Eric Cantor: 'An America That Works'

By Eric Cantor
National Review Online
February 13, 2014

At our annual policy retreat two weeks ago, House Republicans outlined the framework of our 2014 agenda, entitled “An America That Works.” While we were discussing policies that would create opportunity and reward hard work, little did we know that within a matter of days President Obama and the Democratic party would embrace the idea that it should be a goal of public policy to encourage able-bodied adults to retreat from the work force. This full-throated embrace of the aims of a European-style social-welfare state perfectly encapsulates the debate about the future of our nation.

House Republicans believe that the promise of America has always been that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can get ahead, and that as a result each generation will enjoy more liberty, opportunity, and prosperity. This is the American Dream.

But today, the liberal policies of the Obama administration threaten this dream. And rather than figuring out how to restore the American Dream and make America work again, the president and his allies are trying to convince us that what we are experiencing is just the new normal.

One in six working-age men out of work shouldn’t be the new normal; nor should stagnant wages and growing costs that squeeze middle-class families. Nor should a government-run health-care system that discourages work, raises costs, and denies the opportunity to see one’s doctor become the new normal. And neither should a K–12 education system that fails our most vulnerable children or a college system that is accessible only to the rich become the new normal.

House Republicans reject President Obama’s new normal and instead embrace the idea that we can build a policy agenda focused on bold, conservative solutions to the most pressing problems facing American families today. In short, an agenda to help build an America that works again.

While we will tackle many issues this year in Congress, we will focus on four key areas that demand our immediate attention.

CREATING JOBS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
We all know the headlines: 6.6 percent unemployment and a labor-force-participation rate that is near its lowest level since 1977. But that is only part of the story.

The unemployment rate for the approximately 30 percent of working-age Americans with a bachelor’s degree or higher is 3.2 percent. But most working-age Americans don’t have a college degree. Unemployment for those with only a high-school diploma is 7.1 percent. Their labor-force-participation rate is an astonishingly low 58 percent — the lowest level for the period for which we have records. And it is even worse for those without a high-school diploma.

America doesn’t work if Americans aren’t working. An America that works requires an economy where jobs of all kinds are being created: white-collar, blue-collar, part-time, full-time. Diverse jobs that reflect the diversity of our country.

Our jobs plan begins with the SKILLS Act, our proposal to reform federal job-training programs and help connect the unemployed with the jobs available in their area. It continues with regulatory relief for those sectors of our economy we are counting on to create the jobs we need: construction, energy, manufacturing, and retail. These sectors happen to be the ones most under assault by the administration’s runaway regulatory agenda. Tax policy also has a critical role to play, as does pro-growth energy policy.

MIDDLE-CLASS SQUEEZE
Median household income is lower today than it was in 2000. Many Americans haven’t seen a raise in years. America doesn’t work if middle-class families are working more but taking home less.

To make matters worse, American families devote a larger share of their take-home pay to gasoline, health care, and utilities today than they did a decade ago. No wonder three-quarters of Americans say they are living paycheck to paycheck. This is the “middle-class squeeze.”

We will tackle both sides of this squeeze. This includes taking steps to reduce household energy and health-care costs, stopping regulations that reduce take-home pay, and updating our tax code. We will confront head-on the policies of the Obama administration that punish work, such as the 29-hour-work-week provision in Obamacare that is cutting hourly workers’​ wages by as much 25 percent.

OBAMACARE ALTERNATIVE
If America is going to work, we need a health-care system that works.

Under Obamacare, nearly 6 million policies have been canceled and, for many, premiums and deductibles are increasing. Small-business owners, seniors, and middle-class families are losing access to the doctors, pediatricians, and care they want because Obamacare can’t live up to the promises it made.

While repeal of Obamacare is a prerequisite, it isn’t sufficient to the challenges facing American families. We must present patient-centered reform that reduces health-care costs. This reform must also maintain access to doctors, pediatricians, and hospitals, and help those with preexisting conditions while covering more people.

