Discover Yahoo! With Your Friends

Explore news, videos, and much more based on what your friends are reading and watching. Publish your own activity and retain full control.

To get started, first

YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Obama: Don't use debt as a gun against Americans

    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says the debt ceiling should not "be used as a gun against the heads" of Americans to retain breaks for corporate jet owners or oil and gas companies.

    Answering questions posed to him on the social Networking site Twitter, the president cast the debate over reducing the deficit in some of the starkest language he has used so far.

    Obama is seeking to reduce the deficit, in part, through new tax revenue raised by closing loopholes and tax subsidies. Among the loopholes cited by the White House are tax benefits for corporate jets. He also has called for ending subsidies to oil and gas companies, a proposal that would generate about $40 billion in revenue over 10 years.

    Republicans have opposed measures that raise taxes.

     

    201 comments

    • lonz  •  10 mths ago
      What's so hard about the concept of spending LESS than what you have available? CUT GOVERNMENT! America will be better for it! Cut the so called "entitlements"!
      • SND 10 mths ago
        Amen! Cut government now! Does anyone honestly believe if all of us actually paid more tax to the government that they would do the right thing and pay down our debt? No, they'll add more government jobs, give themselves raises and hand out more entitlements, putting us further in debt and telling us yet again they need to raise taxes.
    • Cajun57  •  10 mths ago
      What about the corporate jet Michelle Obama takes all over the world at the taxpayer expense. This president demonizes those who are succesful and create jobs for millions. Saying those that don't agree with his tax and spend policies hold a gun to americas head is irresponsible and represents the views of a socialist dictator who wants everyone dependent on the government. Entitlements need to be trimmed and managed properly. Government agencies need to be more fiscally responsible and accountable for their spending. Deporting ALL illegal immigrants will take a huge bite out of the budget. Putting time linits on welfare, food tamps, subsidized housing, ect needs to be put in place. Welfare and foodstamps is not a career passed on from generation to generation. Make the tax code less complicated and tax EVERYONE at a flat rate. Everybody should put into this.You Mr. President are putting the "gun" to americas head and people are not going to tolerate it anymore.
      • supernatural 10 mths ago
        Uh, she's the wife of the Pres. of the United States. That trumps some doofus who uses Chinese slave labor to rape the world.
      • Laurence 10 mths ago
        Leadership by example. Just like Al Gore and his houses (note pl). But woe is us if we use our A/C. Seems as if this President's family takes more vacations than any previous one. But that "doofus" actually employs more people on his own dollar than Mrs Obama employs on our dollar.
    • Cult O'Personality  •  10 mths ago
      "The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."- Barrack Obama
      .
      Well Barry ought to know about a "LEADERSHIP FAILURE," - that pretty much sums up the Obama Presidency.
      • Don M 10 mths ago
        sure blame obama for all of bush's failures
      • dklf14 10 mths ago
        The debt is about your oil wars, and tax cuts. Leadership failure under Republican administrations.
      • Tim 10 mths ago
        Dklf14...how is it that you're neglecting Libya, clearly we're there over the oil, otherwise we'd be in Syria too, only Syria doesn't have any oil.
    • Pirate  •  10 mths ago
      The novelty of anything new decreases over time, and now there is a record Obama will have to run on. What does this mean to any voter? If you lost your job, your house or anything else and see the administration as a reason for your loss, you will think twice before voting for the same candidate.
      With higher unemployment and increased foreclosures on homes, this has to affect every part of society. Now African-Americans are loosing heart and faith in their messiah. Obama was not supposed to force them from their homes. He was not supposed to take away their jobs.
      I believe the average African-American will outwardly insist they are going to vote for Obama again. When in the voting booth the lever for the republican party may be pulled, or the person may just not vote. Of course they will tell all close to them; they voted for Obama. In fact, African-Americans are furious that Obama is not pandering to their interests. What “interests” would that be? Jobs? Housing? Saving social security instead of giving hundreds of millions a year to Planned Parenthood so they can hand out condoms to 12 year olds? Wasting $940 trillion on his illegally-passed Nazi healthcare scam? Wasting billions on his idiotic, ignorant stimulus scams that have not done one single thing to help Americans black or white? Don’t you see, we ALL want the same thing. An educated, intelligent, competent AMERICAN president, not an unintelligent, scheming, lying, deceitful, muslim Marxist president, be he black or white.
