CBS Host: Is GOP 'Handing President Obama His Re-Election Bid'?
In Thursday's interview with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Early Show co-host Chris Wragge asked if Republicans in Congress are basically helping President Obama get re-elected with their ongoing opposition to the Senate's two-month payroll tax cut extension plan.
"Are you essentially handing President Obama his re-election bid here by handling this the way the Republicans have handled this?" Wragge asked guest Senator McCain. The senator has been a noted critic of House Republicans in their refusal to vote for the Senate plan. [Video below the break.]
Wragge also teed up the senator when he asked him "How do you think this is going to come back to haunt Republicans down the line?"
"Well I don't think there's any doubt that the President and the Democrats have a political advantage here," responded McCain.
A transcript of the segment which aired on December 22 at 7:06 a.m. EST is as follows:
[7:06]
CHRIS WRAGGE: Now I want to shift here and pivot to the payroll tax showdown, which you think is harming the Republican Party. You agreed with a Wall Street Journal op-ed accusing the GOP of botching this debate. How do you think this is going to come back to haunt Republicans down the line?
Sen. JOHN MCCAIN (R-Ariz.): Well first of all, we've got a dysfunctional government and this in this fighting we've got 160 million Americans caught – innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire here who stand to lose as much as $1,000 a year, which to them is a great deal of money. Yes, I think Republicans made a mistake, but I also fault the President and the Senate Democrats for – I understand why they're taking advantage of it, but it's – it contributes enormously to the cynicism and anger of the American people when they see us fail to sit down together to try to get this worked out for their benefit. In other words, politics is overriding the good of the American people. I think what should happen if – the House should pass the same bill the Senate did, only put a year on it, so as you just mentioned we wouldn't have Groundhog Day all over again in two months, and then I hope that maybe the Senate would pass it. But this is really tragic to the American people, and I would say that next November, no incumbent is safe, nor should they be.
WRAGGE: Well let me ask you this, kind of in regards to what you were just saying there. In that Wall Street Journal op-ed which I just mentioned, there was mention by Republicans by botching this – and like you said the Democrats will pin this on the Republicans that you're going to raise taxes here – are you essentially handing President Obama his re-election bid here by handling this the way the Republicans have handed this – handled this?
MCCAIN: Well I don't think there's any doubt that the President and the Democrats have a political advantage here.
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Comments
More astute analysis from CBS
Submitted by Galvanic on Thu, 12/22/2011 - 5:34pm.
Ya mean to tell me that if the 2-month extension isn't signed into law, everyone forgets about Obama's 3 years of indecision and broken policies and re-elects him?
Here's the anti-Obama ad for 2012:
1st clip: VP praising Corzine as the 'go to' guy when the WH needs economic advice (2009)
2nd clip: VP again praises Corzine (2010)
3rd clip: Obama says that when he needs economic adviose, he calls Corzine (2009)
4th clip: Corzine before House sub-committee testifying to bankruptcy of MF Global and missing $1.2 billion of client money. "I don't know where the money is." - Jon Corzine, CEO, MF Global.
ENDING CAPTION: Do you still wonder why Obama hasn't turned the economy around?
Galv - damn good...you need
Submitted by ray johnson on Thu, 12/22/2011 - 6:41pm.
Galv - damn good...you need to replace the dipsh!ts at the RNC.
Ok People
Submitted by gailannr on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:43am.
You heard all the BS from the media now about how the GOP caved. These are the new conservative "buzz" words.....NEVER GIVE IN TO THE BASTARDS, NEVER GIVE UP!!!!!! They are just trying to "jerk our shorts"!
Ok, I am
Submitted by gailannr on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:35am.
back to not buying this anymore!
McCain basically helped Obama
Submitted by GreenTea on Thu, 12/22/2011 - 5:27pm.
McCain basically helped Obama get elected the first time so I'm not surprised by his answer
Yes, God love him, instead of
Submitted by motherbelt on Thu, 12/22/2011 - 5:39pm.
Yes, God love him, instead of explaining how the Republicans are right on this issue, he's right there to agree that the Democrats have the advantage.
With all respect for your service and your sacrifice, Mr. McCain, shut up.
Just. shut. up.
Yeah McCain
Submitted by gailannr on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:35am.
No one's buying your crap anymore!
Yeah, that McCain still has
Submitted by ray johnson on Thu, 12/22/2011 - 6:43pm.
Yeah, that McCain still has got to get on tv and hit the Republicans so the media will like him...pathetic loser.
Ditto on
Submitted by gailannr on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:34am.
McCain, not buying anything he says!
not
Submitted by gailannr on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:33am.
buying McCain either!
Rush said the other day that
Submitted by motherbelt on Thu, 12/22/2011 - 5:36pm.