We will offer a different approach that focuses on patient-centered care, while reducing costs through increased competition, improving outcomes, and expanding choices and coverage. Americans deserve a health-care system in which insurers compete for our business, keeping prices down and quality high, and allowing Americans to see the doctor of their choice.

OPPORTUNITY
In America, education and hard work have always been the keys to upward mobility. Fifty percent of Americans think a higher level of education is the gateway to the middle class, yet 49 percent think paying for college is realistic only for the rich. Perhaps that is because tuition and fees at a four-year school are up 42 percent in the past decade and up 48 percent at a two-year school. America doesn’t work if college is out of reach for most families.

Sadly, for too many children, a quality K–12 education is still the most pressing challenge. Last year the House passed the Student Success Act, to increase accountability and choice in K–12 education. Approximately 200 House-passed bills remain blocked in the Senate, including this important education initiative. This year, we will continue to push for more options for a high-quality education, including through charter schools.

Of course, many students will never go to college and many Americans are past their college years. They need the opportunity to learn skills for the jobs of today and tomorrow. That is why we will continue to focus on work-force-training and vocational-education programs.

Our agenda for an America that works will go beyond support for small-business owners and capital formation; our platform will address the concerns of the 90 percent of Americans who don’t own a business and are looking for a good-paying job to support their families. We will pursue policies that support them as they seek a secure job with a decent salary that enables them to support their families, pursue their dreams, and leave their children a little more than they have.

In his first inaugural address, President Reagan said: “It’s not my intention to do away with government. It is rather to make it work — work with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride on our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it.”

After the late 1970s, when everything that made America work was under threat, people were looking for a government to provide opportunity and stand beside them, not smother them and ride on their back. The same is true today.

House Republicans are prepared to deliver an America that works for everyone.

Eric Cantor is the majority leader of the House of Representatives.

NY Times Jill Abramson: 'This is the most secretive White House I've ever dealt with'

Jill Abramson, executive editor of the New York Times, noted in an interview that the Obama White House was the most secretive she had ever dealt with:

"I would say it is the most secretive White House that I have ever been involved in covering, and that includes — I spent 22 years of my career in Washington and covered presidents from President Reagan on up through now, and I was Washington bureau chief of the Times during George W. Bush's first term," Abramson told Al Jazeera America in an interview that will air on Sunday.

"I dealt directly with the Bush White House when they had concerns that stories we were about to run put the national security under threat. But, you know, they were not pursuing criminal leak investigations," she continued. "The Obama administration has had seven criminal leak investigations. That is more than twice the number of any previous administration in our history. It's on a scale never seen before. This is the most secretive White House that, at least as a journalist, I have ever dealt with."

The comments were made to Al Jazeera America in an interview that will air Sunday.

Politico noted:

James Risen, a Times reporter, is currently fighting to avoid having to testify against a former CIA official accused of being his source. According to Robert Gates's new memoir, Obama hadn't been in office more than a month before saying he wanted a criminal investigation into disclosures on Iran policy that had been published the Times.

In the wake of the revelations about the Justice Department's monitoring of Fox News reporter James Rosen, whom the DOJ labeled a “co-conspirator," the Times editorial board wrote that "the Obama administration has moved beyond protecting government secrets to threatening fundamental freedoms of the press to gather news."

The far-reaching interview touched on the Iraq War, the Snowden debacle, and the future of print newspapers as well as secrecy of the Obama White House.

Denver Post editorial: 'Poll -- Obama misled nation'

The Affordable Care Act is not working out the way President Barack Obama and Democrats thought it would. Today's Denver Post editorialized about the negative effects of Obamacare:

"President Obama's misstatement, 'If you like your health plan, you can keep it,' left a bad taste with a lot of people," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Nearly half of the voters, 46 percent, think he knowingly deceived them."

Just because you like your old approval ratings doesn't mean that you can keep them.

Sgt. Schultz, er, President Obama: "I see nothing. I know nothing."

