Gibbs Calls RNC Chief’s Comments on Health Care “Delusional”

What about the millions of us who oppose Obamacare?

What happened to not doing business as usual? This is way worse than any kind deals the repubs did.

Gibbs still thinks he is in Chicago. He has no class and every time he opens his mouth it proves what a rookie he is.

New York – U.S. economic growth in the third quarter was much weaker than previously estimated, according to the government’s final reading released Tuesday. Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the nation’s economic activity, grew at an annual rate of only 2.2% in the three months ending in September.

Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the nation’s economic activity, grew at an annual rate of only 2.2% in the three months ending in September.
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That’s better than it shrinking as it did up until very recently.

They have become so obsessed with health care that they don’t understand what the uninsured and unemployed need the most is a JOB. This bill will make it harder to find one.

On Fox News yesterday, Steele said:
“They’re trying to hijack our health care system, and they’re using this lead pipe of the CBO to do it…The CBO itself came out originally talking about what this was going to cost, they thought it was too much. They thought it increased the deficit. The president calls them down to the White House, takes them to the woodshed, and all of a sudden they’re getting these numbers that fall right within the framework of what they’re trying to do.”
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I’m not saying I totally agree with Steele because I don’t have that kind of inside information. However, he does at least bring up a good point. How did the CBO get from numbers showing this bill would be a huge deficit builder to NOW showing it is deficit neutral? That’s a complete turn around and one I think needs to be questioned. What did Obama and the CBO officers talk about in the meeting? Will we have access to that information? Is this another “back room” deal? It seems as though transparency is getting muddier by the day.
I’m beginning to wonder if the public and our health is the main concern here, or is it just getting a bill passed, no matter what’s in it, just to say they did it. The way it has been handled, it seems to be the latter.

To whether the economy grew or didn’t or will I can make this comment. I know people in different sectors that have been in business for thirty years plus and the future for growth is not good-in fact dismal and what growth there is , is happening outside the US.
Paying pals of Obama to put facades on outhouses and others to buy houses and cars don’t really grow the economy-it may put money in their pockets for a time but until Industry steps up to the plate and creates some jobs we are going to be in slow motion.
And debt in a few years is going to hit us like an avalanche.

Read Steele’s comments and any sane person will see them as delusional. If he wants to criticize the health bill on its merits, that’s fine. But this CBO stuff is just too much.

Gosh it is great fun to watch this fraudulent weirdo get exposed as the incompetent empty suit I have always known him to be.
Of couse it is always better to have the economy expanding rather than contracting. But every contraction for over 200 years has ended with an expansion. The problem this time is that everything Obama has done for the past eleven months has delayed and slowed the inevitable expansion.
After less than a year, we are saddled with a failed presidency.

Bob “Mrs.Doubtfire” Gibbs oozes the karma of a snake oil salesman.Really,would anyone enter a cash for clunker agreement with Mrs.D.

Just wait til Americans realize that the Democratic ‘solution’ is — buy insurance or face massive fines/jail.
yeah, great plan.–
-Barry said that even Stephanopolous got the Excise Tax wrong.

This is the most thin skinned administration in history.

I guess all the Obama-lovers are happy they’ll be paying lots more for health insurance now. Good for them. Most of the country is not so happy about that.

If there’s anyone that understands delusions it’s Gibbs.
Wasn’t he the one that said Obama didn’t bow to the Saudi tyrant?
Must be hard for the Obama Admin to admit that Americans aren’t as dumb as they thought.

Unemployment around 5%, a quarter of the national debt
Posted by: The Audacity of Copenhagen | Dec 22, 2009 6:21:25 PM
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You’re figures on Bush are WAY off. Unemployment after 8 years of Bush: 7.6% and rising rapidly.
National debt after 8 years of Bush: $10.6 TRILLION and rising rapidly (mostly due to his tax cuts (decreased revenue) which the Democrats strongly opposed).
Republican representative Tom Coburn: On January 1st, 2009, the national debt was $10.6 trillion. It now stands at $12.1 trillion. That’s not President Obama’s fault.

