WASHINGTON – The Republican National Committee (RNC) released “Meanwhile” demonstrating how out of touch the White House has become. On the same day that unemployment went up, the Obama campaign released a glitzy fundraising video with Vogue editor Anna Wintour. Web video can be viewed here. Download the web video here.   “There couldn’t be a better demonstration of this president’s misplaced priorities than a glitzy fundraising video release on the same day that marked more unemployed Americans,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. “It’s more than obvious that this president just doesn’t get it. Millions are out of work, struggling to make ends meet and all this president cares about is raising money with the rich and famous to protect his own job. “The president of ‘Hope and Change’ is now the president who is out of touch with the American people and out to lunch on job creation. The president hasn't lived up to his promise on jobs, and no amount of Vogue fundraisers will fix it because Americans deserve better.”   ### 

"The difference between Scott Walker and the president is pretty stark"   WASHINGTON D.C. - This morning on CBS' Face The Nation, Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus discussed the Wisconsin recall election highlighting the stark differences between Scott Walker and President Obama. While Scott Walker is running on his economic record, the president hasn't followed through on his promises and doesn't have a record to run on. Highlights: RNC CHAIRMAN REINCE PRIEBUS: "Well, I think it's going pretty well, Bob. But, you know, here in Wisconsin, we know as Republicans we've got to keep our foot on the pedal, see this thing through the end and, you know, the difference between Scott Walker and the president is pretty stark. You know, you mentioned it earlier, but Scott Walker is talking about his record, he's talking about the fact that his reforms are working, that people are getting back to work, that businesses are coming in. You know, people's property taxes have gone down. And, you know, you can't keep operating a government that spends more money than it takes in. So, Scott Walker is one of these special people that have made promises and kept promises. You contrast that to David Axelrod's boss, he's a president who is in love with the sound of his own voice but hasn't been able to follow through on too many promises so that's really David's problem and the president's problem but, fortunately for Scott Walker, he's got a record of keeping a promise and that's special here. People appreciate folks that are strong and make promises and keep them." Click here to view: http://bit.ly/KIa6z4   ### 

Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty: "As you know, President Obama is coming to Minnesota today for several stops and of course we welcome him to Minnesota but it is also an opportunity to talk about the abysmal impact that his policies have had on the American job market and free enterprise and the most recent measure of that of course, is the awful jobs numbers that came out this morning. The nation adding on 69,000 in the last month, dramatically below even the modest expectations that people had hoped for in those jobs numbers this month. And what we see is a president whose policies are hostile to free enterprise, are hostile to job creators and are not only not sparking the kind of economic recovery at the pace that we had hoped for and need in America, but we are seeing the voices and perspectives of people who are credible established business leaders increasingly calling the president out and holding him accountable. "In an interesting twist, the CEO of Honeywell one of the facilities the president is going to visit today in Minnesota, has specifically cited the president's inability and a lack of progress in tackling the deficit and debt in this country as a leading factor for why the economy is not recovering and why it is being stifled. More specifically, David Cote, who is the CEO of Honeywell said in a recent interview that the debt structure and burden in this country could be the 'seeds of the next recession' and he also went on to say that it is the number one thing that he thought could be done to ignite and send a strong signal to get the economy moving again. And unfortunately President Obama has utterly failed in tackling the debt and the deficit in this country. He came into office and since then has increased the debt by five trillion dollars that's a nearly 50 percent increase during his time as president. It is the most rapid rise of the national debt during any president in the history of the country he has had the three largest deficits in a row, in the history of the country and he came into office in the early days and months as president and said he was going to cut the budget deficit in half and in fact he has nearly tripled it during his time in office. It's another one of his broken promises during office. Those are all interesting statistics but when you come to a state and you go to a visit to highlight your accomplishments or your perspective as president and the CEO of the place that you are visiting takes a contrary point that is noteworthy obviously for a variety of reasons. "But beyond just the debt and the deficit and we have a number of other concerns related to the economy and jobs, the president has no plan to deal with these issues. You can't find him in terms of any proposal to meaningfully tackle the debt and deficit issues. He's not been available , not presented anything in terms of entitlement reform, one of the most pressing issues in the country. But fundamentally, his policies, his approach, have been hostile to job creators, they have been hostile to free enterprise in this country, even Democrats as we saw with the Bain attacks that have backfired have been uncomfortable and critical to the president's hostility towards free enterprise and the private economy in this country and it's not working. "We've had enough. The American people are hurting they are tired of waiting for the fulfillment of his broken promises they now realize that his misguided approach and his misguided agenda is not helping the country or the economy recover and in fact it's headed in the wrong direction. So, it's time for President Obama to go. His visit to Minnesota today is an opportunity to highlight these issues and there's no better highlight than the CEO of the very company he is going to be visiting being directly critical of his failure to address and tackle the debt and the deficit in this country." Click Here To Listen To The Full Audio: http://www.gop.com/audio/6.1.2012_MN.mp3   ### 

WASHINGTON - The Republican National Committee (RNC) released "Four Years Later, Not Better Off: May Jobs Numbers 'A Tragedy'" after another disappointing jobs report. It's clear President Obama's policies aren't working and this country needs Governor Romney to get Americans back to work. Web video can be viewed here. Web Video can be downloaded here.   "Today's extremely troubling jobs report proves yet again that President Obama's policies simply are not working and that he has failed to live up to the promise of his presidency. In early 2009, he promised to fix the economy in three years, and he promised the unemployment rate would be below six percent by now," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. "Now President Obama is running away from his own words, attempting to distract voters by attacking free enterprise. This same hostility toward the private sector is the very reason our economy remains unacceptably weak. "As President Obama jets off to multiple campaign fundraisers today, families across America are still struggling just to make ends meet. The president is desperate to win a second term, but for most Americans, his first term has been unbearable. "If elected president, Governor Romney will end President Obama's job-killing policies. Unlike President Obama, Mitt Romney actually has the experience and the know-how to get our country moving, finally, in the right direction."   ### 