President Barack Obama's latest round of denials concerning knowledge about the Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare, on top of his past claims denying knowing anything about controversy after controversy during his administration, brought to mind the infamous Sergeant Schultz from the 1970s TV show, "Hogan's Heroes."  His line was famous at the time, spoken in a clipped accented voice: "I know nothing!" It was good for a laugh ... but the President's denials are not funny.

Back story: NBC News Investigations - "Obama administration knew millions could not keep their health insurance?"

The president of disconnect

A tragedy unfolded on Monday in the Washington Navy Yard that ended in the death of 12 victims and the 34-year-old gunman. Areas of D.C. were locked down. The Nationals baseball team postponed their game until the next day. Seven victims were identified: Michael Arnold, 59; Sylvia Frasier, 53; Kathy Gaarde, 62; John Roger Johnson, 73; Frank Kohler, 50; Kenneth Bernard Proctor, 46; and Vishnu Pandit, 61. Families were shattered.

Columnist Maureen Dowd was shocked that President Barack Obama seemed to basically overlook the obvious heartache that so many were feeling as he went about the business of delivering a speech, writing in the New York Times that he is Losing the Room:

President Obama also gave a speech Monday, talking at the White House while the drama unfolded at the supposedly secure Navy Yard nearby. He could have posted his original remarks on the White House Web site and replaced them with a cri de coeur on gun control, or comfort for the shaken city. The 12 who died were, after all, under his aegis as workers in a federal building.

But, jarringly, the president went ahead with his political attack, briefly addressing the slaughter before moving on to jab Republicans over the corporate tax rate and resistance to Obamacare.

Just as with the address to the nation on Syria last week, the president went ahead with a speech overtaken by events. It was out of joint, given that the Senate was put into lockdown and the Washington Nationals delayed a night game against the Atlanta Braves, noting on its Web site, “Postponed: Tragedy.”

The man who connected so electrically and facilely in 2008, causing Americans to overlook his thin résumé, cannot seem to connect anymore.

Noting that even Democrats are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the President for a variety of reasons, Ms. Dowd added:

Obama still has a secret weapon: Congressional Republicans, who might yet shut down the government or cause a cataclysmic default and make the president look good.

I sincerely hope that does not happen for reasons I have written about before and opined about by The Times. Been there, done that, got our behinds kicked to the curb by the American public.

And then there's this:

Unlike Bill Clinton, who excels at boiling down complex arguments to simple ones, Obama prefers to wallow in the weeds, reminding people that he’s the smartest man in the room and expecting their support because he feels he is only doing what’s complicated and right.

This president, much as I've tried to see it, does not emit compassion during tragedies. Obviously Maureen Dowd sees the same.

Obama to address nation Tuesday about Syria

Taking his case to the people of the United States, President Barack Obama will address the nation Tuesday night to make his case for a military strike on Syria.

The Hill reported on Friday:

The president announced his intention during a press conference Friday at the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, where he warned that "the Assad regime's brazen use of chemical weapons isn't just a Syrian tragedy."
...
Obama's decision to address the country from the Oval Office underscores concerns that the administration is losing ground in its bid to secure congressional approval for a vote.

According to The Hill's Whip List, 100 House members are now "no" votes or are leaning against military authorization.

Seventy-two of them are Republicans and 28 are Democrats. Only 31 House members — 10 Republicans and 21 Democrats — are "yes" votes or are "leaning yes."

Read more here.

Strong opposition to government shutdown includes Republicans

The first paragraph of Byron York's article in the Washington Examiner says it all:

"A new poll done for Republican members of Congress has found huge public opposition, and solid opposition among Republicans, to the idea of shutting down the government over the issue of funding Obamacare."

An overwhelming 71 percent of Americans do not want a repeat of 1995 when Republicans shut down the government for three weeks. Even 61 percent of Republican women don't want to see Republicans go through with such a plan.

For those who were not paying attention in 1995 when the GOP shut down the government, it wasn't pretty. Google it. Or listen to the voices of experiences who have been there and done that, like Senator Saxby Chambliss, 69, and Joe Scarborough who was a congressman at the time.