You’re figures on Bush are WAY off. Unemployment after 8 years of Bush: 7.6% and rising rapidly.
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Bush has the dubious “honor” of being the only president in recent history to rule over a two-term economic slide and income decline.
Census Bureau report on income, poverty and access to health care, via Atlantic Monthly:
“On every major measurement, the Census Bureau report shows that the country lost ground during Bush’s two terms. While Bush was in office, the median household income declined, poverty increased, childhood poverty increased even more, and the number of Americans without health insurance spiked. By contrast, the country’s condition improved on each of those measures during Bill Clinton’s two terms, often substantially.
Bush built his economic strategy around tax cuts, passing large reductions both in 2001 and 2003. … But the bleak economic results from Bush’s two terms, tarnish, to put it mildly, the idea that tax cuts represent an economic silver bullet.”
This may be why most Americans, according to recent polls, rate the past decade as a failure or “not good.”

“By contrast, the country’s condition improved on each of those measures during Bill Clinton’s two terms, often substantially.”
Don’t forget that the Republican’s controlled both Houses of Congress during President Clinton’s last SIX years in the White House.

How out of touch are you people. Elmendorf practically wrote the bill – the parts he didn’t author were written by the insurance lobby.

The live national debt clock shows the current total as $12.1 Trillion–that’s a $1.5 Trillion increase in President Obama’s first 11 months.
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James you are fully aware that $1.2 Trillion of that was already in the budget before Obama took office. Please quite trying to pretend this is Obama’s fault.

Over 64 firms
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Huh?

What 64 firms?

“Mr. Steele, elected in January to the $223,500-a-year RNC post, is working with at least four outside agencies in Washington, New York, Boston and Nashville, Tenn., that book the speaking engagements. He charges between $8,000 and $20,000 for an address, plus first-class travel and lodging expenses.”
Is this what they’re talking about?

insurance companies and big pharma stocks continue to rise at a rapid rate. Look it up. Who’s in bed with who?

Americans overwhelmingly oppose the legislation. Latest CNN polling:
12/16-20/09
42% In Favor
56% Opposed
2% Undecided
But of course, the Democrats know best and will do their own will rather than the will of the people.

“James you are fully aware that $1.2 Trillion of that was already in the budget before Obama took office. Please quite trying to pretend this is Obama’s fault.”
This is tired, tierra, very tired. Apparently you do not know how our government works. Let’s fill you in:
1.) Democrats have controlled Congress since January 2007
2.) Congress creates/legislates appropriation bills, not the Executive Office.
3.) With Democrats in control of Congress, annual deficits soared to over $400 billion in 2008 (three times the level of 2007) and $1,850 billion in 2009 (a 6-fold increase vs. 2007). Deficits of $1,400 billion expected in 2010.
The “Bush Did It!” expiration date has come and gone. Please move on to next talking point from OFA.

Actually, it’s you tjp who are out of step.
By the end of the Clinton administration, the deficit had been cut to almost nothing.
Unfortunately, the Bush administration chose to cut back taxes (2003) and increase spending thus plunging the country further and further into debt every years of his presidency.

It’s very difficult to argue with stupidity and blind ideology, but here we go again…
“Actually, it’s you tjp who are out of step. By the end of the Clinton administration, the deficit had been cut to almost nothing.”
I’ll teach you some history. Clinton was the beneficiary of two events: (1.) budget windfalls from internet bubble (primarily capital gains), (2.) a Republican Congressional majority that kept Clinton (and spending) in check.
“Unfortunately, the Bush administration chose to cut back taxes (2003) and increase spending thus plunging the country further and further into debt every years of his presidency.”
Bush “inherited” (to use Obama’s now famous term) a recession from Clinton (not that you would know because he didn’t whine incessantly as Obama does now). True Conservatives believe that Bush did spend too much, but his deficits (prior to 2008) topped out at ~400 billion per year in 2003 and 2004 and dropped to less than $200 billion by 2007. In contrast, Obama is projected to run deficits of $1.4 TRILLION in 2010, 900 billion in 2011 and $650 billion projected in 2012 (before skyrocketing above $1 TRILLION in 2016).
BUSH = BAD
OBAMA = UNMITIGATED DISASTER

The budget deficit for October 2009 alone was $176 billion!
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Yeah, its just too bad Bush not only blew away the near zero deficit the Clinton administration left him and increased the national debt every year
- he also presided over the almost complete collapse of the economy that left ALL budgets in the United States reeling as the tax base disappeared as hundreds of thousands lost their jobs, the stock market crashed, bankrupticies and foreclosures went through the roof.
That is where things were left when the Republicans were booted out of the White House.
Bush was left a near zero deficit by the Clinton administration and he increased the national debt every year of his presidency and then presided over the collapse of the economic system.
Live with it – you earned it.

