Obama: Republicans Want To Privatize Social Security, Haven’t ‘Learned Any Lessons’ From Financial Crisis
In this weekend’s YouTube address, President Obama attacked Republicans for wanting to privatize Social Security.
“I’d have thought, after being reminded how quickly the stock market can tumble, after seeing the wealth people worked a lifetime to earn wiped out in a matter of days, that no one would want to place bets with Social Security on Wall Street; that everyone would understand why we need to be prudent about investing the retirement money of tens of millions of Americans,” said Obama. “But some Republican leaders in Congress don’t seem to have learned any lessons from the past few years. They’re pushing to make privatizing Social Security a key part of their legislative agenda if they win a majority in Congress this fall.”
Toomey Slams ‘Bailouts, Takeovers, And Spending Sprees’ From Dems
In this weekend’s Republican address, former Congressman and now Senate candidate Pat Toomey (R-PA) criticized the Democrats on spending and debt issues.
“Now where do all these bailouts, takeovers, and spending sprees leave us? They leave us with a weak economy without job growth and with a mountain of debt for our kids,” said Toomey. “Washington spending as a percentage of our country’s economic output has grown by twenty-five percent–practically overnight. That extravagant spending has caused a budget deficit for this year alone of one-and-a-half trillion dollars. That’s a staggering amount of debt. In fact, this Democratic administration is projected to create more debt than all the debt we accumulated in the entire history of our country from George Washington all the way through 2008, combined.”
Obama Gulf Trip Part Vacation, Part Sales Pitch
The Associated Press reports: “President Barack Obama took his family to the Florida Panhandle on Saturday for a weekend trip billed as part vacation, part sales pitch as he tried to help boost the region’s tourism industry reeling after the Gulf oil spill. Perhaps the most intriguing question of the Obamas’ 27-hour dash south was whether the president — joined by first lady Michelle Obama, daughter Sasha (her sister Malia is at camp) and family dog Bo — would take a dip in the Gulf of Mexico. While the Obamas planned to enjoy the area’s recreational activities, the president also scheduled a meeting with small-business owners as the government’s focus shifts from plugging the oil leak to rebuilding the region’s economy.”
Karzai Asks Obama For Review Of Afghanistan War
Reuters reports: “Afghan President Hamid Karzai has asked U.S. President Barack Obama to review how the war in Afghanistan is being conducted as civilian deaths continue to rise, Karzai’s office said on Saturday. A statement issued by the presidential palace said Obama agreed in a video call to start talking about a review, which Karzai also proposed in a letter. ‘The two presidents agreed that discussions regarding a strategic review of the more effective ways of fighting terrorism should begin,’ the statement, written in Dari, said.”
Barney Frank To Liberals: Target Conservative Dems In Primaries — But Only In Blue Districts
Roll Call reports: “House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) has some advice for liberal activists upset at the votes of the party’s conservative members: defeat them in primaries — but only in safe Democratic districts. Frank told liberals at a Congressional Progressive Caucus foundation event in Los Angeles in April that primaries are the place to push for more liberal Members. ‘I said don’t defeat conservative Democrats in November … the place to do that is in the primary,’ Frank said Friday in an interview. But Frank added his caveat that such a primary challenge should only come in districts where a more liberal candidate would win in November.”
Dems Consider More Food Stamp Cuts To Fund Child Nutrition Bill
The Hill reports: “Democrats who reluctantly slashed a food stamp program to fund a state aid bill may have to do so again to pay for a top priority of first lady Michelle Obama. The House will soon consider an $8 billion child nutrition bill that’s at the center of the first lady’s “Let’s Move” initiative. Before leaving for the summer recess, the Senate passed a smaller version of the legislation that is paid for by trimming the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps. The proposed cuts would come on top of a 13.6 percent food stamp reduction in the $26 billion Medicaid and education state funding bill that President Obama signed this week.”
Ben Quayle: Obama ‘Starting To Destroy The American Dream’
Appearing on CNN, Congressional candidate Ben Quayle (R-AZ), son of former Vice President Dan Quayle, stood by his recent ad in which he declared that President Obama is the worst president ever, describing Obama as “an ideologue from a leftist bed.” “The future that he [President Obama] has created for my generation and other generations is pretty terrifying,” said Quayle. “It seems like right now he’s starting to destroy the American dream.”
