President Obama Slams Congress As 'Least Productive' In History To Fire Up Donors

[cal04]

Source: TPM

President Barack Obama slammed Congress at a fundraiser Wednesday night for being the "least productive" in modern history, citing the failure of an equal pay bill and the ongoing immigration reform battle.

"We have to have a Congress that works -- not one that is -- march in lockstep, not one that agrees with every proposal I put forward, but a Congress that is serious about governance and is thinking about the next generation and not just the next election," Obama told roughly 60 guests at a Democratic fundraiser in Houston, according to a transcript of his remarks.

The President expressed frustration that Senate Republicans uniformly blocked debate on the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have made it easier for a woman to sue an employer if she was paid less than a male colleague for the same work. He made reference to former Michigan Secretary of State Terry Lynn Land (R), a candidate for U.S. Senate, who recently said that women would rather have flexibility in their jobs than an equal salary.

"I think there was a candidate for the Senate, a Republican in Michigan, who voiced the opinion that women make other choices," he said, according to the transcript of his remarks. "And I think that's certainly true; every individual makes other choices. Very rarely do you meet people who make the choice to be paid less for doing the same job."



Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/obama-slams-congress-least-productive-in-modern-history

[madokie]

1. Get'm tiger

eat their fucking lunch while you're at it. We need a house of rep's who represent us, not the well to do like we have now

[GeorgeGist]

2. Who says democracy is dead?

Donors did.

[pocoloco]

12. Money for wimps???

Yeah, right!!

[Doctor_J]

3. why do you think he is so reluctant to call out republicans specifically?

"Congress" is not the problem. Republicans are the problem. Say that.

[pangaia]

4. [phone]

That really gets me. Not just him. ALL democratic politicians need to do that 27/7. It's a no-brainer and a winner...
Politicians always sound like,, well, politicians. (except Elizabeth and a couple others)
Republicans spend all day, every day singing "Wee aaarre aaashooles, Wee aaarre aaashooles, doobie dooboi doo doo.."

All we have to do is record them and hit the playback button.

Why don't they hire you and me ?
I mean, how hard is this, man?

[hue]

7. Yeah it's really every frickin' Repuke!!

[1StrongBlackMan]

18. Because republicans are not ...

just the problem. There are plenty of Democrats in congress that contribute to/enable the obstruction by not writing the legislation they claim to want, and by consistently not throwing their support behind the President's initiatives (see: the ACA, the Jobs Bill(s), Gun Control).

But that said, President Obama is calling out congressional republicans, by party, for their obstruction.

[hue]

5. Go tell it LIKE IT IS! POTUS tell it on a mountain!!!!

[Triana]

6. The racist baboon contingent (GOP) vowed on Day 1 of PBO's first term...

...to OBSTRUCT everything he did. E V E R Y T H I N G.

THEN, when PBO must resort to Executive Orders to get anything done, they call HIM a "dictator".

Funny how that works. Pfft.

[liberal N proud]

8. The President has the bully pulpit

And now is the best time to make use of that.

Doing so can only improve his chances for getting something done the last two years.

[Vietnameravet]

9. People want leaders , not lovers.

Give them hell, and let them whine about how divisive he is!!
As some guy from Arkansas once told me..Pigs mostly squeal when you step on their feet!

[heaven05]

10. hmmmmmm

YA THINK!!!!!!! bout time, someone "slammed" them.

[jwirr]

11. To fire up donors - hopefully it was not just for that - he was telling the truth.

[Iliyah]

13. K & R

The GOPs are slamming themselves but the US corporate media is not covering it. Time for proper exposure thru social media.

[MindMover]

14. I am mad as hell .... ....

Last edited Sun Apr 13, 2014, 11:02 PM - Edit history (1)

Our President is going to make a decision on Keystone XL pipeline which will endanger hundreds of rivers, streams, aquifers and yes the most productive farmland in the USA, not to mention increasing CO2 levels which is wreaking havoc on the worlds weather,

to do what exactly: To greatly benefit the KOCK brothers, who already own half of our government ... HUH ... NOT JUST NO IT's, OH HELL NO

because the oil that is in the Keystone is being sold overseas .... HUH ... OH HELL NO

[1StrongBlackMan]

19. Aren't you assuming that you know what that decision is? eom.

[Calista241]

22. If he approves this...

It will be for Mark Pryor and Mary Landrieu. They both could lose anyway, but they putting pressure on him to approve, IMO.

[seekdivinetruth]

15. QUESTION ABOUT PRESIDENT'S ABILITY TO DECLARE STATE OF EMERGENCY

Hello All,

I am one of the 2.8+ people whose Emergency Unemployment Benefits were cut off on December 28, 2013. Speaker John Boehner is currently holding Congressman Dan Kildee's Bill HR 4415 hostage in order to get approval on the Keystone XL pipeline, to repeal the ACA, block new environmental regulations and giving more tax breaks to big business. He has been very vocal about what he and most of the GOP wants in order to even consider allowing the bill to reach to the Congressional floor for a vote.

I am anything but a political expert but to me this intentional block to aid those in need is obstruction and should be a crime. So here is my question. Does anyone know if the President has the authority to declare a National State of Emergency in this particular situation?

After 104 days without these benefits thousands of hard working Americans, are now losing their homes, their utilities, their cars, their apartments…they cannot feed themselves or the children. Just yesterday one of my fellow Americans almost killed himself had someone not intervened in time. Now Congress is on vacation for 2 weeks and thousands more will lose the little they've been able to hang onto. To me this all constitutes a true state of emergency yet the President continues to sit on his hands and do nothing. A natural disaster that creates the same end result as what's happening due to this avoidable obstruction, would constitute declaring a State of Emergency.

If someone could explain what options, President Obama has to override this cruel and unneccsary hardship, please educate me.

Thank you for your time.
Peace

[seabeckind]

16. Ties in with the bully pulpit comment above.

Like so many other issues that never see the light of day,

the democrats and Obama in particular should scream these things from the rooftops and be specific.

If a tree falls in the forest...

[seabeckind]

17. Least productive congress?

I'm not so sure that's a bad thing when you look at the agenda of the morons who were put there.

In Indiana we have a very productive legislature. At this point they have given tax cuts to anyone with money and paid for it on cuts to social services.

They are dismantling and taking everything of value that has been invested in our society and selling (loosely, more like givin it away) to anyone with influence.

They mortgage our people to provide loan guarantees to shoddy developers and then give those same developers (job creators) tax abatements.

Obama should be a little more specific when he asks for productivity.

[yurbud]

20. This should be the first thing out of his mouth every time he talks

[yurbud]

21. and second, Dems cooperated with Bush far more than their voters wanted them to

[UTUSN]

23. R#34 & K for, it ain't about "fire up donors" - it about the trooth n/t