Nov 2, 2011 2:05pm

Obama Says ‘God Wants to See Us Help Ourselves’ With Jobs

President Obama assailed lawmakers today for failing to invest in infrastructure, calling out Republicans by name and even invoking God in his effort to pressure Congress to vote on the infrastructure portion of his stalled $447 billion jobs bill. 

Delivering yet another speech in front of a bridge in need of repair, Obama said House Republicans should work to put people back to work, instead of focusing on other measures that don’t create jobs, such as debating a commemorative baseball coin or legislation reaffirming the “In God We Trust” motto. 

“That’s not putting people back to work,” Obama said as he stood before the Key Bridge that connects Washington, D.C., to Northern Virginia. “I trust in God, but God wants to see us help ourselves by putting people back to work.” 

The president directly attacked House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., for recognizing the need to invest  in infrastructure to boost the economy but failing to act to create construction jobs. 

“So if the speaker of the House, the Republican leader in the Senate, all the Democrats, all say that this is important to do, why aren’t we doing it?  What’s holding us back?  Let’s get moving, and put America back to work,” he said. 

To underscore his point, the president also cited Republican President Ronald Reagan, noting that he once said that “the bridges and highways we fail to repair today will have to be rebuilt tomorrow at many times the cost.” 

“Since when do we have Republicans voting against Ronald Reagan’s ideas?” Obama asked. 

The president urged Congress to pass legislation that would invest $50 billion to rebuild the country’s roads and bridges, saying they have “another chance” to put construction workers back on the job. The Senate is expected to vote Thursday on whether to take up the measure. 

Obama said failure to invest in roads and bridges amounts to a tax, noting that the nation’s aging infrastructure is costing Americans $130 billion a year. “That’s a tax on our businesses.  That’s a tax on our consumers,” he said. “It is coming out of your pocket.  It’s a drag on our overall economy. And if we don’t act now, it could cost America hundreds of billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of jobs by the end of the decade.” 

While his jobs bill remains stymied in Congress, the president continued to stress “we can’t wait for Congress to do its job. If they won’t act, I will.”

As part of his ongoing “we can’t wait” campaign, the president announced today that he is going to expedite loans and competitive grants for new construction projects across the country. “If there’s money already in the pipeline, we want to get it out faster,” he said. 

House Republicans say the president simply is trying to divert attention from the many job-creating measures that they have passed and sent to the Senate. “At this point, the White House will create any sideshow they can to distract from the fact the House has sent jobs bill after jobs bill over to the Democrat-run Senate, only to see them collect dust,” a Boehner spokesman said.

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What is new Bonehead and the rest have been of no value except themselves for two years now.But i am sure the 1% will continue to pay them and the voters don’t care.We get what we work for.

Posted by: kennie eastwood | November 2, 2011, 2:27 pm 2:27 pm

“I trust in God, but God wants to see us help ourselves by putting people back to work.” – God’s spokesman who sounds like Carney talking about Obama.

Posted by: foggy | November 2, 2011, 2:35 pm 2:35 pm

Better than Bush starting an ill-conceived, expensive war that killed tens of thousands because God told him to.

Posted by: Jamie | November 2, 2011, 2:39 pm 2:39 pm

Who made him GOD ?

Posted by: Kevin | November 2, 2011, 2:40 pm 2:40 pm

“Who made him GOD ?”

When did he say he was GOD? If you would read the article you would know that he was mocking the GOP for voting on keeping the country’s motto of “In God We Trust” instead of focusing on jobs.

Posted by: Sandy | November 2, 2011, 2:45 pm 2:45 pm

“Private sector employment increased by 110,000 jobs in October.

“September’s result was revised higher, to an expansion of 116,000 for private-sector payrolls from a prior estimate of 91,000.”

Posted by: Jack | November 2, 2011, 2:48 pm 2:48 pm

SANDY, the only job he is focusing on is his own.

Posted by: Lizzie | November 2, 2011, 2:53 pm 2:53 pm

Politico today:
DOE/IG MOre than 100 stimulus related criminal probes
The activity is partially due to the fact that few “shovel ready” projects existed in 2009, Feldman said. “The concept of ‘shovel ready’ projects became a Recovery Act symbol of expeditiously stimulating the economy and creating jobs. In reality, few actual ‘shovel ready’ projects existed,” he said.

Obama wants another 1/2 Billion to go to corrupt union friends, and they will return the favor. NO THANKS!

Posted by: wheresmymoney | November 2, 2011, 2:56 pm 2:56 pm

He should be careful about invoking the name of God, because God probably wants the US to end abortion, and homosexuality, ponorgraphy, war, murder, rape, etc, etc. . . and NONE of Barack Obama’s policies do that.

