Obama's Charm Offensive: Crist And Barbour Push Back On GOP Lines

Perhaps President Obama's charm offensive with Republicans is beginning to work.

Standing outside the White House on Monday, after a meeting with the president, two GOP governors -- one moderate, the other conservative -- critiqued their Republican brethren for some of the quips and counter-proposals lobbed at the economic stimulus package.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who has been, perhaps, the foremost Republican Governor in support of the economic recovery package, said that his GOP colleagues were being a bit disingenuous when they used relatively small spending provisions in the stimulus to attack the entire package.

"I took [the president's defense on this front] as being accurate," said the Florida Republican. "Yeah, the guy is right. You've got to stay focused on the big picture. I mean, everybody has a right to their own opinion and God bless them for that. But we are in an economic crisis, we need to come together as a country and focus on the big picture. And anytime, as the president says, a bill goes through Congress it is not going to be a perfect product. But you can argue over nuances and that's fine to do, that's okay. But the big picture is to try and get our country moving forward and moving forward quickly."

It was another in a expanding line of defenses that Crist has offered on Obama's behalf, including an appearance on "Meet the Press" this Sunday.

Then came Haley Barbour. Standing just feet from Crist, the conservative firebrand from Mississippi expressed general disappointment with the size of the stimulus. "We could have created the same amount of jobs for about half as much money," he said.

But when pressed about the Republican alternative in Congress -- comprised almost solely of tax cuts -- Barbour said that, that too would have been ineffectual.

"I think that would have been very good stimulus, but it would have not helped the states deal with the interests that they have," he said. "And if somebody have asked me I would have said that it is good policy to do things like [Federal Medical Assistance Percentages] infusion and to have some funds."

Barbour said that he would likely take the stimulus money while skipping out on the cash destined for expanding the state's unemployment insurance coverage. "It is about $50 million out of about $2.5 billion," he said of the funds he would turn down.

Comments

[stevi]

I would hope that Gov. Barbor changed his opinion on this due to pressure from the people of his state speaking out and making their opinion heard. Perhaps he has a concern for the people in his "poor, inadequately educated and pregnant teenager" state. Or he could just want to get re-elected.

[Vern58]

Let the red states decline the money. I am growing tired of the attention payed to an ideologically bankrupt system of political belief, based not on reality but on certain narrow religious belief. That seems to be the final uniter of these die hard republicans. If you look at it, the final glue that holds them together as an entity is their belief, and the co- dependence of the citizenry of these states, in right wing fundamentalist Christianity. That seems to be a final and overwhelming common denominator. Until we once again, honor the separation of religion from the apparatus of state, we will not progress beyond the miasma that we seem to be in. Religion has held too much sway in the politics of this country, ever since the days of Ronnie RayGun and the devils deal that delivered the entirety of the republican party into the control of right wing religious zealots,. the ultra wealthy and the lunatic fringe of neo conservatism. The thing that got them elected in the first place was our seeming dependence on the tenets of ultra right wing protestant religion. Until we purge this incursion of religious dogma into the political system of this nation, we will be due for the same sort of failure.
Just look at the glue which holds these red states together, and tell me i am wrong.

[irisda]

Honestly, I'm not worried. At the end of the day the results will tell if the stimilus was a good thing or not. Red states can decline the extra money if they want, I don't care. I predict that other states which implement the stimulus the way it's intended will see far better results. Then the GOP will look like complete idiots. No plan is perfect but I think considering the circumstances surrounding its passage, this bill is solid enough. I'm also happy the President appointed people to monitor the stimulus.
The republicans can play watchdogs if they want, but good measures are in place and it's going to work because there is no choice. This stimulus has got to work. believe me, elected officials against this stimulus will be challenged by their constituencies when they find out other states are doing better.

[javagirl322]

right on...

[Harlemnite]

These Republicans would rather create disent than help the people in their state, districts. This to me is un- American. To try and make a political point while all the time they were the reason we are in this economic mess. They gave away all the surplus money to their rich pals. They have tossed billions into the abyss that is called Iraq but will not take money to create jobs right here in America. To me charity begins at home.

[LeftLeanWing]

Why do these Southern politicians always look jowly and sound like that their sinuses are clog ?

[NCRedhead]

Being a woman, I hope that I can get away with this follow-up question..­..why do the many of GOP women shills like Bachman remind me of the the Stepford Wives? They often have those glassy, unfocused eyes...

