Obama tells Boehner he looks forward to work with Republicans to find common ground

[News_Editor]

Obama tells Boehner he looks forward to work with Republicans to find common ground

2010-11-03 12:27:17 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- President Barack Obama on Tuesday called U.S. Representative John Boehner after the Democrats lost the U.S. House of Representatives to the Republicans during the mid-term elections, the White House said.

Obama made the call to Boehner as election results were being released, which saw Republicans win at least 227 seats in the U.S. House, an increase of 49 seats compared to the 178 Republican seats during the 2008 elections. Democrats won at least 160 seats, compared to 257 in 2008. A total of 48 seats remain undecided as of early Wednesday morning, however.

Besides speaking with Boehner, who will become speaker of the House in the new Congress, Obama also spoke with Sen. McConnell and Rep. Pelosi. "In his calls with Rep. Boehner and Sen. McConnell, the President said he was 'looking forward to working with him and the Republicans to find common ground, move the country forward and get things done for the American people,'" the White House said.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-11-03

[craigt3365]

At least Pelosi is gone. Reid was almost canned too...

I would love to be in the House when Boehner takes over and Pelosi has to get off her "high chair".

P.S. I'm an independent... completely....

[phaethon]

At first I thought only in America could someone whose name sounds like an erection get elected to office... then I remembered how close the UK Labour party came to electing Ed Balls as leader...

[Jingthing]

At least Pelosi is gone. Reid was almost canned too...

I would love to be in the House when Boehner takes over and Pelosi has to get off her "high chair".

P.S. I'm an independent... completely....

Obama got more done in two years than almost any other president in American history and Nancy Pelosi deserves a lot of the credit for that. The public didn't like a strong, brilliant woman. It's too bad because the country would have been a lot better off, even considering Obama's accomplishments, if Hillary Clinton has been elected instead. Farewell to a great speaker, hello to a radical right wing do nothing. The republicans have no agenda or plan, their only goal is to make Obama a one term president, and they will not achieve that.

The American right wing is a joke. They say they want to cut the deficit but instead they want to add trillions to it by restoring a tax cut for the rich only. They say they hate government entitlements, but honestly, tell me, have you ever seen even one teabagger burn their MEDICARE card the way lefties used to burn their draft cards, not to mention their bras?

BTW, the sweep of the congress, which is real, is not a victory for the teabaggers. The teabaggers have peaked (at about 20 percent of the people). Their most visible ditz, the Palin clone witch of Delaware was destroyed at the polls. Palin's very own private Alaska horse in Alaska appears to be LOSING to the establishment republican as a write in candidate. If a write in candidate is even close to winning, that shows just how weak Palin really is, even in her home state, who knows her best (as the BIG QUITTER). Write in candidates almost NEVER win; they almost never are even close, so this is already a rebuke of Palin tea witches brew.

The main reason the R's swept congress this time is the economy, stupid, as Bill Clinton used to say. People are impatient and not satisfied with the progress on unemployment. It's just a midterm, 2012 has already started and Obama will be well positioned, especially if the R's are idiotic enough to put up Palin.

[Englander]

Lots of name calling there Jingthing, how predictable!

[cdnvic]

I already sent one member away for taking personal shots at another here (deleted), don't start it up again.

[Jingthing]

Here are some good suggestions for what Obama SHOULD say tomorrow in response to the right wing gains. Not sure what he actually will say. However, for those who think Obama should or will entirely cave, you are dreaming that he will do that, and you are dreaming that in the long run that will be good for the country or Obama.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/02/AR2010110205027.html

BTW, if stubborn old Bush could get reelected, it shouldn't be all that hard for Obama to do the same. Don't count him out. This test will make him stronger, as did the Hillary Clinton campaign, which I wish he had lost, but that's another story.

[Ulysses G.]

Obama got more done in two years than almost any other president in American history

So he even outdoes Woodrow Wilson?

"I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country."

- Woodrow Wilson

[Jingthing]

Obama got more done in two years than almost any other president in American history

So he even outdoes Woodrow Wilson?

"I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country."

- Woodrow Wilson

The connection is fallacious.

Domestically more like LBJ.

Historically speaking, Obama is already great, even if limited to one term, which is very unlikely.

Democratic presidents are so much better. The test. Observe the modern ex-presidents. The democrats have been major world activists for peace, fighting disease and poverty globally. Clinton/Carter.

The republicans? Golf, cocktail parties, little public service. Bush, bush, Ford, Reagan.

[Ulysses G.]

Sounds like a rather biased personal opinion to me.

[geriatrickid]

It will be an interesting next 2 years. The GOP will do its utmost to sabotage and block Sarah Palin, while the Democrats will do their utmost to help her run for President.

