McCain: Obama "In Full Campaign Mode"

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) shot back at Obama Tuesday after the President charged that Congressional Republicans lack a legitimate jobs plan.

“I think thats very unfortunate to mock serious proposals. I think it really indicates he’s in full campaign mode,”  McCain, who co-authored the GOP’s jobs proposal, told reporters.

The Jobs Through Growth Act, which was introduced by Senate Republicans last Thursday, does not contain provisions from President Obama’s stalled jobs package. Instead, it focuses on repealing the healthcare reform law and adding a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. 

McCain levied additional criticism at the President’s decision to host a three day bus tour through North Carolina and Virginia.

“Going down their on the tax payers dime, calling it not a campaign event and then attacking Republicans is probably the worst overreach I’ve observed in the years that I’ve been in the Congress,” McCain said.

Republican Congressman Introduces His Own Buffet Rule

By Mike Hothi

Congressman Steve Scalise (R-La.) introduced his very own “Buffet Rule” Wednesday alongside Americans for Tax Reform president Grover Norquist.

Scalise’s Buffet Rule is a bill that adds an optional donation box to IRS filing forms, to make it easy for Americans to donate more than they owe in taxes. The bill is a play off of President Obama’s suggested Buffet Rule that would tax millionaires and billionaires like Warren Buffet, who feel they don’t pay enough in taxes. 

“Anybody who finds themselves in Warren Buffet’s position will have their lives made easier and more comfortable by Congressman Scalise’s leadership on this issue,” said Norquist.

Scalise believes that his version of the legislation will force politicians to “put their money where their mouth is.”

“The Buffet Rule is a common sense alternative to the divisive class warfare calls for hire taxes being pushed by President Obama,” Scalise said.

The intent of the bill is to put pressure on lawmakers that advocate for higher taxes but do not voluntarily contribute their own money in taxes. 

Senate GOP Leadership Remains Intact

By Kyle LaFleur

As expected, there will be no shakeup at the top for Senate Republicans.

Following a decent showing in this month’s midterm elections, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was elected to continue serving as Senate Minority Leader. Speculation that McConnell would be challenged by Tea Party candidate Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) for the top Senate spot never materialized.

“Let me just say that I think that we have a great opportunity here to demonstrate that we are responding to what the American people clearly would like us for us to do,” said McConnell. “Cut the spending, cut the debt and get private sector job creation going again.”

Arizona Senator Jon Kyl will retain his title as Senate Minority Whip and Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander will keep his position as Republican Conference Chair.  

“In the last several months we have tried as best we could as leadership of the Republican Conference to reflect the will of the American people,” said Kyl. “And I think our colleagues have expressed confidence in the leadership team by returning all of us to the positions in which we previously served.”  

Meanwhile, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) was elected Tuesday to serve another term as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Cornyn helped the NRSC raise tens of millions of dollars for Republicans before the elections, in which the party picked up six seats in the Senate.

Obama Pushes Republican Senators To Look Past Midterm Elections

President Barack Obama pushed Senators to ignore the fact that midterm elections are right around the corner and seize the opportunity to lend a helping hand to the backbone of America - the middle class.

The president told reporters Monday that the time has come “to stop holding workers laid off in this recession hostage to Washington politics.”

Obama called out Republican Senators saying many of them supported extending emergency relief in the past, but have now decided to withdraw that support despite a longstanding tradition of providing the unemployed relief during Republican and Democratic presidencies. 

“A majority of Senators have tried, not once, not twice but three times to extend emergency relief on a temporary basis,” Obama said. “Each time a partisan minority in the Senate has used parliamentary maneuvers to block a vote denying millions of people out of work much needed relief.”

The president urged Senators to stop focusing on the upcoming midterm elections and to start thinking of middle-class Americans. 

“It’s time to do what’s right,” Obama said. “Not for the next election, but for the middle class.”

Extended unemployment benefits and small business tax cuts are only pieces of a larger package the Senate will vote on Tuesday. The president reminded members of the media that extended unemployment benefits is an issue that should be met with bipartisan support, even if midterm elections are just a mere four months away.

“Times are hard right now… I know it’s getting close to an election but there are times where you put elections aside, this is one of those times,” Obama said.

Boehner Criticizes Administration For Lack Of Job Creation

By Justine Rellosa- Talk Radio News Service

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) once again criticized the Obama administration Wednesday for failing to improve the employment situation in the U.S. through the use of the Recovery Act.

“It’s time to get serious about job creation in America because all we’ve gotten out of the [Recovery Act] is a big pile of debt on the backs of our kids and grandkids,” Boehner told reporters.

Boehner added that the President promised that the unemployment rate would not raise past 8 percent if the legislation aimed at stimulating the U.S. economy was passed. Boehner pointed out that unemployment is currently hovering around 10 percent a year after the Recovery Act was signed.

"[The President] said that the stimulus bill would create jobs immediately, and yet over 3 million Americans have lost their jobs since this bill has been signed into law,” Boehner noted.

Boehner also praised police officials for their efforts in capturing Faisal Shahzad, the suspect apprehended for Saturday's New York Times Square scare.

“I want to thank our law enforcement officials in New York and around the country ... [the attempted attack] is another reminder of the vigilance that the American people need to have and the fact that this threat is a continuing threat to our nation,” said Boehner.