Posted by: John | November 2, 2011, 3:02 pm 3:02 pm

Fed Chairman Bernanke: Severity of Financial Crisis and Housing Slump Forced Downward Revision in Economic Outlook

So what else is new?

Posted by: democrats for jobs | November 2, 2011, 3:04 pm 3:04 pm

Really – Obama is going to invoke God, I’m sure God approves of a president that supports sending him the souls of unborn children.

Posted by: Brian G | November 2, 2011, 3:04 pm 3:04 pm

Amazing. He supports so many things that are against what God teaches. Now he thinks he knows what God wants? Pulling out all the stops to save your job, are you? I don’t think God will bless that effort, Obama.

Posted by: MJC | November 2, 2011, 3:05 pm 3:05 pm

SANDY, the only job he is focusing on is his own.

Posted by: Lizzie | November 2, 2011, 2:53 pm 2:53 pm

Private sector employment increased by 110,000 jobs in October.

September’s result was revised higher, to an expansion of 116,000 for private-sector payrolls from a prior estimate of 91,000.

That’s 226,000 new jobs in the last two months.

Posted by: Jack | November 2, 2011, 3:13 pm 3:13 pm

John and Brian: This article is about the Jobs Bill. Did you even bother to read it? Obama has nothing to do with a Woman’s Right to Choose, it was decided by the Supreme Court. And – whether Obama or any other President believes it’s right or wrong, they will not be able to change the law. You need to get over it.

Posted by: Taintedbylies | November 2, 2011, 3:14 pm 3:14 pm

He supports so many things that are against what God teaches. Posted by: MJC | November 2, 2011, 3:05 pm……………………………Such as?

Posted by: Taintedbylies | November 2, 2011, 3:16 pm 3:16 pm

Oh my the Almighty has spoken and has delivered the sacred message from God. He had to fight his way around the burning bush and down the slippery rocky mountain but he made it. Thank you God for sending us your messenger. We shall fall in line and follow him off any cliff he may confront and pile ourselves so high that he can step and walk across us to the next revelation.

Posted by: Jim Rod | November 2, 2011, 3:22 pm 3:22 pm

Posted by: Jim Rod | November 2, 2011, 3:22 pm 3:22 pm

Private sector employment increased by 110,000 jobs in October.

September’s result was revised higher, to an expansion of 116,000 for private-sector payrolls from a prior estimate of 91,000.

That’s 226,000 new jobs in the last two months.

Posted by: Jack | November 2, 2011, 3:25 pm 3:25 pm

He supports so many things that are against what God teaches. Posted by: MJC | November 2, 2011, 3:05 pm……………………………Such as?

Posted by: Taintedbylies | November 2, 2011, 3:16 pm 3:16 pm

Such as, , ,ABORTION, HOMSEXUALITY, shall I go on?

Posted by: John | November 2, 2011, 3:33 pm 3:33 pm

Such as, , ,ABORTION, HOMSEXUALITY, shall I go on?

Posted by: John | November 2, 2011, 3:33 pm 3:33 pm

Those are Supreme Court decisions and the laws of the land – not the President.

Posted by: Tom | November 2, 2011, 3:42 pm 3:42 pm

he still supports them. and if he wants to enact legislation according to what God wants then he has to enact legislation to end abortion and homosexuality, period.

Posted by: John | November 2, 2011, 3:50 pm 3:50 pm

That’s 226,000 new jobs in the last two months.
Posted by: Jack | November 2, 2011, 3:25 pm 3:25 pm

Yet the unemployment rate hasn’t budged. Hmm… Something that HAS increased is:
Number of Americans on food stamps rises 8% to 45,800,000…(WSJ)

Posted by: wheresmymoney | November 2, 2011, 4:06 pm 4:06 pm

he still supports them. and if he wants to enact legislation according to what God wants then he has to enact legislation to end abortion and homosexuality, period.

Posted by: John | November 2, 2011, 3:50 pm 3:50 pm

Yeah, God told Bush to attack Iraq too. The last thing we need is politicians thinking they’re talking to God.

Posted by: Dan | November 2, 2011, 4:14 pm 4:14 pm

LOL! With all their talk about JOBS JOBS JOBS, what did the Republican-led House work on yesterday? A resolution to re-affirm that ‘In God We Trust’ is still our national motto. They actually discussed it and held a vote on it! Read that again. Then read it again. THIS is what the Republican-led House considers ‘important’. THIS is how Speaker Boehner chooses to use one of the 109 actual work days the House is in session for this year. The stunning incompetence and hypocrisy of the Right Wing continues to amaze…………

Posted by: Searambler | November 2, 2011, 4:15 pm 4:15 pm

Posted by: wheresmymoney | November 2, 2011, 4:06 pm 4:06 pm

226,000 new jobs added in the last two months is a hundred thousand times better than hundreds of thousands of jobs being lost every month, month after month under Bush.