Now a poll, commissioned by Republicans, is confirming that a shutdown will not bode well for the GOP. Will those "show horses" of the U.S. Senate, as the New York Times called Rand Paul of Kentucky, Ted Cruz of Texas, and Marco Rubio of Florida, continue to push for it?

Byron York, like others, can look at this poll and read the tea leaves:

"But there is no doubt defunding advocates anticipate a possible shutdown; their hope is to persuade the public to blame President Obama, and not Republicans, for it. The new numbers suggest they will have a lot of persuading to do."

It brings to mind once again American philosopher George Santayana's much-quoted belief, "Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it." Hopefully, GOP leadership and experienced voices will be able to stop the proposed fallacy.

Hillary wasn't ready for 3 a.m. phone call

Remember the infamous 2008 Hillary Clinton for President "3 a.m. phone call" ad that claimed Obama was too inexperienced at international relations to be president? Seems Hillary wasn't ready either when the Benghazi tragedy happened on September 11, 2012 and, as a result, American lives were lost.

From Jennifer Rubin in today's Washington Post:

Hillary’s famous 3 a.m. phone call ad turned out to be prophetic. Obama was not prepared for the myriad of foreign policy challenges. But neither was she.

Unfortunately for Hillary, it's the issue that won't go away....

NJ polls: Christie dominates governor's race

Governor Chris Christie continues to dominate in the polls for New Jersey's 2013 gubernatorial race. Real Clear Politics took six polls -- Quinnipiac, Fairleigh Dickinson, Rasmussen Reports, Richard Stockton College, Monmouth University, Rutgers-Eagleton -- and averaged them to show Christie leading 60 percent to 28 percent against Democratic opponent state Senator Barbara Buono.

Christie, seeking reelection for a second term, is a well-liked Republican governor in a blue state who has been praised for his leadership in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and his willingness to reach out to President Barack Obama in his search for help.

WaPost: 'Obama yet to leave a lasting legacy for Africa on the scale of Bush and Clinton'

Laura and George W. Bush in Zambia, June 30, 2013.

The pictures are all over Facebook showing Former President George W. Bush and wife Laura traveling Africa this week as they continue their humanitarian mission that began before leaving the White House four years ago.

Slowly but surely liberals have begrudingly had to admit GWB has played a large role in AIDs relief that has been credited with saving millions of lives. The Bushes have been instrumental in other global health advances, too, and are almost revered in that part of the world.

President Barack Obama? Not so much, and the Washington Post has noticed:

Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush passed innovative Africa initiatives while in the White House and passionately continue their development work in the region in their presidential afterlife. Obama’s efforts here have not been so ambitious, despite his personal ties to the continent.

It must be a tad awkward for Obama to find himself in Bush's shadow after spending the first four years of his administration blaming his predecessor for everything that went wrong in America. The Post notes that Obama is five years into his administration and just now on a major tour of Africa, just the second time while President:

His first major tour of Africa as president is coming just now, in his fifth year, while Bush and Clinton are frequent fliers to Africa. Bush even will be in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, next week at the same time as Obama, although they have no plans to meet. Instead, their wives plan to appear together at a summit on empowering African women organized by the George W. Bush Institute, with the former president in attendance.

The people of Africa had expected more from America's first black president after he told them in his first year, "I have the blood of Africa in me."

Meanwhile, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush captured the heart of Africa with work that continues to this day:

Clinton first drew extensive attention to Africa in 1998 when he made the longest trip ever by a U.S. president, with stops in six countries that had never before been visited by any occupant of the Oval Office. Bush’s trip this week is his third in 19 months to promote his Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon partnership to combat breast and cervical cancer in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. On this visit, he and his wife, Laura, plan to help renovate a cervical cancer screening and treatment clinic in Zambia before heading to Tanzania for the African First Ladies Summit advocating investment in programs for women and girls.

