Obama Says ‘I’m a Chauvinist,’ Hobnobs With Bill Gates
EmailEVERETT, Wash. – President Obama is using a new label to describe himself in making the case for a second term: chauvinist.
“I’m a chauvinist,” Obama told a crowd of 450 supporters who each paid $1,000 or more for a reception at a Bellevue, Wash., hotel.
“I want America to have the best stuff. I don’t want to go to China and see their airports better than ours, or go to Europe and see their railroads faster than ours,” he said.
To bankroll the “best stuff,” Obama says he will continue to ask wealthier Americans, especially millionaires and billionaires, to “pay their fair share.”
“For all of us to succeed, we have to have an investment in each other’s success,” he explained later.
The remarks came during the eighth and final fundraiser of his three-day West Coast swing that raised more than $8 million for the 2012 campaign. Obama’s fundraisers on Friday alone netted a total of more than $1.6 million.
Earlier today he had lunch with 65 donors in Medina, Wash., at the contemporary, lakeside home of Costco co-founder and chairman Jeff Brotman. Microsoft’s Bill Gates, who lives in the neighborhood, was also spotted in attendance by the press pool.
“Now this election is not going to be as sexy as 2008. My hair is grayer. I’ve got a little dings and bruises, although you’re right, I can still sing,” he said, referring to moment when he sang an Al Green tune at a fundraiser in Harlem last month.
“But I have to tell you, the stakes are so much higher than in 2008,” he said. “We’re going to have to work harder this time than we did last time. ”
The Obama campaign reported Friday to the Federal Election Commission that it raised $11.8 million in January – or roughly one-third the amount it raised in the same month four years ago.
It’s also the first time the president has fallen behind his previous pace, according to the nonpartisan Campaign Finance Institute, which closely tracks the data.
Best Commencement Speeches of 2012 
Joe Biden Recalls Death of Wife, Daughter
America be very good to me.
Posted by: newcountryman | February 17, 2012, 10:27 pm 10:27 pm
“To bankroll the “best stuff, (in the USA)”–it would be necessary to repeal 35 years of legislation– which the Democratic Party wrote and passed–making it easier and less expensive for foreugn companies to export to the USA.
Posted by: Jeff D | February 17, 2012, 10:50 pm 10:50 pm
it would be necessary to repeal 35 years of legislation– which the Democratic Party wrote and passed–making it easier and less expensive for foreugn companies to export to the USA.
Posted by: Jeff D | February 17, 2012, 10:50 pm 10:50 pm
The Republicans had control of Congress for 12 straight years; 6 of those included the Presidency. Are they that inept?
Posted by: Bob | February 18, 2012, 12:19 am 12:19 am
On the surface, Obama’s remark may smack of an argument for keeping up with the Joneses as if that’s necessarily the same as making the smartest investments. But although some splice jobs might leave the impression that he’s calling for hitting up the rich to pay for extravagance, it doesn’t quite look that way when you read the whole section. Google “remarks-president-campaign-event-0″ for the context.
Posted by: Angler | February 18, 2012, 12:37 am 12:37 am
BOB | FEBRUARY 18, 2012, 12:19 AM…
“The Republicans had control of Congress for 12 straight years; 6 of those included the Presidency. Are they that inept?”
==============================
Bob, folks like Jeff D and most other Republi-C-r-e-t-_-ns do easily forget that Republicans had control of both houses of the congress for OVER A DECADE (January 1995 to January 2007). These same folks are brainwashed into believing that we’ve had Democratic control of the government for the past 35 years… LOL!
January 1995 to January 2007 = 12 years (over 1 DECADE) of Republican control of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
January 2001 to January 2007 = 6 years of a Republican White House, Republican Senate and a Republican House of Representatives.
But in all that time… they (Republicans) couldn’t “repeal 35 years of legislation”…. LOL!
Quite true Bob, they WERE very inept. It makes you wonder why anyone would consider putting that party back in control of things.
Posted by: Shallow "R's" Are Fun to Laugh At | February 18, 2012, 12:41 am 12:41 am
Jeff D, you are missing the point. The best stuff can be made here, by American workers. When we buy imports to the excess our trade imbalance has been for decades, we continually weaken our economy and drive up our national debt.
Posted by: Librarian53 | February 18, 2012, 1:09 am 1:09 am
We could have built a new airport for the money Obama spent on his vacation to India! The cost came to over $100 million!