Posted by: Jack | November 2, 2011, 4:16 pm 4:16 pm

Interesting factoid I heard last night. The new Congress, the 112th, with all those newly minted Republican lawmakers, has an aggregate net worth 25% MORE than the previous Congress………….

Posted by: Searambler | November 2, 2011, 4:17 pm 4:17 pm

“Mark my word – if and when these preachers get control of the Republican Party, and they’re sure trying to do so, it’s going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can’t and won’t compromise. I know. I’ve tried to deal with them”. Republican Barry Goldwater, 1994

Posted by: Searambler | November 2, 2011, 4:18 pm 4:18 pm

Interesting factoid I heard last night. The new Congress, the 112th, with all those newly minted Republican lawmakers, has an aggregate net worth 25% MORE than the previous Congress………

Posted by: Searambler | November 2, 2011, 4:17 pm 4:17 pm

————————–

“House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s net worth skyrocketed 62% last year, to a jaw-dropping $35.2 million, according to financial disclosure forms released Wednesday.”

Posted by: J Tayberry | November 2, 2011, 4:43 pm 4:43 pm

“House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s net worth skyrocketed 62% last year, to a jaw-dropping $35.2 million, according to financial disclosure forms released Wednesday.”

Posted by: J Tayberry | November 2, 2011, 4:43 pm

The rest of the article says, “Her husband reported raking in $1 million to $5 million last year from a sale of Apple stocks.”

Just keeping it real.

Posted by: Taintedbylies | November 2, 2011, 5:00 pm 5:00 pm

226,000 new jobs added in the last two months is a hundred thousand times better than hundreds of thousands of jobs being lost every month, month after month under Bush.
Posted by: Jack | November 2, 2011, 4:16 pm 4:16 pm

Right AFTER it became apparant that Obama would win the election. THAT’S when companies began hoarding their money. They knew too well his speeches on redistribution of wealth, electricity wiill necessarily sky rocket, if you want to build coal companies, you’ll go broke, healthcare, etc.

Clinton repealed the Glass-Steagall act, and:
At President Clinton’s direction, no fewer than 10 federal agencies issued a chilling ultimatum to banks and mortgage lenders to ease credit for lower-income minorities or face investigations for lending discrimination and suffer the related adverse publicity. They also were threatened with denial of access to the all-important secondary mortgage market and stiff fines, along with other penalties.
The threat was codified in a 20-page “Policy Statement on Discrimination in Lending” and entered into the Federal Register on April 15, 1994, by the Interagency Task Force on Fair Lending. Clinton set up the little-known body to coordinate an unprecedented crackdown on alleged bank redlining.
The edict — completely overlooked by the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission and the mainstream media — was signed by then-HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, Attorney General Janet Reno, Comptroller of the Currency Eugene Ludwig and Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, along with the heads of six other financial regulatory agencies.”

But you keep on skewing the numbers if it makes you feel better. Otherwise, you would give the TOTAL employment numbers, not just private sector. And THAT gives us the SAME unemployment number we have been in for over 2 years. WITH almost an almost TRILLION dollar “stimulus.”

Posted by: wheresmymoney | November 2, 2011, 5:19 pm 5:19 pm

Posted by: wheresmymoney | November 2, 2011, 5:19 pm 5:19 pm

226,000 new jobs added in the last two months is a hundred thousand times better than hundreds of thousands of jobs being lost every month, month after month under Bush.

1) Bush homeownership plan aims at $5.5 million lift for minorities (2003)

President Bush announced an Administration effort to increase home ownership rates among African Americans and Hispanics by 5.5 million by 2010.

The plan would provide down payment assistance to 40,000 minority homebuyers each year . . .
Bush’s plan would be closely tied to some $440 million in minority loan programs offered by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. President Bush commended Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s efforts.

2) 2004: Under President Bush, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announces that it will require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, also known as the Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) “to increase their purchase of mortgages for low- and moderate-income families and underserved communities.” In order to meet these new requirements, the GSEs begin purchasing mortgage-backed securities made up of subprime loans.

All the Democrats fault apparently – majority Republican congress and Republican presidency.

By the way, the repeal of Glass-Steagal was a REPUBLICAN bill introduced by by Phil Gramm (Republican of Texas) and in the U.S. House of Representatives by Jim Leach (R-Iowa). The third lawmaker associated with the bill was Rep. Thomas J. Bliley, Jr. (R-Virginia).

The majority of Republicans voted to repeal it. The majority of Democrats voted against repealing it.

