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Obama Hits Palin, Urges House To Pass Bailout Package

In a speech going on right now in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia suburb, Barack Obama wades a bit deeper into the action on the bailout package, urging the House to pass it today and making a specific reference to the impact he had on it.

From the prepared remarks:

It's a plan I voted for the other night - because I made sure it included taxpayer protections and wasn't simply a blank check like this administration initially asked for. And it's a plan that the House is going to be voting on soon. So to Democrats and Republicans in the House who are now on the fence, let me say this: do not make the same mistake twice. For the sake of our families, our economy, and our country, step up to the plate and pass this plan.
Obama, who has generally refrained from hitting Sarah Palin directly, also uses last night's debate to go after her for saying that the Obama-Biden plan would kill jobs.
You know, there were a lot of noteworthy moments in that debate, but there's one that sticks out this morning. It's when Governor Palin said to Joe Biden that our plan to get our economy out of the ditch was somehow a job killing plan.

I wonder if she turned on the news this morning.

Because it was just reported that America has experienced its ninth straight month of job loss. Just since January, we've lost more than 750,000 jobs across America, 7,000 in Pennsylvania alone. This is the economy that John McCain said - just two weeks ago - was fundamentally strong. This is the economy that my opponent said made great progress under the policies of George W. Bush. And those are the economic policies that he proposes to continue for another four years.

So when Senator McCain and his running mate talk about job killing, that's something they know a thing or two about. Because the policies they're supporting are killing jobs every single day.

Full prepared remarks after the jump.

You know, there were a lot of noteworthy moments in that debate, but there's one that sticks out this morning. It's when Governor Palin said to Joe Biden that our plan to get our economy out of the ditch was somehow a job killing plan.

I wonder if she turned on the news this morning.

Because it was just reported that America has experienced its ninth straight month of job loss. Just since January, we've lost more than 750,000 jobs across America, 7,000 in Pennsylvania alone. This is the economy that John McCain said - just two weeks ago - was fundamentally strong. This is the economy that my opponent said made great progress under the policies of George W. Bush. And those are the economic policies that he proposes to continue for another four years.

So when Senator McCain and his running mate talk about job killing, that's something they know a thing or two about. Because the policies they're supporting are killing jobs every single day.

Well, Abington, I am here to tell you that we cannot afford four more years of this. Because where I come from, there's nothing more fundamental than having the sense of meaning and purpose that comes with showing up at work in the morning. There's nothing more fundamental than being able to put your kids through college, or having health care when you get sick, or being able to retire with security. There's nothing more fundamental than a good paying job.

That's why we're here today - because we need to do what we did in the 1990s and create millions of new jobs and not lose them. We need to do what we did in the 1990s and make sure people's incomes are going up and not down. We need to do what a guy named Bill Clinton did in the 1990s and put people first again. That's why I'm running for President of the United States of America.

We've tried it their way. It hasn't worked. And it won't work now. But let me tell you what will work.

What will work is investing $15 billion a year over the next decade in renewable sources of energy like wind and solar - an investment that will generate five million new jobs that pay well and can't ever be outsourced. And by the way, we can end our dependence on foreign oil in the process, and nothing will help our economy more than that.

What will work is making an investment in rebuilding our crumbling roads, schools, and bridges. That will mean jobs for two million more Americans.

My opponent supports giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas. But what will work is giving those tax breaks to companies that create jobs here at home.

My opponent supports tax havens that let companies avoid paying taxes here in America - tax havens that cost $100 billion every year. But what will work is shutting those tax havens and closing corporate loopholes.

What will work is giving tax breaks to the small businesses that are the engine of economic growth in this country, and cutting taxes - hear me now - cutting taxes - for 95 percent of all working families. Under my plan, tax rates will actually be less than they were under Ronald Reagan.

That's what will work. And that's the kind of change Joe Biden and I are going to bring to Washington.

Now, let me be perfectly clear. The fact that our economy is in this mess is an outrage. It's an outrage because we did not get here by accident. This was not a normal part of the business cycle. This did not happen because of a few bad apples.

This financial crisis is a direct result of the greed and irresponsibility that has dominated Washington and Wall Street for years. It's the result of an economic philosophy that says we should give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else; a philosophy that views even the most common-sense regulations as unwise and unnecessary. Well, this crisis is nothing less than a final verdict on this failed philosophy - and it's a philosophy that will end when I'm President of the United States.

That's what this election is all about.