After a week of renovating, President and Mrs. Bush opened the Mosi-Oa-Tunya clinic, a cervical cancer facility in Livingstone, Zambia. Their trip demonstrates their continued commitment to the people of Africa through the work of the global health initiative at the George W. Bush Institute. June 30, 2013

Photos from the George W. Bush Presidential Center

Why are American flags at half staff today?

We were out this morning and passed an American flag that was at half staff on the flag pole. I was curious as to why so looked it up.

All fifty states across the nation have their American and state flags at half staff today due to a directive from President Barack Obama who issued a proclamation in honor of Police Week and Peace Officers Memorial Day. Thank you to all police officers who sacrifice for the safety of American citizens.

Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week, 2013

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Day after day, police officers in every corner of America suit up, put on the badge, and carry out their sworn duty to protect and serve. They step out the door every morning without considering bravery or heroics. They stay focused on meeting their responsibilities. They concentrate on keeping their neighborhoods safe and doing right by their fellow officers. And with quiet courage, they help fulfill the demanding yet vital task of shielding our people from harm. It is work that deserves our deepest respect -- because when darkness and danger would threaten the peace, our police officers are there to step in, ready to lay down their lives to protect our own.

This week, we pay solemn tribute to men and women who did. Setting aside fear and doubt, these officers made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the rule of law and the communities they loved. They heard the call to serve and answered it; braved the line of fire; charged toward the danger. Our hearts are heavy with their loss, and on Peace Officers Memorial Day, our Nation comes together to reflect on the legacy they left us.

As we mark this occasion, let us remember that we can do no greater service to those who perished than by upholding what they fought to protect. That means doing everything we can to make our communities safer. It means putting cops back on the beat and supporting them with the tools and training they need. It means getting weapons of war off our streets and keeping guns out of the hands of criminals -- common-sense measures that would reduce gun violence and help officers do their job safely and effectively.

Together, we can accomplish those goals. So as we take this time to honor law enforcement in big cities and small towns all across our country, let us join them in pursuit of a brighter tomorrow. Our police officers serve and sacrifice on our behalf every day, and as citizens, we owe them nothing less than our full and lasting support.

By a joint resolution approved October 1, 1962, as amended (76 Stat. 676), and by Public Law 103-322, as amended (36 U.S.C. 136-137), the President has been authorized and requested to designate May 15 of each year as "Peace Officers Memorial Day" and the week in which it falls as "Police Week."

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 15, 2013, as Peace Officers Memorial Day and May 12 through May 18, 2013, as Police Week. I call upon all Americans to observe these events with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I also call on Governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, officials of the other territories subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct that the flag be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day. I further encourage all Americans to display the flag at half-staff from their homes and businesses on that day.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA

Second ricin-laced letter found in D.C.?

The Hill is reporting that a second letter, possibly ricin-laced and this time addressed to President Barack Obama, has been discovered in a D.C.-area mail facility:

Authorities have intercepted a letter to the White House that tested positive for ricin poison, according to multiple media reports.

The Secret Service has acknowledged the letter addressed to President Obama contained a suspicious substance but has not stated it was ricin, a deadly poison.

On Tuesday it was announced that a letter containing ricin was discovered in mail addressed to Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi.

More details are at The Hill.

Video from George P. Bush: April 15 is ‘Obama’s favorite day of the year’

From the Daily Caller:

George P. Bush is running for Texas Land Commissioner. And he’s out to nationalize the race. Today, his team released this timely video.

In the ad, Bush calls tax day, “Barack Obama’s favorite day of the year,” and says he “celebrates higher taxes and bigger government.”

George P. Bush represents the new generation of conservative Texas leadership. A successful businessman and civic leader, he is the son of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, the nephew of former President George W. Bush, and the grandson of former President George H.W. Bush.

Don't let his famous family connections fool you. This 36-year-old has many accomplishments including a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Look for him to continue moving forward in his political career.