Excerpts from Red State   By: Chairman Reince Priebus June 1, 2012 "Today's extremely troubling jobs report is yet another sad reminder that President Obama's policies simply are not working-and that we need a president who understands the economy. "Last night on CNN former President Bill Clinton praised Mitt Romney's 'sterling' career in the private sector. This morning Steny Hoyer echoed that sentiment, underscoring the importance of the private sector in growing our economy. While Mitt Romney's sterling record demonstrates that he knows what it takes to fix our economy, today's jobs report shows that President Obama's record is irreparably tarnished... "President Obama has failed to live up to the promise of his candidacy. In 2009, he and his team promised an unemployment rate below 6 percent by 2012. We're far from it... "For the weak economy, we can thank Obama's weak leadership. Instead of pursuing policies that would help job creators put Americans back to work, he's burdened them with ObamaCare, regulations, and continued threats of higher taxes... "Not only has President Obama presided over a devastating economy, but he also refuses to hold himself accountable for it. In 2009, however, he was singing a different tune. If he didn't have the economy fixed 'in three years,' he promised, his presidency would be a 'one-term proposition'... "The promises for his first term ignored, he's thinking exclusively about a second term. "But unemployed Americans are still worried about the present. As today's jobs report makes clear, far too many Americans are out of work, without enough work, or giving up on looking for work altogether. "President Obama is working hard to keep his job. It's just a shame he's not working as hard to ensure unemployed Americans can find jobs for themselves." Click Here To Read The Full Op-Ed: http://goo.gl/vTj5J   ### 

WASHINGTON - Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus released the following statement on the May jobs report: "Today's extremely troubling jobs report proves yet again that President Obama's policies simply are not working and that he has failed to live up to the promise of his presidency. In early 2009, he promised to fix the economy in three years, and he promised the unemployment rate would be below six percent by now," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. "Now President Obama is running away from his own words, attempting to distract voters by attacking free enterprise. This same hostility toward the private sector is the very reason our economy remains unacceptably weak. "As President Obama jets off to multiple campaign fundraisers today, families across America are still struggling just to make ends meet. The president is desperate to win a second term, but for most Americans, his first term has been unbearable. "If elected president, Governor Romney will end President Obama's job-killing policies. Unlike President Obama, Mitt Romney actually has the experience and the know-how to get our country moving, finally, in the right direction."   ### 

State Treasurer of Ohio and Republican Candidate for U.S. Senate Josh Mandel: "As I travel the state of Ohio I hear from a number of small business owners, Democrats and Republicans, who feel that Barack Obama is just hostile to job creators throughout our state. I had the opportunity a couple of weeks ago to do a twenty-two county jobs tour where we met with a bunch of small business owners and a lot of blue collar workers. "We were in the Youngstown area at Conway Freight...He (Conway Frieght truck driver) was talking about this year and last year that because of EPA regulations and other regulations coming out of Washington that his opportunity to earn that much is less likely and his opportunity for upward mobility is less likely as well and this wasn't a CEO or General Council...This was a truck driver, telling me that story and I hear that over and over again out of the state of Ohio that there's an attitude coming out of the Obama White House and the executive agencies that they manage. That businesses are guilty until proven innocent and just hostile to the job creators throughout our state. "I also hear a lot that the spending is out of control, borrowing is out of control and there's really an unprecedented intrusion into the private economy that's hurting our prospects for growth and recovery. Whether it's folks I meet with in manufacturing, agriculture...no matter who I talk to I hear the same theme over and over again. "I believe as I mentioned earlier that this medical device industry is an industry that can help lead the economic recovery when it comes to manufacturing in our state, not only Invacare but Cardinal Health in Columbus and a lot of smaller entrepreneurs who are trying to become medium and larger size companies and the specific medical device tax...is a job killer for these companies."   Vice President at Invacare Cara Bachenheimer: "As you mentioned, I am with Invacare corporation and we are based out of Elyria, Ohio. As a manufacturer, we produce home medical equipment, which includes a broad variety of products. But, home oxygen therapy devices, mobility products such as manual and power wheelchairs, and other items that enable seniors and people with disabilities to live in their homes rather than in a health care institution. And also, Josh as you mentioned, this Obama health care law-under that new law, all medical device manufacturers will be required to pay a 2.3% excise tax on sales. "And that starts next January 2013. And as you know, that's significant as it is a tax on sales, not on profits. At this point, we the company we're not 100% sure of the laws impact on our company... "We also applaud the House Committee, which is expected to approve the repeal of this excise tax later today. We expect the House to bring that bill to the floor for a vote next week. And we would certainly also urge the Senate and the president consider the ill impact of the excise tax on medical device manufacturers across the board, and hope that that bill would move forward and get passed into law."   President of the Ohio Coal Association Michael Carey: "Last week Sherrod Brown went on the radio and he couldn't figure out why the president was against coal. This is the guy that has worked side by side with this president since he took office. And let me tell you, there is a war on coal. It's the extreme buffer zone rule. It's the NSPS, the greenhouse gas. It's the mine dust rule. The EPA's utility MACT. Which actually Sherrod Brown could actually stand up and support the Inhofe resolution which would put that behind us and allow Ohio to continue to use coal for its low cost electricity. "The other thing you're seeing now from this administration is you're seeing them attack our coal exports. So not only does Senator Brown and our president not want us to mine the coal or use the coal in our power facilities here in this country. Now, they don't even want us to export to the Asian rim or to Europe. So this is very troubling to the men and women in the coal fields of Ohio but not just in Ohio but also in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. And I think if you want to look at real numbers, I just think you just need to the stock prices of the publicly traded coal companies. Obviously many companies were hit with the economic downturn, but if you look at coal stocks you're seeing that they are hit disproportionately compared to the rest of the economy. The reason is because utilities do not know what they're going to do. "AEP, an Ohio based company just announced today that they are not going to scrub the big sanding plant which is in West Virginia. That is troubling because that means that they will retool or refit with natural gas. And that's good now when gas prices are low but when you look at the cost of coal in the long run that is the most economical fuel source. We are very concerned out here and Senator Brown is not doing anything and quite frankly neither is the president." Click Here To Listen To The Full Audio: http://www.gop.com/audio/5.31.2012_OH.mp3   ### 

