. intellectual property standards would raise prescription drug prices in other parts of the world
"While the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative shares draft negotiation documents on the Trans-Pacific deal with the governments of other nations and American corporate executives who serve on advisory boards, it withholds them from the American public and most nonprofit groups -- forcing many public health advocates, for instance, to learn about the deals through illegal leaks or informal channels.
"The majority of Congress is being kept in the dark as to the substance of the TPP negotiations, while representatives of U.S. corporations -- like Halliburton, Chevron, PhRMA, Comcast and the Motion Picture Association of America -- are being consulted and made privy to details of the agreement," said [Sen.] Wyden.
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cliffcarson says... February 15, 2013 at 7:58 a.m.
To tell it like it isn't Rubio
The difference between the eight years of Bush and the past four years of Obama is this:
Bush and the Republicans came in with a surplus and inherited a National Debt of five Trillion dollars during a time of robust economic times. After eight years Bush left a raging Recession, the Economy in Free Fall, over twenty million unemployed, a National Debt of eleven and a half Trillion dollars, three trillion of accrued unnecessary war debt to be added to the National debt facing the next Administration , and an unfunded debt accrual three times greater than the accumulated unfunded debt of all former United States Presidents combined. Finally the stock market had fallen to 50% of its highest value under Bush.
Obama came in with what was left by Bush facing the clean-up of all the debris and in his four years has turned the recession around and is experiencing recovery of the Nation. He didn't get any help from the Republicans , they have don't everything humanly possible to cause his Administration to be a failure. In fact the leader of the Republicans, Mitch McConnell, exhorted his Republicans in Congress to adopt as their number one priority as legislatures - to bring about Obama's failure as President. Yes the National Debt has grown by five trillion dollars - but - remember that the cost of the Bush initiated unnecessary wars is three trillion of that five trillion. Compare the American Economy today with the Last day of the Bush Economy. There is a difference all right.
But to me the greatest difference is that Bush and the Republicans ended their run with the Nation in total despair. But Obama and the Democrats have ended the Obama initial run with Hope and Recovery the positive words best describes his four year run.
The American people settled the differences last November.
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T6 says... February 15, 2013 at 9:37 a.m.
Sooooo I guess if Hillary becomes President she will continue to blame Boooosh for the next 4 years?
One Democrat says we don't have a spending problem we have a paying for problem another prominent Democrat says we don't have a spending problem and we aren't broke, we have an wealth allocation problem. How freaking stupid can Demwits be?
They aren't worried tho when the US collaspes they have the demwits on here and the MSM to parrot blaming the Repubs.
Hey Cliff if The Nobel Peace Prize President wasn't such a warmonger he could have saved money on the wars Bush started and been out of Iraq and Afghanistan sooner. But even his own party are concerned with his occupation of Africa and other Muslim countries, his drone wars against American citizens, and killing innocent people with those drones. I guess tho it doesn't bother you or HIM because we see that when he Let 4 AMERICCANS DIE in BENGHAZI. Will you still blame George Bush for Obama's occupation of these countries?
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cliffcarson says... February 15, 2013 at 11:36 a.m.
T6
I have many times on the net stated that Obama should be impeached for continuing the wars among other things. I also said that Bush should be impeached and tried as a war criminal.
The difference between you and me T6 is a measure of honesty.
I point to those who are criminal, from either Party.
You on the other hand go blind when the Republican Party and George Bush do wrong.
People like you are what's wrong with America.
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XAV8OR says... February 15, 2013 at 11:55 a.m.
Populist says that Romney was not fully vetted before being nominated. If the present occupant of the White House had been fully vetted in 2008 he would not have been there now.
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Populist says... February 15, 2013 at 12:22 p.m.
XAviator,
The American people have disagreed with you--TWICE. While not perfect, he was the best thing offered. While I wish that more cuts would be made to deal with the deficit, the economy has been improving under his watch.
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djigoo says... February 15, 2013 at 12:36 p.m.
Stop using facts supported by empirical evidence, Populist! They hate that.
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Populist says... February 15, 2013 at 12:46 p.m.
