Obama Invokes George Washington in Debt Speech: He ‘Grappled’ With Taxes, Too
- Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:04pm by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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It seems President Obama is pulling out all the stops as he tries to sell his deficit reduction plan to the American people. During his speech in the Rose Garden today, he invoked the spirit if George Washington, saying that the nation’s first president also struggled with the tax debate.
CNSNews.com has the transcript:
“George Washington grappled with the problem” of taxes, Obama said. “He (George Washington) said, ‘Towards the payment of debts, there must be revenue, and to have revenue, there must be taxes. And no taxes can be devised which are not more or less inconvenient and unpleasant.’
“But he understood that dealing with the debt is — his choice of words — ‘always a choice of difficulties.‘ He also knew that public servants weren’t elected to do what is easy; they weren’t elected to do what was politically advantageous. It’s our responsibility to put country before party. It‘s our responsibility to do what’s right for the future. And that’s what this debate is about.”
You can watch video of the comments below:
You can read more about the proposal and view the entire speech here.
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Comments (207)
Draya
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:50pmDoes he remember what the Revolutionary War was fought for? No more Taxes!
Report Post »TH30PH1LUS
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:55pmPoor, noble Obama – doing what is difficult. Making those hard but righteous choices. What a guy.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:56pmDon’t you mean”that’s what the Revolutionary War wiill be fought for”?
Report Post »standuppeople
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 3:25pmWhat was the tax rate at that time? Was it an income tax? Was it a flat rate? Was anyone exempt? Go back to the tax code of George Washington–good idea!
Report Post »Lloyd Drako
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 3:53pmThe Revolution was not about no more taxes, it was about no more taxation without representation. Some of the Patriot governments imposed taxes of their own as well as borrowing and printing to cover the cost of the struggle against the British.
Report Post »ashley74
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 4:37pmHe knows not of that war, afterall there was no union boss or union men involved with that war. So he doesn’t think it important at all.
Report Post »Large Eagle
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 4:57pmDraya – Right on!!!!!!!!!!!
He should read GW‘s farewell address and maybe our foriegn affairs would n’t be in caous. I think he is lying – help me fact check this clown.
Report Post »I’ll be back
gramma b
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 5:00pmIt nauseates me to hear this creep comparing himself to Washington. Washington was a man of immense character and achievement, who loved this country and loved freedom.
Report Post »Any_One_But_Obama
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 5:14pmDID YOU SEE FORBES RIP WARREN BUFFETT AND OBAMA‘S ’DEFICIT, TAX AND SPEND PLAN’…
Here it is: http://www.americanparchment.com/video/2011/sep/forbes_hikes_buffett.html
Report Post »The10thAmendment
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 5:39pmThis Fool in Chief needs to be exorcized from America.
Report Post »Doctor Nordo
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 5:45pmActually, it was “no taxation without representation.” You seem to have forgotten that last bit.
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 5:46pmTea Party ring a bell Barry? No taxation without representation Barry?
Report Post »I knew Barry was spinning today but when he invoked the same tag he used in 2008..”line-by-line” I knew he wasn’t serious. He‘s so desperate that he’s recycling the lines he used in the 2008 campaign. We’re looking at failed presidency. The country has switched off to him.
AvengerK
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 5:50pmI watched as much as I could of Barry’s speech today, I mostly just read the transcripts, I can’t stand to listen to him any more. When he used the very same tag he used in 2008- “go through line-by-line” I knew Barry was just pulling the nation’s chain today. He’s actually recycling the same lies he used in the 2008 campaign. We’re looking at a failed presidency. The country has switched off to him.
Report Post »IronSights
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 5:57pmIt’s always good to hear from the distorter and chief. Someone should review the constitution and show him for WHAT purpose taxes can be collected for. Epic FAIL as a president.
Report Post »AOL_REFUGEE
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 6:26pmObimbo isn’t “grappling”; taxes are a knee-jerk reflex for him.
