America saw a different President Obama yesterday. Over the last two years, the president’s job was to repair the economy and to make us safer. He has failed at both but at least he appeared to be trying — his failures were arguably attributable to inexperience, misguidance, and incompetence. Yesterday, however, the president went from being wrong to being deceptive and intellectually dishonest.
The peril of our nation’s present fiscal course has been amply documented. The facts are settled. The president’s own bipartisan deficit commission proposed entitlement and spending reforms to restore fiscal responsibility. The Republicans in the House of Representatives and Chairman Paul Ryan have offered alternative reforms of their own. With the resulting national recognition of financial peril, the country was presented with a once-in-a-generation opportunity. As the president summoned the nation, change was hoped for. Demagoguery, divisiveness, and deception is what we got.
Of course, it was predictable that the president would call for “tax hikes for the rich” even as he surely knows that extending the Bush tax cuts has been the single feature of the December tax compromise that has contributed most to stimulating the economy. And as he excoriates millionaires and billionaires — a politically delicious target — he also surely knows that the higher taxes he promises will impair America’s vital small businesses, depressing job and income growth for everyone.
Even so, if these shortcomings had been the only fault of the president’s speech, his performance would at least have been consistent with those of his past. But in refusing to endorse any — any — substantive reforms of our runaway spending and entitlement programs, and in impugning the motives of those who have put forward such proposals, the president’s performance went from wrong to bad.
The matter of spending and reform is no longer about politics. It is about preserving America’s future. The president’s descent is disheartening and dangerous.
Well said Mr. Romney. I hope the entire Republican establishment continues to come down hard on Obama over his duplicitous comments yesterday. We need to be united and have a simple and coherent message. This is a good start.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"America saw a different President Obama yesterday."
Oh, really? Looked and sounded like the same Obama some of us have been seeing for a few years. Good gravy, if this man is nominated for presidency we are screwed.
Hey (R)s: stop dancing around this buffoon. Geez, this is so frustrating.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTravis,
Maybe you should have continued reading? If not the full article, then at least merely the first few lines.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt's very important to focus on the dishonesty in the President's speech.
The country needs to understand that the criticism of the speech, and the President, is not solely a reflection of policy disagreements.
There are a lot of examples of dishonesty in the speech. Here's one that stuck in my craw.
This line from yesterday's speech really got my goat:
"As a result of these bipartisan efforts, America’s finances were in great shape by the year 2000. We went from deficit to surplus. America was actually on track to becoming completely debt-free, and we were prepared for the retirement of the Baby Boomers. "
This statement is objectionable on a lot of levels, including the veiled shot taken by the President at George Bush.
But more importantly, how can anyone, let alone the President—who represents all Americans and who has the job of leading this discussion—make a statement which is so blatantly false on the facts?
America's finances were in "great shape" in 2000, and all of the fiscal problems have occurred in the last 11 years?
This kind of dishonesty should cause all Americans to question the President's character and fitness. And possibly worse, his motives.
I did not trust the President before yesterday, but I trust him a lot less today.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Wrong to dishonest?" "Descent?" "America saw?"
Mr. Romney: I doubt you speak for America and you certainly don't speak for me: I saw and learned nothing new about Obama yesterday.
Good of you to wake up, though.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI was a little confused while reading this. THEN I noticed the by-line. Ahh. Understood.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOf course, if you are starting from that premise that "even as he surely knows that extending the Bush tax cuts has been the single feature of the December tax compromise that has contributed most to stimulating the economy." However, there are many people who are well-respected economists and business people who do not believe that.
And that is the difference. Mr Romney "knows" the truth. Most people can only have opinions about such a complex subject as the US economy, taxes, and macroeconomics.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseFinally, Mitt. Enough pussyfooting around. Learn from Donald Trump. Speak the truth. Out loud.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAll true enough, but as usual there's nothing original in this critique, and nothing that wasn't already covered by a thousand other commentators 24 hours ago.
Why do the ghostwriters for this particular empty suit get to regurgitate their pablum in the Corner? Where are the ghostwritten posts from Pawlenty or Trump or Gary Johnson or Ron Paul or Rand Paul or Haley Barbour or Michele Bachman or Chris Christie or Mitch Daniels? The rest of the field has its flaws, but this is one cycle where we absolutely can't afford to nominate the insider with name recognition just because it's "his turn".
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseJust yesterday, Mr. Romney? Maybe this is why a person such as Donald Trump can tie you in these early polls (yes I know they mean next to nothing, but hey).
If you want my vote, and I suspect the vote of many others may hinge on this as well, you need to stop pretending (or are you serious?) that Obama has been acting in good faith. He has not. Almost anyone paying attention knows this.
Stop being such a Pull-My-String pol and let us know that YOU know the score.
Yeesh.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI have to admit, I have been no Romney fan, and give low marks due to East Coast RINO act. However, this improves his standing as it will take a Republican to tell it like it is and not tip toe around with Obama as he actively takes our nation over the cliff at an ever accelerated pace intentionally. He has done nothing to improve anything, but much to guide us in exactly the fiscal death spiral that will collapse not only America, but the entire world.