Even Charles Krauthammer is defending the President in today's Washington Post! O.K. The subject is drone warfare, and Krauthammer always is in favor of killing Arabs. Nonetheless, one of the anti-Obamaites is supporting the President.
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BillSmith says... February 15, 2013 at 1:45 p.m.
T6..........
An alien walked into a shop and told the owner that he came from Mars and wanted to buy a brain for research.
''How much is this one?'' he asked. ''Well that one is a monkey brain and it's $20,'' he explained.
''How much is that one?'' he asked ''Well that one is a female brain and its $100.'' he explained.
''And how much is that one?'' he asked. ''That one is T6's brain and it is $500'' he explained.
''Why so expensive?'' the alien asked. ''Well it has hardly been used!''
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Coralie says... February 15, 2013 at 2:02 p.m.
And I voted for Obama twice but I still don't like the Trans Pacific Partnership.
Nor the use of drones--though if one must choose between evils, I suppose drones are better than invasions and mass bombings that kill many more civilians.
Most of all, I don't like the people he chooses for his economic team. Same old, same old Wall-Street, "the banks run the place."
However, you can criticize Obama's policies without using personal insults and manifest untruths.
You can criticize some of his policies while still voting for him, especially since the opposition has become not a political party but an insurrection.
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80Redux says... February 15, 2013 at 2:54 p.m.
How mean spirited and shallow Libs are. Focused on a drink of water and not on the words being said. Style over substance. If you listened closely to the president's remarks, he said that his proposals "would not add one dime" to the deficit. What a lie, he's already added $56 Trillion dimes to the deficit and his proposals increase spending rather than reduce. Libs, quit drinking the kool aid, take off the foil hats, and realize that the poor shape our country is in is due to Dear Leader and his failed polices.
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GAITOR says... February 15, 2013 at 4:13 p.m.
POP:
The economy, if it is improving, isn't doing so becasue of BHO's policies, but inspite of them.
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Coralie says... February 15, 2013 at 4:14 p.m.
And his policies failed from the time he was elected, right, Redux?
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kinggeorge says... February 15, 2013 at 4:41 p.m.
People who criticize a speaker for taking a sip of water must have brains as thin as tissue paper. Obama,Hillary, and many others have taken sips of water while on camera.
As to disrespect...I utterly disrespect Obama and the liberals who support him and regard liberals as traitors who are eager to destroy our constitution and cause us to lose all the freedoms upon which this nation was founded.
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T6 says... February 15, 2013 at 5:25 p.m.
Hey BillSmith...How long did it take you to think of that one? I'll take my unused brain anytime before I'd take YOUR smelly one from being stuck up your butt!
CliffCarson...You on the other hand go blind when the Demwit Party and Barack Obama do wrong.
People like you are what's wrong with America.
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BarichMilhusseinObamaNixonPOTUS says... February 15, 2013 at 7:25 p.m.
Wow we actually have people complaining about someone taking a drink of water now, and they are the party accusing the other of being stupid? Wow, Populist I thought you were better than that; rainbowharold and others it would not surprise. Also BillSmith T6 does not have to use much of his brain to keep up with you, so using that joke that originated back in the late 1800's when you were in diapers just really fell flat.
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cliffcarson says... February 15, 2013 at 10:02 p.m.
Bill
You think T6 is a very young kid? He acts and writes like a 13 year-old that was on Netscape a few years ago.
T6
How about it? Are you really just a kid on here amusing yourself?
I am seriously curious.
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T6 says... February 15, 2013 at 11:29 p.m.
Cliff... Aren't you a little old to be acting like a juvenile.
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Coralie says... February 16, 2013 at 11:42 a.m.
Can we get back on track here?
Talk about something of substance, please, otherwise you are just taking up cyberspace and using electricity.
What is never said about "economic liberty" is that corporations are not examples of it. Particularly when they are shared monopolies, that is, a few big companies have sewed up the market.
The guru of capitalism, Adam Smith, was suspicious of corporations and he opposed monopolies.
Jefferson didn't like corporations either, and they were very much restricted in his day compared to now.
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DontDrinkDatKoolAid says... February 16, 2013 at 5:39 p.m.
Sure.