WASHINGTON - The Republican National Committee (RNC) is out with a new web video "Obama's Failed Investments: Warnings and Red Flags" highlighting President Obama's record of investing in companies associated with campaign donors that failed, costing thousands of jobs. So, President Obama ignored many warnings and made risky bets with taxpayer dollars only to see more people lose their jobs, health care and pensions. That's President Obama's investment and jobs legacy. Web video can be viewed here. Download the web video here.  "President Obama's legacy on job creation is making risky bets on companies owned by campaign donors only to see them fail and thousands of people lose their jobs," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. "For three years, through his policies and rhetoric, he has shown that he is not only hostile to job creators, but he doesn't understand how the free market works. The result has been billions of dollars given to failed green energy companies and 39 straight months of unemployment above 8%. "I guess we can't be surprised with the economic results we have received over the past three years. Barack Obama has never run a business. He's never met a payroll and hasn't created a single job. The only thing he's ever managed is his personal narrative. America needs Mitt Romney in the White House because he's spent time in both the private and public sector and understands how to get Americans back to work."   ### 

Continuing the messaging theme that Obama’s brand of economics includes taxpayers losing while his campaign donors gain, the RNC has a new web video and 22-page briefing document highlighting the Obama administration’s rush to invest in Solyndra and the consequences of ignoring repeated red flags costing thousands of jobs. In the same vein, Obama’s green energy investments are in the news this morning for all the wrong reasons. Check out the rundown below. After Jay Carney gave a defensive performance at the podium yesterday, bringing up the RNC efforts to point out his already debunked spin on Obama’s debt and spending track record and taking to the Twitters against us, the Washington Post Fact Checker reaffirmed their three pinnochios and have MarketWatch column author acknowledging it was disingenuous for Carney to cite his column. We’ll be watching the White House press briefing to see what Carney has to say about his latest spending fact check but also the Castro visa situation. With the head of the Democratic Party Debbie Wasserman Schultz at odds with the president on this issue, you’d think Carney would at least have a response? Lastly, new polls show Romney surging with women and running even with Obama in three key battleground states of Colorado, Nevada and Iowa. Not a bad place to be for the GOP. What else we’re watching today follows: WHAT WE’RE WATCHING SOLYNDRA: Team Obama Was All-In On Solyndra: Obama: “The true engine of economic growth will always be companies like Solyndra.” Biden: Solyndra “is exactly what the Recovery Act is all about.” RNC Video: "Obama's Failed Investments: Warnings and Red Flags" http://bit.ly/Lig5YL RNC Research: The Solyndra File: 22-Page Briefing Book http://www.gop.com/images/research/the_solyndra_file_book.pdf HEADLINE DAY FOR THE OBAMA INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO: Fisker May Never Build Electric Cars In US. ABC News: “The luxury carmaker Fisker Automotive continues to signal it could ditch plans to build its next generation hybrid electric vehicle in the United States, despite the nearly $200 million in Obama administration loan money it has already received. Fisker received federal funds in part to help purchase a shuttered General Motors plant in Delaware, where it predicted it would one day employ 2,000 auto workers to assemble the clean-burning gas-electric family car, known as the Atlantic. But company executives began hinting in February that it would reconsider that plan and look for a cheaper place to build the car after the Department of Energy froze the $529 million green-energy loan the company had received, and had been drawing on since 2010. … One of the company's major backers is the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, according to published reports. The firm's partners include John Doerr, a billionaire tech mogul who serves on President Obama's Economic Recovery Advisory Board.” http://abcn.ws/L5gIIx   A123 Sees ‘Going Concern’ Risk Due To Steep Losses. Reuters: “Lithium-ion battery maker A123 Systems Inc (AONE.O) said on Wednesday there was "substantial doubt" about its viability because the company expects to burn through cash and report steep losses over the next several quarters. The disclosure illustrates the sharp reversal of A123's fortunes since 2009, when the Obama administration granted it $249 million as part of a program to spur battery development. That year, the company also went public and its stock rose 50 percent during its first day of trading on the Nasdaq.” http://reut.rs/L5g6Ts   Car Battery Start-Ups Fizzle. Wall Street Journal: “Since 2009, the Obama administration has awarded more than $1 billion to American companies to make advanced batteries for electric vehicles. Halfway to a six-year goal of producing one million electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, auto makers are barely at 50,000 cars. The money funded nine battery plants—scattered across the U.S. from Michigan to Pennsylvania and Florida—that have few customers, operate well below capacity and, so far, have created less than a third of the jobs promised by 2015. Customers including start-up Fisker Automotive Inc. and auto makers like General Motors Co.  that urged the funding have struggled to produce and sell battery-powered cars, though they insist a market is coming. … All told, the administration awarded $1.26 billion in matching grants toward the construction of these plants with the promise of creating more than 6,400 jobs. To date, the companies have spent about two-thirds of the total and have hired about 2,000 workers.” http://on.wsj.com/Kul4rH WILL CARNEY BE DEFENSIVE ON SPENDING AGAIN TODAY? The Facts About The Growth Of Spending Under Obama, Part 2 – We Reaffirm Our Previous Ruling. Washington Post: “Rex Nutting, the author of the MarketWatch column, disputed our analysis of his work but said: “I have no problem with you assigning Pinocchios to the White House based on this. The White House clearly does not want all those 2013 spending cuts to take place, so it’s a bit disingenuous of them to tout my column as proof of their fiscal responsibility on the one hand, while trying their best to spend more money on the other. …The Pinocchio Test: We reaffirm our previous ruling. Three Pinocchios.” http://wapo.st/JOYjkn Flashback: VIDEO: Under Pressure: RNC Forces Jay Carney to Respond To His Blatant Use of False Talking Points http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVc-GH3h2Lk   TWITTER: @PressSec: Can't wait for RNC press release acknowledging POTUS inherited the largest deficit in history - over $1T - from his GOP predecessor.... @PressSec: ...What else did RNC-endorsed policies bestow in '09? An economy in free-fall: GDP shrinking by 8.9%, jobs disappearing at 800K/month. @RNCResearch: .