      One does not want to be labeled a traitor. This happens with every ethnic group, but after one term with a president they are realizing is systematically destroying America, themselves and their children, the big concern for Obama is how many African-Americans will vote republican? We start with a question that cannot be answered; how many African-Americans will be out of work or will have lost their homes? It always starts with the basics, it builds from there.
      Why would a person that has experienced the loss of their home and job, vote for the same candidate? We can expand upon that with all the African-Americans that had a business; I did say HAD. Then there are all that want to expand their businesses, there are over 800,000 African-American business owners. I can’t believe these people would vote for a man that has proven he is not a capitalist and has proven he is as much against African-Americans as he is against whites.
      Considering all the voter fraud ACORN is being investigated for, there just may be a smaller amount of this in the next election. That would lead to fewer votes for Obama.
      After the scandals powered by FOX NEWS, we have all seen how fast ACORN is to throw their employees under the bus. It would be nice to see a follow-up story to find out where these people ended up.
      To me it seems that most African-Americans in politics or in the teaching profession are equivalent to their Caucasian counter parts in their political views. Educated, literate African-Americans will vote republican because they see Obama for what he really is. Educated business people that are African-American will vote differently than the over 90 percent did in 2008. So will those that have suffered major loses, jobs and houses. African-Americans will still vote, but I believe many believe in what America is supposed to stand for, and it is not high taxes, no jobs, no homes, no social security, socialist healthcare where they will have to wait six months for surgery and die while waiting for it. You must understand that the majority of people against Obama are not against him because of his race, but because of his politics. But of course the blacks are going to pull the race card. By the way, Obama is not even African-American. To be considered part of a minority group you must have at least 1/8 of that blood in your veins. Obama is 1/2 white, 7/16 Arabic and 1/16 Black African. Obama is white and Arabic.
      • Ryan 10 mths ago
        Troll
      • supernatural 10 mths ago
        I did think twice about voting for the people who ruined our economy. That's why I don't vote for the retarded Republican Party. If you'll be honest (if you CAN be honest) this whole meltdown started well before Obama was elected.
    • careful  •  10 mths ago
      Progress: Today's political landscape is not what the elites were expecting. That's due to the grassroots tea party movement. They did not see us coming, and now they're scrambling to put an acceptable Republican in the batter's box - Mitt Romney - but we still have the power to shape this election and bring our politics back into alignment with the Constitution. It will happen so long as we stay awake.
      • jncarlos007 10 mths ago
        A bit optimistic, but I hope you are right
      • Biggie 10 mths ago
        acceptable Republican? Romney? Man please. Enough with the politicians. Herman Cain is a businessman and has the answers if he can get his word out and enough people can understand simple math.
    • Cult O'Personality  •  10 mths ago
      Hey Barry- I thought you said it is irresponsible to use methaphors like "gun against the head" ever since some left-winger kook shot Gabby Giffords in the face?
    • Bumper stickers for sale ...  •  10 mths ago
      Barry, don't use wealth distribution as a vote grabbing tool. Don't use uncontrolled spending and thinking/saying that the "evil" rich will take care of it.

      Better yet, just GTFO!
    • Ben  •  10 mths ago
      If the rich can afford more the the deadbeats not working and living on well

      fair for a living can get booted off as well.Why is it ppl think becaus a man makes money you can take it.and give it to a man that wont work.And thats fair how?
    • Sasha  •  10 mths ago
      Obama himself is a threat to Americans.
    • Doug S  •  10 mths ago
      The GOP is not using the debt ceiling as a gun against Americans. They're using it as a gun against the tax-and-spend Democrats. About time someone did.