Despite all the negativity, President Obama managed to reintroduce some oversight to the financial markets, has kept major US industries alive and has helped implement economic policies that have created jobs. He also managed to ensure 2 qualified supreme court justices were appointed. The fact of the matter is that the defense department is still managed by Republicans and many of the current Treasury and Fed personnel are acceptable to the GOP. Attaching labels is silly, since democrats and republicans have similar policies on many issues.

As much as some Republicans may want the GOP in office I expect enough senators will align themselves with the current administration on some votes if only because they can't stand the TeaParty group, that president Obama will do just fine. If Murkowski manages to win in Alaska against the Tea Party and Palin's handpicked candidate it will show that Palin is not that powerful. She merely exploited a wave of frustration of people wanting quick fixes without any acceptance of responsibility for being the cause of the problem in the first place. The sun will still rise tomorrow, even if the Republicans have made some gains. McCain isn't going anywhere. Lieberman isn't going anywhere. And Murkowski is going to remember who stabbed her in the left buttock cheek. Common sense will prevail after the euphoria wears off. The House of Rep. will get changed again in 2 years time. In the meantime, I fear we will see some Italian/Israeli style political dysfunction.

[Jingthing]

The radical right wing R's could shut down the government, but that is unlikely as it will assure a reversal of their recent fortunes in 12. The truly radical no government crowd still is no bigger than 20 percent, they will never have a ruling majority, and they are hypocrites anyway, take away their medicare, their social security and they'll make the red shirts look like pussycats.

[Ulysses G.]

It will be an interesting next 2 years. The GOP will do its utmost to sabotage and block Sarah Palin, while the Democrats will do their utmost to help her run for President.

Very true.

However, it is all the silly nonsense that Obama does like forbidding Arizona to enforce federal laws that the feds are not enforcing, setting dead-lines for ending a war that we are supposed to be trying to win, stabbing our allies in the back and kissing up to our enemies, refusing to acknowledge that we are at war with radical Islam, etc., etc.... These are the things that are quickly turning his presidency into a laughing stock.

[Englander]

has kept major US industries alive and has helped implement economic policies that have created jobs.

Only problem is theyre not in the private sector .... nobody thinks its all down to Obama they blame Bush and his spendalot policies .... hence the rise of the Tea Party.

[Englander]

The radical right wing R's could shut down the government, but that is unlikely as it will assure a reversal of their recent fortunes in 12. The truly radical no government crowd still is no bigger than 20 percent, they will never have a ruling majority, and they are hypocrites anyway, take away their medicare, their social security and they'll make the red shirts look like pussycats.

Small AFFORDABLE govt and no govt are not the same, you need to learn to debate without creating lies and fantasy!

[Ulysses G.]

you need to learn to debate without creating lies and fantasy!

As far as I can tell, this seems to be the far-left's version of reality.

[geriatrickid]

It will be an interesting next 2 years. The GOP will do its utmost to sabotage and block Sarah Palin, while the Democrats will do their utmost to help her run for President.

Very true.

However, it is all the silly nonsense that Obama does like forbidding Arizona to enforce federal laws that the feds are not enforcing, setting dead-lines for ending a war that we are supposed to be trying to win, stabbing our allies in the back and kissing up to our enemies, refusing to acknowledge that we are at war with radical Islam, etc., etc.... These are the things that are quickly turning his presidency into a laughing stock.

It may appear that is the perception, but remember that the Afghanistan policy is still set by "hawks" and the current admin policy hasn't really changed since the previous admin.

President Obama provided an opportunity for there to appear to be a semblance of change on some foreign policy issues, although I do not believe the core values changed. The fact of the matter is that some foreign parties didn't take the opportunity to work with the Obama admin. Maybe just maybe, this will give some incentive to act for the best.

I note that many of the ballot propositions calling for taxcuts were defeated. It seems that US voters might have been angry, but they were not as stupid as people think.

[metisdead]

Obama got more done in two years than almost any other president in American history

So he even outdoes Woodrow Wilson?

"I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country."

- Woodrow Wilson

The connection is fallacious.

Domestically more like LBJ.

Historically speaking, Obama is already great, even if limited to one term, which is very unlikely.

Democratic presidents are so much better. The test. Observe the modern ex-presidents. The democrats have been major world activists for peace, fighting disease and poverty globally. Clinton/Carter.

The republicans? Golf, cocktail parties, little public service. Bush, bush, Ford, Reagan.

