Progressives Push For Job Growth On Tour (VIDEO)

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Congressional Progressive Caucus launched a tour Saturday to push for job creation, an attempt to combat the House Republican message of "cut and grow."

"We're six months in and nothing," said Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), referring to Republican's record on job growth since taking control of the House. "The heat's on them. And hopefully by putting heat on them, we will create some room in which the president can act more assertively."

Lawmakers will visit at least 12 cities on the "Speak Out For Good Jobs Now" tour, talking to men and women who are unemployed or underemployed about how to get the economy back on track. The tour is sponsored by ProgressiveCongress.org.

The goal is to push back on Republicans, who are demanding major spending cuts this summer in exchange for a vote to raise the debt ceiling, which Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said must be done by Aug. 2 to avoid a U.S. default.

Republicans have said the debt ceiling deal should include cuts to popular entitlement programs for the disabled and elderly.

"When you get down to it, and you talk about American values, Medicare and Social Security are a critical part of that," Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) told HuffPost. "When Republicans talk about eroding the safety net out from under people, it's a view that's very far from the American mainstream."

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, said he thinks the tour can help ordinary people send a message to Washington.

"The American people can't be denied," he said. "Our combined numbers can overcome corporate dollars, but we've got to combine. We've got to come together."

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Comments

[bkerensa]

02:24 AM on 06/20/2011

Jobs would be nice.

[MrMainstreet]

01:20 AM on 06/20/2011

Mainstreet Progressives need to talk about three things and only three things so that we can focus the American people on the key issues of Employment, Education,and Energy.
We must change trade policy to force corporations to repatriate jobs to the United States. Our nation needs NEW jobs that Americans are not doing now,like manufacturing consumer goods rather than importing them from overseas.
New jobs in computer technologies,renewable energy manufacturing and installation,making everything from t-shirts to washing machines to sneakers and televisions.
Your local hardware store has enough help,your local eye doctor can barely afford to maintain a full office staff and real estate agents and car salespeople are just getting by.
Those businesses like all other small businesses need the same thing,not tax cuts but rather more paying customers which we create by returning manufacturing jobs to our shores.
Consumer goods may cost a little more and corporations might make a little less but the overall economic and fiscal health of the nation will be greatly improved.

[snapperhead]

08:50 AM on 06/20/2011

Gee, why think of the future?

[joyforjump1984]

12:13 AM on 06/20/2011

Talk less, do more. If your plan isn't working by now it never will.

[conservativecrim]

09:45 PM on 06/19/2011

Next election ..... THE PROGRESSIVES ARE GOING TO HAND TBAGGERS AND CONservatives their heads ........ perfect for a mean ..... vile ...... murderous ...... greedy ........ useless ..... party

[luapmi2]

01:16 PM on 06/19/2011

REALLY, POTUS is handcuffed by twenty newbie representatives.

WOW do we ever have a weak president.

[jweider]

10:24 PM on 06/19/2011

They have to say something. They couldn't get anything done when they had solid majorities in both houses.

[Gwendolyn Rouse]

12:40 AM on 06/20/2011

Sorry the House passed all their bills way more than Boehner.

[Brer Orabbit]

01:02 PM on 06/19/2011

Definition of a progressives: Deflect culpability; project your own failures onto your polical rivals. Typical. Suggestion: Recommend all underaged girl go south of the border and get a job as hitwomen, and form a union with retirement and health and welfare benefits.

BO

[miketothad]

08:45 PM on 06/19/2011

Definition of "Conservatives": Call your self "Christian", or "Libertarian", or "Agnostic" or whatever sounds cool to your friends, remain ignorant and don't read, because reading newspapers is for "liberals" and hate-radio will give you all the misinformation you need. Mindlessly support any "conservative", and parrot any ignorant thing they say despite the facts, and any vote they might have actually cast in congress. Wrap yourself in a flag and call yourself a "patriot", despite your constant whining about the nation's poor and how GOP policy has forced 25% of children into poverty, your constant whining about "government while maintaining your complete ignorance of government, and your support of Bush's unnecessary war-for-profit which unnecessarily cost the lives of 4400+ troops.

[Brer Orabbit]

09:08 PM on 06/19/2011

Pushed your button, miketothad?

the definition of you is whatever sounds cool to your friends, read, your liberal newspapers, listen miindlessley to liberal claptrap and support any "social democrat", parrot everything they say and vote for progressives in congress. Wrap yourself in a joint, and call yourself a "cool", continue your endless drivel, support the war on poverty that has forced 67% of minority children into poverty, continue to whine endlessly, deflect your culpability to those with differing opinions, maintain your complete ignorance of government­, and support Bamster's 3 unending wars.

[opposingthumb]

01:00 PM on 06/19/2011

And the way to more jobs is??????

[6p023E23]

01:45 PM on 06/19/2011

may be Obama can order to dig a big moat and fill the grand canyon with that dirt. That will be the job of shift #1. during next shift another crew can trench and drudge the dirt from Grand canyon to the moat.
Problem solved. More jobs.

[JBoy]

02:09 AM on 06/20/2011

It would be more practical, and probably cheaper to hire thousands of people to build a formidable wall on the Mexican border to keep the illegal banditos out.

[Always Conservative]

04:41 PM on 06/19/2011

It looks as if the "progressives" think the government can force companies to hire more folks... Not sure what their plan is. Unless they want Walmart employees to be government workers...

[lipps]

10:05 PM on 06/19/2011

We just laid off our last minimum wage employee... Just wasnt worth the money paid out for the level of skill this person had.. The skilled workers on our staff will now pick up the slack...

[Neets101]

12:57 PM on 06/19/2011

As it stands now, no party can effectively work for the citizens of the United States.