~
ww w.youtube.c om/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gXBisbpHhOQ
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BarichMilhusseinObamaNixonPOTUS says... February 16, 2013 at 6:33 p.m.
T6 we know for a fact BillSmith,CliffCarson, and inquire are old retired folk who apparently are angry about many things. I guess it is what we have to look forward to; well except for the fact that I plan on retiring to Florida and playing tons of golf. That is what my uncle is about to do in a few months; he has already bought the house.
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BillSmith says... February 16, 2013 at 11:28 p.m.
Gosh he says more government raises taxes on employers. He is really out of the loop.
*
Facebook paid no taxes despite record profits
Despite earning more than $1 billion in profits last year, social media juggernaut Facebook paid zilch when it came to federal and state taxes in 2012.
In fact, the website will actually be getting a refund totaling $429 million thanks to a tax reduction for executive stock options.
In the coming years, Facebook will continue to get monster tax breaks, totaling about $3 billion.
Read more foxnews. com/tech/2013/02/16/facebook-paid-no-taxes-despite-record-profits/#ixzz2L8AnPbRE
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BillSmith says... February 16, 2013 at 11:30 p.m.
He is out of the loop on this as well.
Whirlpool Paid No Taxes Over The Past Three Years, Got A $64 Million Tax Refund In 2010
By Zaid Jilani on May 9, 2011 at 3:30 pm
Today, BusinessWeek reports that Whirpool, the world’s largest appliance maker, has been a major tax dodger. The company had negative income tax rates over the past three years, and reported a $64 million income tax benefit last year. It expects similar results this year
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BillSmith says... February 16, 2013 at 11:33 p.m.
And all of those nasty regulations.
Because more government breeds complicated rules and laws that a small business can’t afford to follow.
Looks like big business can't follow rules as well.
*FORT SMITH — Whirlpool Corp. wants Fort Smith to make it illegal to drill water wells near the site of its former factory.
Representatives of the company explained to city directors Tuesday that a spill of a degreasing solvent in the 1980s left contamination in the groundwater.
The Southwest Times Record reported that the company wants to prevent people from tapping water contaminated with trichloroethylene, which is believed to be a cancer-causing chemical.
City Attorney Jerry Canfield said the proposed ordinance would not block residents’ from pursuing Benton Harbor, Mich.-based Whirlpool for compensation.
Whirlpool closed its Fort Smith refrigerator plant last year and moved the work to Mexico.
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inquire says... February 17, 2013 at 1:50 a.m.
Actually, Coralie, we no longer have true capitalism, we have corporatism.
And RedWings, if you think we are so old, then remember that we have lived longer than you, seen more than you, and have more life experience and knowledge than you. You will remember those words if you live long enough to realize how insulting they were.
Refuting ignorance and bad politics is not a sign of anger, although it does seem to make some people disproportionately angry, as evidenced by the handfull of conservatives on here who are the most hateful, spiteful, angry people I've ever seen. I've never seen a liberal on here go over the edge to the extent of accusing someone of locking their spouse in the basement.
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aimee says... February 17, 2013 at 2:01 a.m.
"And the idea that more taxes and more government spending is the best way to help hardworking middle-class taxpayers — that’s an old idea that’s failed every time it’s been tried."
.
This guy obviously wasn't around to observe the 1950's... Prosperity, high taxes, and government spending like the Interstate Highway Program and NASA..
.
Someone get this guy a history book, PLEASE..!!!!
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cliffcarson says... February 17, 2013 at 8:18 a.m.
Actually Red Wings, you are correct about me being an old retired person. I direct you to the Algorithm for IQ Tests. In the denominator of that Algorithm you will find an age factor. Don't you think that might be there for a reason?
I can't speak for Bill or Inquire, but in my case, in my youth I was a blazing Republican. As I have grown older and wiser, I have learned the error of my ways. I left the Republican Party some years ago and became a Populist.
The good news is that it seems the youth of today are much wiser than I was as a youth. With increasing numbers, today's youth shun the Republican mantra.
So I'm left with a guess, is it because the youth today are wiser than we were as youths or is it because the Grand Old Party ain't what it used to be- or is it a little of both?
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cliffcarson says... February 17, 2013 at 9:03 a.m.