Nothing has been ‘debunked’ – although you spread a lot of bunk.
Bush not only blew away the near zero deficit the Clinton administration left him and increased the national debt every year
He also presided over the almost complete collapse of the economy that left ALL budgets in the United States reeling as the tax base disappeared as hundreds of thousands lost their jobs, the stock market crashed, bankrupticies and foreclosures went through the roof.
That is where things were left when the Republicans were booted out of the White House.
Bush was left a near zero deficit by the Clinton administration and he increased the national debt every year of his presidency and then presided over the collapse of the economic system.
Bush bankrupted the country – and left us in the most severe economic recession we’ve seen since the Great Depression.
Live with it – you earned it. Well, you didn’t earn it actually and you didn’t pay for it.

Interesting story about Michelle Backman heh? Another Republican hypocrite . . . no shortage of them . . .
“Michele Bachmann has become well known for her anti-government tea-bagger antics, protesting health care reform and every other government “handout” as socialism.
“Data compiled from federal records by Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit watchdog that tracks the recipients of agricultural subsidies in the United States, shows that Bachmann has an inner Marxist that is perfectly at ease with profiting from taxpayer largesse. According to the organization’s records, Bachmann’s family farm received $251,973 in federal subsidies between 1995 and 2006.” Truthdig
“While Rep. Michele Bachmann was voting with one hand against the 2007 farm bill that would extend federal farm subsidies programs through 2012, she has been harvesting federal farm subsidies with the other, and slipping them into her own pocket.” Eric Black

It’s no surprise you rarely back up any of your assertions with data…when you do you are quickly and thoroughly repudiated. Everytime.
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None of your data even touches the bottom line.
Bush not only blew away the near zero deficit the Clinton administration left him and increased the national debt every year
He also presided over the almost complete collapse of the economy that left ALL budgets in the United States reeling as the tax base disappeared as hundreds of thousands lost their jobs, the stock market crashed, bankrupticies and foreclosures went through the roof.
Bush bankrupted the country and left it in the biggest recession since the Great Depression.

It’s no surprise you rarely back up any of your assertions with data…when you do you are quickly and thoroughly repudiated. Everytime.
Posted by: tjp612 |
One of the worst cases of Bush Derangement Syndrome I have ever seen.

Bush’s average unemployment over 8 years was 5%
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When Bush left office, the unemployment rate was at 7.6% and rising rapidly as hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs every month.

The overwhelming majority (over 80% is several major polls) of Americans want to keep the health insurance that they have now.
They are supportive of the idea of ‘health care reform’ insofar as they believe it will help someone else.
Unfortunately, the current Democrat proposals do nothing to cut the cost of health insurance or increase the availability of care.
CBO stated that the public option in the House bill will have premiums AS HIGH OR HIGHER than private coverage.
Eliminating pre-existing conditions allows people to wait til they are sick to purchase insurance (kinda like a widow enrolling the departed in life insurance so she can collect the week after he’s gone). It will undoubtedly cause rate increases far above what we’ve seen before.

“The overwhelming majority (over 80% is several major polls) of Americans want to keep the health insurance that they have now.”
That sentiment apparently also applies to DC politicians. The President, his wife, Congressmen, their families, and their staffs are all exempt from the healthcare reform mandates.
And the mainstream media, as incompetent and biased as always, failed to ask Gibbs why that is.
Hope and Change!