Because despite my opponent's best efforts to make you think otherwise, this is the philosophy he's embraced during his twenty-six years in Washington. And it shows just how out of touch he really is. How else could he offer $200 billion in tax cuts for big corporations at a time like this? How else could he propose giving the average Fortune 500 CEO a $700,000 tax cut at a time when millions of Americans are struggling to pay their bills? How else could he come up with an economic plan that leaves out more than 100 million middle class taxpayers?

Senator McCain just doesn't get it. Well, Abington, I do get it. And I think all of you get it too.

We know these are difficult times. We know how bad Pennsylvania has been hurting. But here's what I also know - I know we can steer ourselves out of this crisis. Because that's who we are. Because that's what Americans do. This is a nation that's faced tougher times than these - we've faced war and depression; great challenges and great threats. And at each and every moment, we've risen to meet these challenges because we've never forgotten that fundamental truth - that here, in this country, our destiny is not written for us; it's written by us.

Here, in the United States of America, the future is ours to shape. That's what we need to do right now. Part of what that means is passing the rescue plan that's before Congress. This is a plan that will help us deal with this immediate crisis and put our economy on a firmer footing. It's a plan I voted for the other night - because I made sure it included taxpayer protections and wasn't simply a blank check like this administration initially asked for. And it's a plan that the House is going to be voting on soon. So to Democrats and Republicans in the House who are now on the fence, let me say this: do not make the same mistake twice. For the sake of our families, our economy, and our country, step up to the plate and pass this plan.

But understand, even with this plan, we may face a long and difficult road to recovery. That's why, if I'm President, passing this rescue plan won't be the end of what we do to strengthen our economy, it'll be the beginning. It'll be the beginning of a long-term rescue plan for our middle class - a plan that will put opportunity within reach for anyone who's willing to fight for it.

Now, some people have asked whether our weakening economy means the next President will have to scale back his agenda. But I reject the idea that you can't build a strong middle class at a time when our economy is weak. Because I've got a different economic philosophy than John McCain - I believe that building a strong middle class is the key to making our economy strong. And that's what we'll do when I'm President of the United States.

So yes, we'll create millions of new jobs, and yes, we'll put more money back into the pockets of hardworking families. But we'll also do something more. We will reform our health care system so we can relieve families, businesses, and our economy from the crushing cost of health care by investing in new technology and preventative care. If you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. If you don't, you'll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves.

And we're going to stand up to the insurance companies. This is personal for me. My mother died when she was 53 from ovarian cancer, and you know what she was doing in her final months? She was in her hospital bed arguing with insurance companies about whether or not it was a preexisting condition. So I know the pain that's caused by our broken health care system. And that's why as President, I will stop insurance companies from discriminating against those who are sick and need care the most.

And another thing we know will work in the long term is to make sure that our education system is second to none so that every child in America has the skills they'll need to compete for high wage jobs in the 21st century. I've laid out a comprehensive plan to get there that will give our kids the opportunities they deserve.

When I spoke about that plan a while back, Senator McCain's top education advisor said that this isn't an issue he's been focused on.

Well, let me tell you, if you want to create jobs and grow this economy in the 21st century, you had better focus on education. Because we know that countries that out-teach us today will outcompete us tomorrow.

Finally, I will modernize our outdated financial regulations and put in place the common-sense rules of the road I've been calling for since March - rules that will keep our market free, fair, and honest; rules that will restore accountability and responsibility in the boardroom, and make sure Wall Street can never get away with the stunts that caused this crisis again.

But just as we demand accountability on Wall Street, we must also demand it in Washington. That's why I'm not going to stand here and simply tell you what I'm going to spend, I'm going to tell you how we're going to save when I am President.

I'll do what you do in your own family budgets and make sure we're spending money wisely. I will go through the entire federal budget, page by page, line by line, and eliminate programs that don't work and aren't needed. We'll start by ending a war in Iraq that's costing $10 billion a month while the Iraqi government sits on a $79 billion surplus. And we'll save billions more by cutting waste, improving management, and strengthening oversight.

These are the changes and reforms we need. A new era of responsibility and accountability on Wall Street and in Washington. Common-sense regulations to prevent a crisis like this from ever happening again. Investments in the technology and innovation that will restore prosperity and lead to new jobs and a new economy for the 21st century. Bottom-up growth that gives every American a fair shot at the American dream.

