Highlights from Call With RNC Chairman Reince Priebus and NH GOP Chairman Wayne MacDonald on New Hampshire Memo From RNC

January 9, 2012 View This Release At GOP.com

Highlights from Conference Call With RNC Chairman Reince Priebus and NH GOP Chairman Wayne MacDonald on New Hampshire Memo From RNC

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus:

“It was in New Hampshire where in 2006 a little known junior senator from Illinois hinted at a possible run for the White House…Well here we are today…and obviously our nation has changed considerably.

“As the first in the nation primary, voters go to the polls tomorrow. That once glow surrounding the Obama parade, is now replaced with the gray of unemployed Americans, record debt, higher healthcare costs, glitzy fundraisers, vacations and broken promises.

“In 2009, Barack Obama enjoyed an approval rate over three times higher than this approval…back then…66 to 21 approval to disapproval. But as we all know, that came tumbling down very quickly, just like the economy he promised to fix and the transparency that he promised as well.

“His approval now is upside down by 12 points, 40 to 52 and abysmally low with young and independent voters, both critical blocks of Obama’s 2008 support.

“The President has racked up 3 years of broken promises from a failure to create jobs, to a failure to address the debt, and failure to change Washington. And at the Republican National Committee, we have cataloged every single speech, every press release, every word that has come out of this president’s mouth, who as we know is in love with the sound of his own voice and we’ll use those words against him to ensure that folks in New Hampshire know that Barack Obama has failed to deliver.

“This primary process, last week in the battleground state of Iowa and right now in the battleground state of New Hampshire, is great for our party. The more voters in places like Manchester  and across our nation who hear about these broken promises the worse it will be for this president.

“Granite State Republicans will go the polls to decide who will face Barack Obama and in November voters of the Granite State will go to the polls to replace Barack Obama, help save this country economically, and put ourselves back on the right track.” 

New Hampshire GOP Chairman Wayne MacDonald:

“New Hampshire is once again very, very honored to host the first primary in the nation. There is a lot of excitement on the ground here as the candidates meet with voters in diners, town halls and rallies all across the state.

“At the beginning of 2012, three years since the Obama presidency, 70% of Americans believe the country is now on the wrong track. Tomorrow, New Hampshire voters take place in the first in the nation primary, casting some of the first votes against Barack Obama against four more years of faded hope and change in the wrong direction.

“While the focus now is on the Republican race, for the next ten months the focus must be on one thing, the failed policies of the Obama presidency. Here in New Hampshire especially, folks are focused on his economic record, his spending record, and his big government record. America cannot afford a second term of failure. Four more years of Barack Obama means more of the same.

“This is a president who continues to look to government for answers to our nation’s problems. Here in the Granite State, he is going to have a hard time selling that record considering our belief in limited government and our commitment to entrepreneurship and the free market to boost the economy. On nearly every issue his policies have failed to produce positive change. As a result over 13 million Americans are unemployed. The national debt surpassed $15 trillion. Annual deficits exceed $1 trillion. Millions of families face home foreclosures...

“Talking about hope may win votes but it doesn’t fix an economy. Even the president’s signature legislative achievements have proven disastrous. The $825 billion stimulus which was supposed to keep unemployment below 8%, it didn’t.

“In 2008 Obama ran on bold promises and lofty rhetoric because he had no record. In 2012 he’ll run on negative attacks and misleading statements because he does have a record, a record of failed policies. But reelections are about records, they are referendums. Voters deem the sitting president success or failure and vote accordingly. If we are better off, the president tend to get reelected, if we are worse off it is time for new direction…”

Click Here To Listen To The Full Audio: http://www.gop.com/audio/1.09.2012_NewHampshire.mp3

RNC - GOP chairman says NH primary fight is 'great for our party'

NOTE: Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus told reporters on Monday that while the focus now is on who will carry the Republican mantle, the fight for most of 2012 will be about replacing Obama.

"The primary process last week in the battleground state of Iowa, and right now in the battleground state of New Hampshire, is great for our party," Priebus said on a conference call.

"The more voters in places like Manchester and around the nation who hear about the broken promises, the worse it will be for this president."

GOP chairman says NH primary fight is 'great for our party'

The Hill

Josh Lederman

January 9, 2012

http://goo.gl/Xa0YG

MANCHESTER, N.H. — The intra-party attacks in the race for the GOP nomination are growing more acerbic by the day, but Republicans say the process is healthy and will help the eventual nominee beat President Obama.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus told reporters on Monday that while the focus now is on who will carry the Republican mantle, the fight for most of 2012 will be about replacing Obama.

"The primary process last week in the battleground state of Iowa, and right now in the battleground state of New Hampshire, is great for our party," Priebus said on a conference call.

"The more voters in places like Manchester and around the nation who hear about the broken promises, the worse it will be for this president."

Priebus called New Hampshire "just a classic swing state," placing it in the top dozen states where Republicans hope their economic message about deficit-reduction and spending will allow them to win over enough Democratic votes to put their candidate in the White House.

So while the GOP hopefuls fight to the bitter end — which, in New Hampshire, comes on Tuesday with the state's first-in-the-nation primary — national Republicans are urging voters to take a step back and embrace the real goal of ousting the Democratic president.

"While all the focus right now is on the Republican race, the next 10 months must be focused on one thing: The failed economic policies of the president," said Wayne MacDonald, who chairs the New Hampshire Republican Party. "Talking about hope may win votes, but it doesn't fix the economy"

Gov Johnson Campaign - Breaking away

A prominent article about Governor Johnson appeared recently in the Santa Fe New Mexican. We reproduce it here in its entirety:

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Gary Johnson has a bone to pick with the national Republican Party.

The former New Mexico governor isn't necessarily upset because he isn't going to get his party's nomination for president. Trouble is, Johnson doesn't believe his party even gave him a fighting chance to win.

Shut out of almost all candidate debates, Johnson hasn't had the chance to make his case to voters in the same way, for example, a Herman Cain or a Michele Bachmann did. Johnson never got the not-Mitt-Romney bounce that is pushing Newt Gingrich to the front.

Show your support: https://donate.GaryJohnson2012.com.

Such is the rough-and-tumble of national politics — Republican Party officials say that Johnson lacks high enough polling numbers to be included in debates. Of course, it's hard to poll decently when such organizations as CNN leave your name out of the poll.

And it's hard to gain notice if you're not in the debates — for the CNBC debate, Johnson believes he met the criteria, polling at least at 3 percent before Nov. 1 and being registered a Republican and still couldn't get a call back. Thus, the circle closes and candidates such as Johnson (as well as former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer) are left outside looking in.

Now, Johnson is considering making a run for president on the Libertarian Party ticket. Normally, we might say that such a move smacks of sour grapes. At 58, Johnson could live to run another day; he's young enough. If he couldn't garner enough support, that's politics; Johnson, a fierce competitor, should know when he is whipped. Still, Johnson has a contribution to make.

Show your support: https://donate.GaryJohnson2012.com.

By staying engaged, whether in his current party or in another, he might find another opportunity to share his message. We disagree with Johnson on many issues — generally, we believe it's a good idea to have people in charge of government who actually believe in the notion of government and its ability to get things done.

Johnson, on the other hand, appears to have little use for government, and made no bones about his distaste for the institution through his actions as New Mexico governor.

However, Johnson's consistent views (among them: lower taxes, less government, fewer foreign entanglements and more personal liberty) add depth to the often inane national debate. Particularly, his support for the legalization of marijuana could lead to important — and up to now, neglected — discussions on the nation's failed war on drugs.

Show your support: https://donate.GaryJohnson2012.com.

Everything from drug-cartel horrors in Mexico to overcrowded (and expensive) prisons to shoring up the federal budget through taxes on legal pot sales could be on the table — not for approval, but for debate beyond sound bites and talking points.

Primaries should not become pageants for the anointing of a pre-chosen candidate. Primaries should be places where candidates pull out the stops and vigorously debate a variety of issues.

Once the nominee emerges, chances are that bits of his or her platform will have been borrowed in part from a primary opponent's position. Witness President Barack Obama taking on Hillary Clinton's mandate for health insurance after the Democratic 2008 primary.

To date in this campaign, voters haven't been able to hear enough of Gary Johnson's positions to decide what they think of his views. By running as a Libertarian, perhaps the former governor could gain, if not support, at least a wider airing of his positions.

Show your support: https://donate.GaryJohnson2012.com.

Townhall National GOP Primary

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DNC Memo: A Preview of Today's GOP Debate

The Las Vegas debate, like all of the previous Republican presidential debates, will continue to show a sharp contrast between the President, who is working hard to create more jobs and grow the economy, and the GOP candidates, whose plans would fail to create jobs, could actually make the economy worse, and would simply provide more tax breaks for special interests and millionaires and billionaires – all while opposing economic relief for the middle class and common-sense protections for families and consumers.

As the GOP presidential candidates and their Republican allies in Congress attempt to push through policies that would devastate the middle class and undermine our nation’s economic security, they refuse to work with President Obama to pass the bipartisan American Jobs Act, the President’s jobs proposal that would get more Americans back to work and put more money back into the pockets of middle-class families and small businesses.  

This debate will demonstrate that for the American people, the choice is clear: the President is committed to fighting for the interests of the middle class, while Republicans are only interested in fighting for special interests and protecting the wealth of the privileged few.

Week in Review: GOP Candidates Continue to Push for Failed Policies

In the week that has passed since the last debate, the Republican presidential field has continued to advocate for policies that are deeply out of touch with middle-class Americans.  Herman Cain has been criticized for his headline-grabbing but substantially substantively weak 9-9-9 plan, which would amount to a massive tax increase on middle and low-income Americans.   

During last week’s debate, Mitt Romney came out in opposition to extending the President’s payroll tax cut for the middle class, saying it amounted to “little Band-Aids” that he would let expire.  Romney’s characterization of this vital economic relief for middle-class Americans is both belittling and factually inaccurate: the President’s American Jobs Act would cut the payroll tax in half, meaning a typical American family would be able to keep an extra $1,500 of what they earn a year.  $1,500 would pay for roughly four months of groceries, more than seven months of gasoline, and an electric bill for an entire year.  Apparently Mitt Romney doesn’t think that money is important for working Americans – he’s preoccupied with cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthiest Americans at the expense of the middle class. Instead, Mitt Romney has proposed cutting capital gains, interest and dividend taxes for those making $200,000 or less. That would save a family earning $50,000 a mere $54. 

Additionally, Rick Perry has proposed an energy plan that doubles down on using up finite natural resources with no plan to transition America to a clean energy economy.  All of these proposals would fail to create jobs and improve the lives of middle-class Americans.

GOP Candidates Support Washington Republicans in Blocking the President’s Jobs Plan

The GOP presidential candidates remain in lockstep with the Washington Republican establishment, led by people like House Majority Leader Eric Cantor – who declared the American Jobs Act dead before even holding a single hearing on the bill or giving it a minute of serious consideration – and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who has said that his number one goal for the country is not creating jobs, but ensuring that the President isn’t re-elected. 

Last week, the U.S. Senate had an opportunity to proceed with consideration of the American Jobs Act, and despite the fact that this bill incorporates ideas that Republicans have previously supported, every single Republican in the Senate voted to filibuster it.  It was a moment of truth for Republican Senators – a chance to put country before party for once and work with the President and Democrats to provide immediate relief to the middle class, keep teachers in the classroom and police and firefighters on the beat, and put construction workers on the job rebuilding America’s crumbling schools, roads and bridges.  But Senate Republicans all said “no” – “no” to compromise, “no” to giving working Americans a chance to succeed, and “no” to restoring our economic security. 

And the Republican presidential candidates are with them every step of the way – refusing to work with President to create jobs and get our country back on track.  Republicans have made one thing perfectly clear: they are more than willing to suffocate our economy – even if it means risking American jobs and plunging the nation back into recession - to increase their odds of winning an election next year.    

Economists and the American People Agree: President is Right, GOP Wrong on Jobs

 Just days after Senate Republicans voted to block the President’s plan to get more Americans working again, the Senate GOP unveiled a so-called jobs plan that, according to a leading Moody’s economist, could actually hurt rather than help our economy and bring our country spiraling down into another recession.  This was just the latest development demonstrating that leading economists and the American people agree: the President is right and Republicans are wrong on jobs. 

 Prior to the Senate GOP introducing its disastrous new plan, a report from John McCain’s former economic advisor estimated that the that the American Jobs Act, President Obama’s plan to get more Americans working again, would create as many as 1.9 million jobs and spur economic growth and recovery.  And the American people are echoing the sentiment of our nation’s leading economists: in a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, when asked about the individual components of the American Jobs Act, 63% of respondents said they favored the bill, with just 32% opposed.  The majority of Americans want to see the President’s jobs bill passed now.

 Unfortunately, the Republican candidates don’t seem to be getting the message.  Mitt Romney’s campaign, for example, at the same time their candidate is belittling middle class tax cuts as “little Band-Aids,” seems quite proud of the fact they are leading the money race for campaign cash from Wall Street.  Well, considering Mitt Romney has promised Wall Street’s big banks that if he’s elected he will allow them to write their own rules again – just as they were doing when the economy nearly collapsed just three short years ago – perhaps no one should be surprised that he’s raking in big bucks from the banks for his campaign.  And of course, it’s the same Mitt Romney who posed for this famous photo when he was buying up companies and laying off workers for his and his partners’ profit in the private sector.

The truth is, from Mitt Romney to Herman Cain to Rick Perry and the rest of the field - they have cast their lot with the Tea Party and its extreme, out-of-touch economic policies that would hurt the middle class.  Their support of Congressional Republicans’ “Cut, Cap, and Balance” plan would result in protecting corporate subsidies and costly tax loopholes while doing nothing to help America’s middle-class families.  In fact, if the balanced budget amendment that is part of Cut, Cap, and Balance were fully implemented today, it would cost our economy an estimated 9.5 million jobs – and according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, it would inevitably lead to drastic cuts to Medicare and Social Security benefits that millions of America’s seniors rely on to make ends meet. 

 Conclusion

Unlike the President, who is actively working to move our nation forward with an economic vision and jobs plan that will get provide much-needed relief to middle-class families, the Republican candidates in today’s debate will continue to appease the increasingly influential Tea Party, which has been afforded more and more power by Washington Republicans. 

 Instead of working in a bipartisan manner to create jobs like the American people want, the Republican candidates are sticking to their same old failed policies of slashing taxes for corporations and the wealthiest Americans and claiming it will trickle down to the middle class.  Rather than offering their support for more reckless proposals that will lead us to another recession, it’s time for the GOP candidates for president to wake up, start listening to America’s economic experts and middle-class families, and work with the President to create jobs now.