@PressSec - thought for a second you were going to bring up Obama's promise to "cut the deficit in half" -- oh wait, never mind CASTRO Despite Top Democrat Concerns, WH Spox Jay Carney Sounds Clueless About Castro Visit Brouhaha. Miami Herald: “Wow. Just wow. Miami Herald alum and McClatchy White House correspondent Lesley Clark asked White House spokesman Jay Carney about the concerns over the administration's decision to give Mariela Castro a visa last week. And Carney, who likes to scold the press for covering trivial things like the birther issue, sounded so unprepared that he wanted to talk about something else. Donald Trump, anyone?” http://bit.ly/N0nfoA Flashback: DNC Chair Wasserman Schultz Breaks With Obama (And Bush) Over Castro Visa. Miami Herald: “First, Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson opposed the Obama Administration's decision to award a visa to the niece of Fidel Castro. Now comes Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Broward Congresswoman who -- like Nelson -- is tough on Cuba and was put in quite a spot by the decision of Obama. Trying to straddle both worlds of Obama loyalist and Cuba hardliner, Wasserman Schultz noted that Mariela Castro had three times visited the United States when President Bush was in office in 2001 and 2002. And there was nary a peep of protest. But back then, it appears, no one really knew about it. Still, it's clear she opposes the decision now as she would have then.” http://bit.ly/KTbWKz 2012: NBC-Marist Polls: Obama, Romney Deadlocked In Three Key States.  “President Barack Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney are deadlocked in three key presidential battleground states, according to a new round of NBC-Marist polls. In Iowa, the two rivals are tied at 44 percent among registered voters, including those who are undecided but leaning toward a candidate. Ten percent of voters in the Hawkeye State are completely undecided. In Colorado, Obama gets support from 46 percent of registered voters, while Romney gets 45 percent. And in Nevada, the president is at 48 percent and Romney is at 46 percent. These three states are all battlegrounds that Obama carried in 2008, but George W. Bush won in 2004. “These are very, very competitive states,” says Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, which conducted these polls. “Everything is close.” http://on.msnbc.com/JBH5Wa Romney’s Favorable Ratings Are Up In New Poll. New York Times: “Mitt Romney’s positive ratings have improved and Michelle Obama remains as popular as ever, according to two new national telephone surveys. The percentage of the public with a favorable opinion of Mr. Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has reached a high point in ABC News/Washington Post polls, largely fueled by his increased popularity among women. Although President Obama’s personal popularity is higher than Mr. Romney’s, it is rather static, while the public’s regard of Mr. Romney is on an upward trend. Among the adults surveyed last Wednesday through Sunday, 52 percent have a favorable opinion of Mr. Obama, and 45 percent unfavorable. Last month, 56 percent were favorable and 40 percent unfavorable. The public is more closely divided about Mr. Romney. He is viewed favorably by 41 percent, unfavorably by 45 percent. In April, the public was more negative: 35 percent favorable and 47 percent unfavorable. Men have not changed their opinion, but the women surveyed in this poll have become much more positive about Mr. Romney, up 13 percentage points, and slightly less favorable toward Mr. Obama, down 7 points.” http://nyti.ms/LMLaqb   Obama Campaign Struggles To Get Veterans' Support. USA Today: “Yet Obama finds himself lagging behind GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney 58%-34% among veterans, according to a Gallup daily tracking poll released this week. As a bloc that is made up largely of older voters, veterans have traditionally voted Republican. But Obama won vets under age 60 in 2008, something even Vietnam veteran John Kerry was unable to do in 2004. However, Obama trails Romney 59%-32% among the under-60 veterans, according to the poll.” http://usat.ly/KMhw2r   After Obama’s ‘Polish Death Camp’ Mistake, Calls For A Stronger Mea Culpa. Washington Post: “In politics, sometimes “oops” isn’t good enough. The Obama White House learned that the hard way Wednesday, when its clarification of President Obama’s misstatement about “Polish death camps” was met with widespread exasperation among Poles. Obama made the remark a day earlier, erroneously describing the Nazi concentration camps inside Poland as “Polish” while posthumously awarding the Medal of Freedom to Jan Karski, a Polish resistance fighter who died in 2000. Administration aides issued a statement Tuesday evening saying Obama misspoke. But that did not sit well with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who called on the White House to issue a stronger correction. The president’s inaccurate words “touched all Poles,” Tusk said. “We always react in the same way when ignorance, lack of knowledge, bad intentions lead to such a distortion of history, so painful for us here in Poland, in a country which suffered like no other in Europe during World War II. . . . This is something that we cannot ignore.” The mistake was a diplomatic fumble and an election-year embarrassment for the White House. Though it was unlikely to cause lasting damage for Obama, the slip-up was a reminder that verbal gaffes can cause problems for sitting presidents as well as their rivals.” http://wapo.st/LK80e1   TWEETABLE:   @Timodc: Deval Patrick (D-Axe) levied a devastating rebuke of Romney this am praising Bain & saying the unemployment rate when he was MA gov was good @Pounderfile: Bloomberg: "Jobless Claims in U.S. Increased by 10,000 to 383,000 Last Week" http://bloom.bg/LZ7oEX   ###