I won't pretend this will be easy or come without cost. We will all need to sacrifice and we will all need to pull our weight because now more than ever, we are all in this together. What this crisis has taught us is that at the end of the day, there is no real separation between Main Street and Wall Street. There is only the road we're traveling on as Americans - and we will rise or fall on that journey as one nation; as one people.

This country and the dream it represents are being tested in a way that we haven't seen in nearly a century. And future generations will judge ours by how we respond to this test. Will they say that this was a time when America lost its way and its purpose? When we allowed our own petty differences and broken politics to plunge this country into a dark and painful recession?

Or will they say that this was another one of those moments when America overcame? When we battled back from adversity by recognizing that common stake that we have in each other's success?

This is one of those moments. I realize you're cynical and fed up with politics. I understand that you're disappointed and even angry with your leaders. You have every right to be. But despite all of this, I ask of you what's been asked of the American people in times of trial and turmoil throughout our history. I ask you to believe - to believe in yourselves, in each other, and in the future we can build together.

Together, we cannot fail. Not now. Not when we have a crisis to solve and an economy to save. Not when there are so many Americans without jobs and without homes. Not when there are families who can't afford to see a doctor, or send their child to college, or pay their bills at the end of the month. Not when there is a generation that is counting on us to give them the same opportunities and the same chances that we had for ourselves.

We can do this. Americans have done this before. Some of us had grandparents or parents who said maybe I can't go to college but my child can; maybe I can't have my own business but my child can. I may have to rent, but maybe my children will have a home they can call their own. I may not have a lot of money but maybe my child will run for Senate. I might live in a small village but maybe someday my son can be president of the United States of America.

Now it falls to us. Together, we cannot fail. And I need you to make it happen. If you want the next four years looking like the last eight, then I am not your candidate. But if you want real change - if you want an economy that rewards work, and that works for Main Street and Wall Street; if you want tax relief for the middle class and millions of new jobs; if you want health care you can afford and education that helps your kids compete; then I ask you to knock on some doors, make some calls, talk to your neighbors, and give me your vote on November 4th. And if you do, I promise you - we will win Pennsylvania, we will win this election, and then you and I - together - will change this country and change this world. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless America.



47 Comments

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Wow! The section where he takes on Palin comments was awesome. Now that is the kind of offense he needs.

Oh yes, goodness, his rethoric gets better each day, increasingly better, lethal. Let them bastards have it.

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Obama is trying to thread the needle -- he wants to target tax cuts for the majority of Americans and increases taxes for the truly wealthy. As McCain reports it under Obama's plan the government will take in more taxes. In McCain's view, increase total taxes going to the government in the midst of a recession is a bad idea. This is a respectable position.

McCain's position is that he will reduce the total amount of taxes going to the government by holding taxes steady for most and increasing tax breaks for the wealthy and businesses.

Unfortunately both sides are blurring the debate. Obama claims he is not increasing taxes which is not true according to reputable economic analysis of his plans and McCain claims that Obama is going to increase your taxes which is not true for 95% of the country.

Obama needs to explain why under his plan increasing the tax take of the government is a good idea when we are facing recession.
Complaining about Bush is not a substitute for a clear explanation of why his plan can be expected to work.

GREAT line about killing jobs.

Yup. And that's really what the next month needs to be about: Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. And with a little bit about Jobs sprinkled in.

http://pufferfish.typepad.com/

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Yes, Obama's way of confronting an issue is simply to state the evidence. He doesn't need to get down in the mud... where the opposition resides. Just states the facts. (and as Biden says, they'll feel like it's hell)

I think the original was from "Give 'em Hell" Harry (Truman, that is):

"I never did give them hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell."

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He isn't really "hitting" Palin but did reference her comment that Obama-Biden will kill jobs.

With a dictionary of words to choose from, is it really necessary to suggest that Obama is hitting Palin?

I wonder if she turned on the news this morning.


Slow down son, you're killing 'em. /Puffy

I never thought I'd applaud a Diddy reference, well played sir.

He'd be hitting Palin if he mentioned she was twit. Here his just subtly pointing out that she doesn't keep up to speed with the news and that McCain's policies stink!

Notice he didn't say "read the news", but "turned on the news", since she, you know, can't name a single U.S. newspaper.

Heh, he should have said "I wonder, when she read all of the newspapers this morning, if she noticed..."

I'm just picturing her clumping up the world's newspapers together and jumping into them like a pile of leaves.

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Wow - he's hit the perfect note at the end. It's just perfect - he addresses everyone's frustration - acknowledges it which McLame was very late in even picking up on - he didn't get that until Obama made it clear.