George W. Bush raises $500 million for presidential library, dedication is April 25

The George W. Bush Presidential Library is ready for its dedication on April 25, 2013, and it will open knowing the lofty fundraising goal of $500 million set by the former President has been surpassed. It is one of the most successful post-presidential fundraising events ever.

Politico reported:

About half of the lump-sum will go toward building the library and museum on Southern Methodist University’s campus in Bush’s honor. The building will be dedicated April 25 and opened to the public the beginning May. Some of the funds will go to a mandatory endowment to the government and yet another portion will be gifted to the University, and the rest of the money will go to the George W. Bush Institute, a public policy center in Dallas founded by the former president and his wife, Langdale told Time.

Under construction for two years, the presidential library, museum, and policy institute sits on 23 acres at Southern Methodist University. More than 43,000 artifacts from the Bush presidency as well as numerous records and documents will be included.

At the dedication, President Bush will host President Barack Obama as well as former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and his father, George H.W. Bush.

The library will open to the public May 1.

Obama says he's carrying on the work of Margaret Thatcher ... really?

President Barack Obama says in a statement on the passing of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, "Michelle and I send our thoughts to the Thatcher family and all the British people as we carry on the work to which she dedicated her life—free peoples standing together, determined to write our own destiny.”

Maybe it's just me but I am thinking there is a world of difference between Margaret Thatcher's philosophy and leadership, and Barack Obama's. What do you think? Here is his entire statement:

With the passing of Baroness Margaret Thatcher, the world has lost one of the great champions of freedom and liberty, and America has lost a true friend. As a grocer’s daughter who rose to become Britain’s first female prime minister, she stands as an example to our daughters that there is no glass ceiling that can’t be shattered. As prime minister, she helped restore the confidence and pride that has always been the hallmark of Britain at its best. And as an unapologetic supporter of our transatlantic alliance, she knew that with strength and resolve we could win the Cold War and extend freedom’s promise.

Here in America, many of us will never forget her standing shoulder to shoulder with President Reagan, reminding the world that we are not simply carried along by the currents of history—we can shape them with moral conviction, unyielding courage and iron will. Michelle and I send our thoughts to the Thatcher family and all the British people as we carry on the work to which she dedicated her life—free peoples standing together, determined to write our own destiny.

George Will had some thoughts on her accomplishments. Harking back to 2007 is a four-part series from writer and businessman Conrad Black who even then was noting the vindication for this leader who was against the European Union, as he noted, "Her response to the proposal to reduce Britain to a local government in a federal Europe was, memorably: 'No, no, no, and never.' "

And then there's today's Business Insider that takes the European Union question a step further (and now it's six years after the Black article) with their post, "Margaret Thatcher Was Freakishly Correct About Why The Euro Would Be Such A Big Disaster."

She helped modernize Great Britain while loosening the death grip of the unions, privatizing the airlines and other losing businesses to turn a profit, cut taxes, faced the Cold War, and refused to compromise with terrorists. That's just the tip of the iceberg of her accomplishments during her eleven years of leadership.

Considering what Obama has done in his four years as president, I'm not convinced he is a believer in the same goals as Margaret Thatcher....

Schoeneman's response to St. John's controversy causes Bearing Drift hits to skyrocket

Controversy certainly can raise readership, as newspapers know all too well. Bearing Drift is reaping some mega-hits from the recent St. John's Church Easter sermon controversy.

In the middle of it, all the outrage over an Easter sermon has me wondering what conservatives are really interested in? Parsing words offered in an Easter Sunday sermon with the President in attendance, or all the other issues that threaten to swamp this country?

Contributor Brian Schoeneman got dragged right into the middle of the story when he began to defend his church, St. John's in Lafayette Square across from the White House, and its rector, Reverend Luis Leon, who had presided over Brian's marriage and baptized his son. Brian had attended Easter services last Sunday and knew what had been said, the context in which it was offered, and he knew it was not in the negative way being portrayed.

