Obama Continues to Blame Others for Nation's Struggles

[soonercruiser]

OK! It's another Obama administration bashing post.
But as long as big lips keeps flapping them at hard working Americans, he deserves the "shout out"!

If you have been watching any news worth it's salt this week, you noticed that Obama took time out during his trip to Hawaii to claim laziness by Americans as the fault for not attracting more foreign businesses.

You might even say (justifiably) that the context was important when talking about international trade.

But, what has big lips done to make American businesses more attractive to foreign investment...let alone buying our products?
Has he dealt with foreign trade or currency inequalities?
Has he and his administartioin's agencies made life easier for businesses?

The lip service he gives, merely hides the underlying inability to set aside his idiology for a moment to help the economy.
*The Keystone XL pipeline decision is a perfect example. Despite the concrete opposition in Kansas to the planned route, there were already studies done of alternate routes. The pipeline already exists along that planned route (merely doubles capacity). And, the southern portion from Cushing, OK, is not controversial and sorely needed to increase oil refining along the Gulf coast.

The title of this op-ed in the today's Daily Oklahoman (Opinion Page) was..."Obama Continues to Blame Others for Nation's Struggles"



For Obama, finger of blame always points elsewhere
The Oklahoman Editorial Oklahoman 0 Published: November 17, 2011

PRESIDENT Barack Obama found time during his trip to Hawaii last weekend to blame American laziness for what he sees as the country's poor job in attracting foreign business. It was par for the course for this president, who seems to enjoy bashing the United States and who never fails to point fingers when explaining his dismal performance thus far.
http://newsok.com/for-obama-finger-of-blame-always-points-elsewhere/article/3623820?custom_click=headlines_widgetRead more: http://newsok.com/for-obama-finger-of-blame-always-points-elsewhere/article/3623820#ixzz1e5pYCrPo

Hey business guys!
What would it take to attract more foreign business to the USA?
More union power!
More EPA rules and regulations?
Higher taxes on small and medium size businesses?
What?

Apparently the King thinks that he doesn't play any big role in the process.
:hopelessness:

[Trophy Husband]

Nothing to see here, business as usual.

[Trophy Husband]

OK! It's another Obama administration bashing post.
But as long as big lips keeps flapping them at hard working Americans, he deserves the "shout out"!

If you have been watching any news worth it's salt this week, you noticed that Obama took time out during his trip to Hawaii to claim laziness by Americans as the fault for not attracting more foreign businesses.

You might even say (justifiably) that the context was important when talking about international trade.

But, what has big lips done to make American businesses more attractive to foreign investment...let alone buying our products?
Has he dealt with foreign trade or currency inequalities?
Has he and his administartioin's agencies made life easier for businesses?

The lip service he gives, merely hides the underlying inability to set aside his idiology for a moment to help the economy.
*The Keystone XL pipeline decision is a perfect example. Despite the concrete opposition in Kansas to the planned route, there were already studies done of alternate routes. The pipeline already exists along that planned route (merely doubles capacity). And, the southern portion from Cushing, OK, is not controversial and sorely needed to increase oil refining along the Gulf coast.

The title of this op-ed in the today's Daily Oklahoman (Opinion Page) was..."Obama Continues to Blame Others for Nation's Struggles"


Read more: http://newsok.com/for-obama-finger-of-blame-always-points-elsewhere/article/3623820#ixzz1e5pYCrPo

Hey business guys!
What would it take to attract more foreign business to the USA?
More union power!
More EPA rules and regulations?
Higher taxes on small and medium size businesses?
What?

Apparently the King thinks that he doesn't play any big role in the process.
:hopelessness:

It's Bush's fault.

[badger]

As much as it irritates me to see President Obama resort to blaming Republicans in his speeches to Congress, to voters, to anyone who will listen, it equally irritates me that other elected officials in Washington DC are about as willing to compromise as the stubborn mules and lazy elephants that they are.