“…Bush was handed a surplus and peace and screwed it up.”
Oh Yeah, Tierra and others, it’s time for a reminder of the facts:
Yes, the Republican controlled Congress (holding majorities 6 of the last 8 years of the Clinton Administration) did have a surplus in 1999 and 2000. However, President Bush inherited the 2000-01 recession (the Dot Com Bubble). The 2001 Bush tax cuts that were just taking effect when al Qaeda–continuing it’s nearly decade war against the West (including the United States), which had previously attempted to kill Americans on Dec. 29, 1992 in Aden, Yemen; killed 6 Americans and wounded 1,042 on Feb. 26, 1993 in the bombing of the World Trade Center; killed 212 people (including 12 Americans) and wounded nearly 4,000 on Aug. 7, 1998 in the bombings of the U. S. embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya; and killed 17 Americans and wounded 39 Americans on Oct. 12, 2000 in the bombing of the USS Cole while in port at Aden, Yemen–attacked us on 9/11. SO MUCH FOR US BEING AT PEACE!
Then in spite of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the combination of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts began taking effect in Sept. 2003. The unemployment rate steadily dropped from its peak of 6.3% on June 2003 to its low of 4.4% on Mar. 2007, with a steady yet slight uptick to 4.9% on Dec. 2007.
So IN SPITE of the wars, and IN SPITE of the downturn of the housing market and the surging energy prices in 2006 and 2007, the economy flourished as FIVE MILLION jobs were created.
Unfortunately, the Republican controlled Congress were failed to heed the warnings of problems within the financial markets, specifically problems that were looming for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and other lending institutions. While a financial reform bill finally passed the Senate committee, the Republicans did not have the votes to override a threatened veto by the Democrats. So in a procedural move, the bill was never brought to the full Senate for a vote. When the Democrats took control of both Houses in Jan. 2007, they ALSO failed to heed the warnings.
AS the 2008 primary season began in Jan. 2008, the people began paying more attention to the campaign rhetoric. The Democrats were nearly unanimous in their downplaying of the flourishing economy. As the Democratic rhetoric heated up, class warfare took center stage: The Bush tax cuts “for the wealthy” will be allowed to expire at the end of 2010; the wealthy will pay higher taxes to pay for healthcare reform; etc.
The wealthy did not ignore the Democratic rhetoric.
As the Democratic primaries whittled the field down to two, Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama, the class warfare rhetoric continued in earnest. Sen. Obama pledged that those making at least $250,000 would have their taxes raised back to the pre-2001 tax rates. When Sen. Clinton bowed out of the race in May 2008, leaving Sen. Obama as the Democratic nominee, the wealthy began preparing for the possibility that their taxes were going to be raised. So they began changing their spending habits–which resulted in gradual layoffs.
When Sen. Obama was officially nominated as the Democratic candidate for President in Aug. 2008, and as his likelihood of winning the election grew, the wealthy made drastic changes to their spending habits. Finally, when Sen. Obama won the election, the wealthy practically stopped spending–resulting in massive layoffs.
The financial problem that was looming but still barely holding together–that the Bush Administration had been warning about since 2001, and Congress kept ignoring–could not withstand these layoffs. Once the first crack was exposed, the financial industry quickly crumbled. And that resulted in massive foreclosures and massive layoffs.
Just check and compare the stockmarket and unemployment numbers throughout 2008. The correlation is quite evident.
Here is one finally thought. ALL of the decline in employment, thus far, has been based on RHETORIC. Just wait until the taxes are actually raised on the wealthy. And now it is going to be even worse. Not only are the 2001-2003 Bush tax cuts going to expire for those making at least $250,000, but it appears that an additional 5.4% surtax on those making at least $500,000 (couples making $1 million) will be passed to help pay for healthcare reform. There is talk of another surtax on the wealthy to cover the surge in Afghanistan. AND many states are also increasing taxes. When all these new taxes kick in, there will be a new round of massive layoffs!

The difference between a country with happy people and one full of sad people is that a country full of happiness is one whose ruler does the will of the people. A sad country is ruled by a selfish leader who does only what he wants.
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Perspective.
People rate the past decade as pretty miserable ( a failure or definitely not good)– and for much of that decade the “ruler” was Bush, and the majority Republicans in Congress. Its easy to understand if you recall that Bush presided over a two-term income decline with a rise in poverty and the number of uninsureds. He and Congress started a war the people didn’t want. The housing bubble burst. Our leadership was immensely unpopular. We’re still in that misery hangover. Unemployment and the economic disaster started well before Obama was inaugurated.
The truth is people are unhappy because the economy is still in trouble, and if there is a recovery, there’s no question its a jobless one. Sure, there are some people with leftover sour grapes from the election, others who disagree with the President’s ideology and agenda in general, others who are scared and others who wish he was more progressive– but the bottom line is the economy and jobs.

Why didn’t he sound the alarm that the economic disaster was imminent?
Posted by: Mary | Dec 23, 2009 1:24:00 PM
Why didn’t other senators? Why didn’t they all do something when they had the opportunity? Why did Oxley feel in 2005 that the WH was flipping him the bird, the Fed was unsupportive and the Senate had no champion? Why were we all hearing a bunch of baloney about the fundamentals being strong?
Why? Why? Why?
Lotsa blame to go around. How about we actually do something now, rather than argue and blame everybody some more in a year or two when things are even worse– or do we just want to distract because we feel powerless?
Its a silly b.b.b.ut!!! argument to throw out there that does nothing to forward the debate. And it doesn’t change the point that the unhappiness centers mainly around the economy and jobs, and its been a long time coming and we weren’t that happy last year or the year before or the year before either, now does it?

