Obama Accuses Republicans Of Obstruction

[ProSense]

Source: Voice of America

President Barack Obama says the minority Republicans in the U.S. Congress should stop blocking legislation that would help unemployed Americans and the victims of the Gulf oil spill. Republicans charge that the president is playing politics with the oil disaster.

President Obama says Republicans are intentionally holding up important legislation, which he says reflects "a dreary and familiar politics." "I know the political season is upon us in Washington. But gridlock as a political strategy is destructive to the country. Whether we are Democrats or Republicans, we have got an obligation that goes beyond caring about the next election. So I hope that when Congress returns next week, they do so with a greater spirit of compromise and cooperation. America will be watching," he said.

In his weekly address, the president blasts Republicans for blocking a vote on legislation to extend unemployment benefits to millions of Americans who are out of work.

The bill failed Thursday when Democrats could not get enough votes to end debate. Republicans support many of the policies in the measure but want it changed to reduce its impact on the deficit.



Read more: http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/american-life/Obama-Criticizes-Republicans-in-Congress-96715949.html

[Oceansaway]

1. K&R...n/t

[Iliyah]

2. The GOP

don't care about the deficit, they want the country to go into a depression. In their minds, people will vote for them in 2012.

[Lagomorph]

9. And the Democrats want...

...the Republicans to do the dirty work that will (have?) to be done (to us) once our credit runs out. And, yes, it's running out. Europe is talking about raising retirement ages across the board and reducing pensions by (yikes!) 20%. So...when we go shopping for cash to keep the gravy train rolling here in the US, they're gonna say "Go ahead, derail it. Burn your cities, riot in your streets, we got our own problems."

It won't as bad as it seems, for everyone, but it's sure gonna be different for a while.

[JDPriestly]

3. Bravo! Mr. President. Thanks for speaking up for the American people.

That's what we elected you to do.

[TerribleLarryDingle]

8. +1

That's leadership I can believe in.

[EFerrari]

4. Good going!

K&R

[MineralMan]

5. Bravo, Mr. President! Bravo!

[tclambert]

6. "I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!"

[alp227]

7. Lesson learned: Stop trying to compromise with the rigid opposition!

Obama's right that GOP=Gridlock, Obstruction, and Paralysis. Same situation from the Clinton years (since Newt Gingrich became Speaker).