Bill Clinton: GOP 'Begging For America To Fail'

[onehandle]

Source: Huffington Post

Former President Bill Clinton weighed in on an increasingly likely government shutdown in an interview with ABC's 'This Week'. Clinton criticized Republican demands, as well as their obsession with Obamacare.

"I've never seen a time-- can you remember a time in your lifetime when a major political party was just sitting around, begging for America to fail?"

The House voted early Sunday to make major cuts and delays to the Affordable Care Act in exchange for continuing to fund the government. The bill marks the 43rd time that House Republicans have voted to defund or repeal Obamacare. The White House and Senate Democrats have already said that this kind of a demand is a non-starter.


Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/29/bill-clinton-gop-government-shutdown-obamacare_n_4012148.html

[Skittles]

1. they care more about GOP power than they do about America

they can all f*** themselves

[yuiyoshida]

2. Well said.

[LibDemAlways]

3. Waiting for the President to go on tv

from the Oval Office and place the blame squarely where it belongs. The media is trying to pass this off as a shared fuck-up. It's way past time for Obama to explain - in plain language - that the R's have no other agenda but to destroy his presidency - even if it means destroying the country. He also needs to put to rest all the lies about the ACA. He has the bully pulpit. It's time he started using it.

[Tien1985]

4. I agree.

We need some plain language right now. Enough is enough.

[RKP5637]

6. Exactly! He needs to kick ass and quit thinking the republicans give a fuck about

America, they don't. The GOP is out to destroy this country. He needs to wake up and smell the coffee. The GOP is more of a threat to the survival of America than outside influences.

[Cal33]

8. It looks like this is exactly what Pres. Obama will not say. It's getting more and more likely

that this idea of bipartisanship has become an obsession with him, and he will not do anything that
might hurt the chances of bipartisanship. He cannot see what is so plain to everyone else: The
GOP does not want bipartisanship! They have treated his efforts towards this goal with contempt
-- time, and time, and time again. They've even insulted him. It apparently has made no difference.
He does not see that all the GOP wants is to destroy him and the Democratic Party along with him,
when it's so clear to everyone else.

It's too bad, but this is the way it is.

[RKP5637]

9. Sad, but quite factual. He perpetually weakens his position with this behavior. n/t

[KittyWampus]

33. Obama Says No Talks While GOP ‘Threatening To Harm Women and Children’

Obama Says No Talks While GOP ‘Threatening To Harm Women and Children’

"There's a pretty straightforward solution to this," Obama told reporters after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "If you set aside the short-term politics and you look at the long term here, what it simply requires is everybody to act responsibly and do what's right for the American people."

[RKP5637]

34. Yes, he is standing strong on this and I admire him for that! n/t

[juajen]

16. He was just all over the TV doing this very thing.

I heard it from a forum in Detroit, I believe. Then I heard it from the White House. He's been all over the place with this, and he still has to be President of the United States. Ya'll didn't have your TV on? In addition, I saw Bill Clinton doing the same thing, excoriating the GOP for tearing down the government because of health care for millions of people.

[LibDemAlways]

18. I'm not talking about sound bites on the news. I 'm talking

about a formal address from the Oval Office in prime time - one that pre-empts regular programming and is on virtually every channel. He has to get the attention of the entire nation. I'm old enough to remember when this was common. Obama could use it to great advantage if he chose to do so.

[Beartracks]

27. Yes, this. Repub govt shutdown is a crisis. What better time than now?

Isn't a national crisis precisely when you should hear from your President to explain what's going on, what the stakes are?

And it's not just the potential shutdown and the ramifications for public servants and the people they serve, but also the potential credit defaults and lasting economic damage, too.

=====================

[RKP5637]

5. The GOP is not on the side of America, they are a destructive political party intent

on bringing America down. Patriots, no way in hell, they are domestic terrorists!

[1000words]

7. Mr. Clinton, on the other hand, passed legislation that helped ensure America would fail.

He's got a point, for sure, but he set the table. I haven't forgotten.

[denbot]

11. Fail

The republicans championed, and passed NAFTA. President Clinton signed the bill in to law which would have had a veto overridden had he tried one.

[1000words]

12. Clinton is/was most definitely a free-trader

"In a final drive to win votes for the North American Free Trade Association, President Bill Clinton has offered support at the next election for Republicans who vote for it. 'I don't believe any member of Congress should be defeated if they vote for NAFTA,' he said.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/clinton-woos-republicans-to-secure-nafta-vote-president-offers-to-support-reelection-of-all-who-help-get-trade-accord-through-us-congress-as-narrow-victory-predicted-1504425.html

==========================

Let's do Glass-Steagall next. Then welfare "reform," after that.

[denbot]

13. Congress passes bills, not presidents.

Fail.

[merrily]

22. Contrary to propaganda, a President has a lot to do with what Congress passes.

For example, ACA is not called Congresscare.

[denbot]

24. For example, ACA's Obamacare meme is a right wing talking point.

Thanks for propergating that freeperesque shit here.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

26. Obama calls it Obamacare.

Is Obama a Freeper too?

[denbot]

28. I have never heard the President refer to the ACA as Obamacare

Not once. I only hear your talking point in places like rimjob's little tree fort. Make of that what you will.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

29. Maybe you need to pay better attention.

"I don't mind the name, because I really do care"

[denbot]

30. I'm aware to that speech.

He referred to the meme, but when he discusses the ACA, he himself, does not refer to it as Obamacare. Isn't someone from your little tree fort missing you by now?

[ForgoTheConsequence]

32. Holy shit.

It's ok to admit when you're wrong. I'm not sure what all this "tree fort" nonsense is that you're talking about but it's cracking me up. Keep going please. I love e-meltdowns.

[1000words]

31. Well played

Although I suspect something will be quibbled and parsed, in order to save face.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

25. The Clinton administration also championed NAFTA.

To say different is to lie.

They defended and pushed NAFTA as hard as they could.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

10. They know they aren't fooling smart people...

Good thing it's the stupid ones who vote for them and America is not suffering from a shortage of teh stupid.

[MindMover]

15. It really is about FAP

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/41483660@N04/5676640465/" title=src="" width="493" height="500" alt="FAP"></a>

[LibDemAlways]

19. Yep. Without ignorant morons we wouldn't have

all of the asshole teabaggers stinking up the halls of Congress. I blame the idiots who voted for them as much as the hypocrite baggers themselves. If they hate the government so much, why are they feeding from the public trough in the first place ?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

23. Some of them have ZERO sales resistance too....

Republicans USE this.

[Snake Plissken]

14. Billionaires made record profits during the Wall St collapse, so it stands to reason they ...

would want an encore

[Ohio Joe]

17. Begging?

They are actively working achieve it.

[blkmusclmachine]

20. Says the dude from Hope, Arkansas.

[merrily]

21. They do more than sit around and beg. They actively work to ensure failure.

Is Bill rusty?