Posted by: BIG JIMMY | February 18, 2012, 3:07 am 3:07 am
not an obama fan. but obama will win by a landslide once again. he has a huge campaign war chest of monies donated toward his campaign and more than any of the gop candidates. obama probably has more money than all remaining gop candidates have in their campaign war chest.
Posted by: david | February 18, 2012, 7:06 am 7:06 am
If pay-to-play money is the criteria, Obama wins hands down.
Posted by: newcountryman | February 18, 2012, 7:17 am 7:17 am
mr. “fair share” needs to shut up until he stops using the very tax code he laments to skirt paying his own fair share. phony baloney barry.
Posted by: grumpopolis | February 18, 2012, 8:11 am 8:11 am
From 1995 to 2007 the US GDP grew from 8.0 trillion to over 11.6 trillion. During the same period Europe grew from 8.0 trillion to 10.7 trillion. The US grew 45% while Europe grew 34% and during that period the US was attacked on 9-11-2001 destroying billions in physical real estate and doing untold amounts of physcological damage. After the buildings were destroyed 3 million people were layed off in the travel and tourism industries. Yet we still out grew Europe, while WE provided THEIR military security. President Obama please don’t try to remake America in the image of the countries many of our ancestors left.
Posted by: ionagoal | February 18, 2012, 8:21 am 8:21 am
We could have built a new airport for the money Obama spent on his vacation to India! The cost came to over $100 million! Posted by: BIG JIMMY | February 18, 2012, 3:07 am.
LOL! No, no, it was actually $100 BILLION! And Obama now owns a quarter of India itself! He has several thousand slaves there, too, that came with the deal. He’s having the Taj Mahal torn down, and he’s having a basketball stadium erected in its place. Haven’t you heard? It was all over FOX News.
Posted by: Disgusted with gop | February 18, 2012, 8:48 am 8:48 am
From 1995 to 2007 the US GDP grew from 8.0 trillion to over 11.6 trillion”
Good post Ionagoal. You left out Katrina and how much that cost. China does have lots of new shinny stuff but they have so many living as they did hundreds of years ago and those people cannot simply leave the farm or whatever the Government decides they are best suited for and seek a better life.
To me it is all about be free to chose what you want out of life and go for it. I don’t want Government telling me what I have to have, what I do or do not need , where I live or how I live and what I eat.
All that glitters isn’t gold Mr. President.
Posted by: david | February 18, 2012, 9:24 am 9:24 am
President Obama please don’t try to remake America in the image of the countries many of our ancestors left.
—————————————————
And Republicans, please don’t try to remake America in the image of the country which you envy the most, for their cheap labor and unregulated smog choked skies….China
Posted by: goalie | February 18, 2012, 9:25 am 9:25 am
Why does the author of the article say he was ‘hob nobbing’ with Gates? Is EVERYONE who has an event that Gates attends considered to be ‘hob nobbing’ with him? I find it curious that the author chose to use an obsolete and archaic old English term from the 17th century to describe this event.
Posted by: A Cynic | February 18, 2012, 9:47 am 9:47 am
He wants to tell all Americans what we can and can not have, what we should eat, what we should drive, what healthcare we are allowed to have,who we have to hire and where we are allowed to build a business. We are all so dumb in his mind we have to have him tell us what to think and do. Sounds just like Chavez.
Posted by: Freedom | February 18, 2012, 9:49 am 9:49 am
“And Republicans, please don’t try to remake America in the image of the country which you envy the most, for their cheap labor and unregulated smog choked skies….China”
Ahh, yes, that certainly explains why GE’s Jeff Immelt, an Obama appointee to the rather oxymoronically named “jobs council” is exporting tens of thousands of jobs to China. And refresh us, please, on who kept raising the corporate tax rates to the extent that, in order to earn an Evil Profit”, companies moved their operations abroad? U.S. corporate taxes far exceed those in every area mentioned by Obama.
Posted by: Tory | February 18, 2012, 10:03 am 10:03 am
goalie, that’s the first time i’ve ever heard someone refer to anything in a communist country as being unregulated. regulation is the essence of command and control systems.
Posted by: grumpopolis | February 18, 2012, 10:03 am 10:03 am
The Republicans had control of Congress for 12 straight years; 6 of those included the Presidency. Are they that inept?
POSTED BY: BOB | FEBRUARY 18, 2012, 12:19 AM 12:19 AM
—————-
Do ANY of you libs pay attention? Yes, the Republicans had control for 12 years… kind of. Because in 2000, remember, Jim Jeffords had to switch sides to prevent the mean evil Republicans from having full control. So, they only really had “full control” for 6 of the Clinton years – you know, when the budget was balanced and the economy grew? The Jim Jeffords switch resulted in a “power sharing” arrangement, which left Barney Frank in charge of the banking commitee – and it was his negligence and protection of Fannie Mae, that lead to the meltdown.
