Posted on 03/10/2010 8:31:13 PM PST by NormsRevenge
ST LOUIS, Missouri (AFP) – Many Americans have lost faith in their government, US President Barack Obama admitted Wednesday, tackling a pervasive sentiment hobbling his hopes for enacting sweeping reform.
American suspicion of government was deepening, he said in a speech from the heartland state of Missouri, where he pushed his endangered health reform drive that has been branded by Republicans as a government takeover.
"People have lost faith in government -- they had lost faith in government before I ran (for president), and it has been getting worse," Obama said at a rally in St. Louis.
He quoted his political hero, US Civil War-era president Abraham Lincoln, as saying that the role of government was to do what needed to be done but could not be done by citizens themselves without help.
"That pretty much sums up my attitude," Obama said.
The president used the trip to roll out a plan to crack down on waste and fraud in federal health programs for the poor and senior citizens as well as other government spending, which he said amounted to billions of dollars per year.
"I don't accept business as usual... and the American people don't accept it either," Obama said, adding the plan would help cut massive long-term deficits casting a shadow over economic recovery hopes.
In many ways, Obama's entire political program represents a bid to show that government can work, despite inbred US skepticism about federal power and Republican claims that he wants to orchestrate a takeover of much of American life.
Obama has embarked on a fierce week-long campaign to secure crucial votes in Congress on his health care plan before he leaves on a trip to Indonesia and Australia on March 18.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Quite the nuanced observation Holmes.
US President Barack Obama speaks about healthcare insurance reform at St. Charles High School in St. Charles, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Many Americans have lost faith in their government, Obama admitted Wednesday, tackling a pervasive sentiment hobbling his hopes for enacting sweeping reform. (AFP/Saul Loeb)
U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at a fundraising dinner for
U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) in St. Louis, Missouri, March 10, 2010.
REUTERS/Jim Young (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS HEADSHOT)
NSS!
Nuclear Grade Chutzpah.
Obama standard reply....Bush’s fault.
BTW oduma...I put my faith in GOD.....never Govt.
Ha! We have lost faith in you many moons ago assxole!!
“duh”.
That sounds like a damning indictment of you Obama and your party, which has huge majorities in both houses of Congress.
Gee, that sort of sounds like a “malaise.”
HA....GOVERNMENT = OBOMBA
Why doesnt he quote Jimmy Carter's malaise speech? Sounds like a repeat.
That is NOT right!
Americans have lost faith in government that tries to be too many things to too many people and ends up being the downfall of All... and then expects to be re-elected without question or debate.
I needed a thread to post the latest pics anyway, this’ll work. ;-)
Hey 0bozo, you stupid commie pig usurper POS! We’ve lost complete confidence in you and your socialist commie pig party, cause all you want to do is to destroy our country & turn us into another Zimbabwe! Go back to Kenya you POS!
He quoted his political hero, US Civil War-era president Abraham Lincoln, as saying that the role of government was to do what needed to be done but could not be done by citizens themselves without help.
“That pretty much sums up my attitude,” Obama said.
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That statement bothers me.
This guy is the biggest shyster ever!
Wrong again, Barry-O. I haven’t “lost faith”. Government is still sticking it to us like the new girl in a cheap bordello.
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