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Andy Ostroy

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"Jobs Bill Killers!!"

Posted: 10/21/11 09:51 AM ET

2011-10-21-GOP.jpg
It's time President Obama and Democrats brand Republicans as "Jobs Bill Killers." They need to frame the debate by effectively accusing the GOP as simply refusing to pass any bill, even ones that include tax cuts, that will put struggling Americans back to work. They should repeat the term Jobs Bill Killers like a mantra and utter it in every sentence. Like propaganda. Just like Republicans do. Think "Job killers. Death Panels. Baby killers." It's time Democrats start speaking in soundbites and bumper-stickers. That's what voters understand.

Thursday night Republicans again voted in lockstep to defeat yet another jobs bill put forth by Democrats. In a 50-50 vote, GOP senators defeated a part of Obama's bill that would allocate $35 billion for states and localities to hire additional teachers, police, firefighters and other first responders while protecting existing workers.

"For the second time in two weeks, every single Republican in the United States Senate has chosen to obstruct a bill that would create jobs and get our economy going again," Obama said. "That's unacceptable. We must do what's right for the country and pass the common-sense proposals in the American Jobs Act."

And what got the Republicans' panties in a snit? Funding for the measure would have come from a 0.5% tax increase on people earning more than $1 million a year. That's a half a percentage point on millionaires. You'd think this would be small enough to get Repubs on board, right? As John Belushi would say in his famous Saturday Night Live rants, "But Nooooooooooooo!"

As Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor like to say, "Now is not the time to raise taxes on anybody." But I ask, is there ever gonna be a time when Republicans accept a tax increase? The "not now" excuse is just a lame tactic to protect their personal financial interests. It's the same old same old with these guys. Feed the rich, screw the poor and middle class.

The truth is, the Republican Party stands for nothing except low taxes and less regulation. This is the way it's always been and always will be. As evidenced by audience reaction in recent GOP debates, there seems to be zero compassion and empathy for the less fortunate. Republicans in the audiences have cheered and advocated people being left to die without medical coverage. They've cheered executions. They've cheered gays being discriminated against in the military. And they went wild when Herman Cain blamed people for their own state of unemployment. Welcome to compassionate conservatism, 2011 style.

 

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01:24 PM on 10/24/2011
I heard twice in the early morning radio of 10/21 in the droll voice of Mitch McConnell something to the effect of, 'They wanted to raise the taxes on 300 business owners to give money to the states so the states wouldn't have to lay off public employees' It was an absolutely astonishing quote and incorrect and incomplete and came from the mouth of one of the most seriously destructive forces in our democracy today, IMHO. I went searching for the exact wording of the quote some hours later and It Was Gone! No record on NPR, nothing on the web in searches. In fact after searching, my computer had a ridiculous virus from scour.com & centerspan which took some time to delete... Can you journalists please help me find the exact wording of Mitch McConnell's quote concerning "The Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act." Senate bill 1723?
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
feelingdisposable
Obama 332 - Romney 206
08:01 PM on 10/21/2011
AMEN to this! Hopefully, everyone will remember the neverending NO from the GOP when the election rolls around.
03:02 PM on 10/21/2011
I posted this more than six months ago, and it still applies: “We will hear the Republican message from now until the August deadline. It is a holding strategy to sabotage the US economy. The Republican­s know the only way they can possibly win the 2012 election is to wreck the economy and blame it on President Obama. By this August the Republican­s will have a legislativ­e strategy to weaken the economy and keep it in the tank for the following twelve months. These people strive to destroy America in order to promote their politics. Fellow Americans, beware this subtle treason!”
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
CSDofNM
I speak lolcat
04:06 PM on 10/21/2011
It isn't subtle.

"Tea Party Group Urges Small Businesses ‘Not To Hire A Single Person’ To Hurt Obama"
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/10/20/348168/tea-party-group-businesses-hurt-obama/

Destroy America for the good of your party?

Destroy America for the good of your party?

Destroy America for the good of your party?
02:22 PM on 10/21/2011
The republicans and 3 democrats who voted against cloture should be commented for killing the "Payoff to government workers" oops Jobs Bill. Obama’s plan would have given billions to states for government employee compensati­on. The bill has nothing to do with creating jobs

This bill is simply a payoff for the benefit government employees and government employee unions who happen to be one of the largest bloc of the democratic party voters. Any argument that it is for the education of our children is based on the false premise that more education spending equals better results.