Report Post »IntransigentMind
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 6:57pmYeah, he’s more like Benedict Arnold:
Report Post »http://markamerica.com/2011/09/19/barack-obamas-desperately-phony-deficit-reduction-plan/
johnannegalt
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:11pmLOL! Exactly.. Mark America as usual sums it up well.. http://markamerica.com/2011/09/19/barack-obamas-desperately-phony-deficit-reduction-plan/
Report Post »INOGAWD
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:33pmThis worm is not worthy of mentioning Washington’s name..
Report Post »INOGAWD
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:40pmBama will grapple, with being a Lame Duck President during 2012…
Report Post »jollylama
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:46pmIsn’t this the same liar who also twisted the words of Jesus?. interesting.. Øbama’s actions proves that he is anti-american, anti-washington and anti-christ.
Report Post »antiencenom
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:06pmYou’re beautiful Ashley
Report Post »kraphtsman
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 10:52pmThis loser invoking the name of George Washington to justify ANYTHING he’s done while occupying the office of President ( for which he has proven himself to be TOTALLY unqualified ), is a joke !
Obama and his socialist/commie economic advisers wouldn’t be able to balance a simple checkbook, let alone the U.S. economy. All these mental midgets know how to do is tax and spend, spend, spend…. and then go out and tax and spend a whole lot more What a bunch of incompetent and arrogant JERKS you stupid Democrat and “independent” sheeple elected !!!
Report Post »mowspower
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 12:18amThat is what he is counting on. Look at his executive orders……In the event of emergency…blah…blah he needs an emergency….he is running out of time
Report Post »AOL_REFUGEE
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 12:53amYes. Yes, thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. President Nimrod Obama.
Report Post »rangerp
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 8:01amGeorge Washington did not allow gays to serve in our military, nor did he embrace socialism, nor did he attend mulsim school, nor did he side with the enemies of our nations and turn his back on Jews.
Obama is the opposite of Washington.
Report Post »dirtydog1776
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:58amSorry, the Revolutionary War was not to end taxes, but to end taxation without representation. Please review your history.
Today we have a Congress and a President that neither represents us, nor listens to us. They are a power unto themselves.
Report Post »Vernon Black
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:48pmTAX and SPEND….The Leftists won‘t STOP until they claim ALL wealth is the Government’s and YOU should get only what YOU need…(ie What they say you NEED)….Sounds familiar???, It’s Marxism…
Communism…Socialism…Different names, same disease!!!!………
And YOU want 4 more years of this???
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 3:32pmI don’t want ONE more day of it much less a whole `nuther year.
Report Post »Obama>Jesus
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:30pmA great system that has been proven to work, unlike the broken shamble of capitalism.
Don’t like my opinion? Tell me so at scott.ian2010@gmail.com, and we’ll have a nice political discussion.
Report Post »TEA SUCKS 2012
banjarmon
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:47pmIf BO had lived when George lived…I bet George would have KICKED BO in the Delaware!!!
Report Post »Mandors
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:44pmObama is an idiot.
THERE WAS NO INCOME TAX DURING WASHINGTON’S TIME. Income mostly came from tariffs which were on FOREIGN good!!!!
Report Post »Lloyd Drako
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 3:56pmIf memory serves, there was also a whiskey tax to which some folks took armed exception. Washington swiftly taught them a lesson.
Report Post »Blackhawk1
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 4:22pmThe tax was a part of treasury secretary Alexander Hamilton’s program to pay off the national debt. The issue fueled support for the new opposition Democratic Republican Party (Republican Party), which repealed the tax when it came to power in Washington in 1801. The whiskey tax was repealed after Thomas Jefferson’s Republican Party, which opposed Hamilton’s Federalist Party, came to power in 1800.
Go figure, even back then we had Liberals like Hamilton that wanted more taxes to support their wasteful spending.