      As a taxpayer, they have my full support in this.
    • liberty  •  10 mths ago
      As Obama declared in 2008 that he wanted to "transform" America, we, the last Americans have no obligation to follow him or those of his ilk.
    • rich  •  10 mths ago
      Can you believe this idiot? Even all the business channels have the stats reported and they are all flops and he still keeps on throwing out the crap, Please GO AWAY ALREADY!
    • no mo  •  10 mths ago
      OBAMA is holding the gun against AMERICANS, but "THEY" seem to be blind.
    • MICHAEL DEAN MILLER  •  10 mths ago
      Don't use debt as a gun against the American citizen, the IRS and the Department of Education have 12 guage shotguns for that....
    • Planet of the Retards  •  10 mths ago
      should not "be used as a gun against the heads" of Americans

      Is that the best way someone in his position can say it.

      Humanity what a Total Failure
    • Pirate  •  10 mths ago
      A complete set of Obama’s inferior college grades and his inferior LSAT/SAT scores would prove that Obama is an academic fraud.
      - Obama has been using all suppression and legal maneuvers to block public access to his inferior college grades and his inferior LSAT/SAT scores.
      - Obama has been rejecting thousands of public requests for his college records. At the same time, Obama has been using the mainstream media and his internet thugs to spread his propaganda of "academic degrees and honors" manufactured by Harvard liberals.
      - All legitimate Harvard Law graduates, esp. with honors, have substantial legal accomplishments later in their careers like academic publications, rewards based on peer reviews, legal careers in terms of law cases handled, etc. Obama has produced nothing in his entire life except getting elected and claiming credit. If somebody gets "honors" from Harvard and has nothing to show for them after 17 years then maybe you should look for real honors in the color of his skin.
      - Every legal secretary accomplishes more in one year than Obama has in his entire 17-year lawyer career.
      - Look at the current election! Obama has collected endorsements from people who would never give him a grade above D- before his popularity and now give him A+. This is exactly what happened at Harvard. Harvard admitted Obama as an affirmative action Black. Harvard Law Review admitted Obama through a special program for Blacks without academic merit. Then Obama got himself elected as the "president" of HLR and miraculously he got his "Magna" later.
      - Literary experts have examined Obama’s "autobiographies" and declared with high confidence that they were written by ghostwriter(s). Many investigators have proved that his "autobiographies" are full of lies.
      - USA will have to abandon all affirmative action programs of the past in order to compete with the Asian economies fueled by educational systems based on competitive standardized tests and grueling exams. Harvard liberals will not be able to manufacture fake "academic degrees and honors" for Obama types because the competitive environment will not allow them. And this idiot was elected president of The United States of America??
    • The Deer Dog  •  10 mths ago
      Our government holds it's citizens at gunpoint every second of every day when they incur more debt.
      I have far more respect for the company that has the corporate jet because 99% of the time they are using it to conduct business which is more than I can say for Obama and his Liberal Hoard.
      The more business a" corporate jet company" does brings us closer to turning this economy around.
      Obama's abuses America's corporate jet,Air Force One,every time he flies over my fly over state by not stopping to do the business of the "people ".
      Taxing all the corporate jets together amounts to a gnat on a elephants ass.Ten will get you twenty that Air Force One's budget alone excedes all the taxes that taxing corporate jets would bring in.
    • Dude  •  10 mths ago
      He can use "gun". Using words like gun and targets is what got congresswoman shot. Obama needs to use facutal intelligent language.
    • Roger Dodger  •  10 mths ago
      Is this fool for real?
    • sammie  •  10 mths ago
      so all that civility talk after gabbie giffords was shot is now no longer necessary..oh wait. it's obama talkin so it's ok....
    [ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]
    [ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]
    Loading...