Tariffs, a tax on jobs shipped overseas (and no the corporations don't want to leave the U.S. which provides generous tax loopholes for the corp. to take advantage of).

Do you really think that with the situation as it stands - tax INCENTIVES to OFFSHORE jobs is good for U.S. citizens?

A growing and urgent need to address the needs of the majority of the citizens is being willfully ignored and the reason for it has little to do with which side of the political fence one stands on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swkq2E8mswI

[Aerin Gael]

02:53 PM on 06/19/2011

This video says that debt is the root cause of the problem. It is not. This explains the root of our economic problems.
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-truth-about-the-economy-in-two-minutes-2011-6

This a very cogent and concise presentati­on from Robert Reich. He served in three national administrations, most recently as secretary of labor.

[Neets101]

06:18 AM on 06/20/2011

"This video says that debt is the root cause of the problem. It is not.".....

Please elaborate on this point, as you haven't made any supporting statements for this claim.
---------------------------------------------------
Robert Reich's video illustrated the result of the concentration of power in the hands of a few, which is explained as a direct result of the private banking system's issuance of U.S. currency in the video link I provided.

[Aerin Gael]

03:03 PM on 06/19/2011

Your video says that debt is the root cause of the problem. It is not, it is an effect. This video explains the root of our economic problems - Tax breaks for the stinking rich who ship jobs overseas. And wars, wars.
http://www­.businessi­nsider.com­/the-truth­-about-the­-economy-i­n-two-minu­tes-2011-6

This a very cogent and concise presentati­­on from Robert Reich. He served in three national administra­tions, most recently as secretary of labor.

[presenseOfcolor]

11:59 AM on 06/19/2011

From the article : "The heat's on them. And hopefully by putting heat on them, we will create some room in which the president can act more assertively."

Well Mr. Grijalva since your party holds two out of three of the necessary tools, I'd say you, YOU are responsible. Furthermore your poorly disguised attempt at transference is typical for your ilk, socialist to be exact. Transference and denial, when wrong or culpable never accept responsibility, blame Bush, GOD, the dog, the States, your mother, but never, ever never GROW up and be accountable, LAME.
Another infamous tactic, is the "moral value of the moment", a moral value used to deflect and disingenuous in it's nature, as socialists by in large are morally bankrupt as a rule.
Here's a thought miscreant of Arizona, Why don't you uphold the constitution and laws already on the books?
Quit blaming other people.

[eg8tr]

12:54 PM on 06/19/2011

agreed-fanned

[n2zyk]

11:38 AM on 06/19/2011

Easy way to prove thats what they want, defund healthcare, and reduce regulations. Once people, who hire know what it will cost the next 3 to 5 years if they do hire, they will do so. Uncertanty is the main reason they won't do it now.

[Gwendolyn Rouse]

11:26 AM on 06/19/2011

The goal is to push back on Republicans, who are demanding major spending cuts this summer in exchange for a vote to raise the debt ceiling, which Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said must be done by Aug. 2 to avoid a U.S. default.

It is about time Dems start pushing back for these Tea Baggers nuts in Congress.

[Mistinguette Grandison]

11:41 AM on 06/19/2011

Agree.

[Spanky231]

11:07 AM on 06/19/2011

I think this article is laughable that Progressives are complaining about 6 months of GOP control with no jobs but were silent when the Democrats under Pelosi increased unemployment from below 5% to well over 9% in 4 short years. Heres an idea.....STOP BLAMING THE OTHER SIDE AND GET TO WORK FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!! Enough of the blame game. Just fix it and stop playing politics.

[Jabs Holt]

11:21 AM on 06/19/2011

And they wonder why they lost so many congressional seats this last election !...............Guess what 70 dem seats in the senate will be up for grabs and so will Obummers also this next election............If pointing fingers is how progressives plan on solving their problems then guess whats going to happen to all those seats that are up for grabs !

[Gwendolyn Rouse]

11:29 AM on 06/19/2011

Sorry American people will know for the first time who is for them and who is for big corp. Republcans had it made in 2010 because Dems wer too scare to go after the Republicans more and let the people know Republicans only plan is the continuation of the tax cuts for the rich. Now that the Republicans won the House, they have showed the American people that they are really the party of rich and greed.

[Spanky231]

11:41 AM on 06/19/2011

So a quick question for you. If the GOP is for big corporations, who were the Democrats for when unemployment rose in 4 years? Clearly, they weren't for the people. If you can explain it to me that would be great. Thanks.

[Jabs Holt]

11:48 AM on 06/19/2011

Yea they do know who is for Big CORP !......Especially since G.E got a free ride on taxes !

[Gwendolyn Rouse]

11:00 AM on 06/19/2011

It is about time.

[Jabs Holt]

10:45 AM on 06/19/2011

2 yrs the progressives had !.........Istead if creating jobs they spend money ....So much for creating JOBS !

[n2zyk]

11:40 AM on 06/19/2011

I'm leery about thier suddden so called concern about creating jobs. Sounds to me like QE# on the way.

[Mistinguette Grandison]

11:44 AM on 06/19/2011

You have to spend money to create jobs. That money pays for the roads and bridges. It's these spending cuts that are costing jobs. We need more stimulus.

[Jabs Holt]

11:46 AM on 06/19/2011

Then were are the JOBS ! Over 3 trillion has been blown .....WERE ARE THE JOBS !

[ruthtruth]

10:32 AM on 06/19/2011

Why won't the right let the Economic Development Act be renewed? All should be angry that something that has a 45 year success rate for creating jobs is being filibustered by the GOP. Why? Could it be that they don't want to create jobs because it might be better for them to let the country go down the tubes to get Obama out of office? Think about it.