This bill will not create or save any jobs, contrary, the excessive borrowing and increase in taxes will do more to stifle job creation than promote job creation.”
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
CSDofNM
I speak lolcat
02:33 PM on 10/21/2011
Tax cuts in 2001 created no jobs by 2008. You ideology has failed, please get another from the rack.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
TyneCrescent
A Word To The Wise Is Sufficient
05:43 PM on 10/21/2011
I guess the Bush tax cuts created jobs for the people instead of more wealth and profits for the rich and the corporations to sit on. Still a believer in trickle down, huh? Yes siree, trickle right into their coffers and not a job in sight. Please... that's so tired.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Mover
Father, Husband, Ret 1SG
02:19 PM on 10/21/2011
Why do we need a jobs bill? Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), says, "Private sector jobs are doing just fine'. http://tinyurl.com/42dj26y

Too funny. Your leader goes home to another planet.
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demisfine
Often correct, NEVER right.
02:16 PM on 10/21/2011
The GOP seems to be operating on the assumption that if they make the democratic voters so miserable fort he next 13 months that the only voters who will be strong enough (and deemed legal enough) to vote will be republicans.
They are kicking the struggling while they are down, then turning their backs, walking away, cashing their checks and taking vacation.
Fiddling while Rome burns.
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02:11 PM on 10/21/2011
"The truth is, the Republican Party stands for nothing except low taxes and less regulation"

...and making sure to get the black guy out of the white house
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Andy Ostroy
10:06 PM on 10/21/2011
True dat!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Mover
Father, Husband, Ret 1SG
02:03 PM on 10/21/2011
This line, "Thursday night Republicans again voted in lockstep to defeat ... workers. ", needs rewriting.

It should say:

"Thursday night Democrats again voted in lockstep to defeat yet another jobs bill put forth by Democrats. In a 50-50 vote, Democratic senators defeated a part of Obama's bill that would allocate $35 billion for states and localities to hire additional teachers, police, firefighters and other first responders while protecting existing workers.
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CSDofNM
I speak lolcat
01:50 PM on 10/21/2011
Mr. Ostroy, you are SO right!

Name the jobs killers.

Shame the jobs killers with the infrastructure projects in their own districts going un funded.

Replace them with someone who will vote for jobs.
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demisfine
Often correct, NEVER right.
02:28 PM on 10/21/2011
Easy.
Every Republican, Joe Lieberman, Ben Nelson and Jon Tester.
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demisfine
Often correct, NEVER right.
02:32 PM on 10/21/2011
Sorry.
Not Jon Tester, Mark Pryor.
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_19160012?source=rss
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CSDofNM
I speak lolcat
02:35 PM on 10/21/2011
Tax cuts in 2001 created no new jobs by 2008.

You are preaching a factually false and discredited ideology.

Please select another ideology, or become extinct at the polls in 2012, I don't care which.
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demisfine
Often correct, NEVER right.
02:43 PM on 10/21/2011
Your reply to me seems to be in complete opposition of my reply to you.
I am a liberal democrat who support the jobs bill (I wish it was bigger!).
I listed the senators who voted against the bill so they could be ousted and replaced by real democrats.
01:40 PM on 10/21/2011
What a bunch of bull. What Andy here forgot to mention is that the Democrats have the majority in the Senate, also it says here that it ended in a 50/50 vote, which means that yes all the "evil right wing conservatives" voted against it but that also means that there had to be crossover Democrats who didnt like the bill either and voted it down. Turns out your own side doesnt like it either, but nooooooo it is the "Evil Republicans" who are hell bent on just ANY policy that comes out of the White House right? WRONG! We just arent bending to the Collectivist/Socialist policies anymore.
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CSDofNM
I speak lolcat
01:53 PM on 10/21/2011
We aren't collectivists. We aren't socialists. You aren't a fascist. Get over the labeling.

The point is that Congress has to pass a bill and Republicans are being obstructionists.

Tea Party Group Urges Small Businesses ‘Not To Hire A Single Person’ To Hurt Obama
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/10/20/348168/tea-party-group-businesses-hurt-obama/

Republicans would rather kill the economy than help the people. Learn to negotiate in good faith or become extinct at the polls in 2012. Your choice, but do it now.
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Mover
Father, Husband, Ret 1SG
02:07 PM on 10/21/2011
CSDofNM whines, "We aren't collectivi­sts. We aren't socialists­. You aren't a fascist. Get over the labeling."

If you support the policies of President Obama and the Democrats in congress, then those labels fit.