U.S. Congressman Mike Kelly (PA-3): "We're talking today about jobs and the economy, specifically the American economy and the Pennsylvania economy. In my career as a small business owner, I've had the opportunity and experience to look at a lot of different things over the years. Our business was established in 1953 and we are in our third generation. I don't know if I have ever seen another president that has more hostility towards American job creators in both his rhetoric and his policies. You look at what the president is doing, you can't be so hostile to businesses and you have to be friendly to job creation. "The president started off by borrowing a trillion dollars for a stimulus package that just didn't work. You can't borrow and spend your way back to economic growth and you sure can't borrow your way out of debt. Twenty-three million Americans are unemployed, underemployed or have simply stopped looking for work. Long term unemployment is the worst in recorded history and the so called recovery is probably the most anemic since the Great Depression ended. The president has just piled layer after layer of new regulations on top of guys like me, job creators. Sadly, that's with a lot of new costs and responsibilities that make it absolutely impossible to hire new workers. "This administration has been on steroids when it comes to new regulations, at four times the rate of the Bush administration. And in the president's view, he thinks that we'd be better off if we just had political appointees or government bureaucrats and not private job creators making the critical decisions when it comes to our economy. The president has used all of the tools at his disposal including the EPA to prevent the development of American energy and infrastructure. I have to tell you, that when you look at our country, we have been given gifts from God that no other country in the world has, when you talk about coal, oil and gas. And two things we don't talk about are tillable soil and potable water. This is a country that does not need to rely on anybody from outside our borders for our own success. But you can't do things like blocking the Keystone Pipeline that would have created 20,000 jobs and got those refineries back and got things going again... "If it's really about fairness then fair means fair to everybody. We have pitted the business owners against the workers. Not the workers and the owners themselves, but a government that picks and chooses winners and losers and tries to divide us. You can't have that... "The president has never managed anything, other than his own personal narrative, in his entire life. This is a person who has never actually worked in the private sector the way we have...He's never created a job, he's never run a business...He really doesn't have any plans to change course. He's going to double-down on these failed policies, if given a second term and for the sake of our economy this has got to be stopped. We have a guy named Mitt Romney who is going to stop hostility to job creators and get American's back to work..."   Pennsylvania Small Business Owner Bruce Hottle: "I want to reiterate that we can't tolerate anymore of President Obama's hostility towards job creators. Small businesses, as everyone knows, are the engine of job growth in Pennsylvania and in our country. The free market is a fundamental part of our society and has worked for hundreds of years but President Obama just doesn't seem to understand that. "I run a small business called Eagle Concrete Products here in Somerset County in Pennsylvania. I can tell you that our bottom line has been negatively affected by this recession. What's even more frustrating is President Obama's desire to add even more road blocks to job creation. We work with a lot of small developers, housing developments, strip malls, waterline products, sewer line products and so on. We've priced out, estimated the costs for numerous projects in Southwestern Pennsylvania and the owners of those projects put them back on the shelf every time the president comes out with one of his new programs or makes a speech where he attacks job creators and people who are willing to risk their capital to create jobs and improve our economy. It just becomes more difficult every day. One needs to look at the cash that American business have in reserve right now, I think its approaching $3 trillion. They're afraid to spend that cash because every time the president makes a speech, he's got...some new program or some new way of getting rid of our debt that puts it all on the backs of America's small businesses and job creators. "The president has been absolutely hostile to job creators like me. We've piled on layers and layers of new regulations and it almost makes it impossible to hire new workers. The cost of adding someone to the payroll far exceeds the cost of overtime for existing employees. When we look at projects that we bid and how many people we're going to have to hire, what's it going to take to do the job, we price it out both ways: new employees with no overtime and one with our existing employees with overtime. Our workforce currently is the smallest it's been in the 35 years that I've been in business. Again the healthcare that the Congressman talked about, ObamaCare, that remains a big mystery, a big cost to us. I just met with my insurance providers and they can't give me an absolute cost or a direction of where it's going to go, is it going to go up or is it going to go down, what's going to happen to it. There is so much uncertainty in the market today, nobody really knows the affects it's going to be and how it's going to affect us in the coming years. "Business like mine rely on infrastructure and energy to sell our products. I've got five trucks that deliver my products throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. The Obama administration's use of the EPA has created roadblocks upon roadblocks. The administration has blocked new oil exploration, natural gas and coal and other reliable forms of energy that reduce our costs and improve our productivity. We now have gas at nearly $4 a gallon, diesel fuel exceeding $4 a gallon. My fuel bill in the last four years on a month basis has gone from about 6500 a month to...$16,000 a month. For small businesses to survive, the key to it is controlling your costs and your bottom line. We don't know what those costs are going to be a month from now and that's what makes it difficult for us to plan and to expand our business and create more jobs and hire additional people. That's why we're so frustrated under President Obama, his lack of leadership and lack of the ability of his Democratic leaders in the Senate to pass a budget. The Congressman and the leaders in the House have done a good job providing seven budgets over to the Senate and not one budget has been passed in three and a half years. I can tell you this, a small business cannot operate without knowing what their costs are and putting together a budget. There's no way I can make it three and a half years of my business doing what we're doing in the country today. "We've got to look to new leadership. We need someone like Mitt Romney who's been in the private sector, who understands the risks involved and knows how to move things forward. There's always risk and we understand that but sometimes you win, sometimes you lose but you have to be willing to take the risk. The government has to be able to get out of the way and let us take those risks...but every time you turn around all we're hearing about is how we're not paying our fair share, we've got to pay more..." Click Here To Listen To The Full Audio: http://www.gop.com/audio/5.30.2012_PA.mp3   ### 