Prior to 1994, the Democrats had almost a 50 year uninterrupted lock on the legislature. And what did we get? 114TRILLION in unfunded social mandates.
America used to have the “best stuff” – and when we did, it was because WE built it ourselves, not because the government took enough to make it for us. We’ve already spent 6.2 TRILLION in new stuff since the Democrats took full control back in 2007 – you know, right before the economy collapsed – so where’s all our “new stuff”? Wasn’t 6.2TRILLION enough for new stuff? You libs are nothing but a bad joke. And it’s on us.
Posted by: jrobinson | February 18, 2012, 10:42 am 10:42 am
The Wright Brothers brought us flight in 1903, sixty six years later we walked on the moon. Does Obama really think life in China is better. The Chinese are now building airports with bulldozers built by Caterpillar to fly planes built by Boeing. They are building hospitals with MRI’s built in America by GE and power plants with GE turbines. Perhaps Obama envies the communist ability to dictate where companies can build there factories.
Posted by: ionagoal | February 18, 2012, 11:15 am 11:15 am
We’ve already spent 6.2 TRILLION in new stuff
———————-
Error
-only about 1.5 trillion of that is ‘new’. The rest is incurred prior obligations.
Posted by: goalie | February 18, 2012, 11:42 am 11:42 am
Does Obama really think life in China is better.
—————————-
No, the Republicans think life in China is better for business. Low wages, poor benefits, unlimited emissions…..it’s the Republican formula.
Posted by: goalie | February 18, 2012, 11:49 am 11:49 am
Error
-only about 1.5 trillion of that is ‘new’. The rest is incurred prior obligations.
——————
Sorry; you’re not quite right. There are 3 kinds of debt… and you’re making a common mistake of confusing the debt and deficit.
The deficit right now is 1.5 trillion. That’s how much we overspent this year alone.
The short term debt, which is due over the next 4 years, is 4.5 trillion.
The mid term debt, which is due over the next 8-10 years, is 6.2 trillion because of commitments congress and Obama have made.
The long term debt, which is coming due in the next 30 years, as the boomers retire, is 114 trillion. That’s all Progressive social debt.
And NONE of those figures include ObamaCare; which could double the above numbers.
Posted by: jrobinson | February 18, 2012, 11:53 am 11:53 am
No, the Republicans think life in China is better for business. Low wages, poor benefits, unlimited emissions…..it’s the Republican formula.
—————–
What a cliche, you are… Obama has cited China enviously, on numerous occasions. Just do a google search. You ignore all that, excuse Obama, and then use the subject to slander Republicans by claiming they are for something they aren’t. Republicans aren’t for those things, liberals like to tell everyone they are – it’s a shame you haven’t learned the difference from reality and propaganda.
I guess we know which goal you’re guarding, now, don’t we?
Posted by: jrobinson | February 18, 2012, 12:03 pm 12:03 pm
and you’re making a common mistake of confusing the debt and deficit.
——————————
-and you’re making the common tactic of trying to confuse 8-10 years from now as being ‘new’. Just cut the baloney and tell us all where the Democrats added over 6 trillion in new spending…….you can’t because they didn’t.
Posted by: goalie | February 18, 2012, 12:06 pm 12:06 pm
Hey Goalie, apparently life for business is better in China. Obama is the one marveling at China. Most Republicans are concerned about their human rights record. The right to clean air and water is not recognized by the leaders in China. But Obama does not seem to be concerned about the general public or religious rights.
Although the US Government can mandate the allowable levels of pollutants in our environment it is business that finds the way to meet those mandates. If those mandates have driven business overseas then that unfortunatley is part of the price we pay.
Obama says that “companies should not get a tax break for moving jobs overseas” but he has never identified this tax break. If their is such a tax break why didn’t the Democrats get rid of it when they held both houses of Congress under Obama.
Posted by: ionagoal | February 18, 2012, 12:25 pm 12:25 pm
When you build a highway it helps the “general public” because it is available to anyone who wants to use it. You build an aircraft carrier and we all get an equal amount of protection. President Obama’s policies take from one group to give to another. When you take from one group, not everyone agrees that you are helping the general public. Let alone the speculation of the damage the welfare state does to those on the receiving end.