McLame-Painful are like receding figures in my rear view mirror -

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I am so glad that he's hitting back on the "killing jobs" argument. Republicans always treat it as a given that any tax increase will eliminate jobs, and they argue as if that were invariably true. And yet, those pesky "facts" indicate that reality is much more complex.

All you need to do is look at the Clinton years, when the country added more than 22 million jobs, to know this reflex is absolutely false. And under Bush? We'll be lucky if we net out with 5 million added, by the time the current slide is done.

There's good tax policy and there's bad tax policy. Obama knows the difference between the two.

McCain-Palin just pretend as though as all taxes were uniformly evil and try to hide where they are increasing taxes. For example, McCain never talks about the tax on healthcare benefits. And Palin went through her whole spiel on the oil companies without ever stating precisely what she had done - increase their taxes. Fortunately, Biden said it for her. ;-) She also conveniently avoided the reality that she'd cut property taxes in Wasilla by raising sales taxes.

We cannot have a government without taxes. If we want to have a functioning, healthy government, we must pay for it. If you won't even acknowledge that basic reality, you cannot possibly formulate a sane tax policy.

Why is he being so mean to that nice, winking lady?

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I think that's my new name for her: Winky.

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Ooooh! I give you both an A+!

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It's a far better day than yesterday. LOL!

He needs to point out also that job growth under Bush for the cumulative 8 years has been the slowest of any in the past 50 years.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/blogphotos/Blog_Job_Growth_Since_1921.gif

The contrast to the Clinton era, when we all paid slightly higher taxes is, incredible.

Bush I's job performance sucked too.

Come to think of it, this is what you get from Bushes war and recession. Jeb better stay home in 2012.

more data:

it's a pdf from the majority staff of the Joint Economic Committee:

http://jec.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Files.View&FileStore_id=2b28c492-4e13-40b4-b207-2d1ee462c609

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Obama will regret very deeply his support of this outrageous and unjustifiable raid on the US Treasury. Why? Mostly because all the assurances he is telling people he got put into the bill are full of loopholes and will be totally ineffective.

The taxpayers and our children are being robbed, plain and simply and Obama helped these assholes pull it off. Nobody is saying this is going to stem the tide of economic disaster. The best anyone is claiming is that it "might" help and we get nothing in return! This is a very telling moment for Obama and sheds some light on how he would have actually voted were he in the Senate when the Iraq war authorization went through.

Like most congressional Democrats, he does not have the courage of his convictions and instead runs (for safety) with the herd as it stampedes over the cliff at the direction of the cave man (Bush) who is driving this whole faux emergency. All this is, is one last heist before Bush leaves office. Anyone who is thinking clearly can see that is what is going on. It was no different in the idiotic rush to invade Iraq based upon no evidence whatsoever. But it was a "safe" vote to cast... at the time. But most of the Democratic fools who got burned on that issue also are lining up to get burned even worse on this one whether it is Clinton, Kerry, etc...

But what will make matters even worse is that this is only the first such raid on the treasury. All the other wealthy special business interests will not want "their" fair share of government largesse and as the economy weakens they will be the first in line for handouts and th average American once again will be all but ignored and out of luck. By the time it's th public's "turn" the treasury will be empty, the nation bankrupted and the dollar worthless.

Thanks for playing it safe for yourself Barack.

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Uh huh.

That's one long opinion. That's all it is.

Well there's the part where it's completely wrong, so I guess it's more than just an opinion - it's a wrong opinion.

It's as much about market confidence right now as anything. This provides a dose of confidence to the market, and will slow, not stop, the domino effect that we have been experiencing. It is a distasteful situation to be sure. Sometimes you have to eat sausage to keep from starving.

And what will you say to those people two to three weeks from now that are laid off because their company couldn't get a short term loan to cover payroll and other expenses? And to the business owners that depend on those employees to spend money at their stores?

What will I say? I'll say that's freaking terrible. But Congress, in their ham-handed, ridiculous way, is trying to do something to keep that from happening.

I was asking oleeb the question. Nobody really likes this bill, but not to do this would create a situation that most likely take us into not just a recession, but a depression.

The whole world is in very big trouble financially. Will the bailout bill help? No-one knows.

