Ted Cruz: Obama Economy Only Helping 'The Top 1 Percent'

[DonViejo]

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Sunday blasted President Obama's economic policy, claiming that the economy has only improved for the rich.

ABC's George Stephanopoulos asked Cruz what he would say to potential 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton if she claimed Democrats fixed an economy destroyed by Republicans.

"Well, look, if Hillary Clinton wants to run by telling Americans that the economy is doing great and you can credit President Obama and Hillary Clinton for that, I would encourage her to follow that strategy. Because the simple reality is, that’s true for the wealthy," Cruz responded on ABC's "This Week."

"The top 1 percent under President Obama, the millionaires and billionaires that he constantly demagogued, earned a higher share for our income than any year since 1928," he continued. "Those with power and influence who walk the corridors of power of the Obama administration have gotten fat and happy under big government."

more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/cruz-obama-economy-wealthy

[ND-Dem]

1. yeah, ted cruz, populist. the republicans are taking the democrats' base -- because the democrats

are CEDING IT.

[Volaris]

17. this.

And if we want to NOT cede it any longer, we had better put Publicly Funded Elections on the table, and damned fast. The GOP are trying their damnest to win populist economic votes (and even though it's flat bullshit, I give credit where it's due), but even they know the limits of what lies their Masters will let them support, and PFE ain't no where on that page.
that's the issue. If we hammer them on it we will win it for our side, and then real liberals will run this country for the next 1/2 century.

[Cha]

30. No, they're not.. that's *********. Ted Cruz is a liar.. the Sunday shows are a

continuous parade of the republicons lying about the economy and the gasbags letting them get away with it.

Ted Cruz is a sociopath.. he lies about everything.. the Dems aren't ceding anything to that a$$hole.

[socialist_n_TN]

37. Well, the truth doesn't really matter that much.......

when it comes to having the money to disseminate the message. And the truth is that, whatever the cause, the 1% have done great and the 99% are, at BEST, treading water. The blame for this is still waiting to be assigned in the vast majority of the public's minds. IOW, the 10% plus or so that ARE politically aware know that this is bullshit, but the rest of the public doesn't really know WHO to blame. Yet. The Kochs and the rest of the Republican talking points are beginning to try out this meme to assign the blame for inequality to the Democrats. Remember the rich guy Romney recently tried it out first.

Unless the Dems go blatantly left populist, and go SOON, the Republicans and their neo-liberal "trickle down" cheerleaders will have poisoned the well on income inequality too.

[Fred Sanders]

2. Did Georgy just lap it all up with panting approval, like any good little mass media lapdog?

[Cha]

29. The Sunday shows are a Never Ending Parade of republicons lying about the Economy and

the gasbags letting them get away with it.

[Fred Sanders]

32. Almost like it was a plan by all the mass media, but that would be ridiculous.

[Cha]

40. It's a freaking Nightmare and we're Living It, Fred.. for some reason corporate America wants stupid

ass repubs like themselves in charge.

[RDANGELO]

3. And this is comming from someone who is against raising the minimum wage

to even nine dollars an hour.

[treestar]

4. Odd that he would have a problem with that

Isn't the usual right wing thought that the job creators need the money?

[jwirr]

9. IF the next question had been how are you going to fix this he might have had to give that answer.

[hatrack]

35. "Next question"? Or, to rephrase more accurately, "question"? What is "question"?

As if anyone in the Kool Kidz Klubhouse would ever even fucking ASK ONE.

[jwirr]

36. I know. That is why we cannot get our side out. The MSM is not doing their job.

[Thinkingabout]

5. Who in the hell is Cruz helping? He is about a poor excuse for a human.

[louis-t]

6. And Dems need to hit back, every day with

"because you idiot republicans have blocked every bill, every plan, every possible attempt to help the other 99% of people in this country. Your so-called jobs bills are not jobs bills, but tax holidays for rich people."

[Historic NY]

7. WTF UP Democrats or Carnival Cruz will steal you thunder....

[jwirr]

10. Exactly.

[jwirr]

8. Unfortunately he is not lying this time. Most of us down here are not doing much better. Where he

is lying is that he and his party are not responsible for this. The obstructionists planned this from the beginning and made sure that it happened. We need to ask him how he and his gang would have done better? How they would have fixed our lives?

The Rs are going to use this kind of bull as a campaign ploy by shifting the blame. And the problem is people believe that the black man did it because most Americans do not know how government works. We have our hands full if we want to win the next election.

[Populist_Prole]

11. Dear Ted: YGBFSM!!!

Is this mook really under the thrall of cognitive dissonance that he can pull off such chicanery so openly? Or is it a calculated glibness?

I mean, even the most ardent anti-labor corporatist knows he's full of shit: Hell, they support income inequality! Even help it along.

[Fumesucker]

13. I'm sure the Democrats will call him out on his duplicity

[Cali_Democrat]

19. It goes deeper than that

Harry Reid, Warren or Sanders could take to the Senate floor tomorrow and call out Cruz. It wouldn't matter. They could go on talk shows and call him out....it wouldn't matter.

The media will bury any kind of response to Cruz.

The problem is that the American people are fucking dumber than a box of rocks and GOPers like Cruz know this.

The GOP will run as populists in the next election and millions of idiots will support and vote for them because they think they're fighting for the little guy.

The problem is that the American people are dumb as shit.

