Does Obama ever really mean what he says? He asks for bipartisanship, but doesn't listen to anyone but Democrats.
Does Obama really want to create jobs? Mostly he seems to do everything he can to kill them.
Read on to find out what happens to Republican ideas.
Obama’s ‘Save My Job’ bill versus real jobs bills
By: Ron Arnold | 09/29/11 8:05 PM
By now, most of us have digested or discounted President Obama's jobs speech before a joint session of Congress three weeks ago: "You give me $447 billion more in taxpayer funds to spend on government subsidies and I'll give you a $240 billion payroll tax cut for employers and employees."
Even on that symbolic night, Obama's applause line, "Pass this bill," had degenerated by the 15th repetition into near-mania. It sounded more like, "Pass this Save My Job bill."
It still does. Obama's bumper sticker slogan has lived on in constant White House nagging at Congress, from speeches in Raleigh, N.C.; Richmond, Va.; and Cincinnati's decaying Brent Spence Bridge -- all in swing states he wants to win to get re-elected in 2012.
But Congress, even Harry Reid's Democrat-controlled Senate, is in no hurry to pass Obama's American Jobs Act -- October, maybe, once they figure out who's going to pay for all the pieces.
However, in his joint session speech, the president may have made a strategic blunder. After his all-drama-Obama histrionics, he closed by saying that he "would consider all good ideas."
Two Republicans took him up on it. Sen. John Barrasso (Wyoming) and Rep. Steve Pearce (N.M), respective chairmen of the Senate and Congressional Western Caucuses, gave him more than 40 good ideas.
They wrote a joint letter to the president and sent him their detailed "Jobs Frontiers" report with more than 40 bills "as a collection of ideas for your additional consideration."
The "Jobs Frontiers" bills weren't just ideas. They had already been introduced in one or both chambers of Congress with triggers for instant shovel-ready jobs, unlike Obama's bureaucrat-laden, grow-the-government, beyond-the-horizon loans and grants and hopes.
Barrasso and Pearce were determined that their good ideas would not dissolve into Obama's predictions of 13 million new jobs -- with two years of help from a Democrat-controlled House and Senate -- that instead lost 2.3 million jobs, and sent unemployment climbing from 7.8 percent to 9.1 percent.
The Jobs Frontier bills deliberately and defiantly cut bureaucratic red tape, proposed developing American energy on American soil, and sought right-now, boots-on jobs in the West and across the country.
Barrasso and Pearce gave Obama examples: "For instance, Mr. President, the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act offered by Congressman Paul Gosar [R-Ariz.] would pave the way for a copper mine in Superior. Arizona, and immediately bring 1.400 new jobs to an area in desperate need. The San Joaquin Valley legislation offered by Congressman Devin Nunes [R-Calif.] would bring 25,000 to 30,000 jobs back to California."
The two caucus leaders patiently explained some of their other bills. "The three Outer-Continental Shelf bills offered by Congressman Hastings [R-Wash.] would create 250,000 short-term jobs and over 1.2 million jobs in the long term. The Domestic Jobs, Domestic Energy and Deficit Reduction Act offered by Senator David Vitter and Congressman Rob Bishop would create over 2 million jobs and $10 trillion in Gross Domestic Product at zero cost to the taxpayer."
The two lawmakers closed politely: "We take you at your word that you will consider all good proposals."
The letter and report appear to have submerged into the White House oblivion file.
It was predictable. The White House regularly takes action against specific industries with lots of jobs to kill: My tally of Obama targets and how many existing jobs need protecting: Oil and gas (9 million jobs); coal (550,000); hydropower (200-300,000); geothermal (13,000); meat production (6.2 million); forest products (900,000); hunting and fishing (1.1 million jobs).
My vote for worst Obama job killers goes to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Environmental Protection Agency head Lisa Jackson. I'm not pointing my finger at them, I'm just pointing to the door where they should march immediately, then out to the unemployment line with their countless victims.
Examiner Columnist Ron Arnold is executive vice president of the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/2011/09/obamas-save-my-job-bill-versus-real-jobs-bills#ixzz1ZYEByfLo
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