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.
P.S. My live blog of President Obama's visit to Ann Arbor today complete with lotsa photos, video and a transcript of his remarks is HERE.
Cross-posted from Eclectablog.