About the golf thing, Obama as of July 17:

President Barack Obama has played a remarkable 41 rounds of golf since becoming president, easily outpacing his predecessor and possibly damaging his ability to portray himself in 2012 as a populist advocate of average folks.

http://www.whitehousedossier.com/2010/07/16/obama-played-41-rounds-golf-president/

Edited to add:

[Jingthing]

The upshot of this election is that for the next two years, the government can basically DO NOTHING. Americans shoot themselves in the foot, yet again.

It seems perhaps that now Ben Bernanke is the most powerful man in the world (and he wasn't elected).

Also as dysfunctional as it may sound (and it clearly is very much so) the campaign for the US president in 2012 starts TODAY. That's two years folks. I wonder if the US system is working anymore; it's scary.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/11/wonkbook_welcome_to_gridlocked.html

Wonkbook: Welcome to gridlocked America

Welcome to gridlocked America: The GOP is on track to win about 65 seats in the House of Representatives, and 47 or 48 in the Senate. This is a huge victory: the Republican House majority will be the largest since 1928. But it is not a governing majority, even on the congressional level. Democrats still hold the upper chamber. In fact, Harry Reid still leads the upper chamber.

From the perspective of actually getting anything done in the next two years, there was perhaps no worse outcome. Republicans don't fully control Congress, so they don't have enough power to be blamed for legislative outcomes. But Democrats don't control the House and they don't have a near-filibuster proof majority in the Senate, so they can't pass legislation. Republicans, in other words, are not left with the burden of governance, and Democrats are not left with the power to govern. Republicans don't have to be responsible, and Democrats can't do it for them.

For the time being, this means that the gains of Obama's first two years are probably safe. Health-care repeal will not pass the Senate, and if Republicans attempt to defund the program, it will be the House acting on its own -- a less tenable position than the Congress acting against the executive. It is also difficult to see major new stimulus programs -- for instance, a payroll-tax holiday -- finding backers in Congress, as Republicans will not be able to take full credit for them. This will be, instead, a time of implementation for the White House, oversight for the House, and paralysis for the Senate. As for getting the economy back on track, that's now Ben Bernanke's job, whether he wants it or not.

[WarpSpeed]

Sounds like a rather biased personal opinion to me.

Biased? How polite of you! I was thinking more like which POTUS were you really watching Jing? Anyway unfortunately for us it may be the savior of Obama as it was with Clinton as now he'll be forced to work with others and then some things may get done which will make it look like it's all down to him when it really wasn't but people with blinders on such his best advocate here will then vote him back in still believing he's the anointed one ...

Bernanke has always been the most powerful man in the world since his nomination just as was Greenspan before him..

[Jingthing]

Sounds like a rather biased personal opinion to me.

Biased? How polite of you! I was thinking more like which POTUS were you really watching Jing? Anyway unfortunately for us it may be the savior of Obama as it was with Clinton as now he'll be forced to work with others and then some things may get done which will make it look like it's all down to him when it really wasn't but people with blinders on such his best advocate here will then vote him back in still believing he's the anointed one ...

You're dreaming. The R's have no motivation to work with Obama at all. It has already been proven when he proposes things they have proposed, they then reject them, not because they disagree, but because it's from Obama, and they don't want Obama to get any credit for anything. This isn't then, this is now. The R's only goal is to kick out Obama in 12. They don't care about the country, it's their political power that they care about (and the money forces behind them). This isn't about forcing Obama right, this is about ejecting Obama. Also, there are some forces in the R camp considering impeachment charges. Big fun, dysfunctional government.

What non-Americans perhaps don't realize, is that the USA remains a deeply divided country and has been for many years now (the Bush - Gore election conflict was a milestone). Some analysts think the situation is even more severe than during the American civil war (politically of course, there is no literal war of course).

[hanuman1]

At least Pelosi is gone. Reid was almost canned too...

I would love to be in the House when Boehner takes over and Pelosi has to get off her "high chair".

P.S. I'm an independent... completely....

Obama got more done in two years than almost any other president in American history and Nancy Pelosi deserves a lot of the credit for that. The public didn't like a strong, brilliant woman. It's too bad because the country would have been a lot better off, even considering Obama's accomplishments, if Hillary Clinton has been elected instead. Farewell to a great speaker, hello to a radical right wing do nothing. The republicans have no agenda or plan, their only goal is to make Obama a one term president, and they will not achieve that.

The American right wing is a joke. They say they want to cut the deficit but instead they want to add trillions to it by restoring a tax cut for the rich only. They say they hate government entitlements, but honestly, tell me, have you ever seen even one teabagger burn their MEDICARE card the way lefties used to burn their draft cards, not to mention their bras?