Tierra, the Bush tax cuts worked. They generated record revenues and were a catalyst in creating 5 million jobs. Unfortunately, the Republican lead Congress also increased spending and increased the size of the federal government instead of cutting spending. The key is tax cuts work. When the people have more money, they tend to spend it–so employment increases. When money is taken away from the people, they don’t have the money to spend–so employment declines. Even President Kennedy understood that!

Tierra, the Bush tax cuts worked.
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The Bush tax cuts worked in that they plunged the Government further and further into bankrupted; in debt bonds to China.
The Bush administration both stripped billions of dollars in revenue from the government and then grossly overspent as a governmet – a disastrous combination that left the country over $10 TRILLION in debt and totally unprepared for the financial collapse that also happened on Bush’s ‘strong’ economic watch.

President Obama let the cart get ahead of the horse. He has been so consumed with hijacking 1/6 of the U. S. Economy, nationalizing portions of the financial and auto industries, and paying back large donors and unions, that he has neglected the American workers who are no longer working. Had he and the Democratic controlled Congress–back in February–cut federal spending (instead of adding $1.2 trillion to the national debt), made the Bush tax cuts permanent, and added an additional permanent 10% across the board tax cut, the stock market would be above 12,000, the unemployment rate would have topped out at 8.5% and we would already have seen positive growth in the 4th Quarter.
Furthermore, President Obama’s approval numbers would still be in the 70%+ range; Congress’ approval rating would be nearing 50%; AND the Democrats would be heading for another 20-30 seat gain in the House and the Senate another 5-6 seat gain in the Senate. AND then in 2011, he and the Democrats could have easily had their public option for health care–a public option that would have eclipsed the private sector and had the country on track for a single-payer system run by the federal government, which is what President Obama and the Left really want. AND they could have easily passed their cap & trade bill.
INSTEAD, next year’s election is looking like a Republican landslide. While probably not enough to regain control of either House, it certainly will make passing bills more difficult for the Democrats. And that will open the door for a Republican sweep in 2012.

Tierra, Real Clear Politics’ average of 4 polls shows the current Generic Congressional Vote with the Republicans leading by 2.5 points–43.3% to 40.8%. The Rasmussen Reports Poll has the Republicans up 44% to 36% (albeit this poll has been leaning Republican for months), while USA Today/Gallup has the Democrats up 48% to 45%. The other two polls have the Republicans up: Battleground is 42% to 41% and the Bloomerg poll is 42% to 38%.
Both the House and Senate bills (which passed last night) are deeply flawed. Who knows what the final version will look like when it comes out of the Conference Committee. My guess is that the bill will take a more Left turn since the Democrats no longer need 60 votes in the Senate.
At any rate, once the final bill emerges out of the Conference Committee and is presumably passed, the American people will have 6 or 7 months to go over the details before next year’s election. This will only make things worse for the Democrats. Especially if the healthcare coverage doesn’t take effect until 2013 while the taxes are immediately implemented.
I agree with you that the electorate is tired of Congress and the incumbents “regardless of party.” But do the math. If EVERY incumbent is tossed out on their ears, that would mean the Republicans would gain control of both Houses (although third party candidates could gain a handful of seats). Obviously not every incumbent will lose their seat, especially since 97% of incumbents are historically re-elected. But if the American people come to the conclusion that the Democrats rammed through a terrible bill many of the Democrats won’t be around in 2011.
Now then, back to my earlier comments. Tax cuts really do work. It’s simple Economics 101.
The collapse of our economy last year had NOTHING to do with the budget deficit or even the national debt. It was years of the government and private organizations forcing lending institutions (on the part of government by threatening heavy fines; and on the part of private organizations by threatening lawsuits or in some cases actually filing lawsuits only to settle later) to lower their lending standards and gave out extremely risky mortgages to people who could not afford the loans. It was also greed on the part of some individuals and some loan companies and banks as they tried to make quick and easy money by pushing flexible sub-prime mortgages on, in most cases, unsuspecting individuals seeking loans and then selling the mortgages to other companies for a profit. But even worse was when some of the original loan companies skipped the vetting process altogether. It was also greed by individuals and some loan companies and banks for taking advantage of the flexible rates, by doubling and in some cases tripling the mortgage payments which these individuals obviously could not afford. So massive foreclosures crippled the industry. AGAIN the collapse of the financial institutions had nothing to do with the budget deficit OR the national debt.