The rhetoric that has been coming out of Democrats in government and including the president, sound like the sort of rhetoric that we hear from Hugo Chavez.
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Dale Birmingham
Conservative who Believes in America
01:55 PM on 10/21/2011
So very very true. Democrats in the SENATE SAID NO and Marco Rubio also said it would tax the middle class abd hit hard on business owners. NO THANKS!
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TyneCrescent
A Word To The Wise Is Sufficient
01:26 PM on 10/21/2011
"Jobs Bill Killers." Hasn't been said enough. If any proposed legislation doesn't included tax breaks for the rich or deregulation, right-wingers won't support it.

When EVERY SINGLE REPUBLICAN votes against a measure to help teachers, firefighters, police, first responders etc.? You need not guess who's side they're on. Corporations. Not ONE republican stepped up for them. They choose to march in lockstep with the money.

The Obama people have failed again on messaging, allowing right-wingers to dominate the message. They don't seem to possess the will to take their message to the people and call out those who govern on ideology rather than the people's interests. Time to call the JOB KILLERS what they are and stop the passivity and letting the fight come to them. It already has. They were elected to fight against those set on only enriching the wealthy and their corporate benefactors.

They voted against part of the job measure twice in two weeks? It follows the pattern of "no" UI extensions, "no" disaster funding for the affected without cuts somewhere (even though Cantor wanted aid for his district), who railed against the stimulus but were first for a photo op when projects came their way. No voice against pundits calling OWS, "mobs", hippies, etc. "If you're not successful in this country, its your own fault." Paraphrasing the flavor of the month who believes Black people are "brainwashed."

One way to stop the madness - VOTE.
01:49 PM on 10/21/2011
Mostly teachers, who's dues are needed to finance Democrat candidates. While these professions are honorable, they are in fact luxuries of a secure economy, not the source of it. Once a society has secured food and shelter, it can think about other things. Except for police to secure the food and shelter against theft, these services are far down the list.
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02:17 PM on 10/21/2011
Education is far down the list? Education is a luxury? This is not the 18th century.
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Andy Ostroy
02:18 PM on 10/21/2011
Yeah, screw those teachers! Who needs 'em! And honestly, why are we wasting SOOO much time talking hiring them when we can be trying to regulate really important stuff like abortion and gay marriage?
01:52 PM on 10/21/2011
Yes, us "evil right wingers" dominate the media. Remind me again, how many news outlets are we able to get our message out there with? When you all have MSNBC, CBS, CNN, CNN Headline News, etc. so tell me where our message dominates?
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CSDofNM
I speak lolcat
02:02 PM on 10/21/2011
Fox "News".
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02:20 PM on 10/21/2011
While the networks you have listed do indeed have a handful of "liberal" commentators, what people forget is what these networks DO NOT report. Lies of omission are still lies, and the main-stream media omits many things. People get confused because the few networks labeled as "conservative" are so overwrought, the others look "liberal" in comparrison. Do not be fooled-they are not
01:11 PM on 10/21/2011
We pay more than enough taxes now. Of course, feel free to send the government some of your discretionary income if you're really distressed about how much the rich pay. Continuing to raise taxes in this economy will only exacerbate the economic and jobs problems we've had since stimulus #1. Oh, and all that money didn't go to actually stimulate the economy. A lot went overseas, some went to democratic cronies and a bunch to unions. The american people are now at 72% disapproval of Obama and his policies. And not because the rich aren't taxed enough..
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CSDofNM
I speak lolcat
02:00 PM on 10/21/2011
Wowee. Revisionist history here folks. Tax rates haven't been this low in almost a century.

The rich aren't taxed enough. The failed policy of Reaganomics cut rates from 75% to 55% to 35% to 15% for the rich, now Cain wants to cut THAT in half. Thirty years of debt and deficit. Thirty years without a single year of double digit GDP growth. So based on the historical record, you want to put us in debt and destroy the economy, so that rich people can get a tax break. My answer to that is- NO.

Patriotic Americans pay for their wars, at the time, with war bonds and war taxes. My grandfather and father paid those taxes to pay off WWII. Your side wants TAX BREAKS and debt on my sons credit card. My answer to that is - NO.

Until you get some patriotic spirit, some honor and fundamental fairness, we can't expect you to pay your dues in the members only club called America. So we will do it for you.