Posted by: Jack | November 2, 2011, 5:58 pm 5:58 pm

Searambler | November 2, 2011, 4:15 pm —– Yeah, nevermeind the 15 pieces of legislation waiting on Reid to put them up for a vote in the Senate. Maybe you haven’t noticed how Reid has not been very prominent in the news? That’s because he’s not sure what to do because Obama is trying to blame it on the GOP when Reid is sitting on his sorry arse doing nothing.

Posted by: commonsenseparty | November 3, 2011, 1:09 am 1:09 am

Wow, for Obama using the word GOD is most impressive ! Is this Reverend Wright’s God who hates whites? Is this Al Sharpton’s God who only helps blacks ? Well actually I think Obama is talking about himself. The liberals Savior. Yes, he is calling himself GOD in this verbal usage !

Guarantee you one thing; come his judgement day he shall come face to face with the one and only God in Jesus Christ and he will then understand the true meaning of the Lord in a most interesting way for himself !

Posted by: Donell | November 3, 2011, 10:34 am 10:34 am

I think, Washington folks are still always looking for quick fixes to our naitonal crisis that have been brewed for decades. It sure is nice to be driving in our roads and bridges nowadays where you can get safer and faster to where you need to go. We can not continue using band aids to our national wounds because our country and the world needs a major surgery?

Posted by: Marina | November 3, 2011, 10:40 am 10:40 am

While Obama is the master of the set speech, he proves once again that he’s borderline incoherent in an unscripted environment.

Who was Obama trying to reach with his references to god? His base? I doubt it as ANY reference to god brings derisive titters and contempt from them. Was it the religious right? I doubt any of them are still considering a vote for Obama at this late date. Obama sounds more and more like a desperate man who will say anything, hoping that something will find traction with someone.

Posted by: JohnR22 | November 3, 2011, 10:48 am 10:48 am

Basically all Obama is saying is what our clergy, parents, and family have told us for centuries, “God helps those who help themselves.” He is also mocking the In God We Trust situation for our coinage. Sometimes things are just too simple that it goes over others’ heads.

Posted by: Serenity | November 3, 2011, 10:50 am 10:50 am

Nowhere in Scripture will you find appropriate support for the statement “God helps those who help themselves.” Whether you’re looking at life here from 30,000 feet or from street level, you will actually find the opposite is true.
The saying, “God helps those who help themselves” was first coined by Benjamin Franklin, a Deist. In case you’re wondering, a Deist is one who believes that while a supreme being did indeed create the universe, that supreme being does not involve itself in human affairs. Therefore, miracles and special revelation (such as healing, prophecy, the virgin birth & resurrection of Jesus, and the inspiration of the Scriptures) don’t actually happen.

Posted by: Lori | November 3, 2011, 11:08 am 11:08 am

That’s the problem, he thinks he is God.

Posted by: Freedom | November 3, 2011, 11:25 am 11:25 am

FYI, “In God We Trust” wasn’t on coins until after the civil war ended. Long after Ben Franklin and company had departed this world.

Posted by: newcountryman | November 3, 2011, 11:47 am 11:47 am

Some of these posts are hilarious! You’re like, “Obama is a self-righteous jerk for assuming he knows what God thinks. Now let ME tell you what God REALLY thinks.”

We’re all on the same team here, people. Nobody thinks that God is happy with widespread unemployment. The Democrats and Republicans both have bills that they believe will generate jobs. So pick the bills you think will work and start supporting them! Let’s get going!

Posted by: Justin Perry | November 3, 2011, 1:46 pm 1:46 pm

“That’s the problem, he thinks he is God.”

…so you think God is pleased with widespread unemployment? Look, you don’t have to like the President to agree that God is less than pleased with all the unemployment in this country.

Posted by: Justin Perry | November 3, 2011, 1:52 pm 1:52 pm

From Matthew 20 – The Story About Workers – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -
1 -2 “God’s kingdom is like an estate manager who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. They agreed on a wage of a dollar a day, and went to work. 3 -5″Later, about nine o’clock, the manager saw some other men hanging around the town square unemployed. He told them to go to work in his vineyard and he would pay them a fair wage. They went. – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -
5 -6″He did the same thing at noon, and again at three o’clock. At five o’clock he went back and found still others standing around. He said, ‘Why are you standing around all day doing nothing?’ – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – – - – - -
7″They said, ‘Because no one hired us.’- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – — – -
“He told them to go to work in his vineyard.- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – —
8″When the day’s work was over, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, ‘Call the workers in and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first.’ – - – - – - – - -
9 -12″Those hired at five o’clock came up and were each given a dollar. When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar. Taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, ‘These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.’ – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - –
13 -15″He replied to the one speaking for the rest, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn’t we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy – - – - because I am generous?’ – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - –
16″Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.”

Posted by: Common _ Sense | November 3, 2011, 1:52 pm 1:52 pm

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