[LeftLeanWing]

And those forced smiles that you can imagine they still wear in their sleep or when sitting on the toilet stool.

[chronic]

Because they eat so much p!g.

[KYlawyer]

As i said on another thread, is it me or do these guys remind anyone else of Foghorn Leghorn?

[treetracker]

Jindal said it all on MTP - "My job is to represent the TAXPAYERS of my state." So those unemployed non tax paying citizens are not worthy of his representation.

Whereas Crist said it was his job to represent the "PEOPLE" of his state.

That is the difference between the moderate GOP and these hard line nut jobs. There is no reason they could not do a sunset bill in their states to end the payments when the money runs out.

They simply do not care about the unemployed (or their families) or the poor for that matter. Let's hope they soon join the lines of the unemployed.

[Zenfull]

I especially choked on Jindal's rhetoric about reducing the capital gains tax as a solution to the economic crisis -- who is making capital gains right now anyway (except for investors in ExxonMobil and other oil companies? Most investors will be filing their taxes with capital losses, not gains to get them some tax relief in 2009. Guys like Jindal have little to contribute to the solution, because they don't get it. They do not understand the pain and unraveling of the working and poor people of this country. Watching Jindal talk as fast as he could using jingoist language, I was reminded once again why we elected the refreshing, but slow deliberate and thoughtful Barack Obama. Obama gets criticised for not coming back with quick snappy replies, but I love that he is thinking about his words and their consequences. It's clear Bobby Jindal is running for President in 2012 and he probably has a good shot at it. His skin isn't white and his heritage is Asian-Indian, but his vision is just as short-sighted as those old Southern gentlemen he would replace as the new face of the South.

[mamamay]

Is this the color of money game to deny? What happened to the Pride, re the stimuli requested post Katrina,and other hurricanes over the years, in the states of MS,Al, Fl, LA, NC etc? What color is the money? What does Obama's SB have to do with the refusal of Stimulus in 2009? Someone should remind these Govs of these states that BEFORE they became Gov, the people had given their all to make the States a haven for others to enjoy. These folks welcomed your arrival to enjoy the fruits of their labor, their heavenly land to abode. Why now after these same folks have lost everything, and are requesting a stimulus to rebuild, to restore and to reclaim just a little bit ot their lost, Will you as a Gov of the State, refuse to accept that which will give them this chance, this hope, and this God given right to renevate? In 2010, many of you may be seeking reelection of some kind, and it will bde these SAME folks who will be the holder of lever which will deem your fate. If you are not seeking reelection, STEP ASIDE, and.At least allow these folks to be redeemed now. Whatever you are hoping for, You'll get it later...

[unite4change]

Barbour had no problem trying to get money to rebuild casinos in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. They are telling people who have lost their jobs, too bad, we can't do anything that might infringe on business. The GOP is sick, all they are ever concerned about is big business. Yet, poor whites continues to vote for these people.

[Zenfull]

It's all about authorship­...if the GOP had written the Stimulus Bill and a Republican President had signed it, Haley Barbour would be crowing about what HE was doing for the good people of Mississippi. Mississippi is one of the poorest states in the US and the racial divide there is still huge. I think a lot of White poor people still listen to these white lawyers and landowners because of the racial apartheid that still exists in the society. I visited Mississippi in April last year. As we sat down at a common table with about 7 white Mississippians at dinner in Mobile, we were struck with their gracious Southern manners, easy humor, and their concern that outsiders don't understand their State. It was clear after some initial discussion that we were speaking to upper class folks who wanted to know what we (westerners) thought about their state because of all the negative history. They hinted that Black people in their state didn't care about education and that they really wasted any resources spent on them. No doubt that Haley Barbour represents that same view.

[TrueIndy08]

Barbour better take the money, he is the Gov of one of the poorest and least educated states we have... not to mention a growing teenage pregnancy problem!

Crist, he needs to protect the senior citizens in his state....

Sanford and Jindal, they are just utter a s sholes.... and if the people of LA were wise, they would make sure after this stunt, JINDAL is DONE!

[NCRedhead]

They are picking off a TEENY part of the money to refuse...a­nd it 's money that goes to people who are too poor to be campaign donors. Great strategy except that some of their formerly wealthy buddies may be in the unemployment line soon, if there is any justice.

