Steny Hoyer blasts Republicans for postponing meeting with Obama

[Turborama]

Source: CNN

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer blasted Congressional Republicans on Thursday for forcing the White House to postpone a bipartisan post-election meeting with President Obama, which the White House had announced was scheduled for Thursday.

"I can never remember an instance when President Bush asked me or a Democrat in leadership to come down to meet with him that we did not accommodate our schedules to that request. I think that is not only respectful of the president of the United States, but it also furthers the ability to solve problems confronting our country," Hoyer said during a session with reporters on Capitol Hill.

Hoyer said he hasn't met with House Republican Leaders since the election, but said, "I am hopeful we will find common ground with our Republican colleagues, who have been given by the American people the authority to set the agenda."

=snip=

One reporter asked Hoyer if the House Democratic leadership lineup was too old, with its top leaders -- Nancy Pelosi, Hoyer and Jim Clyburn -- all over 70, while GOP leaders are younger. Hoyer used the question to take a jab at the House GOP leadership for lacking diversity. "I want you to look at the Democratic leadership and then I want you to a look at the Republican leadership. Then I want you to look at America. You tell me which body is representative of our country." The top three Republicans in the House -- John Boehner, Eric Cantor, and Kevin McCarthy -- are all white males. Democrat Clyburn is African-American.

Read more: http://cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/11/18/hoyer.obama.meeting/

[OhioBlue]

1. I'm glad Hoyer is hitting back on this. n/t

[pinto]

2. Hoyer's got a great point. (aside) And I think the Repub's general pettiness is getting noticed.

"I can never remember an instance when President Bush asked me or a Democrat in leadership to come down to meet with him that we did not accommodate our schedules to that request. I think that is not only respectful of the president of the United States, but it also furthers the ability to solve problems confronting our country,"

[Beartracks]

8. Noticed by the right people?

Or at least, by The People?

Or the media?

---------------------------------------------

[gateley]

3. Bush wasn't black. No black man deserves the respect of a white man, regardless

of his position. Doesn't Hoyer get it?

(This shouldn't be needed, but :sarcasm:)

And, are they really still "hopeful they will find common ground with our Republican colleagues", or do they just have to keep saying that?

[Turborama]

6. I suspect that Hoyer felt he had to say that

This is what he really meant (I heard him say as much on The Situation Room earlier):

"I think that is not only disrespectful of the president of the United States, but it also ruins the ability to solve problems confronting our country,"

Followed by this part, which was to make him and his colleagues seem amenable, and at the same time exposes the obstructionist Pieces Of Shit for what they are.

"Hoyer said he hasn't met with House Republican Leaders since the election, but said, "I am hopeful we will find common ground with our Republican colleagues, who have been given by the American people the authority to set the agenda.""

[gateley]

7. I pretty much always think that too, and that we shouldn't get all whacked because

of what they SAY, but wait and see what they DO.

I'm happy to hear Hoyer saying this, and you know he's not alone in feeling that way.

:hi:

[opihimoimoi]

4. THE WIMPY SPINELESS GOPers.....Gatta Huddle First???...COWARDLY CONSERVATIVES

[Nite Owl]

5. I would hope that they give a date to reschedule

the meeting and Obama says he'll let them know if and when he will be ready to meet with them.

[wisteria]

9. Very, Very disrespectful. President Obama needs to remind them he is the Commander and Chief. n/t

[AnnieBW]

10. About time Steny grew a spine

He's my Congressman, and I'm getting sick of him being a DINO.

[Turborama]

11. He was more forthright when he was on The Situation Room. Here's the transcript....

As I watched this I got seriously annoyed when Booger kept trying to interrupt him and Creepy Crowley came in to defend the RepubliCons. Those two disgust me more and more every time I see them on TV.

BLITZER: Let's move on and talk about some of the other issues that you are dealing with right now, but I want you to elaborate. Earlier in the day, you really slapped the Republican leadership for postponing what was supposed to be happening right now, a meeting and a dinner with the president of the United States at the White House. It has been postponed until November 30, after the Thanksgiving holiday and recess.

Tell us why you are upset about that Republican decision.

HOYER: Well, I was very surprised at that decision.

As I said the other day, I cannot remember an instance when either Ronald Reagan or George Bush I, as I call him, or George Bush II, three Republicans, invited me to come to the White House with other members that I didn't accommodate my schedule to the president's schedule.

I think that shows respect. It also shows a willingness to work together with the individual elected president of all the people and the representatives of the people in Congress. I was very surprised that they did not respond to that.