We want to balance the budget? Great! Let's do it... ok, we're not going anywhere, why not? Because Republicans refuse to raise taxes! OK, maybe we can work on that... no we can't? Well, there's gotta be wiggle room elsewhere... Democrats will not agree to cut programs till Republicans agree to raise taxes? Wow, we're not moving, are we?

So yeah, the blame game is annoying, but seriously, elected officials, do something, dammit.

[cleller]

As much as it irritates me to see President Obama resort to blaming Republicans in his speeches to Congress, to voters, to anyone who will listen, it equally irritates me that other elected officials in Washington DC are about as willing to compromise as the stubborn mules and lazy elephants that they are.

We want to balance the budget? Great! Let's do it... ok, we're not going anywhere, why not? Because Republicans refuse to raise taxes! OK, maybe we can work on that... no we can't? Well, there's gotta be wiggle room elsewhere... Democrats will not agree to cut programs till Republicans agree to raise taxes? Wow, we're not moving, are we?

So yeah, the blame game is annoying, but seriously, elected officials, do something, dammit.

I think voters on on both sides the aisle can agree on that point. Catch-22 politics while the clock ticks and debt mounts. The intractability on both sides is infuriating, at least to me.

[soonercruiser]

As much as it irritates me to see President Obama resort to blaming Republicans in his speeches to Congress, to voters, to anyone who will listen, it equally irritates me that other elected officials in Washington DC are about as willing to compromise as the stubborn mules and lazy elephants that they are.

We want to balance the budget? Great! Let's do it... ok, we're not going anywhere, why not? Because Republicans refuse to raise taxes! OK, maybe we can work on that... no we can't? Well, there's gotta be wiggle room elsewhere... Democrats will not agree to cut programs till Republicans agree to raise taxes? Wow, we're not moving, are we?

So yeah, the blame game is annoying, but seriously, elected officials, do something, dammit.


Badger,
The behind the scenes story on the Super Committee is, that the Repugs have presented several actual "proposals", and the Demoncrats have presented none.
Only "no's" to the other side's proposals.
That means that they (Demoncrats) do not want an agreement.
Their plan is to have the committe fail; the country fail; and blame the Repugs in the next election.
That's all they have!

[badger]

Badger,
The behind the scenes story on the Super Committee is, that the Repugs have presented several actual "proposals", and the Demoncrats have presented none.
Only "no's" to the other side's proposals.
That means that they (Demoncrats) do not want an agreement.
Their plan is to have the committe fail; the country fail; and blame the Repugs in the next election.
That's all they have!

That is a losing strategy for them, because the country still assumes that Dems are in control of DC by virtue of having the Oval Office and the Senate. If something doesn't happen, it won't be Republicans that are blamed, no matter what Obama or the Dems say.

It is very telling that Occupy Wall Streeters are blaming Dems and Obama in the same breath as blaming Republicans, just as it was very telling that Tea Partiers were blaming Republicans in the same breath and Dems and Obama.

Both sides = angry at inaction.

[diverdog]

OK! It's another Obama administration bashing post.
But as long as big lips keeps flapping them at hard working Americans, he deserves the "shout out"!

If you have been watching any news worth it's salt this week, you noticed that Obama took time out during his trip to Hawaii to claim laziness by Americans as the fault for not attracting more foreign businesses.

You might even say (justifiably) that the context was important when talking about international trade.

But, what has big lips done to make American businesses more attractive to foreign investment...let alone buying our products?
Has he dealt with foreign trade or currency inequalities?
Has he and his administartioin's agencies made life easier for businesses?

The lip service he gives, merely hides the underlying inability to set aside his idiology for a moment to help the economy.
*The Keystone XL pipeline decision is a perfect example. Despite the concrete opposition in Kansas to the planned route, there were already studies done of alternate routes. The pipeline already exists along that planned route (merely doubles capacity). And, the southern portion from Cushing, OK, is not controversial and sorely needed to increase oil refining along the Gulf coast.

