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Obama on Republicans

Obama says Republicans hurt working people ... Obama Punk-Slaps the Entire GOP Field!

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Obama says Republicans hurt working people ... Obama Punk-Slaps the Entire GOP Field!

Folks, I thought First-Term-Obama was special--but this Second-Term-Prez is truly special. Today, at a labor day speech in Boston, he punched republicans in their political faces eight times:http://www.usatoday.com/...

WASHINGTON — President Obama chastised Republicans on Monday for trying to 're-brand themselves as the party of the middle class' while opposing efforts to raise the minimum wage and bragging about busting unions.

'You can't say you care about working people and then do things that hurt working people,' Obama said in a Labor Day speech to the Greater Boston Labor Council.

The president sought to highlight the sharp divide between Democrats and Republicans on workplace issues heading into the 2016 presidential race.

While flying to the Boston event from Washington, Obama signed an executive order requiring federal contractors to offer employees up to seven paid sick days a year. The president said that would give more than 300,000 workers paid sick leave for the first time. About 40% of Americans who work in the private sector don't get that benefit, Obama said.

USA TODAY Obama to grant paid leave to federal contractors

The Republican-led Congress has opposed efforts by Obama to give paid sick leave to all Americans, raise the minimum wage, and provide paid family leave to care for new babies or sick family members.

'I’m calling on Congress to take a cue from the rest of the world, work together in a bipartisan fashion, find a way to make paid family and medical leave a reality for all Americans,' the president said. 'It will be good for business, not bad for business.'

GOP lawmakers say the proposals would burden American businesses, increasing their costs and forcing them to raise prices for consumer goods and services.

'Republicans know that with a quality education, a good job and the freedom to make their own economic choices, there is nothing an American can’t accomplish,' Republican National Committee co-chairs Reince Priebus and Sharon Day said in a statement Monday. 'Unfortunately, the Democrats have not provided those solutions. Their front-runner, Hillary Clinton, wants to raise taxes and expand government. Her closest competitor (Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders) is an avowed socialist. These are not the policies that create jobs or grow paychecks.'

USA TODAY

Congress returns to yet another spending crisis, fears of government shutdown

Obama, stopping short of mentioning any of the GOP presidential candidates by name, talked about how one Republican was bragging about how he busted unions in his state. The president was clearly referring to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who became nationally known for restricting the collective bargaining power of state employee unions as part of his efforts to cut the state budget.

The president also brought up a statement by another GOP presidential candidate that 'a union deserves a punch in the face.' New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said last month that the American Federation of Teachers deserved a punch in the face for endorsing Clinton.

Quoting Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, Obama said, 'What is it about working men and women that they find so offensive?'

The president praised states such as Massachusetts for strengthening employee benefits. Massachusetts voters last year approved a law that provides workers with up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year. The law took effect in July.

In much of the rest of America, 'you've got parents who have to chose between losing income or staying home with their sick child,' Obama said. HE SAID:

1. They are trying to 're-brand themselves as the party of the middle class' while opposing efforts to raise the minimum wage and bragging about busting unions.

2. 'You can't say you care about working people and then do things that hurt working people.' Obama said in a Labor Day speech to the Greater Boston Labor Council.

3. Obama signed an executive order requiring federal contractors to offer employees up to seven paid sick days a year.

4. He said: 'I say to Congress: find a way to make paid family and medical leave a reality for all Americans,' the president said. 'It will be good for business, not bad for business.'

5. 'Republicans know that with a quality education, a good job and the freedom to make their own economic choices, there is nothing an American can’t accomplish.'

6. Without naming names he said: 'one Republican was 'bragging about how he busted unions in his state.' The president was clearly referring to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who became nationally known for restricting the collective bargaining power of state employee unions as part of his efforts to cut the state budget.

7. He also slammed Christie for saying: 'a union deserves a punch in the face.' New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said last month that the American Federation of Teachers deserved a punch in the face for endorsing Clinton.'

8. Quoting Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, Obama said, 'What is it about working men and women that they find so offensive?'

This is who we are!

This is what we stand for!

The only way we can win is to be aggressive. We can't 'policy-wonkify' our way through this process, we have to speak with one singular voice as Obama did and punch them in their political faces.

Tell them to their faces to quit lying about supporting the middle-class and back it up with facts. I've learned all of their code words now:

• 1. 'small businesses' really mean large corporation

• 2. 'simpler tax' means more tax cuts for the wealthy

• 3. 'secure medicare' means destroy it

• 4. 'repair and replace obamacare' means destroy it

• 5. 'secure the borders first' means treat Hispanics as second-classed citizens

• 6. 'all lives matter' means we need to shut-up and take our murders like men

• 7. 'horrified by planned parenthood' means I really need evangelicals in my camp

• 8. 'take America back' means get them AAs out of our White House!

• 9. 'the economy is in turmoil' means obama saved America from a great depression

• 10.' I won't lead from behind' means I'm starting wars with Iran, Syria and maybe Russia too.

That my friends is their story and we need to make them choke on their own words.