(CROSSTALK)

HOYER: As you know, he did meet with the Democrats this afternoon. I think it would have been helpful to have the Republican leadership there as well to discuss how we go forward.

While the leadership of the Congress has changed, at least in the House of Representatives, in terms of the relative positions that we have, the challenges confronting our country have not changed. And the American people want us to find common ground on which we can meet those challenges and make this economy better, create jobs and, very frankly, meet the fiscal challenge that confronts us as well.

So, I was disappointed.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Congressman, it is Gloria Borger.

HOYER: Hi, Gloria.

BORGER: Do you think, then, to put it bluntly, that they were snubbing the president?

HOYER: I certainly think that is the way it looks. And I think that is unfortunate.

President Bush invited Speaker Pelosi and I down to -- she was not speaker then, nor was I the leader -- two days after the election, he invited us down to lunch in '06, November of '06. And we went down. And we had a very cordial lunch.

(CROSSTALK)

BORGER: Why would they snub President Obama?

HOYER: Well, I think you need to ask them that.

But when Senator McConnell says that his principal objective over the next two years is to ensure that President Obama not have a second term, if that is his focus, if that is the focus of the Republican Party, I think the American people are going to be very disappointed.

What they want our focus to be is on creating jobs, growing the economy, and getting fiscal balance back to our country. They don't want the politics as usual to go on, the sniping and the fighting and the confrontation back and forth. They want to us seek common ground and solutions to their problems.

(CROSSTALK)

HOYER: And I think that this seems to indicate in fact that we are focused on politics at the very beginning, rather than on solving problems, which I think the American people want us to do.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Congressman, it is Candy Crowley.

Let me talk to you...

HOYER: Hi, Candy.

CROWLEY: How are you?

Let me talk to you about one of those problems. And that is these Bush tax cuts that are going to expire on December 31. We have talked to a number of Republicans who have indicated that they would be willing to go along with perhaps a two-year extension for tax cuts for everyone across the board.

Is that a deal?

HOYER: Candy, it is our position, as you well know, that we believe the middle class, there should be no increase in their taxes at all. We think that would be bad for them and bad for the economy.

But fiscal balance is another one of our objectives. And the best-off in America, the well-off in America, frankly, giving them an additional tax cut will not in any way, in our opinion, enhance the economy, nor will having the...

(CROSSTALK)

CROWLEY: So, where is the bipartisanship in that position, since the Republicans that want them extended permanently say, OK, we could maybe take a two-year extension? But you are sticking with your same position and at the same time calling for sort of a different atmosphere.

HOYER: Candy, I am. Frankly, before I -- before we get anyplace, we are going to have to have discussions. The president invited the Republicans, the Senate and House, down to the White House to discuss how can we go forward, and they did not come. What I am saying is, our position clearly has been that we are going to ensure that the middle class, working Americans, families, don't get a tax increase next year. Republicans are saying they don't want the wealthiest to get a tax increase, but they want to balance the budget.

We understand that position. Certainly, the president has indicated a willingness to discuss that. But if they don't come to the table, if they don't come to a meeting that the president invites them to, then we are not going to get anywhere.

BLITZER: It sounds, Congressman, like that is your opening bargaining position. We have heard the Republicans' opening bargaining position. All of you will meet at the White House on November 30, and we will see what emerges from there as far as a compromise between your position and their position.

And I can understand you don't want to negotiate that position here in THE SITUATION ROOM, but we...

HOYER: Thank you, Wolf.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: But we appreciate -- we appreciate your -- we appreciate your coming in, though.

BORGER: Go right ahead.

BLITZER: We did our best to try, but we understand what -- certainly understand what is going on.

HOYER: Wolf, thank you very much. I appreciate it.

BLITZER: Steny Hoyer, and congratulations on getting reelected in the new Congress, even though it will be the minority, as opposed to the majority.

HOYER: Thank you very much.


Just been made available online here: http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1011/18/sitroom.02.html

[awoke_in_2003]

12. there is a certain amount...

of respect that should be paid to the OFFICE of the President of the United States, whether you agree with the man or not. I remember watching Pres. Obama's SOTU address, where that asshat yelled out "You Lie". I was UTTERLY stunned- not because it was yelled out at a democratic President, but that it happened to ANY president. It shocked me then- I was at work and asked my co-worker "Did I just hear what I thought I heard?". Had it happened to Bush, which it probably should have, it would shocked me just as much.