The title of this op-ed in the today's Daily Oklahoman (Opinion Page) was..."Obama Continues to Blame Others for Nation's Struggles"


Read more: http://newsok.com/for-obama-finger-of-blame-always-points-elsewhere/article/3623820#ixzz1e5pYCrPo

Hey business guys!
What would it take to attract more foreign business to the USA?
More union power!
More EPA rules and regulations?
Higher taxes on small and medium size businesses?
What?

Apparently the King thinks that he doesn't play any big role in the process.
:hopelessness:

Did you really need to say that?

[diverdog]

BTW this rant would be really good except for one thing. Tell me exactly what Bush did to attract new business to the US? We have had a bad business environment for a long time and some of that is the result of 9/11 and stupid immigration laws.


Fueling the administration's worry: indications that foreign investment on plants and factories here is lagging behind overall economic growth. In 2006, foreigners pumped $184 billion into buying or establishing U.S. plants and factories. That was a sharp increase from 2005, but little changed from 1998 even though U.S. economic output now is 26% greater.
The stagnant foreign presence also is reflected in employment at foreign-owned operations in the USA, which declined nearly 10% from 2000 to 2005, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. As a percentage of private employment, the 5.1 million Americans working for U.S. offshoots of foreign companies represent the lowest level since 1998.U.S. officials aren't certain how much of the foreign fizzle is due to the rising appeal of other countries or temporary factors and how much stems from a genuine turnabout in foreigners' view of the business climate here. While still chief executive of Goldman Sachs, Paulson said, he often encountered foreign executives who wondered, "Are we really open?"The Treasury chief also has fretted publicly about the competitiveness of U.S. capital markets, which he says have been losing stock listings to foreign exchanges because of regulatory costs — an assertion challenged by recent research.
Malan, whose organization represents U.S. subsidiaries of foreign corporations such as AstraZeneca and Volvo, welcomes the administration's new activism as "an important signal to the international business community."

and to throw another monkeywrench into your rant:


President Barack Obama (http://topics.bloomberg.com/barack-obama/)’s “tsunami” of new government regulations looks more like a summer swell.Obama’s White House has approved fewer regulations than his predecessor George W. Bush at this same point in their tenures, and the estimated costs of those rules haven’t reached the annual peak set in fiscal 1992 under Bush’s father, according to government data reviewed by Bloomberg News.
The average annual cost to businesses under Obama is higher than under his predecessors, the Bloomberg review shows. The increase is estimated to total as little as $100 million or as much as $4.1 billion, or at most three one-hundredths of a percent of the total economy.
The scope of government regulation has emerged as a major issue in the 2012 presidential race and on Capitol Hill (http://topics.bloomberg.com/capitol-hill/). Republican presidential candidates have accused Obama of stifling job creation by imposing rules on businesses, and House Republicans have vowed to rein in proposed regulations on everything from the environment to health care to banking.
“This is getting picked up and talked about, but not for any good reason,” Michael Livermore, executive director of the Institute for Policy Integrity at the New York University School of Law (http://topics.bloomberg.com/new-york-university-school-of-law/), said in an interview. “There’s nothing new about this attack: It comes and goes in good times and in bad.”

[Trophy Husband]

It's Bush's fault

[diverdog]

It's Bush's fault

Didn't say that. But it doesn't help that we have had back to back crappy presidents.

[diverdog]

Another view:


(CNN) -- For all of our talk of Americans being straight shooters who don't like to mince words and have the freedom of speech to say exactly what's on our minds, we sure punk out when it comes to elected officials speaking the truth.Case in point: President Barack Obama describing American corporations as being "lazy" in competing globally.
Now, if you hear that word by itself, you would think, "Man, that's horrible our president said such a thing." But here is EXACTLY what he said during a conversation with Boeing's CEO as they discussed American businesses selling more products overseas, and attracting foreign investment to the U.S.:
"You know, we've been a little bit lazy, I think, over the last couple of decades. We've kind of taken for granted, well, people will want to come here, and we aren't out there hungry selling America, and trying to attract new businesses into America."
That's it. Was he talking about workers turning out cars in Detroit? Nope. Was President Obama dissing manufacturing workers in North Carolina? Not at all. He was talking about Americans being far more aggressive in trying to sell our wares abroad.
That's it. Simple. Easy. And on point.
Then all of a sudden, Texas Gov. Rick Perry used the word in an ad, not even bothering with the context. Fox anchor Martha MacCallum said Obama was "scolding" Americans. Sean Hannity, never one to let facts get in the way of a good lie, said Obama "attacked" Americans. And the king of taking anything out of context, Rush Limbaugh, said the president "insults the people who make this country work."
Seriously, please pass the cup so these folks can take a drug test because they are hallucinating.
This is the problem with the stubborn belief in American exceptionalism: It assumes that no matter what the issue, Americans are the best in the world and can't be topped or beaten.
There is another word for this: arrogance.
Yes, it's true. Americans can be absolutely arrogant when it comes to competing with the rest of the world.
A few months ago I read a story where American college students were dismayed that they had to apply for jobs overseas. Well, if that's where multinational corporations are hiring, then we might have to learn to get a passport, hop on the plane, and learn how to Skype in order to talk to family members. Are we so arrogant to think the rest of the world is desperate to come here and we may not have to go to other countries?
We can't continue to act like our stuff doesn't stink. There are many areas where Americans are lazy, and in the words of President George W. Bush, we must end "the soft bigotry of low expectations."
Maybe this comes from our view of sports. It used to be on the national sporting stage, the attitude of America in gymnastics, boxing, track and field, basketball and numerous other sports was that we could just wake up, walk into a stadium with the American flag on our chest, and everyone else would faint, allowing us to win.
Well, that ain't gonna cut it. And when we lose, Americans totally freak out, wondering how we got beat. Easy. H-A-R-D W-O-R-K.
We need a dose of reality at times to remind us that to to be the best, we must have the right work ethic.
According to the Broad Education Foundation (http://broadeducation.org/about/crisis_stats.html):

-- 68% of American eighth graders can't read at grade level and won't catch up-- American students rank 21st in science compared to students in 30 industrialized countries
-- America's top math students rank 25th out of 30 countries

In 2000, the last time The World Health Organization ranked the top health systems in the world, the U.S. was 37th, behind France (first); Oman (eighth); and Chile (33rd).
Maybe part of the problem is the American culture rewards weakness. If America wants to be the absolute best, we must stop telling our children that they are so exceptional when they are not. If your kid can't shoot, pass, dribble or rebound, guess what? They are terrible at basketball and should find a new sport. If it's just about the enjoyment, fine. But if it's about winning, they can't cut it.
I was talking to a CNN colleague whose mother is a teacher and she said that her mom can't grade papers in red ink anymore because that is considered too aggressive. Really? Has America become so weak that we can't even handle a school paper graded in red?
I'm sick of us giving awards at schools just because we don't want a kid to feel bad. Guess what? Suck it up. First, second and third is fine with me. You finished eighth? Tough. No ribbon for you. No apologies.
Notre Dame's Brian Kelly and Nebraska's Bo Pelini had to apologize because folks complained about them yelling and shouting at their players on the sidelines. Thank God Vince Lombardi and Knute Rockne are dead. We would run them out of town!
In Walter Isaacson's excellent book, "Steve Jobs," the co-founder of Apple is blasted by some for his treatment of workers and competitors. Was some of Jobs' stuff over the top? Sure. But what was he trying to do? He was trying to create a world-class company that could withstand the test of time and wasn't filled with a bunch of B players. He wanted excellence in every spot, and would rather fire a B or C player on the spot than accept shoddy work.
Hey, I'm down with the philosophy of Jobs. Those are the kind of companies I've worked for in the past, and I was taught that if you want to win at something, you better be the best. Heck, even Jobs wasn't above criticizing President Obama, saying that one of the reasons he was on his way to a one-term presidency was because, "He's having trouble leading because he's reluctant to offend people or **** them off."
"Yes, that's not a problem I ever had," Isaacson quotes Jobs as saying.
Now that's some real talk.
I'll guarantee you this: Weak and lazy corporate bosses allow weak and lazy employees to stick around. And weak and lazy employees tend to turn out a weak and sorry product that nobody wants. And weak and lazy people accept mediocrity with ease.
America, it's time to suck it up. If we love the harsh and in-your-face American Idol/X Factor judging of Simon Cowell, then we should accept it in the real world. This nation needs a swift kick in the butt, and there is nothing wrong when President Obama says it. If House Speaker John Boehner said the same, I would be hollering, "Amen!"
If America wants to maintain it's position as a great nation, then we are going to have to roll up our sleeves and out-think, out-learn, out-hustle and out-work everyone.
So Gov. Perry, instead of spending time taking President Obama out of context in an ad, you need to work harder in debates. Herman Cain, you don't like the president using the word lazy? Then bone up on foreign affairs. Republicans and Democrats unhappy with President Obama challenging our corporate leaders, stop kicking the can down the road on the tough budget stuff and make a principled, not partisan, call.
We have been better and can be better. So let's do better. Today.