And you are spot on Aimee.
I was reading some some ago that the medical advances due to the NASA Program have eclipsed all advances made in the history of medicine sans the NASA contribution.
Think of what the Interstate Highway System has done for the growth of America.
The downer is what a supplier told me before my retirement. He told me he was moving his factory to the Dominican Republic and when I asked why, he replied 29 cents an hour.
A great factor in the demise of our current economy is the outsourcing of jobs. You might remember Ross Perot and his explanation of the"Great Sucking Sound".
Corporatism ( The financial branch of today's Republican Party) is not good for the American 99%.
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inquire says... February 17, 2013 at 2:42 p.m.
No, Cliff, I was never a Republican. In all my years of faithfully voting, I voted for a Republican a few times. Considering what they have become and how the crazy element has taken over their party, I doubt I ever will again. My parents were Democrats who might occasionally vote for a Republican, also. My husband comes from a rabidly Republican family who thinks their poo smells like Chanel No. 5. He once said if Jesus Christ were alive and running on the Democratic ticket, his mother would be in a "line" by herself to vote Republican. He has been a proud working class Democrat his whole life.
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DontDrinkDatKoolAid says... February 17, 2013 at 4 p.m.
Oh aimee you need the history book.
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Coralie says... February 18, 2013 at 11:39 a.m.
Because....?
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Packman says... February 18, 2013 at 1:21 p.m.
Hey BillSmith - Your rants on the workings of corporate taxes shows an ignorance that is not incurable. Take the time to answer these few questions and the de-ignorance process will begin. Did Facebook or Whirlpool violate any tax laws in 2010, 2011, or 2012? If no laws were violated, how might they have posted earnings without paying taxes? Based on accounting standards, what is the relationship between corporate income, expense, depreciation, taxes, earnings, and loss? And lastly, does a corporation or its shareholders pay taxes on anything other than "earnings"?
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cliffcarson says... February 18, 2013 at 2:09 p.m.
Looks like DontDrinkDatKoolAid failed to read the article that aimee was commenting about
From the article "And the idea that more taxes and more government spending is the best way to help hardworking middle-class taxpayers — that’s an old idea that’s failed every time it’s been tried."
Well DontDrinkDatKoolAid, seems to me that aimee pointed out some examples where what Rubio said in the article was definitely wrong. So it would appear to me that aimee was saying that Rubio, the darling of the Republican faithful, should read some history before he speaks again.
I agree with aimee's examples - the Interstate Highways and the NASA exploration. That's history.
Something Rubio and you might have failed to read and yes there are plenty more examples.
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BillSmith says... February 18, 2013 at 3:44 p.m.
Again, Packman as usual your inept ability to understand the point of my corporate tax comments. Ok, here I go for packman one more time. Many republican right wing nuts say the reason that companies take jobs overseas is the high corporate tax rate. I can give some examples if you insist, but if you are able to Google you can find them youself. It make no difference that these corporations paid no corporate taxes legally or illegally, the facxt is they paid no corporate taxes period, so how can that be the reason Whirlpool took their jobs to Mexico; telcom companies have their customer service and tech support in India. Here is why I think they ship jobs overseas, now stay with me packman, is they can get people to work for extremely low wages, no health care or any other kind of benifits such as worker safety. Most clothing and shoes sold in the US today are made in sweat shop factories by little girls working at sewing machines, instead of being in school where they belong, is some of this sinking in packman? This is the bottom line reason, do you get that?
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BarichMilhusseinObamaNixonPOTUS says... February 18, 2013 at 7:51 p.m.
What's great is I have given you something to hold on to forever inquire. You should thank me!
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cliffcarson says... February 18, 2013 at 10:58 p.m.
Redwings
I am curious, what is it that you gave inquire that she should be thankful for?
Did you plan to do her a good deed?
I did say I was getting old but actually I still work every since I retired several years ago.
Since I was once young, as is every one alive today who is over 40, I well remember when I thought I knew everything. In my Golden Years, I now realize that Forest Gump's mother was right.
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BarichMilhusseinObamaNixonPOTUS says... February 19, 2013 at 8:19 a.m.
She knows, Mr. Clavin, she knows
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