Posted on 1/26/2011, 4:13:42 AM by wk4bush2004
Good evening, my name is Congresswoman Michele Bachmann from Minnesota's 6th District.
Two years ago, when Barack Obama became our President, unemployment was 7.8 percent and our national debt stood at what seemed like a staggering $10.6 trillion dollars.
We wondered whether the President would cut spending, reduce the deficit and implement real job-creating policies.
Unfortunately, the President's strategy for recovery was to spend a trillion dollars on a failed stimulus program, fueled by borrowed money.
The White House promised us that all the spending would keep unemployment under 8 percent.
Not only did that plan fail to deliver, but within three months the national jobless rate spiked to 9.4 percent. And sadly, it hasn't been lower for 20 straight months. While the government grew, we lost more than 2 million jobs.
Let me show you a chart. [CHART]
Here are unemployment rates over the past ten years. In October 2001, our national unemployment rate was at 5.3 percent. In 2008 it was at 6.6 percent. But, just eight months after President Obama promised lower unemployment, that rate spiked to a staggering 10.1 percent.
Today, unemployment is at 9.4 percent with about 400,000 new claims every week.
After the $700 billion bailout, the trillion-dollar stimulus, and the $410 billion spending bill with over 9,000 earmarks, many of you implored Washington to please stop spending money we don't have.
But, instead of cutting, we saw an unprecedented explosion of government spending and debt, unlike anything we have seen in the history of our country.
[CHART]
Deficits were unacceptably high under President Bush, but they exploded under President Obama's direction, growing the national debt by an astounding $3.1 trillion-dollars.
What did we buy?
Instead of a leaner, smarter government, we bought a bureaucracy that tells us which light bulbs to buy, and which will put 16,500 IRS agents in charge of policing President Obama's healthcare bill.
ObamaCare mandates and penalties will force many job creators to stop offering health insurance altogether, unless yours is one of the more-than-222 privileged companies or unions that has received a government waiver.
In the end, unless we fully repeal ObamaCare, a nation that currently enjoys the world's best healthcare may be forced to rely on government-run coverage that will have a devastating impact on our national debt for generations to come.
For two years President Obama made promises just like the ones we heard him make tonight. Yet still we have high unemployment, devalued housing prices and the cost of gasoline is skyrocketing.
Here are a few suggestions for fixing our economy:
The President could stop the EPA from imposing a job-destroying cap-and-trade system.
The President could support a Balanced Budget Amendment.
The President could agree to an energy policy that increases American energy production and reduces our dependence on foreign oil.
The President could also turn back some of the 132 regulations put in place in the last two years, many of which will cost our economy $100 million or more.
And, the President should repeal ObamaCare and support free market solutions like medical malpractice reform and allow all Americans to buy any healthcare policy they like anywhere in the United States.
We need to start making things again in this country, and we can do that by reducing the tax and regulatory burdens on job creators.
America will have the highest corporate tax rate in the world. Look no further to see why jobs are moving overseas.
But, thanks to you, there's reason to hope that real spending cuts are coming. Last November you went to the polls and voted out big-spending politicians and you put in their place men and women with a commitment to follow the Constitution and cut the size of government.
I believe that we are in the early days of a history-making turn.
Please know how important your calls, visits, and letters are to the maintenance of our liberties. Because of you, Congress responded and we are starting to undo the damage that's been done.
We believe in lower taxes, a limited view of government and the exceptionalism of America. And I believe America is the indispensible nation.
Just the creation of this nation was a miracle. Who's to say that we can't see a miracle again?
The perilous battle that was fought in the pacific, at Iwo Jima, was a battle against all odds, and yet the image of the young G.I.s in the incursion against the Japanese immortalizes their victory. These six young men raising the flag came to symbolize all of America coming together to beat back a totalitarian aggressor.
Our current debt crisis we face today is different, but we still need all of us to pull together. We can do this.
And that's the hope we hold tonight as Americans. We will push forward to reclaim the greatness of our country and to proclaim the liberty upon which we were founded.
And we will do so because we the people will never give up on this great nation.
God bless you, and God bless America.
Obama has been a complete disaster for this country
By far the best speech of the evening....but Fox didn’t cover it so we had to watch CNN for the first time in a long time.
If Ailes keeps this up, his pin-up girls won’t be enough to keep up ratings.
Of the three who spoke tonight the only one who looked and sounded Presidential was Michelle Bachmann. She should run for President. I think she would have a good chance and we are certainly going support her. Boehner, Ryan and Cantor must be grinding their teeth.
Bump
I agree. As much as I adore Palin and would love to see her in office, Bachmann carries a lot less baggage. I’m glad she represents my state. She’s the only good thing going on it right now.
Her keen mind was evident as she elucidated the failures of the Marxist now (temporarily, thankfully) occupying the White House. Her use of charts to underscore O'Bambi's destruction of the American economy was stellar.
She spoke reverently of God Almighty and proudly of American Exceptionalism. She also showed her firm grasp of the Constitution.
Compare that to the Usurper breathlessly extolling the virtues of a weak homosexualized military and his several tributes to muzzies. Of course, there was nothing about the Lord or the Constitution from the Idiot-in-Chief.
I feel a little better after reading Bachmann’s speech. Obama’s was in insult, imho.
Bravo speech by congresswoman Bachmann.
Easily more sensible, more urgent and more common sense than the Obamao speech pushing for more government directed stimulus.
She is the real thing and Presidential material.
Short and to the point. Also devoid of weasel words.
As much as I love Bachmann, she has not executive experience.
I don’t like it that she stiffed the Tea Party Convention. She committed and then backed out a few weeks before. That is not a commitment to the Tea Party.
I do like her and her speech was great tonight but I am still solidly in the Sarah Palin camp for POTUS. Maybe Bachmann can have a cabinet position.
Agreed, I love Sarah Palin but Bachmann is my first choice at this point.
I disagree. I think Ryan was excellent. Very Reaganesque.
I too like Palin but she is simply not in Bachman’s league. Cogresswoman Bachman is head and shoulders above any current Republican Presidential aspirant. As such she will be in the cross-hairs of the Liberal spin machine. I predict they will soon abandon Palin and go full bore after Bachman. She is just too articulate and likable. She will soon be their number one threat and our (I hope) number one choice for 2012.
Ryan wasn’t bad either. I was watching on CNN and they were hoping for an opposing speech from Bachmann but said it was an effective confirmation of Ryan’s speech with details.
FOX news showing Bachman’s speech now.
we too are Palin supporters but this lady looks good too. so lets see both of them run...
GO STEELERS
CAROLE
HAIRCUTTER
No you can't eat McDonalds.
No you can't use that much toilet paper.
No you can't have the surgery.
No you can't get off health insurance.
No you can't make a 20 mpg car.
No you can't sell that at the school bake sale.
No you can't have unlimited internet access.
No you can't access our own natural resources.
No you can't have secret ballots.
No you can't refuse loans to moochers.
No you can't send your kid to the school you want.
No you can't go to the moon.
Please add to the list.
Well we know executive experience isn’t required after 2008
No you can’t have a yard sale.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.