Senate Republicans tell Obama to tone down political attacks

[ErikJ]

WASHINGTON — Polite yet firm, Senate Republicans told President Barack Obama on Thursday to tone down his political attacks and prod Democratic allies to support controversial changes in Medicare if he wants a compromise reducing deficits and providing stability to federal benefit programs.
Participants at a 90-minute closed-door meeting said Obama acknowledged the point without yielding ground — and noted that Republicans criticize him freely.
"To quote an old Chicago politician, 'Politics ain't beanbag,' " the president said.
The discussion came as Obama wrapped up a highly publicized round of meetings with rank-and-file lawmakers in both parties and both houses of Congress in hopes of building support for a second-term agenda of deficit reduction, immigration overhaul and gun control.
Obama met with Senate Republicans and House Democrats as legislation to lock in $85 billion in spending cuts and avert a government shutdown later this month made plodding progress in Congress and the two parties advanced rival longer-term budgets in both houses.
No breakthroughs had been anticipated and none were reported in the closed-door sessions, although Obama told reporters before returning to the White House, "We're making progress."
In the Senate, several Republicans told the president his rhetoric was not conducive to compromise.
Sen. John Thune of South Dakota referred to a recent interview in which Obama said some Republicans want to eviscerate Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
"Nobody here believes those programs ought to be gutted," Thune told Obama, the senator later recalled.
Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said the message to Obama had been: "Step one is to work with us, not just heckle and taunt us on the campaign trail, and step two is to lead." The Tennessee lawmaker said Obama must also "go against the grain in his own party," much as Lyndon Johnson did in winning civil-rights legislation from Congress in the 1960s or Richard Nixon did in forging an opening with China in the 1970s.
If nothing else, the reviews of Obama's meeting with Senate Republicans were uniformly positive.
"We'll see where we go from here, but it was a great meeting," said GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who normally is one of Obama's sharpest critics in Congress.

http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_22793924/senate-republicans-tell-obama-tone-down-political-attacks

[jollyreaper2112]

1. No negotiation

You do not negotiate with terrorists. If you do, you're a dumb fuck who's proving their tactics will work.

[sangsaran]

25. I think our problem is that he's one of them.

Romney was supposed to win. Now that Obama has won, he has to perform Romney's duties.

...I know it sounds like a whacked-out conspiracy theory, and maybe it is, but that's how it seems to me.

[LoisB]

37. He was always one of them, just a little less nuts. He is certainly an old-school

Republican. Liberal Obama ain't!

[forestpath]

42. Yep, he even called himself a Republican. Not that it isn't obvious.

[BobbyBoring]

50. If he was white.....

and had an R in his title, they would love him!

[Blandocyte]

2. Call the waaaaahmbulance n/t

[Volaris]

60. no shit. What's the matter, Mitch? Don't like getting hit with your own stick?

GOP Tactics in a nutshell:
ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK MOM HE HIT ME!!!!THAT'S NOT FAIR!!!!!

Well, Fuck you, Mitch

[lark]

3. Work with me

said Lucy (turtleface) to Charlie Brown (Obama) as she yanks the football away -again.

Yeah, Obama, just give the Repugs everything since you've already tried that and it works out so well every time. They are liars and cheats and can't be trusted with our country's social safety net.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

4. Lamar Alexander says "the Democrat Party" with emphasis on the "rat".

[liberal N proud]

5. If they can't stand the heat, maybe they should go home

[Fearless]

6. Tell that to House Republicans.

[Bluzmann57]

7. They can dish it out but they can't take it?

There is a word for that, but since it's not pc, I won't use it in here. But let's just say it stinks to high heaven.
The hell with the repukes. They lost. They need to deal with reality.

[AndyA]

8. The Republicans have a lot of nerve.

They are responsible in very large part for our deficit today. They are the ones who pushed through two wars, tax cuts, and a pharma bill that are the largest contributors to the current deficit.

They are also the ones who contributed to lax regulations that allowed greedy banks and corporations to screw up the economy, leading to the recession in 2008.

Let's also not forget the Republicans largely insist on subsidies for wealthy oil companies, and resist attempts to modify current tax laws that allow major profitable corporations to pay essentially zero taxes.

And the list goes on...

Our economic recovery could have been much stronger if the Republicans in the 112th Congress had worked with Democrats to pass jobs bills that would have created jobs and increased tax revenue. The GOP also resisted bills that would have helped our unemployed troops get back to work when they returned after serving their country.

All totaled, this is BILLIONS of dollars that could have helped pay down the deficit, or prevent it from ballooning out of control.