Excerpts from POLITICO   By: Chairman Reince Priebus May 30, 2012 "President Barack Obama declared Tuesday, 'This is what this campaign is going to be about.' He was not talking about jobs. He was not talking about the economy-not even about the budget deficit. He was referring to divisive, disingenuous character attacks against presumed GOP nominee Mitt Romney and a rhetorical assault on job creators. "How far we've come from what Obama said in 2008 that his administration would be about. "Yet these attacks on free enterprise reveal more than just the end of 'hope and change.' They reveal a president unacquainted with the free market - and therefore hostile to it... "His policies have been an affront to the private sector - constraining job creation and economic growth. His words are now catching up with his actions. "From 'ObamaCare' to excessive regulation, from anti-growth tax policy to stimulus handouts, the Obama administration has left the free market battered and bruised. Its misguided attempts at top-down job creation have not worked... "Such is the story of Solyndra, which gobbled up over a half-billion dollars of thoughtlessly allocated stimulus funds, only to go bankrupt and lay off more than a thousand employees... "In total, Obama's Energy Department squandered billions on risky bets, a large share of which had ties to Obama's allies and fundraisers. All the while, Obama made it harder for companies not looking for handouts to succeed. "Millions are looking for work, but 'help wanted' signs are a rarity. The intrusion of the federal bureaucracy and Obama's constant threat to bludgeon job creators with new taxes make it difficult for businesses to expand and create employment opportunities... "To restore our economy, strengthen our country and ensure the next generation is better off, we need a president with the experience to make the right decisions. A president who understands how to cultivate our free market system so that job creators can thrive. "That is what this election is truly about." Click Here To Read The Full Op-Ed: http://goo.gl/v7BNl   ### 

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus: "I think people like Scott Walker ought to be rewarded for being a person of his word and following through on promises and we need more people like Scott Walker around the country and that's why is all in, in Wisconsin. Obviously Debbie Wasserman Schultz's token visit today along with Stephanie Cutter's appearance on MSNBC, I think have been clear that apparently now OFA and the DNC are all in, so we're looking forward to seeing what their top notch ground game is going to accomplish on Tuesday and what that's going to mean for November. They certainly haven't appeared as confident in Tom Barrett in recent weeks than we have in Scott Walker and quite frankly we can all agree that the Democrats have been all over the map on Tom Barrett and this Wisconsin recall but now apparently they're all in, so we're looking forward to see what happens on Tuesday. "In fact, to highlight the GOP Unity for Scott Walker, you all may have seen that the RNC is announcing a partnership with multiple state parties to mobilize grassroots volunteers and activists throughout the Midwest to support Governor Walker and defeat Barack Obama in November. To take that a little further, not only has the RNC been in full-bore on money and ground effort along with the Wisconsin GOP but the RNC along with the Chairmen of all the surrounding Republican parties, that includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota have issued a joint statement this morning in support of Governor Walker and they're also announcing two competitions. One among states, one among individual volunteers to encourage Republicans to get involved in support of Scott Walker and Republicans across Wisconsin. This is going to help, obviously, bolster the RNC and the Wisconsin GOP's efforts that they have done already. "We've already made over 2 million volunteer voter contacts, identifying nearly every Wisconsin voter and, let's put this in perspective, it took Team Obama nearly a year to make 1 million contacts nationwide. We opened over twenty fully functional Victory Field Offices and a massive volunteer base, not to mention all of the GOP county headquarters that are opened around the state of Wisconsin.... "We've launched a new innovative, online tool with our Social Victory Center, so if you go to facebook.com/GOP there's a link there that you can all see called the Social Victory Center. If you were to link on that, you'd find out that if we had volunteers that are in Illinois, Ohio or California that want to contact voters through our system in Wisconsin and help Scott Walker, we have put forward the technology to be able to do that. No committee has this technology. No matter where people are in this country, if they want to get involved in Wisconsin, we have the tools to make that happen. "The RNC is also launching an online digital offensive this week to micro-target Wisconsin voters across the web. Republicans, Conservatives everyone that believes in limited government and government living within its means are enthusiastic, motivated and ready to take on Tom Barrett while I think the DNC and the Obama campaign struggle to gain traction in the mess that they created. "While Barack Obama seems more concerned with weighing the political implications of the Wisconsin recall, Governor Walker is leading, his reforms are working and the evidence, I don't think could me more clear. Property taxes are down for Wisconsin families. The confidence of job creators in the state continues to grow in the face of Obama's economy and Walker balanced the budget while putting the power of the state government where it belongs back in the hands of the people. Republicans have made a clear choice to provide the resources and support Governor Walker who's governing like he campaigned and moving Wisconsin in the right direction. One thing is really clear here if Walker wins on Tuesday, which we are really confident he will, Obama's going to have a much tougher road ahead in Wisconsin this fall." Click Here To Listen To The Full Audio: http://www.gop.com/audio/05.30.2012_WI.mp3   ### 