[Populist_Prole]

21. Unfortunately true

The GOP can't win on 1-percenter $ alone. They need ( and get ) large blocs of working class people to vote against their own economic interests to give them enough support to be viable.

[Fumesucker]

22. The American People elected Barack Obama and Al Gore

[Cali_Democrat]

23. And yet now a lot of Americans, especially white males, think GOPers are there to fight for them

against the 1%. ROFL.

Dumbass motherfuckers.

Cruz knows this and he's tapping into the ignorance. The same dumbshits who thought Saddam was connected to 9/11:

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-09-06-poll-iraq_x.htm

Dumber than a fucking box of rocks.

No question about it.

[Fumesucker]

28. I don't think any given population is on average smarter or dumber than any other

Americans are the most thoroughly propagandized people on the face of the planet and in a great many cases we actually pay to have the propaganda piped into our minds.

Combine that with the fact that for most people life has gotten more difficult rather than less over the last six years and it's difficult to blame them. Most people don't pay attention to politics, I'm far more informed about it than anyone else I know in real life and long ago quit trying to argue with anyone, it's simply impossible to effectively counteract the never-ending Niagara of propaganda that flows out of the M$M.

Repeat a lie often enough and loudly enough and people will start believing it unfortunately.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026200598

5 Facts That Show Half of America Is Seriously Struggling

1. No Money for Unexpected Bills

A recent Bankrate poll found that almost two-thirds of Americans didn't have savings available to cover a $500 repair bill or a $1,000 emergency room visit.

2. 40 Percent Collapse in Household Wealth

Over half of Americans have good reason to feel poor. Between 2007 and 2013 median wealth dropped a shocking 40 percent, leaving the poorest half with negative wealth (because of debt), and a full 60% of households owning, in total, about as much as the nation's 94 richest individuals.

3. Cost of Living Surges as Income Falls

Official poverty measures are based largely on the food costs of the 1950s. But food costs have doubledsince 1978, housing has more than tripled, and college tuition is eleven times higher. The cost of raising a child increased by 40 percent between 2000 and 2010. And despite the gains from Obamacare, health care expenses continue to grow.

4. Lots of New Jobs (Below Living Wage)

'Amazing' jobs report, apart from wages --Marketwatch

Amazing at the top and at the bottom. According to the Federal Reserve Bank, there have been job gains at the highest paid level -- engineering, finance, computer analysis; and there have been job gains at thelowest paid level -- personal health care, retail, and food preparation.

[Fred Sanders]

33. N. Korea still has America beat for propaganda, and Saudi. America is clearly the Western leader.

[Fumesucker]

34. I meant that in the way of "believe the propaganda the most"

I was at one of my grandchildren's Thanksgiving assembly last year and they played that sappy Lee Greenwood song and everyone sang along in all seriousness.

[Blue Owl]

12. Ted's too dumb to see the broader picture

No nuclear football for him...

[Initech]

14. Where was he when Bush cut taxes for the upper 1%?

[hifiguy]

15. Get back on your meds, Cruz, the delusions are overwhelming you.

Jeebus Henry Christ riding a unicycle and juggling fish.

[exboyfil]

16. Cruz you have convinced me

A wealth tax to be used to provide high paying infrastructure jobs.

[LiberalAndProud]

18. The GOP is taking ownership of the Democratic message.

Since Congress critters are accountable for the stagnation of our economic policies, blaming Obama might backfire. I'll be watching as they try to woo the 99%.

Even so, Politico has it that WallStreet is not Ted's friend.

[JaneyVee]

20. Yeah those damn Democrats, always standing in the way of....

Republicans attempts ti help the middle class.

[AtomicKitten]

24. It's always Opposite Day for Ted.

[loyalsister]

25. For anyone curious about how republicans get people to vote against their self interests

that's how it's done.
One sound byte at a time convinces people that the people who are particular about their language are the same people who are screwing them over. And, poor people funny believe that the politically correct liberals are screwing them over financially and want to take away their God given rights to insult people without consequence.

[Calista241]

38. I suppose that the wealthy are zillions richer than they were 7 years ago

And we're all just as broke as we were back then has nothing to do with it.

Cruz is doing a great job of obfuscating the issue. If one were to look at the evidence, it would be quite hard to argue with him.

I, personally, think all the recent proposals from the Obama administration are attempting to change perceptions around this issue. All these populist proposals after he's ensured the wealthy of their money and status.

[Jamaal510]

26. When did RWers

all of a sudden adopt lingo like "the 1%?" Not too long ago, they acted like it was divisive and a form of "class envy" to use such terms and to highlight wealth inequality.

[gordianot]

27. Vile, despicable, opportunistic demagogury.

[winter is coming]

31. Ted finds this outrageous because it should only be helping the top 0.1%. n/t

[pampango]

39. Does Cruz have minions monitoring DU? His quote sounds very familiar.

"Well, look, if Hillary Clinton wants to run by telling Americans that the economy is doing great and you can credit President Obama and Hillary Clinton for that, I would encourage her to follow that strategy. Because the simple reality is, that’s true for the wealthy," Cruz responded on ABC's "This Week."

"The top 1 percent under President Obama, the millionaires and billionaires that he constantly demagogued, earned a higher share for our income than any year since 1928," he continued. "Those with power and influence who walk the corridors of power of the Obama administration have gotten fat and happy under big government."

Obama getting 'fat and happy' from 'big government' and corporations is a familiar right wing slogan.