I call bull pucky on every Republican in Congress. They are the problem, and they are the ones who are not working with Democrats to solve the problem.

When it comes to political attacks, let me remind them of the Obama birth certificate controversy, stating that their priority was to make sure Obama was a one term President, their lack of respect by a GOP member interrupting the SOTU speech, dispersing lies as facts, etc.

They really have no room to talk, so they should shut the hell up, they are the problem.

[ErikJ]

26. They also conspired to vote against every single thing Obama wanted the night of his 2009 Inaugural

[oldhippydude]

31. Andy please the deficit is coming down

not ballooning out of control thanks! that's their talking point, the administration as already taken steps to break the back on the deficit issue

[AndyA]

41. Yes, I know the deficit has been dropping under President Obama

Rachel Maddow covered it on her show last week. Most of the public doesn't understand this, however. While President Obama has made great strides in reducing the deficit, think how much lower it would be if Congress had done their job and worked with him to get the job numbers in better shape.

Still, that does not absolve the Republicans for standing in the way of progress, nor does it forgive them of the responsibility for the uncontrolled growth during the Bushco years.

I'd like to know why every Democrat isn't pointing out how much the deficit has dropped since President Obama took office. Seems like they're missing an opportunity to educate.

[oldhippydude]

47. yep, yep... we are getting or info from the same source...

well for one thing about an opportunity to educate... we tend to preach to the choir

[L0oniX]

34. To be fare ...all the Dems voted for the Iraq war too ...except (I believe) Denis K. n/t

[AndyA]

44. To truly be fair, we must consider the information the Dems had when they voted

Much of it was incorrect, or an outright lie. The "facts" were provided by Bushco and the GOP with the cooperation of the M$M had convinced the American people that Iraq was somehow involved with 9/11 and was making plans to be next to attack us.

I don't excuse the Dems for their votes, because they were wrong. 23 Dem Senators voted against the war, and 126 House Dems did as well, including Kucinich. They took a lot of heat for their votes, too, but history has shown that they were the real patriots.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

61. If WE knew Bush and friends were lying, whey didn't THEY?

Democrats voted for that war because they felt they needed to politically and for no other reason. This is why I chose Obama over Hillary Clinton in 2007.

[AndyA]

62. I don't know the answer to that

There was a lot of political pressure to go to war, fueled by the media allowing Bushco to repeat lies that had been debunked.

I feel President Obama should have opened a formal investigation into the lies we were told leading to the wars, but he didn't, just like he's never done anything about the bankers that crashed the economy. This sets a very bad precedent going forward.

[DainBramaged]

9. I have TWO words for Senate Republicans

and they AREN'T Merry Christmas

[AAO]

39. Does the second word start with a "Y"?

[NRaleighLiberal]

10. what utter bullshit. Ramp up the attacks!

[SCVDem]

11. Tone down?

Hell no! It's time for the President to go full viral on their ass!

Roll a video and let Obama answer the points as spoken by the Republicans.

Start with Mitch and his "one-term president" comment and explain that this was the start of the do nothing obstruction.

Keep the quotes clean and in full context, just expose the lies as they are spoken. See Jon Stewart.

Economics is too complicated and Fox has created a million experts. Their statements of misinformation need to be addressed side by side with the truth AND references. Womens issues, gun issues, etc. Americans AND house members didn't have a clue what the President was proposing on the budget. The same applies for every issue tainted by RW media propaganda.

This approach will create an entirely new way of doing what Ross Perot was doing years ago.

Their can be no Republican blowback without a factcheck reference, otherwise their response of lies will be the next town hall topic.

There can be only one truth! It's time America gets it.

[Berlum]

12. Chickenhawk Republicans like to dish it out, then whimp out.

[upaloopa]

13. Harold Washington, "Politics ain't mumbly peg"

[NewJeffCT]

14. My response is

to ask them if they want any cheese with their whine/

Aren't they the ones that said it was good for the GOP to oppose the black guy in the White House? (Of course, the GOP will respond by saying that it shows they've come a long way because they didn't say "N-----" in the Whte House.)

[AAO]

40. Jeez, that really does look like a repuke baby - probably a projectile repuke.

[UCmeNdc]

15. Senate Democrats need to respond to this challenge by saying Republicans need to stop

protecting the wealthy and stealing from the middle class.

Social Security and medicare are programs their labor has earned and Republicans need to stop trying to steal that money to protect the Rich.

It is all about how you frame your argument.

[4dsc]

63. That would take a leadership style that is absent

Sorry but when you have weak leadership you tend not to fight for the people.

[thelordofhell]

16. Tone down the political attacks???

From the filibustering, anonymous holding, obstructing Senate republicans?????