Report Post »Lloyd Drako
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 4:52pmHamilton and the Federalists didn’t want to pay off the national debt, they wanted to see that it was properly funded so the credit of the nation would not suffer. (Only Andrew Jackson was foolish enough to pay the thing off entirely!) Hamilton envisaged a developed nation, capable of defending its territory against enemy invasion and its economy against foreign competition–both at the time chiefly British. What Jefferson and the Republicans envisaged was a huge amorphous landmass occupied almost entirely by farmers, with its territory defended–if that is the word–by a miniscule army and navy, little “infrastructure” (to use the mot du jour), little manufacturing beyond simple handicrafts, and consequently little hope of surviving in the world as it developed in the 19th century. If Hamilton’s vision had not prevailed, with interruptions, the US might well have suffered the fate of Mexico or the Boer republics in the face of land-grabbing European imperialists.
Report Post »CPT_GCF
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 5:19pmActually Drako, it was broken up before Washington could get there. It did, however, show what a burdened people could do to protest; it also showed public opinion very well when Jefferson beat Hamilton the next election.
Report Post »KangarooJack
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 11:35pmThank Goodness for people who actually know History!
Report Post »HellPhish89
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:42pmtoo bad there are taxes already. lots of them in fact… with ~50% not paying a dime. little hint: its not the rich that arent paying.
Report Post »Alvin691
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:39pmDid anyone catch the laughter during his speech?
Report Post »spirited
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 3:50pmYes.
What (exactly) was funny?
Report Post »k53lh
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 4:09pmYes, The income tax was not radified until Feb. 12/1913.
Report Post »Mandors
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:38pmTax and spend is not the hard way. It is impossible to “grapple” with what you want do anyway.
Barry is a sleaze bag.
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:38pmNext..the little lying Kenyan will be going around with a white Washingtonian wig on and saying he knew Washington personally.
Report Post »Godfather.1
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 3:40pmProbably not, however, Glenn will likely take your suggestion and act it out on his new show.
Report Post »welovetheUSA
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:37pmGeorge is turning over in his grave…………..Obama is a bloody idiot, period.
Report Post »rettpr295
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:37pmWhat an complete jerk. If you look at his proposal he wants to start eliminating mortgage interest deductions and not just on the very wealthy. For the love of christ why can’t he just resign and we can put this progressive social experiment in our past and move this country forward. Can’t wait to kick his butt and lots of other Dimocrats to the curb in 2012
Report Post »DTOM_Jericho (Creator vindicator)
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 3:04pmI don’t like Obama one bit. Actually I can’t stand the guy. But why do you need an interest deduction on a personal choice to buy a home through a mortgage? Why should I subsidize your debt?
Report Post »spirited
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 3:53pmDon’t forget his proud statements of
>working with ACORN.
Report Post »Lloyd Drako
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 4:20pmDTom, good point. Close all loopholes, end all deductions, make everyone–and I do mean everyone–pay at least nominal income tax, and make tax rates flat(ter). Get a mortgage to buy a house, not to get a tax break. Drill for oil or develop green energy because you think it’s a good, profitable idea, not to get a tax writeoff. Contribute to charity because you’re in a charitable mood, not to lower your taxable income. Tax people, not corporations. A lemonade stand, a small business profit, a CEO’s salary or capital gains: it’s all income, and if we’re going to have income taxes, it all should be taxed
Report Post »crazedbanshee
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 4:46pmIf we didnt have income taxes we wouldn’t have this issue. Tax goods as they are purchased, period. What is more fair than that? Everyone would pay their “fair share”.
@DTOM – Your an idiot. You are not subsidizing anthing, it is a tax deduction. It lowers the amount of income the person pays taxes on. Not a single cent of that money was ever yours. Pull your head out of you @ss and stop thinking like a progressive.
Report Post »Lloyd Drako
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 4:55pmPerhaps DTom is a renter? If he earns the same amount annually as someone who has a mortgage, he pays marginally more so that person can pay marginally less. I take it that is what he meant.
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:36pmThe nation has had it’s credit rating lowered. I believe that was the first time in history. The littel communist is still asking for more and more spending. He know this nation’s economy is on the ropes and that is what he has been trying to do for 3 years. He is a communist traitor and he is tying to destroy us through our economy so he can substitued socialism. Is there not one fool in D.C. that would come out and say the obvious??
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:32pmMr Obama is no George Washington
Mr Obama is no founding father type.
Mr Obama is in the image of Pres Wilson
Mr Obama is a Radical Progressive.