Posted by: ionagoal | February 18, 2012, 12:41 pm 12:41 pm
He wants to tell all Americans what we can and can not have, what we should eat, what we should drive, what healthcare we are allowed to have,who we have to hire and where we are allowed to build a business. We are all so dumb in his mind we have to have him tell us what to think and do. Sounds just like Chavez. Posted by: Freedom | February 18, 2012, 9:49 am
You’re right. Fortunately Santorum will not be president, so we won’t be subject to his Christian Taliban theocracy.
Posted by: A Cynic | February 18, 2012, 1:50 pm 1:50 pm
Most Republicans are concerned about their human rights record.
Posted by: ionagoal | February 18, 2012, 12:25 pm.
Congratulations! You’ve posted the absolute funniest thing on the internet today. You must be so proud.
Posted by: A Cynic | February 18, 2012, 1:54 pm 1:54 pm
When you build a highway it helps the “general public” because it is available to anyone who wants to use it. Posted by: ionagoal | February 18, 2012, 12:41 pm
Then why have the Republicans in Congress consistently blocked all infrastructure spending for the last year? Oh yeah, because they WANT unemployment to stay high.
Posted by: A Cynic | February 18, 2012, 1:56 pm 1:56 pm
And refresh us, please, on who kept raising the corporate tax rates to the extent that, in order to earn an Evil Profit”, companies moved their operations abroad? U.S. corporate taxes far exceed those in every area mentioned by Obama.
Posted by: Tory | February 18, 2012, 10:03 am 10:03 am
When America made the best stuff, under the good Republican Eisenhower, corporate taxation and taxation on the super rich was up near 90%. Those people were happy to be American and the country was strong and proud. Now the corporations and the wealthy Americans whine and complain and say “I’ll move to China!” And their taxes are a fraction of what they used to be. Who is ruining the country?
Please
Posted by: Danny | February 18, 2012, 2:42 pm 2:42 pm
To A CYNIC you too are hilarious. “Republicans in Congress consistently blocked all infrastructure spending…because they WANT unemployment to stay high”. You must be forgetting of all the shovel ready jobs that we funded. How come that money did not fix any of the infrastructure? That is what is running up the deficit, not the Budget passed by the Senate. OOPS, forgot, they have not passed one. Hey isn’t the Senate controlled by Democrats?
To DANNY “corporations and the wealthy Americans whine and complain and say “I’ll move to China!”. WHAT ARE YOU SMOKING? Who says they want to move to China?
‘corporate taxation and taxation on the super rich was up near 90%.” …with deductions for everything including credit card interest.
America has the highest corporate tax rate, excluding Japan, in the world and Japan already has scheduled their rates to go down. As for individual taxes, if you feel you are not paying enough, you can send in more. Just like Warren Buffet who is fighting with the IRS so he doesn’t have to pay the taxes he already owes.
Posted by: ionagoal | February 18, 2012, 5:16 pm 5:16 pm
America has the highest corporate tax rate
———————————
-on paper….but that’s not what actually pay of course. The Republicans are enthusiastic about closing all the tax loopholes however….right?
Posted by: goalie | February 18, 2012, 6:24 pm 6:24 pm
When you take from one group, not everyone agrees that you are helping the general public
—————————————————-
Especially when–as in the case of the Republicans–the group you’re taking from is the general public…
Posted by: goalie | February 18, 2012, 6:42 pm 6:42 pm
POSTED BY: DISGUSTED WITH GOP | FEBRUARY 18, 2012, 8:48 AM 8:48 AM, are those your talking points for today from Media Matters????
DANNY, you forgot that middle class paid 50% in taxes, but that would not fit in with your liberal thinking.
Posted by: Lizzie | February 18, 2012, 9:23 pm 9:23 pm
As for individual taxes, if you feel you are not paying enough, you can send in more.
Posted by: ionagoal | February 18, 2012, 5:16 pm 5:16 pm
Volunteer taxes don’t work.
Posted by: Bill | February 18, 2012, 9:23 pm 9:23 pm
Volunteer taxes don’t work.
Posted by: Bill | February 18, 2012, 9:23 pm 9:23 pm
Sure they do, in the same way that voluntary charitable contributions do. Americans voluntarily gave $291 billion to charities in 2010. You can easily make your contribution to the Bureau of the Public Debt online. Get to it. Hope and Change isn’t cheap.
Posted by: Susan | February 19, 2012, 12:28 pm 12:28 pm
Posted by: Susan | February 19, 2012, 12:28 pm 12:28 pm
A volunteer tax system works about as well as a volunteer pay system in a business.
Posted by: Bill | February 19, 2012, 1:58 pm 1:58 pm