Rush said the other day that they just might be, unless they start trumpeting that Obama's payroll tax cut is nothing more than cutting the funding for Social Security.
But I think Rush is wrong. There's no "lock box" and the money doesn't really go to funding Social Security anyway, so what's the point?
Obama and his minions will just say that the budget shouldn't be balanced on the backs of "working families," thus giving them yet another opportunity for class warfare.
And don't be surprised if after all this, there is a push to exempt some lower-income families from FICA taxes permanently.
MB, that's been the dim goal
Submitted by ThisnThat on Thu, 12/22/2011 - 5:46pm.
MB, that's been the dim goal for years. It just rankles them that people have to pay social security taxes. When this whole payroll tax cut deal was enabled last year, you could see the direction this was going to take. Democrats's irresponsibleness knows no bounds at all. Here are the next three steps:
Right now, you get more back if you pay more -- because Social Security is supposed to be "your money". The dims intend to make it "their communal money" which they then get to distribute IAW with the socialist formula: From each according to their means; to each according to their needs (as defined by a needs committee).
Closely following this will be the raiding of our 401K and IRA accounts.
__________
“Didn't win the Medal of Honor? Didn't even serve? Then lie about it. We'll support you." — 9th Circuit Court
Neal Boortz had this figured
Submitted by motherbelt on Thu, 12/22/2011 - 5:54pm.
Neal Boortz had this figured out years ago.
The Democrats' Secret Plan for America
Looks like the plan is in motion.
Neil still
Submitted by gailannr on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:31am.
isn't buying it either!
I'm telling ya,
Submitted by gailannr on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:31am.
we're really not buying this!
Yes, but again,
Submitted by gailannr on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:29am.
we're really not buying it!
I made a killing in the market today
Submitted by ThisnThat on Thu, 12/22/2011 - 5:38pm.
...the marketing of White Surrender Flags, that is. The House caved. o'bama gets to triumphantly declare a two-month tax cut victory. And because I cornered the market of White Surrender Flags a couple weeks ago, I'm now one of the 1%ers.
__________
“Didn't win the Medal of Honor? Didn't even serve? Then lie about it. We'll support you." — 9th Circuit Court
Yes, but
Submitted by gailannr on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:28am.
we're really not buying it!
Well spoken, G
Submitted by deadeyedan on Thu, 12/22/2011 - 5:42pm.
And while we're at it, how about a refresher course on "moderate" Republicans such as McCain?
They are always claiming to be fiscal conservatives while looking "at the other side of the aisle" on most other issues. But in the end when more spending (and frequently the resultant tax hikes) is put in front of them they cave in, with some of the reason the fact that they became buddy-buddy with the morons of the other side and also the fact that they were never really conservative of any sort to begin with.
McCain and the others of his ilk are already forgetting that in 2010 the electorate was resounding in its rejection of the Democrats' monkey-shines.
By being stalwart in their resolve to undermine the Democrat plan to just kick the ball ahead each time, the Republicans stand to gain the respect of the electorate.
LIBERALISM - government of the people by the theories and for the ideologists
Yes, but
Submitted by gailannr on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:26am.
we're not buying it!
Osama bin Laden redub
Submitted by Restless Legs on Thu, 12/22/2011 - 5:46pm.
Good grief, these media types are short-sighted. Their wishful thinking leads them to all sorts of inane conclusions. Right after Osama bin Laden was killed, you had all of these same media types saying, "Well, this all but reassures Obama's reelection." Do they really think that voters, 11 months from now, are going to walk into voting booths with this little legislative tiff still on their minds?
Yes, but
Submitted by gailannr on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:25am.
we're not buying it!
Drip, drip, drip ...
Submitted by metaphorsbwithu on Thu, 12/22/2011 - 5:57pm.
It's not really about any one issue guaranteeing Obama's reelection.
It's about the "drip, drip,drip ..." narrative the media advances to distract from the damage Obama's policies have created and to condition the voting public into believing that he is doing all he can to help the American people but that the Republicans have stymied him every step of the way.
It's a narrative that's in the schools, in the newspapers, on network and cable media, in movies and the entertainment industry ...
It's everywhere.
Yes, but
Submitted by gailannr on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:24am.
we're not buying it!
Instead of explaining the
Submitted by jdhawk on Thu, 12/22/2011 - 6:02pm.
Instead of explaining the issues and backing up fellow Republicans in the House, numb nuts McCain says this:
"Well I don't think there's any doubt that the President and the Democrats have a political advantage here," responded McCain.
When is this guy going to just retire, already. He helped O'bummer get elected the first time by not attacking him and his policies, explaining why conservative policies are better for America, and now he is helping O'bozo again.
What a tool . . . .
Yes, but
Submitted by gailannr on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:24am.
we're not buying it!