U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-9): "The president really has been very bad for job creation. It seems like every time that there's a little fire of entrepreneurial spirit that gets to the 9th District at least, folks are telling me that they worry about regulations coming in. That fire is being put out by wet blankets thrown on by the administration. Whether it is the EPA or ObamaCare, businesses are really concerned about where the administration is going. And really concerned that should the president be reelected and he feels more flexible like he told the Russians, we'll see more job killing regulations than in the first four years."   Republican Party of Virginia Victory Chair Pete Snyder: "...There's a very clear contrast in this race for president. You have in Governor Romney, a proven job creator both in the private sector and in the public sector when he was Governor of Massachusetts. Versus President Obama who has never worked in the private sector in his life and has lost millions of jobs on his watch and has created policies that discourage small business owners and entrepreneurs for hopping the water and actually making dreams come true and creating jobs. "Secondly, it's very clear on where they stand on policies such as Right to Work. Governor Romney supports and will fight to the last day for Virginia's Right to Work laws. And President Obama who said on Virginia soil that he doesn't agree with Right to Work laws. So that's a huge contrast. "Lastly, Governor Romney is really the only one in this race with a real plan to get this economy moving again, one that's going to foster free enterprise and create a predictable regulatory environment and that's really an important thing for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs don't want rules in their way, business owners just want to know what's coming around the corner from a regulatory perspective. If you can see a year in advance or at least two-quarters in advance it's going to mean a whole lot more for your business versus getting hit out of left field every single time the EPA or any other agency in Washington, DC tries to hop into your industry. And that's contrasted with the president who has a very clear vision for his second term and that's more government spending out of Washington, a larger government, more taxes...and more Washington regulations. The contrast couldn't be clearer between Governor Romney and the abysmal economic record of President Obama..."   Virginia Small Business Owner Mike Meredith: "...I have been in business directly for ten years, I have been in direct marketing, sales for twenty years prior to that. And so I have been able to travel a good deal, I have gotten to know various types of businesses from automotive to manufacturing to medical and I can honestly tell you ten years ago when I decided to use the skills I learned from being on the road for twenty years to open my own business, I took the plunge took out a loan on my house, bought a small business and have gone from $300,000 the first year to probably six million this year. And I can attribute that to two things, one it's hard work, entrepreneurial spirit and taking risks. The second is the environment of businesses and the way Virginia treats them particularly under Governor McDonnell, it's a very friendly spirit out there... "I am a little concerned about the future of our country. We have seen government grow over the past three to four decades but nothing like the past three years. This administration not only has debt, but the way it treats entrepreneurs as though to punish success and to call us 'fat cats' or those who are not paying their 'fair share' all of that intimidates business people...Our business is up because we exercise those principles of entrepreneurship, we take risks. There are a lot of business people out there who are not willing to take risks because they cannot predict what the future of the federal government and the policies regarding business are. So, in my opinion, that is really hurting our economy..." Click Here To Listen To The Full Audio: http://www.gop.com/audio/5.29.2012_VA.mp3   ### 

WASHINGTON - Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus released the following statement regarding the results of the Texas primary: "I congratulate Gov. Romney on winning the Texas primary and securing the delegates needed to be our party's official nominee at our convention in Tampa," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. "Gov. Romney will offer America the new direction we so desperately need. We cannot afford four more years of President Obama's big government agenda, deficit spending, and attacks on American free enterprise. "At a time when the country must empower the private sector to create jobs, we need a leader who actually understands job creation and respects the private sector. That leader is Mitt Romney."   ### 

WASHINGTON - Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus and Co-Chairman Sharon Day released the following Memorial Day message: "Today, we pay tribute to the American men and women who sacrificed their lives in the defense of our freedom," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. "Since America's earliest days, such bravery has protected our liberty at home, while ending oppression and tyranny abroad." "On this day of remembrance, let us recommit ourselves to standing with those in uniform and also with the families of the fallen," said RNC Co-Chairman Sharon Day. "May they remain in our thoughts and prayers always."   ### 