Brian wrote:

In his sermon, Luis made reference to “captains of the religious right,” and it was reported in many places that he accused the religious right of wanting to keep blacks in the back of the bus, wanting to keep women in the kitchen, and immigrants on their side of the border.  Conservatives erupted in outrage.

The misinterpretation or misrepresentation of the message began at Breitbart, then spread to the Weekly Standard, Drudge, Fox Nation, and multiple blogs.

By Tuesday afternoon, Brian, who had been all over the internet trying to set the record straight, finally put pen to paper -- er -- fingers to keyboard, and wrote a post in defense of his parish. The rest, as they say, is history. He explained it all in, "What really happened at St. John's Church on Easter Sunday," from his eyewitness point-of-view, and Bearing Drift's hits went through the roof.

By Wednesday, the Episcopal Cafe newsletter had picked up on Brian's defense as well as the Huffington Post which posted their own response that included Brian's words and a link to Bearing Drift. Boom! Hits skyrocketed again. Brian's post has generated tens of thousands of page views from readers all over the country with more than 125 comments left at Bearing Drift.

Which shows he did the right thing. He was reluctant to enter the controversy with a post, preferring to respond at the sites of misinformation, and he has withstood attacks to which he has patiently responded, often needing to repeat the same answer over and over and over.

As Brian noted in his post:

What happened here is illustrative to me as to why we Republicans keep losing elections.  The bitterness, the bile, the hatred that came out because of what people thought Luis said – not what he said, but what they thought he said – was eye-opening.   For too many, politics has stopped being about moving the country forward, but has become a bitter personal fight between two sides who both think the other is pure evil.

I did not like it when the left sensationalized stories about former President George W. Bush. Now I'm watching the right do the same with President Barack Obama.

Brian ended his post by extending an olive branch:

I am proud of my rector and I’m proud of my church.  Don’t believe the nonsense you’ve been reading or seeing in the press about us and about Rev. Leon.  But for those of you who, like Thomas, need to see things with your own eyes, I’d like to invite you to attend services with me.  Any given Sunday, you’ll find us at St. John’s and we’d be happy to have you.

Meanwhile, the hits just keep piling up at Bearing Drift.

Obama ... will we see you in September?

President Barack Obama has escaped to tony Martha's Vineyard ... will we see him in September?

H/T Drudge

Donald Trump: Obama likes to vacation

Presidents have always been targets for the opposing party when on vacation ... but Barack Obama may have gone over the top, in the eyes of billionaire Donald Trump.

A man who has a work ethic that won't quit, Trump notes to Fox News Channel's Greta Van Sustern:

"... it sends a bad message. Here we have a country that really is going to hell in a handbasket. Let's not kid ourselves. What's happening to this country is horrible. All over the world, they're talking about it. And we have a president that's constantly -- whether it's Martha's Vineyard or someplace else, constantly on vacation. I mean, all the time he's on vacation! So I think it sends a very, very bad message. We have to work in this country to bring it back.

The president is heading to Martha's Vineyard for 10 days of vacation.

Even Democrats are alarmed at nation's unemployment

Unemployment is at 9.2%. Twenty million Americans are out of work, have stopped looking, or are underemployed.

Even the Democrats are alarmed. The ProgressiveDem blog wrote:

The disdain shown by Obama, his administration, and his political and economic crew towards the tens of millions of struggling, unemployed Americans trying to find jobs when there are none or not enough, and those working for stagnant wages, living from pay check to pay check, barely hanging on is abominable.

Here is the latest pile of cow excrement being thrown at them by these pompous, damn DINO asses.

What followed were excerpts from a post by Scarecrow at Firedoglake:

"I’ve always thought the pent up anger at George Bush and the frustration from the Bush years would have allowed Daisy Duck or the Chipmunks to win the Presidency in 2008. So the trick was to elect someone who understood that anger and was prepared to reverse all the reasons it existed. Sure, the Obama message people understood this, but so did my cat.

"Now the people who helped Obama defraud voters by channeling everyone’s hope for change have convinced themselves he won the election because they’re political geniuses.