WWII tax rates NOW! (for all patriotic and honorable Americans).
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Mover
Father, Husband, Ret 1SG
03:07 PM on 10/21/2011
CSDofNM mistakingly states, "Reaganomic­s cut rates from 75% to 55% to 35% to 15% for the rich,"

Fact: President Reagan's tax cuts brought the highest marginal tax rate down to 28%. It never got lower than 28% for wealthiest wage earners in America. And, while he lowered the marginal tax rate, he also eliminated many deductions and loopholes they were using to cut their taxes.

"Thirty years of debt and deficit. Thirty years without a single year of double digit GDP growth."

Please show us when this country has ever had "double digit growth in GDP".

"Your side wants TAX BREAKS and debt on my sons credit card. My answer to that is - NO."

That is crazy talk. Democrats have been running up the credit card on our grand children. You have the nerve to whine about Bush's annual deficits, but forgive Obama's deficit spending on his cronies. Bush added about $5T to the national debt in 8 years. Obama added $4.4T in 3 years. And you blame republicans? Are you and Harry Reid from the same planet?
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Marc Lewis
A 'Wobbly' Progressive for 50yrs
01:09 PM on 10/21/2011
Correction; Less taxes (for the wealthy, more tax burden for everyone else) Less regulation (for the Big Corporations, more restrictions on everyone else. Cases in point; abortion, voter registration). As to Obama, Yes Sir, the quickest way to loose voter interest is to keep giving them the 'Facts and Figures' without a rallying cry to go with them.
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Mover
Father, Husband, Ret 1SG
02:15 PM on 10/21/2011
The tax burden on the "rich" went up by about half a percent due to Bush's tax cuts, while the rest of us saw our tax burden reduced by about the same amount.

The "tax cuts for the rich" mantra is a fabrication by politicians who have run out of ideas, are losing the debate, and are desperate to keep their cushy, well paid, jobs.
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CSDofNM
I speak lolcat
02:19 PM on 10/21/2011
Your post is counterfactual. I believe you are deliberately lying.

Year Tax max % Recession/Boom
1978 74.47% 10.56%
1979 74.47% 9.48%
1980 74.47% 7.03%
1981 74.47% 9.94%
1982 53.19% 2.96%
1983 53.19% 7.12%
1984 53.19% 9.29%
1985 53.19% 5.96%
1986 53.19% 4.58%
1987 40.96% 4.99%
1988 29.79% 6.29%
1989 29.79% 6.08%
1990 29.79% 4.42%
1991 32.98% 1.90%
1992 32.98% 4.26%
1993 42.13% 3.63%
1994 42.13% 4.75%
1995 42.13% 3.31%
1996 42.13% 4.30%
1997 42.13% 4.80%
1998 42.13% 4.13%
1999 42.13% 4.91%
2000 42.13% 4.97%
2001 41.60% 2.27%
2002 41.06% 2.41%
2003 37.23% 3.60%
2004 37.23% 5.27%
2005 37.23% 5.25%
2006 37.23% 4.78%
2007 37.23% 3.78%
2008 37.23% 1.23%
2009 37.23% -2.76%

Why did your tax cuts for the rich leave our economy in a deep dark hole? And why do you lie about the facts?
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
hipichick7
I'm still walking, so I'm sure that I can dance!
01:06 PM on 10/21/2011
I find it reprehensible that these republiclans ran on JOBS, JOBS, JOBS in the last election cycle. Instead they have done nothing but obstruct our President at every turn. He offers solutions, 'they' vote him down. AND 'they' have the balls to call him a do nothing President.
Mr. Boehner~where are the pucking jobs!
01:51 PM on 10/21/2011
The problem is his "solutions" are solutions for financing Democrat candidates with union dues, not solutions for private business hiring.
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CSDofNM
I speak lolcat
02:06 PM on 10/21/2011
Tax cuts in 2001 created no net new jobs by 2008.

Tax cuts in 1981 never produced another single year of double digit GDP (the last was 1978). They did produce a mountain of debt and deficit with which you propose to hold my family hostage. Reaganomics failed to do anything except cut taxes from 75% to 55% to 35% to 15% for the rich.

Repeal Reaganomics.

WWII tax rates NOW! (for all patriotic and honorable Americans).
01:05 PM on 10/21/2011
Both sides are jobs killers. Neither has done anything effecitve to prevent round two of more historic fraud that leads to another meltdown that will destroy millions more jobs and further melt down the economy.
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CSDofNM
I speak lolcat
02:07 PM on 10/21/2011
Only one side can prosecute the offenders in the massive financial frauds.

Obama and Holder won't do it.
05:00 PM on 10/21/2011
They will when the 99% gather the steam and demand that they do.