[keepacoolhead]

Jindal and some of the other Republicans made not much sense other than being opposition for opposition sake. I hope it will backfire that he plans on depriving some of the Louisianans who lost their job and he gets VOTED OUT.

Crist and Schwarzenegger made a whole lot more sense. We need to work with the President and not against him.

Furthermore - I completely dislike the title "Charm offensive," as the governors who have been supportive of Obama simply have more common sense as the "Party of NO" Republican counterparts. If there are problems in the law they can always be amended. And where was McCain with all his "pork" redderick when Bush and Co were spending like drunken sailors?

[FebM]

Joe Klein....
Jindal opposes the unemployment codicil, the slimmer tax breaks for small businesses, the support for high-speed rail and the money for the arts. That leaves the overwhelming bulk of the stimulus package, which he presemably supports. A fair question would have been: Governor Jindal, if you were given a take it or leave it choice on the entire package headed for your state, would you take it or leave it? The answer, of course: he'd take it. And so would nearly every one of the Republicans who hooted and howled and grandstanded against the bill. They had the luxury of voting against it because they knew it would pass. I'd venture to say not a single Democrat who voted for the bill was 100% pleased with it. Many probably had objections as substantive, and ultimately as peripheral, as Jindal's. But they voted for the bill because they are now the majority party and it would have been irresponsible, given the economic free-fall, not to do so.

[hapaglloyd]

Very great post. Also I think Barbour from Mississippi changed is mind because of pressure from his constituants.

[moongal6]

See, this is where the argument gets dicey. Republicans, typically look at small business as a business that nets about a million to 2 million a year. But, in reality, the average small business nets about $250, 000.00 a year, if they have a good year.
So, these "slimmer" tax breaks you speak of are not truly representative of small business people.
Obama's tax plan for the real small business person is a much better "fit".
The tax cuts are much more real.
So, for these Governors to take offense of the real tax plan for small business might not have done their homework.

[FebM]

Why are these Repubs so pessimistic? why do they bet that in 2-3yrs these people will still be in unemployment insurance? The idea is to stimulate the economy and all of us use our innovations, hardwork and committment to get over the recession. Those who dont get the prop necessary will find it harder to get by.

Let the governors tell their constituents what they are supposed to do when jobs disappear or we can meet at the ballot box, Bobby, its peoples lives not your ambition in line here

[WaitingforJanuary]

Barbour and Jindal are not accepting increases in unemployment because it will raise taxes in several years. I thought it was just for the next several years and could be discontinued. Are they just posturing, which I believe, or is this an ideological issue? There is nothing in the bill to suggest that the increases are permanent.

[fedupwiththis]

Please understand that this is all posturing. If unemployment payments are increased it will increase the net value of labor that has been artificially devalued over the last three decades. Worker productivity went up but wages never did. The right would like to keep it that way. Keep the working class desperate so the fat cats can continue to take all the cream.

[Tommygun264]

These are the same people that argued Terry Schiavo should be kept on perpetual life support because, all evidence to the contrary, she might someday experience a miraculous recovery. Yet they argue that helping people for at least the next three years with federal funding would be a waste, because eventually the funding would have to be either cut or picked up by the states. Unlike Terry Schiavo, the people who would receive the funds now would have a chance of recovering from their present condition, a chance that would be greatly increased by the federal money, which would help them make ends meet while they either seek immediate reemployment, or get education and training for new, better paying jobs than the ones they have lost. The callous indifference of the pubs for the middle class and working poor is not just immoral, it is un-American.

[wdw505]

oh stop......­.you post like these people's life choices are my fault.....­..if their life choices are not my fault which i don't believe that they are.......­..why should i care or pay for them...

[onlinesavant]

Something that we all have to understand is that these states WILL take the money alloted to them in spite of their rock-headed and insidious governors. The Democrats in congress inserted a mechanism in the jobs bill that allows for state legislatures to approve acceptance of funds over the potential dis-approval of any state governor.W­hat these muddle-heads are doing is purely theatrical and the corporate media is allowing them to push another meme in hopes that they will do them a solid if they ever return to power (Which they will do anyway.). DO NOT FALL FOR IT ! Ignore their usual silliness. It gets us no where. They will choke on their own bile eventually as we continue to reach for the sun. RISE!

[Ourrias]

I hope Barbour does turn down the cash. Even in the backwater Republican swamp known as Mississippi, that move will definitely signal the death of Mr. Barbour's political career.

[maxfax]

It seems he forgot the last two election cycles.