[L0oniX]

35. +1

[olddots]

56. thank you very much

I needed a laugh because I'm thinking of giving the repukian douche maggots what they want = Civil War #2 Armageddon A Go-Go .

[santamargarita]

17. Fuck a bunch of chicken shit Republican bastards...

You get nothing but lies and bullshit from this annual Republican circle jerk.

[CanonRay]

18. That means it's time to dial up the attacks

cuz they're getting nervous.

[Dryvinwhileblind]

19. "Nobody here believes those programs ought to be gutted" Sen. J. Thune (r) S.D.

Oh John...John, John, John..nobody here believes those lies ought to be believed! Hey John?, didn't you vote for the Ryan budget?, yes!, just three words, John...On The Issues...dot org, you're on the record, you disingenuous derelict.
Now then, about all that muslim/illegitimate/one term/socialist garbage.>>>FKM!

Edited for addition

[AAO]

43. They don't want to dig up the rose bush, just pinch it back HARD!

Then withhold water, nutrients, and sunshine, and voilà - program gutted!

[woo me with science]

20. What attacks? Such Orwellian bullshit.

Obama's not attacking them. He's planning to cut Social Security and Medicare as we speak.

This is as ludicrous as the thread quoting Limbaugh that Republicans have "lost."

[ailsagirl]

21. "Polite?" Yeah, right.

That word is not in their vernacular. They're the biggest bunch of boors, bastards, and boneheads ever (a little alliteration for emphasis).

What a preposterous request.

[TheBadWolf]

22. And this kind of thing is why it's best that I'm not the President.

Because I would tell them to go fuck themselves on live national television.

[SCVDem]

23. Me too! nt

[L0oniX]

33. Oh I could just hear the Sunday morning talking heads over that...

"Should Obama go fuck himself?" "What are the merits or downsides to Obama fucking himself?" "Will the economy improve if Obama fucks himself?" "Let's hear from The GoFuckYourSelf think tank ...over to Fox news. " FOX news: "well we have been fucking ourselves for a long time ...and we've gotten over all the butt hurt" GOP: "Well we've fucked ourselves so now its Obamas turn."

[Brigid]

38. Ooh, could I watch?

Bad Wolf for President!

[meegbear]

24. Why can't that Kenyian born, socialist Muslim respect civility??1?

[Paul E Ester]

27. Sounds like they are getting some heat from their constituents...nt

[The Magistrate]

28. He Does Not Hit Them One Tenth as Hard As He Ought To, Sir

Not one tenth as hard as they deserve.

[MillennialDem]

29. What a sign to move in for the kill. Obama won't though.

[Life Long Dem]

30. I get a kick out of...

how they blow off Obama's first 4 years of reaching across the aisle in order to try to compromise with them.

[L0oniX]

32. Hmmm ...the GOP message is ...you are hurting us. So keep doing it Obama!

Oh for fucks sake: Obama must also "go against the grain in his own party," much as Lyndon Johnson did in winning civil-rights legislation

Yea? Well you can start doing that with your own fucked up party ...assholes!

[AAO]

46. LBJ was going against racists - same as Obama, so republicans STFU!

[AAO]

36. Sayeth those completely dependent on political attacks just to keep their jobs.

[Arkana]

45. What the article doesn't tell you is that Obama had to clutch the lectern

because he was doubled up with laughter.

Seriously, these fucks have the sheer, poisonous GALL to complain about "political attacks"?

[markpkessinger]

48. Attacking them? . . .

Why, President Obama has had his hands quite full giving away the store, thank you. He has had no time to attack Republicans!

::SNARK::

[pennylane100]

49. Who knew that republicans had a sense of humor.

[Adsos Letter]

51. LOL! What a bunch of morons.

Which is, no doubt, an insult to morons everywhere.

[patrice]

52. a CANNED reaction from a bunch of mind-less ir-responsible lying robots. F- 'em!

[demwing]

53. Or else what?

[toddwv]

54. “They’re not freeloaders. They’re not liberals,” ~Marco Rubio

The GOP can stick their trunk where the sun doesn't shine.

[frylock]

55. GTFO

[dorksied]

57. TONE DOWN? F*** THAT.

We should be FLOODING the airwaves with attacks, all factually based, about their plans and misguided ideas. 2016 is going to be important for the future of our country, and we need to use the time we have to make it clear that Republicans are not working for the benefit if America.

[on point]

58. I say step them up! Can't take the heat? Then serve the 99% and not the 1%

[PuffedMica]

59. Republicans don't get to tell us what to do; We won - remember?