[Trophy Husband]

Maybe part of the problem is the American culture rewards weakness.

of finance it via guvment handouts


If America wants to maintain it's position as a great nation, then we are going to have to roll up our sleeves and out-think, out-learn, out-hustle and out-work everyone.

Agree 100%, and that's why I don't understand the "victim" mentality the left preaches.


This nation needs a swift kick in the butt, and there is nothing wrong when President Obama says it.

That's fine as long as he's willing to get in the same line with the others that need a "swift kick in the butt". When he talks about America's short comings he does so as if he's excluded from them. Make no mistake, Obama's is not trying to motivate Americans when he says the things he has said. He believe if he is willing to put down America, it will somehow make him look better in the eyes of the rest of the world.

World Health Organization rankings? Are you F'ing kidding me?

[Trophy Husband]

Didn't say that. But it doesn't help that we have had back to back crappy presidents.

The left has been saying that since the day Obama got elected, and has NEVER stopped. You may not have said it but Obama and his ilk damn sure have. At what point does he become responsible for his miserable policies?

[cleller]

I've found his attacks on Grover Cleveland particularly tasteless.

[dwarthog]

That is a losing strategy for them, because the country still assumes that Dems are in control of DC by virtue of having the Oval Office and the Senate. If something doesn't happen, it won't be Republicans that are blamed, no matter what Obama or the Dems say.

It is very telling that Occupy Wall Streeters are blaming Dems and Obama in the same breath as blaming Republicans, just as it was very telling that Tea Partiers were blaming Republicans in the same breath and Dems and Obama.

Both sides = angry at inaction.


WSJ/NBC polling from Nov 8th indicated that the narrative with regards to who is getting the blame for the "problems" is in fact currently being won by the Dems, with 56% of the respondents blaming Republicans in Congress.

I don't know if the Dem's internal polling is coming up with the same results, however I am suspicious that it is given the tenacity with which they are holding onto their current position.

The hope would be that eventually more reasonable folks such as yourself would prevail, personally I am not overly optimistic that will be the case.

[soonercruiser]

BTW this rant would be really good except for one thing. Tell me exactly what Bush did to attract new business to the US? We have had a bad business environment for a long time and some of that is the result of 9/11 and stupid immigration laws.
and to throw another monkeywrench into your rant:

Stop with the deflection tactic, Diver!
Boosh hasn't been president for 3 years!

[soonercruiser]

I've found his attacks on Grover Cleveland particularly tasteless.

:onthego:

[diverdog]

Stop with the deflection tactic, Diver!
Boosh hasn't been president for 3 years!

Cruiser;

You guys are still blaming Roosevelt and Clinton. Fair is Fair. Bush bears a lot of the responsibility for the economy. So does Obama.