Financial collapses tend to also cause societal collapse. The 1930s didn't just spawn 25% unemployment, it also spawned ideological fanaticism that created such gems as Authoritarian Ethnic Imperialism (Fascists! Killed millions), Nationalist Ethnic Supremacism (Nazis! Killed millions), Authoritarian Socialism (Stalinists! Killed hundreds of millions), misguided social engineering experiments (Genocide! Prohibition! Sterilization! Also killed tens of millions) so unbending that a global war (Killed tens of millions) and a 6 decade long simmering world-spanning indirect conflict (Killed tens of millions) before things finally settled down again.

Are you willing to spawn another period of unrest that will kill another few hundred million people? Is "sticking it to the man" worth that to you?

I'd do ANYTHING to prevent that from happening again.

Excellent point.

I would add that there those who are resisting this because they see the beginning of the end of capitalism, and the beginning of the movement to socialism in this country. Having Obama poised to be president just fuels this fear. And of course this will lead us down the road to (gasp!) Marxism.

I don't think that the people who are most against the bailout bill understand the potential stakes involved, or the possible consequences.

Or perhaps they do. Maybe we're already there ideologically, with the hardening of positions against obvious and detrimental consequences. What better than complete societal collapse to rebuild it in your image?

I hope not, or we're heading for a 1930s mentality already.

Well, you might be right about one thing: it looks like the queue is forming.

Seriously, though, he is on his game right now. I just wonder about the impact of this bailout in the next few weeks. Will the Repubs try and use it as a hammer against Obama, "giving away 700 billion to Wall St."? The only trouble with that of course is that McCain voted for it too, and didn't say boo about the billions in pork thrown in with it.

Jeff Toobin said on CNN that McCain's last chance for a game changer was to vote NO on the bailout. I think he is right on, and I was worried as hell he would vote NO and then turn up the populism. I really am fascinated by this. McCain revels in throwing the long ball, but instead of taking a real chance, he dumped on off to the fullback for a minimal gain. Did he vote YES on principle, because he knows we need it, and he couldn't risk being branded with that vote as part of his legacy, or did he do it for politics, to avoid being branded obstructionist, uncaring, etc. I really think he lost his last best chance here, calls were coming in 9-1 (rightly or wrongly)to Congress against the bill, and McCain whiffed big time, looking like a moron with his "suspension" and his absurd claim he "brought Republicans to the table". I reallty think we dodged the last bullet here, and McCain was too damn stupid to see the opportunity that was right in front of him on Wednesday.

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I think Obama has already become the leader of the nation. He speaks to us like FDR. He has this wonderful voice. This wonderful presence. And he has the people looking to him. Being moved by his words. Being brought along into the future - to work together in spite of all the odds and in spite of all the frustrations people feel. He's doing a superb job. I am literally in awe - professional awe - of how he taken on the mantle of leadership and what he is prepared to do with it - on behalf of the nation.

This is not political capital - like bush claimed he had.

This is that rare and true Leadership - at a time of great need, great challenge.

And he is up to the task.

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I love this guy!

As a therapist, I can tell you, his ability to speak to people is healing. His ability to do a confrontation which bypasses people's defenses and gets right to where they can identify with a situation is amazing. I am watching him with professional awe! Truly. He "holds" you. You feel safe. You feel encouraged. Not just encouraged like you do when someone else says they've got it under control. You feel encouraged to do more. To work together.

Talk about the man a nation needs at a desperate time in it's history! Obama - meet destiny.

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I was talking yesterday I guess about a woman I know here who is just completely dedicated to Obama and they way she always puts it is - she puts her hand on her middle and says: Barack is right here.

I think that's what you're saying about his ability to reach people.

Give her poor favorable ratings now, there's really no reason why they shouldn't attack her.

As long as they attack her on the policies she espouses, they'll be fine.

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He attacks the facts - without attacking the person.

Stupendous. He is hitting his stride now. Biden too. Great stuff.

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Basically what we're seeing now is Obama giving the nation a talk each day. Not a "talking to." But wisdom. A wise talk each day.

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The simple fact that he recognized how hungry Americans are for someone who can lead us out of here and who talks to us like grownups is just - too wonderful for words.

We've forgotten what it's like to have a leader.

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Obama is a safe, comforting, encouraging authority figure. (mcShame comes with an ick factor.. not authority)

Well the bloom does go off the rose,,,,, just as it did for FDR when the republican right tride to keep the people in their place by attacking any and all New Deal activity. Later the left gave him more than a few grey hairs. Let's hope for Barack's sake, and the well being of The Republic that he can make his points stick.

In 2000 I said that Bushie and the bastards around him would bleed The Republic white. I was a true prophet,,,,, and it isn't much fun.

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