"The lastest example of this delusion is Obama’s senior campaign adviser, David Plouffe, who confidently told Bloomberg that going into the 2012 elections with over 8 percent unemployment and no meaningful jobs programs will not hurt Obama’s chances for reelection.

When it comes to jobs and the economy, Americans become everyday people without Rs or Ds behind their names. They need to provide for their families.

Jim Hoeft at Bearing Drift blog has the June unemployment report and notes:

... you can sense the frustration growing from Majority Leader Eric Cantor whose House Republicans have been trying to pass job creating legislation and boost economic growth, only be stymied by the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress.

Meanwhile, Ed Morrissey at Hot Air doesn't mince words at the incompetence after Obama White House adviser David Plouffe said "unemployment rates or even monthly jobs numbers do not matter to the average American." Morrissey wrote:

This is denial on the scale of Baghdad Bob. The “prism” of GDP and the unemployment rate are precisely how Americans evaluate the economy. They don’t give a damn if the President makes decisions “based on me and my family” if those decisions turn out to be disastrous, and right now, that’s the case presented in the latest economic slide. Plouffe’s argument seems to be that people will vote for caring incompetence — and while that may be the only argument left for Obama’s re-election, Plouffe and company are about to find out that denial isn’t exactly a winning strategy.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney didn't mince words either as he retorted in Politico:

With their cavalier attitude about the economy, the White House has turned the audacity of hope into the audacity of indifference.”

Ouch.

"It's the economy, stupid" ... will Obama lose in 2012?

In today's Wall Street Journal, former George W. Bush advisor and strategist Karl Rove lays out four reasons why he believes President Barack Obama will not win re-election in 2012.

In a nutshell:

The economy is very weak and unlikely to experience a robust recovery by Election Day. Key voter groups have soured on him. He's defending unpopular policies. And he's made bad strategic decisions.

Obama is facing 9.1% unemployment after promising jobs, jobs, jobs. That unemployment number was supposed to be down, down, down. It's not.

Remember Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign and the slogan coined by his advisor James Carville, "It's the economy, stupid"? Is 2012 going to be 1992 all over again? Clinton and team hammered at President George H.W. Bush, who was considered unbeatable with a 90% approval rating after Operation Desert Storm ... but with Clinton and Carville pounding the same economic drum over and over throughout the campaign, Clinton won.

A year ago Obama ballyhooed that the economy was "growing at a good clip." Not so much, it turned out. He finally admitted it a week ago as he joked, "Shovel-ready was not as shovel-ready as we expected."

Oops.

Obama's woes include a steady decline of independent supporters as well as his own base, as pointed out by Rove:

Jewish voters are upset with his policy toward Israel, and left-wing bloggers at last week's NetRoots conference were angry over Mr. Obama's failure to deliver a leftist utopia. Weak Jewish support could significantly narrow Mr. Obama's margin in states like Florida, while a disappointed left could deprive him of the volunteers so critical to his success in 2008.

Housing hasn't bounced back, gasoline prices remain high, some businesses have closed while others are limping along hoping to outlast the economic downturn, and yet others' plans for new openings have been delayed or altogether scrapped.

Thanks in part to Obama's "Cash-for-Clunkers" program two years ago, the used car market is ruined. The "environmental" desire by Obama was to remove less energy efficient vehicles off the roadways by offering vouchers for new purchases with instructions that the old vehicles had to be destroyed. Thus, prices in the used car market are high because of shortages and, therefore, pricing people who cannot afford new vehicles out of pre-owned vehicles.

Combine those with unpopular policies such as ObamaCare, government bailouts,  recess appointments, a spiraling-out-of-control national debt, and other failures or disappointments, and you have a popularity rating that is continually dropping for this president. Rove noted, "In Wednesday's Bloomberg poll, Americans believe they are worse off than when Mr. Obama took office by a 44% to 34% margin."

History is usually on the side of the incumbent. Usually. Will 2012 be the exception?

Cross-posted at Bearing Drift