Obama: College Debt ‘Not Something I Read About in Briefing Book’

ABCNews ^ | April 24, 2012

[Steelfish]

By Devin Dwyer

Apr 24, 2012 Obama: College Debt ‘Not Something I Read About in Briefing Book’

BOULDER, Colo. — President Obama tonight cast himself as a champion of an affordable college education and drew a veiled contrast with Republican rival Mitt Romney in a speech before an electrified crowd at the University of Colorado.

Calling a college education the “best tool you have to achieve the American promise,” Obama made the case to the crowd of 10,800 students that he best understands the challenges of earning a degree. We “didn’t come from well-to-do backgrounds. We didn’t have famous families,” the president said of his upbringing and that of his wife, Michelle Obama.

“But it wasn’t just that we worked hard, it was that somebody made an investment in us. That’s what America did for us,” he said.

Though he never mentioned presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney by name, Obama was keen to underscore that he did not come from a prominent family with a significant wealth.

“Michelle and I — we know about this first-hand,” Obama said of the struggle to manage student debt. “This is not something I read about in a briefing book. This is not something abstract to us. We’ve been in your shoes.”

The president is lobbying Congress to extend current interest rates on federal Stafford loans, which are set to double, by law, on July 1st. More than 7 million college students would face an average $1,000 hike in their payments per year if the extension is not passed, the administration says.

[jazzlite]

...”This is easily countered. All that has to be pointed out is that 1 out of every 2 new graduates can't find a job. Then counter with the question “Why is education becoming so expensive - with costs increasing much faster than inflation?” Then point out how much the endowments are at many universities, and how they are often not paying taxes because they are ‘not-profit’. Paint them as the ‘1%’”...

You state facts which average people should be aware of..Unfortunately, we now have a majority which does not even know how a government should work or what freedom really means to a nation and it's citizens. The left, it seems, constantly uses Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals” who want revolution. If conservatives do not fight fire with fire, they will be toast. Your post is about education but the problem of distortion and lying on the left applies to all our problems.

[rod1]

Exactly, Obama broughtt up the topic to use as a politic
talking point. Now he should show his full records.

The MSM is pathetic. Mabe a British paper or Pravda will insist he show the records since he purposefully made it an issue.

[Dahoser]

This is easily countered. All that has to be pointed out is that 1 out of every 2 new graduates can't find a job. Then counter with the question “Why is education becoming so expensive - with costs increasing much faster than inflation?” Then point out how much the endowments are at many universities, and how they are often not paying taxes because they are ‘not-profit’. Paint them as the ‘1%’.

The problem is that it won't be countered. The Romney campaign will either wet themselves and hide under a desk, or they'll lamely respond that Mittens cares about students as shown by his endorsement of extending student loan subsidies.

It's going to be another campaign where the RINOs make sure they don't upset anyone while getting their heads cracked on an hourly basis. All those geniuses like Mary Matalin and Karl Rove are going to finish the damage done by McCain.

[jersey117]

May 2012 will be the fourth graduating class on his watch to graduate to no jobs. I can’t believe he has the audacity to continue to push his “hope” plan on these students.

[Jess Kitting]

Mr. Obama, WHO really paid for YOUR college experience?

How did you really get into Columbia and Harvard?

If you want to play the "college" card, we can play it as well.

Mr. Obama, release those transcripts!

[yldstrk]

I worked as many hours as I enrolled in but I had more energy then

[bert]

He borrowed money and when elected state senator, his puppeteers paid off the loans while providing the wookie a $300k seldom show job

[jmaroneps37]

To pay for one degree I worked three jobs and as anyone who ever went through the process remembers it seemed like I paid for ever! When it was finally paid off I was surprised it was over.

[LibLieSlayer]

After blowing a saudi prince, he paid all of your havaad bills... so what personal debt are you talking about sparky?

LLS

[ml/nj]

Obama (Ayres really) left out the details of this crushing debt in Dreams From My Father. (Or if it was mentioned in there, I do not recall it.)

ML/NJ

[Texas Eagle]

“This is not something I read about in a briefing book.

Which briefing book is that?

Oh, right. Saul Alinsky's "Rules For Radicals".

[mom.mom]

I’m sure the NYT, in their born again effort to practice professional journalism, will give us a exhaustive accounting of the oppressive Obama student loans.

[Bellflower]

You state facts which average people should be aware of..Unfortunately, we now have a majority which does not even know how a government should work or what freedom really means to a nation and it's citizens.

WHY don't we have a Conservative channel on all the networks? Forget this fair and balanced stuff. If we have a channel that says it is Conservative than we don't have to play the fair and balanced game. If kept really Conservative it would become big, as people would find themselves watching it. We act like we are so poor and cannot afford anything such as a Conservative channel. That is ridiculous! People would learn the things that they need to know about politics if we had a truly Conservative channel.

[Bellflower]

You state facts which average people should be aware of..Unfortunately, we now have a majority which does not even know how a government should work or what freedom really means to a nation and it's citizens.

WHY don't we have a Conservative channel on all the networks? Forget this fair and balanced stuff. If we have a channel that says it is Conservative than we don't have to play the fair and balanced game. If kept really Conservative it would become big as people would find themselves watching it. We act like we are so poor and cannot afford anything such as a Conservative channel. That is ridiculous! People would learn the things that they need to know about politics if we had a Conservative channel.