Mr Obama needs to resign, face criminal trials for his actions and if found guilty serve his remaining life in a prison.
Report Post »fatjack
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:47pmBingo
It’s coming!………………..Are you ready?
Report Post »eyestoseeearstohear
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:48pmRIGHT ON SNOW!
Obama NEEDS to be impeached for TREASON.
Report Post »The Fast & Furious AND Solyndra are AMPLE REASONS.
He has FAILED to keep America Safe, his RECKLESS US Financial mishandling,
failure to govern according to the US Constitution, ineligibity to be POTUS, falisfication of
BC & withholding of his vital records, is just a beginning of where & why he should be
impeached.
ilovethiscountry
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 3:11pmI couldn’t have said it better!
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 5:59pmObama‘s not fit to spit shine Washington’s boots.
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:32pmHe shouldn’t bring up George Washington who, more than likely, is turning over in his grave watching this guy destroy the country that he and others fought to create.
Report Post »Ducky 1
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:31pmWish this man really understood who the real George Washington was!!
Report Post »Conservative New Yorker
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:30pmNow he’ comparing himself to George Washington (In addition to Lincoln, Reagan, FDR, etc). Sheesh.
I would totally agree with him if he compared himself with Hitler (yeah, I said it, for all you trolls- truth hurts, huh?), Stalin, Mao, etc.
Report Post »eyestoseeearstohear
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:41pmObama ISN’T WORTHY to even wipe the CRACKS of Wahington, Lincoln or Reagan.
AND, you’re RIGHT about Hitler, Stalin and Mao…
I would only include one more – SATAN.
Those are the one’s Obama would comfortably be in equal company.
So, THERE…I’ve said it TOO,
adding to the painful suffering of the TROLLS ON HERE, TOO!
Keep up the good work of the truth, CONSERVATIVE NEW YORKER.
Report Post »Conservative New Yorker
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 3:32pmYou too Eyestoseeearstohear, fellow patriot!
Report Post »LadyLibertykicksASS
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 4:23pmyes indeed….I’ll drink to that!!!!!!
Report Post »byehlik
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:29pmThis Marxist can take a long hike off a short pier. “Fair” Taxes is everyone paying the same percentage. Including the 45% of the public that pay nothing! The “Fair” tax, consumption tax, is the only way out of this mess, Marxist!
Report Post »randy
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:29pmOMG12 = OBAMA MUST GO in 2012
Report Post »What a GD liar!
GENEPAGLIARI
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:28pmAlso, he (George Washington) didn’t blame it on Bush.
Report Post »BitterClingerInTexas
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:57pmI lol’d at this one
Report Post »Kara_ite
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:28pmOMG – This Communist wants more money? Just say, “NO”, to this evil man who wants to apologise for everything we stand for. Have the military arrest him in the middle of the night and drop him in Mexico. http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/06/more_on_the_honduran_military.html
Report Post »GENEPAGLIARI
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:31pmIran or Somalia would be more appropriate.
Report Post »jrfox
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:28pmThis shows what O knows about our history! There was no income taxes until about 100 years ago!
Report Post »Godfather.1
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 3:39pmApparently you know nothing about grammar. Furthermore, the fact that he is now talking about income taxes in no way means that he misunderstands history. His analogy was sound. George Washington struggled with how to raise revenue and how to pay the government’s bills, it doesn’t matter what taxes he was discussing back then, the dilemma is the same.
Report Post »prescotm
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:28pmSame old song just a different verse! Just go away and make everyone happy!!
Report Post »flametronix
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:27pmit was one hundred years after washington that income tax came in to law?
Report Post »GENEPAGLIARI
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:29pmIt was definitely over a century.
Report Post »vennoye
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:27pmOH pleeeeeze!! This occupant of the oval office just has no shame………just shams!!
Report Post »GENEPAGLIARI
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:27pmWERE his lips moving? ‘Nuff said.
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 2:24pmObama = Liar
Report Post »AJAYW
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 3:57pmWould much rather lie,spin,blame,down grade others when he’s the problem impeach the SOB
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