Romney Blasts Obama's Approach To Fiscal Stability

President Barack Obama’s approach to solving the nation’s financial emergency has been nothing more than “one of the biggest peacetime spending binges in American history,” according to potential Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

In an Op-Ed for the New Hampshire Union Leader, the former Massachusetts governor blasted the president and the administration for failing to lead the country out of the fiscal mess it’s currently stuck in. 

“The administration has massed the debt worse, hindered economic recovery and needlessly cost American workers countless jobs,” Romney wrote. “We are not on a sustainable course… The only way to avert [a fiscal crisis] is to take action that is rooted in the need to reduce spending.”

Romney has been a clear front-runner among the extensive line-up of Republican 2012 potentials, according to recent polls. In a McClatchy/Marist poll, Romney led all Republican candidates with 18 percent support from likely voters and fell by just one percentage point to Obama, raking in 45 percent support versus Obama’s 46 percent, the smallest margin by any GOP presidential hopeful. 

“The Obama administration may not be serious about addressing the problems that have caused the S&P downgrade, but in less than two years the voters will reel us whether the will issue a decisive downgrade of their own,” Romney said. 

Obama Spending Plan Fuels Debate

Congress likely will not take substantive action in the short run on President Barack Obama’s request for $50 billion to be used on infrastructure projects.

Both the House and Senate resume session next week, but for how long remains to be seen. Members are expcted to spend most of their time between now and November campaigning for re-election.

Already, the President is receiving blowback from his speech Monday in which he announced his new plan to create jobs by funding a series of transportation measures.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the plan “should be met with justifiable skepticism.”

“We don’t need more government ‘stimulus’ spending,” added House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio). “We need to end Washington Democrats’ out-of-control spending spree, stop their tax hikes, and create jobs by eliminating the job-killing uncertainty that is hampering our small businesses.”

Democrats have successfully overcome a series of Republican hurdles this year to pass legislation, but given mounting voter discontent over deficit growth it is uncertain how much of an appetite they still possess to attach their names to more spending.

In a conference call with reporters on Monday, one senior White House official said the plan is not an added stimulus, but rather a long-term initiative that would also create jobs quickly, perhaps as early as 2011. However, critics point out that the aim of last year’s monumental stimulus package was also to bring down unemployment in the short-term, a goal that went unmet.

Group Wants Federal Immigration Program Dismantled

An organization dedicated to promoting rights for immigrants says that a federal program designed to help state and local governments crack down on illegal immigration is not working.

The report put out by the National Council of La Raza, the largest Hispanic rights advocacy group in the U.S., concludes that the 287(g) program, a provision within the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows state and local law enforcement officials to enter into agreements to enforce federal immigration laws, is causing harm to Latino communities nationwide.

“The 287(g) program has been implemented without adequate training, oversight, transparency and accountability,” said La Raza official Elena Lacayo during a conference call with reporters on Thursday.

“The program should be terminated,” she added.

According to the report, the program has produced several unintended consequences, such as granting police unchecked authority to arrest nonviolent immigrants, and using race as a basis for doing so. Moreover, the report states that 287(g) “has led to a clear deterioration of the relationship between Hispanics and the police.”

As an alternative, La Raza and other like-minded organizations want Congress to prioritize passing comprehensive immigration reform that would include a pathway to citizenship for illegals currently in the U.S. However, since the failure of the McCain-Kennedy bill in 2007, efforts to pass legislation have largely stalled, with lawmakers and groups alike pressing for enhanced border control.

That could change now that the Senate has passed a bill aimed at tightening security along parts of the country’s southwest border. The $600 million measure, which the Senate passed today by taking a temporary break from its August recess, will send 1,500 Border Patrol agents to the region, and will fund two unmanned aerial drones as well as establish military-style bases along the border. Supporters, mostly Democrats, say the bill represents the bargaining chip they believe is necessary to get Republicans to negotiate with them on reform. Still, as of now there are no plans to scrap 287(g).

Since 1996, roughly 70 local police jurisdictions have become enrolled in the program. Arizona’s controversial immigration law, SB 1070, grew largely out of the state’s participation in 287(g), which has also taken root in areas close to Washington. Prince William County, a suburb located just 20 miles south of DC, officially enrolled its police department in 287(g) in 2007. Prince William officials attribute reduced crime in their county to participation in the program.

““287(g) is one of the few bright spots in immigration enforcement,” said County Board Supervisor Corey Stewart (R). “I would credit [the program] with reducing Prince William County’s crime rate by 37% in the last two years,” he added.

Earlier this week, Stewart released draft legislation that if passed, would allow the state of Virginia to enforce federal immigration laws. Stewart’s bill is modeled after SB 1070, but avoids what he calls “legal pitfalls” that utimately gave a U.S. District Judge cause to enjoin certain parts of the Arizona law.

President Sees Positive Results In Recent Labor Stats

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released some arguably disappointing employment numbers for July, but President Barack Obama touted the progress that the private sector is making and acknowledged that Americans need faster relief.

“July’s job numbers reflect in part expected loss related to the Census winding down,” Obama said. “But the fact is, we’ve now added private sector jobs every month this year instead of losing them.. that’s a good sign.”
 
The president also credited progress to the addition of 183,000 jobs to the manufacturing sector. Obama said the recent revival of Ford, GM and Chrysler, two of which were on the verge of bankruptcy, is testament to continuing progress in the industry.

“All three U.S. automakers are posting a profit for the first time since 2004,” Obama touted. “Since they emerged, the auto industry has added 76,000 jobs, that’s the good news.”

Obama acknowledged the notion that, although progress is increasingly evident, change is not materializing fast enough for American families. He praised the Senate for passing legislation Thursday that boosts aid to states in an effort to keep teachers and other public officers on states’ payroll.

“Speaker Pelosi said she’s going to bring the House back in session to pass this bill, and as soon as they do, I’m ready to sign it into law,” Obama said. “[We] need to speed our recovery so it reaches the people and places who need relief not a year from now, not six months from now, but now, right now.”

Bipartisan Letter Sent To Obama Urges Strong Sanctions Against Iran

By Laurel Brishel Prichard University of New Mexico/ Talk Radio News Service

Bipartisan support was shown Wednesday in a letter sent to President Barack Obama urging him to put “crippling” sanctions on Iran to stop the prevent the country from developing nuclear weapons.

“Without a doubt, Iran’s nuclear weapons program poses a severe threat to America’s national interest,” said Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL.) in a press appearance with Republican colleagues.

The sanctions would place strict regulations on Iran which would stop the country from acquiring nuclear materials as well as keep the nation from becoming “a more dangerous, destabilizing and destructive force in the world,” according to Jackson.

While the United Nations is currently focusing on applying sanctions against the country, Rep. Illeana Ros-Lethinen (R-Fl.) hopes the leter prompts faster action.

“We are repeating the failures of the past and continuing to let Iran run out the clock. We can’t wait for consensus on watered-down resolutions at the United Nations Security Council,” said Ros-Lethinen.

The letter was signed by 361 House members.