BTW, the sweep of the congress, which is real, is not a victory for the teabaggers. The teabaggers have peaked (at about 20 percent of the people). Their most visible ditz, the Palin clone witch of Delaware was destroyed at the polls. Palin's very own private Alaska horse in Alaska appears to be LOSING to the establishment republican as a write in candidate. If a write in candidate is even close to winning, that shows just how weak Palin really is, even in her home state, who knows her best (as the BIG QUITTER). Write in candidates almost NEVER win; they almost never are even close, so this is already a rebuke of Palin tea witches brew.

The main reason the R's swept congress this time is the economy, stupid, as Bill Clinton used to say. People are impatient and not satisfied with the progress on unemployment. It's just a midterm, 2012 has already started and Obama will be well positioned, especially if the R's are idiotic enough to put up Palin.

Hi could you explain something to me, I'm not American so feel a bit removed from this talk, but why do political commentators refuse to stop touting Palin as a possible future presidential candidate? I just cannot imagine how it could ever happen. Arnold for governor is one thing, but Palin for president is in a whole new fantasy league, surely?

[powderpuff]

Give us the next 2 years to undo the Marxist wet dream Barry has wrought.

Healthcare, the Lib/progressive/marxist crown jewel of the last 100 years is about power & who controls it.

Did we want a Canadian or British style rationed Healthcare? hel_l no. Time to repeal it. Bye Bye Barry.

Dingy Harry we'll have a abide for 2 more years till he becomes a backbencher.

[Jingthing]

Give us the next 2 years to undo the Marxist wet dream Barry has wrought.

Healthcare, the Lib/progressive/marxist crown jewel of the last 100 years is about power & who controls it.

Did we want a Canadian or British style rationed Healthcare? hel_l no. Time to repeal it. Bye Bye Barry.

Dingy Harry we'll have a abide for 2 more years till he becomes a backbencher.

It is not even possible for the R's to undo Obamacare in the next two years. There is no scenario where that happens. They control the house, but don't control the senate or the white house, and even if they managed to pass a bill to kill Obamacare, it would be VETOED. Also, whatever Obamacare is, it is most certainly not a British or Canadian system. Too bad about that, but that's the best Obama could do given the political exigencies.

Also note, the US president's proper name is Barack Obama. If you wish, Barack Hussein Obama. It is not Barry. Do not call him Barry. You disrespect Americans by doing so.

[Jingthing]

Hi could you explain something to me, I'm not American so feel a bit removed from this talk, but why do political commentators refuse to stop touting Palin as a possible future presidential candidate? I just cannot imagine how it could ever happen. Arnold for governor is one thing, but Palin for president is in a whole new fantasy league, surely?

She promotes herself. Recently she strongly hinted that she is running, so you can't blame the media on that. Also, she is the top choice of the teabagger faction; even though they only represent 20 percent, they are very loud.

[hobanse]

The power of zionism.

America's largest pro-Israel lobby group on Wednesday hailed the results of midterm elections in the U.S. which saw staunch supporters re-elected to Congress on both sides of the party political divide.

"Many of the strongest friends and supporters of the U.S.-Israel relationship were reelected on Tuesday," the group said in a statement.

These included Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Reps. John Boehner (R-OH), widely tipped to be named Republican majority leader in the lower House of Representatives, which his party seized from Democratic control.

http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/u-s-midterms-aipac-lauds-re-election-of-pro-israel-stalwarts-1.322729

[Jingthing]

The power of zionism.

Yeah, sure, dude, Zionism brought to you by the teabaggers. For sane people, US foreign policy towards Israel was not anything close to a visible issue during these recent elections, either way.

Note well this -- EVEN AMONG JEWS.

Only 7 percent of Jews polled identified Israel as a decisive issue, with 62 percent citing the economy and 31 percent mentioning healthcare as a major concern.

Can you please leave your anti-Israel campaign on the threads which are actually about Israel and Palestine?

[Starlifter]

The radical right wing R's could shut down the government, but that is unlikely as it will assure a reversal of their recent fortunes in 12. The truly radical no government crowd still is no bigger than 20 percent, they will never have a ruling majority, and they are hypocrites anyway, take away their medicare, their social security and they'll make the red shirts look like pussycats.

In your mind is there a such thing as radical left wing? If so, who are they within the federal goverment. If not, would you like them to be?

[Jingthing]

In your mind is there a such thing as radical left wing? If so, who are they within the federal goverment. If not, would you like them to be?

Yes.

None in the federal government.

No.

Next ...

[Starlifter]

In your mind is there a such thing as radical left wing? If so, who are they within the federal government. If not, would you like them to be?

Yes.

None in the federal government.

No.

Next ...

So what would be examples of radical left wing? If you believe they are no radical left wing in the federal government how about any of the national level media With this I mean any of the news channels, print media or radio that is available at least across the contennital US?