Today, on their way from Michigan to Andrews Air Force Base, Press Secretary Jay Carney held a press gaggle. In it, he specifically laid the blame for obstructionism at the feet of Republicans; House Republicans in particular.
Question: Some Democrats sometimes get upset when he refers to the obstructionist Congress, and they feel that he’s lumping them in with Republicans, and I’m wondering if he’s going to make a distinction —MR. CARNEY: I certainly don’t think you’ve heard that kind of concern expressed by Democrats in any — in recent memory. I think we’ve made pretty clear, because the facts are incontestable, that the unfortunate obstructionism the country has encountered in passing common-sense, mainstream measures to get the economy going, in passing a balanced approach to deficit reduction and long-term control of our debt, have been Republicans exclusively.
So let me be clear: The obstacles that we face, the obstructionism we face in Congress have been thrown up by Republicans, unfortunately, and House Republicans in particular. I mean, we saw at the very end of December with the back-and-forth over extending the payroll tax cut for two months. What happened then has been the case on too many occasions, where a section of the House Republican caucus has been causing a lot of problems when it comes to getting common-sense, mainstream measures passed that could help the economy and boost job creation.
Can I just say that I love this new calling of bullshit on Republicans directly and without equivocation? That right there, kids, is how you win elections.
