August 31st, 2010, Washington, DC–From ALG News’ Capitol Hill Correspondent Derek Baker: 
In the Senate, Obama sought to blame Senate Republicans for the current dour economic situation yesterday in a brief Rose Garden press conference. Obama stated that a “jobs bill” is pending in Congress that would help small businesses, but the bill “has been languishing in the Senate for months, held up by a partisan minority that won’t even allow it to go to a vote. That makes no sense… Holding this bill hostage is directly detrimental to our economic growth. So I ask Senate Republicans to drop the blockade.” Obama also made a point of taking a swipe at the Bush Administration in beginning his remarks, stating “what we did know was that it took nearly a decade to dig the hole that we’re in, and that it would take longer than any of us would like to climb our way out.” After Obama’s five-minute statement, he turned away from the podium and refused to take questions from the press.
Meanwhile, Sen. Orrin Hatch yesterday broke with the majority of Republicans on the Ground Zero mosque issue. Hatch stated as part of a lengthier statement, “…the First Amendment, religious freedom, religious expression, that really express matters to the Constitution. So, if Muslims own that property, that private property, and they want to build a mosque there, they should have the right to do so.” He added there’s a “huge, I think, lack of support throughout the country for Islam to build that mosque there, but that should not make a difference if they decide to do it. I’d be the first to stand up for their rights.”
Bottom Line: No less than a dozen “jobs” bills have already passed the Democrat-controlled Congress in the past year, each spending billions of taxpayer dollars and deemed “critical” to improving the U.S. economy. Each and every time, when the legislation failed to produce the promised results in the economy, Obama has called on Congress to pass yet another bill and blamed Republicans for his economic policy failures. The definition of courage, from dictionary.com, is “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.” I thought you’d like to know.
In the House, Gallop released its latest polling numbers yesterday, announced the “GOP takes unprecedented 10-point lead on generic ballot.” The poll showed that Republican currently lead by 51 percent to 41 percent among registered voters, which represents the largest lead this year for Republicans and the biggest in the polls’ history, dating back to 1942. The Gallop article did add one “cautionary note” for Republicans, “Democrats moved ahead in Gallop’s generic ballot for several weeks earlier this summer, showing that change is possible between now and Election Day.”
In an appearance on Sean Hannity’s radio show yesterday, GOP Leader Boehner noted that Republicans still have an “uphill climb” to take back the House, but added that Republicans have a “real opportunity” to do so.
Bottom Line: In a moment, the current momentum could change for Republicans. One gaffe, one incident could make the difference between a Speaker Pelosi and a Speaker Boehner. Republicans need to focus on policy and explaining their conservative agenda for governing (i.e. – they need to prove they have one), and let Democrats be Democrats.
At the other end of the Avenue, Obama has scheduled an Oval Office address tonight at 8pm to announce the end of the U.S. combat mission in Iraq. The Financial Times noted that Obama may as well give a speech on stamp collecting, since recent polling indicates only four percent of voters rate “wars in general” as their most important concern, but almost two-thirds of those polled say jobs and the economy are their primary concerns.
Meanwhile, White House Economic Advisor Austan Goolsbee said “I don’t think we will have a double dip recession. But it’s – clearly anybody should keep their eye on that.” He went on to claim that Congress needs to pass Obama’s small business “recovery” bill and extend middle class tax cuts to help prevent a double dip.
ALG’s ObamaCareWatcher.org watchdog group has discovered that the Obama Administration has “significantly underestimated the paperwork and compliance costs” imposed on businesses by the 10 percent excise tax contained in ObamaCare. It is estimated that the tax will cost as much as $120 million annually and cost as many as 6,000 jobs. It was also discovered that the industry will be required to fill out IRS Form 720 in complying with the tax, which may require as many as 1.8 million hours to fill out industry wide.
Bottom Line: BO said he “owned” the economy almost a year ago. Let’s see if he can give one single speech without blaming Bush and the Republicans for the current economic state of affairs. I get the impression that the Obama White House is in a near state of panic on what to do about the economy, and even they realize that Republicans can be blamed only so much. Look for drastic measures being proposed from 1600 Penn in the coming weeks.
Obama World versus Real World Report Released by ALG Foundation
Obama fiddles around while Rome burns.
Cartoon: Contender in November
Republicans tear themselves to shreds in VA-CD5.
U.S. Credit Rating Deserves to Be Downgraded
Neil Cavuto thinks a credit downgrade could be a matter of months, not years.
The Ugly Truth of Obamacare
Just filling out the paperwork for the 10 percent excise tax on tanning could cost businesses as much as $120 million annually and 6,000 jobs.
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