We might not make it to 2012 to be perfectly blunt. However, between now and then I am supporting whoever it is that has the intestinal fortitude and spine to call it like it is and part ways from traditional decorum and traditions within politics as Obama is no President as we have ever had, and deserves no respect as such. His agenda and tactics warrant a sharp and direct frontal assault on ever facet of his actions, behaviors, contradictions and lies.
Republican's seeking the White House need to treat this President more as an enemy of the State as opposed to the current leader. Bill Clinton was as American as Apple Pie by comparison, disagree as I did politically, he was always intelligent, respectful, part clever and part crook to the degree it was humorous as opposed to hideous. Obama is so far left in a league of his own I would rather have Joe The Plumber as President right about now, at least he would have America's interest at heart. Obama has America's destruction at heart with a smile on his face as the days pass by.
I have always said whoever held the office was my President no matter how much disagreement there was, out of respect for the office and the difficult tasks involved. Differing political views ebb and flow. However I denounce Obama as my President as I view him more as I would Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran as I feel they have the exact same agenda by a different means.
Reid, Schummer and Pelosi are every bit of the same composition. I am not sure what took place behind closed doors once MoveOn.Org bought and paid for the Democratic Party way back when, but it has turned into the Anti-American racket ever since that election. Issa had better be attempting to get to the bottom of Holder, Obama, these meeting away from the White House et al. This is by far the most corrupt government is U.S. history and everyone seems to simply be whistling past the graveyard.
We are still bombing Libya without any Congressional approval. The precedent has been established, at what point will Obama start bombing Israel while Congress is at recess? I wouldn't be surprised one bit. I just hope our military leaders are not so stupid and aware of who their boss is.
Lastly, why do Republican's keep lining up to look foolish with this clown? If you get invited to an Obama speech, that's because you are his opening act and finale. I would simply not attend anything other than official business with this guy. He is disrespectful, snide, contemptuous, rude, abusive, and a hypocritical liar from one day to the next on every policy or speech he gives.
One thing is certain, there is no limit to the available footage of his own words to run against him with, you couldn't write the stuff I can recall off the top of my head that can be used to have him sink himself. He is like the man with 40 personalities.
Keep it up Romney, there might be hope for you yet. We sure don't want a weak kneed McCain gentleman this time, we need someone that is as PO'd about where our country is going as we the citizens are. This is not a typical historic election or era, this is going to end via Civil War if this guy gets re-elected because we will be eating our shoes for dinner by 2017.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMr. Romney, I am afraid I can't agree, after watching barack's performance in the health care matter, that "Demagoguery, divisiveness, and deception" are anything new for him.
His performance yesterday was very much typical of the man.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI'm with the Colonel. This patent intellectual dishonesty is Obama's stock in trade. The only thing that can even be remotely new is the rawness of his actions.
I said before the election that Barack Obama is a very dangerous man and must never become president. I would love to have been wrong, but it seems that my assessment wasn't nearly bleak enough.
What will this man be doing to us when November 2012 rolls around?
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuseto paraphrase: Let's call a liar a "liar". No need to p*ssy-foot around "intellectual dishonesty." Obama is a flat out liar. Romney is a gentleman, but Obama is not.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWe need a nominee like Romney who will really let Obama have it while not being too divisive/shocking as to turn off independent voters (as would Palin, Newt, Trump).
Romney's definitely "the adult in the room" and his record of economic sucess in both the public and private sectors will prove a vital and important contrast to Obama's imcompetence.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWell, yeah, Sean. I know he's a liar. But I wouldn't want to insult all of the honest, hardworking liars that we all know and love by comparing them to Obama.
I was listening to him speak yesterday on the radio and I was screaming in response to all of his lies, deceits, strawmen...
He was just awful.
What did we do to deserve such an unworthy man as our leader?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWho in America believes anything this man says anymore?
Of those who do, who has any good reason to do so?
He has continuously demonstrated his ability and willingness to say anything to try to get elected. If he claimed that new grass is green I'd have to seriously rethink my view on the subject....
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"The president’s descent is disheartening and dangerous."
This is exactly the tone in which all criticism for Obama should be....Mitt Romney's use of words here is very good.
I hope the Republicans are wise enough to elect this man to run against Obama.....realistically Romney is the only man with the power to get Obama out of office.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMitt, while your criticism of the President is welcome. It is far too mild.
I would suggest that if you wish to become the standard bearer of the party, you must focus on Mr. Obama's direct responsibility for the orgy of spending over the past two years, and his complicity in the failure of the last Congress to even pass a budget, with both houses of the Congress and the Presidency in the same party.
The volume of spending by the federal government, the acceleration of the interjection of that same government into areas constitutionally reserved to individuals or the states have been grossly aggravated by this administration.
I, like a lot of conservatives, have significant reservations about your candidacy. If you want a shot at our votes, you need to take on and expose the myriad fiscal and legal abuses by this administration.
I personally doubt you can, but I hope that you can prove me wrong.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDirect hit. Let's tie the debt ceiling to full Obamacare repeal...lead the charge Mr. Romney, and erase some of the doubts people like me have about MA gov't run healthcare.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse