NEWSMAX
Gingrich: Parts of Obama’s Speech ‘Goofy Left-Wingism’
by Todd Beamon
January 21, 2013
“Eighty percent was a very good, American speech that Republicans can use to make their case to the American people: the Declaration of Independence, having a good work ethic,” Gingrich, the former House Speaker, told Newsmax in an exclusive interview. “The other 20 percent was just left-wingism.”
Gingrich, who attended the inauguration, was among many GOP legislators and conservatives who shared their opinions on Obama’s second address. Many attacked the speech for its lack of specificity and bipartisan outreach.
As for Gingrich, the former Georgia representative said President Obama’s lack of clarity gave Republicans much fodder as his new term begins.
“For instance, he talked about how children need to feel safe,” he told Newsmax. “One left-wing reporter asked me if it was a call for gun control. I said that it was a call for armed guards in schools. He wasn’t clear.”
This fuzziness marks the foundation of a new, effective GOP strategy, Gingrich said.
“To conservatives, we have a choice,” he added. “Because he talked about having a good work ethic, I’d say: ‘Let’s reform unemployment compensation, with a requirement that you educate yourself so you can get a new job — because we should not be paying people to do nothing’ — and we can cite it as being a part of Barack Obama’s agenda.”
Gingrich likened the 80 percent of the president’s speech to words that might have been spoken by former GOP President Ronald Reagan.
“I’d say, ‘Let’s look at this speech and underline everything you agree with,’” he said. “If Ronald Reagan had given this speech, and you read it — and, not knowing who gave it — you could see that it was almost identical to something he would have said.
“But 20 percent is goofy left-wingism — and we’d cheerfully fight him on that. The whole section about climate change is nonsense. The great energy revolution we’re living through is called ‘oil and gas.’”
“There are portions of his speech that we can totally support,” Gingrich added — and embracing those sections, in particular, “would totally confuse Obama and the Democrats. That’s not quite what the Left expects.”
Meanwhile, Arizona Sen. John McCain expressed displeasure with Obama’s failure to discuss bipartisanship.
“I would have liked to have seen some outreach,” the 2008 GOP presidential candidate told the Los Angeles Times. “This is the eighth [inauguration] that I’ve been to — and always there’s been a portion of the speech where [the president says] ‘I reach out my hand because we need to work together.’ That wasn’t in this speech.”
Read more: http://goo.gl/FO8ki
Once a Critic of Deficits, Obama Now Goes for Broke
by Byron York
January 21, 2013
"You don't have to be a deficit hawk to be disturbed by the growing gap between revenues and expenses," said Sen. Barack Obama during a Nov. 3, 2005, debate on the Senate floor. At the time, Obama had been a senator for less than a year and the federal budget deficit was in fact shrinking, from $248 billion in fiscal 2006 to $160 billion in fiscal 2007. Still, Obama seemed deeply concerned about the deficit, and he appeared to believe it when he said the only way to close the shortfalls was to force Congress to pay for what it spends.
A few months later, on March 16, 2006, Obama returned to the same theme -- "You don't have to be a deficit hawk ..." -- in a sobering floor speech as the Senate considered whether to raise the nation's debt ceiling from $8.184 trillion to $8.965 trillion. "The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure," Obama said. "It is a sign that the U.S. government can't pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our government's reckless fiscal policies."
The deficit, Obama argued, handcuffed government in many ways. The money paid in interest on the debt was money that could not be spent on education, transportation, disaster relief or many other worthy causes. And borrowing so much from foreign countries meant America's economy would be "tied to the whims of foreign leaders" who might not wish the best for the United States.
"Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally," Obama concluded. "I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America's debt limit."
Obama made good on his promise. Joined by then-Sen. Joe Biden, Senate Democratic leaders Harry Reid, Richard Durbin, Charles Schumer and indeed every other Democrat, Obama voted against raising the debt ceiling. Republicans, who controlled the Senate with a Republican in the White House, voted for the increase, which became law.
Later, as president, Obama admitted his '06 debt ceiling vote was a political maneuver. "That was just an example of a new senator making what is a political vote as opposed to doing what was important for the country," Obama told ABC in April 2011. "As president, you start realizing, 'You know what? We can't play around with this stuff.'"
Read more: http://goo.gl/9wQZ4
Thrill is Gone for Crowds at Obama Inauguration
by Matthew Boyle
January 21, 2013
NATIONAL MALL, Washington DC—Crowds shuffled in throughout Monday morning and took their places around the National Mall for Barack Obama’s second inauguration as president of the United States. Color-coded tickets separated those who paid to be here from those who wanted to get in for free.
Lines were short. Getting into the ticketed areas was easy for those with the right stubs. Blue, green, gold, yellow, and orange ticket-holders had no problems slipping right up front for the show. But many of those in attendance trudged over to what event organizers called the “Non-Ticketed Mall” area–signifying they didn’t have to pay to be here.
Police and security units blocked off streets around Capitol Hill, forcing swaths of people wishing to see Obama take the oath of office again to walk or use the Washington, D.C., subway system–known as the “Metro.”
The air was frosty, a freezing cold that Washington, D.C. doesn’t normally endure. A biting wind exacerbated the chill. Cloudy skies prevented sun from shining through. But the weather wasn’t the only gloom in town.
“I could have just stayed home and watched this all on TV,” one woman complained into her cell phone near Breitbart News’ Kerry Picket, amid negative comments about the freezing air and lack of nearby places to eat.
Every so often along the lengthy path around the event area, a hustler peddling “Official Obama 2013 Inauguration programs” would pressure groups of people to purchase their booklets. Not many fell for it.
Obama buttons, tee shirts, and other political paraphernalia were for sale too, as were artistic photos and drawings of the first family. One vendor on C Street Southeast sold candy apples. “Get your Obama caramel apples here!” the man shouted as people walked past him from the Capitol South Metro stop right across the street from the Republican National Committee’s headquarters.
Closer to the mall, savvier peddlers pitched tents and stood up tables to push to their products. Cops told some of the tent-pitchers they needed to remove their setups because they weren’t supposed to be there without a permit. “You’ll be arrested if you don’t move this within half an hour,” a police officer told one merchandise cart owner on Seventh Street Southwest.
On a corner opposite that cart, two men laid out posters of Barack and Michelle Obama. “Can I have this dance?” read one caption on a sheet showing the president and first lady kissing with a heart design around them. Stacks of photos laid on the grass there, unsold. When this reporter moved to snap a photo of their posters on the ground, one of the men turned around and said with a bit of a desperate tone: “Are you interested in any of these? No pictures, you have to buy it.”
Compared to Obama’s 2009 inauguration, something was missing. The crowds carried an air of obligation. Those who made the trek to Washington for the day appeared to have done so because they were supposed to, not because they wanted to.
“It’s the re-inauguration of the first black president,” one man said into his cell phone while trekking around the mall, appearing to defend his decision to show up for whoever was speaking in his ear.
Excitement was lacking. Energy was non-existent. The magic that only Obama could bring to a country, like he did in 2008, was gone. Unemployment remains as high as when Obama first took office, and gas prices are even higher. The president’s approval ratings are still low.
NATIONAL MALL, Washington DC—Crowds shuffled in throughout Monday morning and took their places around the National Mall for Barack Obama’s second inauguration as president of the United States. Color-coded tickets separated those who paid to be here from those who wanted to get in for free.
Lines were short. Getting into the ticketed areas was easy for those with the right stubs. Blue, green, gold, yellow, and orange ticket-holders had no problems slipping right up front for the show. But many of those in attendance trudged over to what event organizers called the “Non-Ticketed Mall” area–signifying they didn’t have to pay to be here.
Police and security units blocked off streets around Capitol Hill, forcing swaths of people wishing to see Obama take the oath of office again to walk or use the Washington, D.C., subway system–known as the “Metro.”
The air was frosty, a freezing cold that Washington, D.C. doesn’t normally endure. A biting wind exacerbated the chill. Cloudy skies prevented sun from shining through. But the weather wasn’t the only gloom in town.
“I could have just stayed home and watched this all on TV,” one woman complained into her cell phone near Breitbart News’ Kerry Picket, amid negative comments about the freezing air and lack of nearby places to eat.
Every so often along the lengthy path around the event area, a hustler peddling “Official Obama 2013 Inauguration programs” would pressure groups of people to purchase their booklets. Not many fell for it.
Obama buttons, tee shirts, and other political paraphernalia were for sale too, as were artistic photos and drawings of the first family. One vendor on C Street Southeast sold candy apples. “Get your Obama caramel apples here!” the man shouted as people walked past him from the Capitol South Metro stop right across the street from the Republican National Committee’s headquarters.
Closer to the mall, savvier peddlers pitched tents and stood up tables to push to their products. Cops told some of the tent-pitchers they needed to remove their setups because they weren’t supposed to be there without a permit. “You’ll be arrested if you don’t move this within half an hour,” a police officer told one merchandise cart owner on Seventh Street Southwest.
On a corner opposite that cart, two men laid out posters of Barack and Michelle Obama. “Can I have this dance?” read one caption on a sheet showing the president and first lady kissing with a heart design around them. Stacks of photos laid on the grass there, unsold. When this reporter moved to snap a photo of their posters on the ground, one of the men turned around and said with a bit of a desperate tone: “Are you interested in any of these? No pictures, you have to buy it.”
Compared to Obama’s 2009 inauguration, something was missing. The crowds carried an air of obligation. Those who made the trek to Washington for the day appeared to have done so because they were supposed to, not because they wanted to.
“It’s the re-inauguration of the first black president,” one man said into his cell phone while trekking around the mall, appearing to defend his decision to show up for whoever was speaking in his ear.
Excitement was lacking. Energy was non-existent. The magic that only Obama could bring to a country, like he did in 2008, was gone. Unemployment remains as high as when Obama first took office, and gas prices are even higher. The president’s approval ratings are still low.
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