WASHINGTON - The Republican National Committee (RNC) is out with a new web video "Worst Week Ever?" that summarizes a rough week for President Obama's reelection. After doubling-down on attacking the free market and Mitt Romney's business record, Barack Obama and his campaign team hit a brick wall when Democrat after Democrat started coming out against their tactics. He also found out on Tuesday that "uncommitted" can be a tough primary challenger. President Obama had a bad case of the Mondays-every day this week. Web video can be viewed here. Download the web video here.     "Barack Obama had a rough week as his attacks on the free market and Governor Romney's business record were repeatedly denounced by his fellow Democrats who found them offensive," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. "It seems that everyone other than him understands the important role of private sector job creators. We can't be too surprised by this president's anti-business rhetoric after watching him spend three and a half years making it harder for job creators. After getting rebuked in Tuesday's primaries, on top of almost losing to a convict the week prior, it's clear their message just isn't working."   ### 

Excerpts from POLITICO By: Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei May 25, 2012 "Nothing inspires Democrats like the Barack Obama swagger - the supreme self-confidence on stage, the self-certainty in private. "So nothing inspires more angst than when that same Obama stumbles, as he has leaving the gate in 2012. "That's the unmistakable reality for Democrats since Obama officially launched his re-election campaign three weeks ago. Obama, not Mitt Romney, is the one with the muddled message - and the one who often comes across as baldly political. Obama, not Romney, is the one facing blowback from his own party on the central issue of the campaign so far - Romney's history with Bain Capital. And most remarkably, Obama, not Romney, is the one falling behind in fundraising. "To top it off, Vice President Joe Biden has looked more like a distraction this month than the potent working-class weapon Obama needs him to be. "National polls, which had shown Obama with a slight but steady lead over Romney through April, moved into a virtual tie this month... "It's impossible to overlook the early struggles of a White House and political team notorious for discipline and effectiveness. Consider the rocks that piled up in Obama's backpack this week as he and Romney moved into the opening phase of the general-election campaign: "Romney has surprised his many critics with a clear and consistent focus on the economy, hands down the issue of the race... "Obama has looked unsteady. Some Democrats have watched with dismay as the focus of Obama's public comments bounced from student loans to tax cuts for the rich to trade to Bain Capital. "Bain has turned into pain this week. For the first time, some top Democrats are questioning the strategy coming out of the reelection campaign's Chicago headquarters, with some agreeing with Newark Mayor Cory Booker that Obama is making it too easy to paint him as anti-business. Ed Rendell and Steve Rattner have also publicly voiced concerns, echoed by many others in private conversations. The result has been a minor, but very public, split in the party on an issue Obama's camp hoped would tag Romney with a series of crippling labels: elitist, mean-spirited, anti-worker... "Some key Democrats say they have been dismayed watching Obama become a divider not a uniter, trying to incite anger among women, students and older voters. It's striking how, in private conversations with Obama advisers, they openly talk of chucking the feel-good politics of 2008 for a very conventional form of political warfare this time around. A low-grade friction has emerged among advisers on whether the hack approach is damaging the brand. "'This guy's narrative is to be big,' complained one veteran of the 2008 campaign. 'How do you capture that in a campaign when all anybody is focused on is the daily tit-for-tat? He has to get up and out of it. ... The campaign jumps so quickly into these fights that it distracts from what the president is doing'... "After a series of promising jobs reports through the winter, the figures for the past two months were once again disappointing. That makes it harder for Obama to argue that the country is clearly headed in the right direction, and easier for Romney to contend that recovery will only come with change. "In a Washington Post/ABC News poll this week, nearly twice as many people said they were worse off financially under Obama than said they were better off. And more than half the respondents disapproved of Obama's handling of the economy, for the 20th poll in a row... "Biden, who looked like he was going to be an asset with Rust Belt swing voters who have become increasingly skeptical of Obama, instead could wind up as a drag on the ticket. A USA Today/Gallup poll this week found more people viewed him unfavorably than viewed him favorably. That was the first time Biden's numbers were underwater as vice president, with even worse numbers in swing states than the nation as a whole... "Obama could lose the money race. He smashed fundraising records in 2008, but Romney and his allies have outraised Obama and his backers $402 million to $340 million in this cycle so far, POLITICO found in an analysis that included super PACs, party committees and the campaign. "It's surprising for a challenger's side to be at parity with an incumbent, let alone ahead. But Obama has found fundraising to be harder than expected, in part because he has alienated so many financial-services executives with his rhetoric and policies... "Romney has galvanized the right more quickly than expected, and has shown discipline in sticking to an economic message, even when gay marriage was dominating the headlines. His Boston headquarters is more confident than ever, at the same time that so many Democrats are getting the willies" Click Here To Read The Full Article: http://bit.ly/MACmm2 ###

WASHINGTON - Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus released the following statement calling on President Obama to revoke the visas that were recently granted to Cuban officials: "President Obama should listen to his Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Senator Bill Nelson of Florida. He should change course and revoke the visas granted to Cuban officials. America should not be in the business of welcoming leaders of the oppressive Castro regime to our country," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. "Democrats and Republicans disagree on many things, so when we come together on an issue, President Obama should take notice. As Senator Nelson said, granting visas to the Castro regime simply 'makes no sense.' "At a time when an American sits in Cuban jail for helping the Jewish community gain access to the Internet, we should not be rolling out the red carpet for Communists with an atrocious human rights record. America must stand for freedom and with those fighting for it."   ### 

Former U.S. Senator Hank Brown (R-CO): "Today marks the 140th fundraiser that the president has engaged in since his campaign started. It's roughly two and a half times to three times as many fundraisers up to this point in the year as any president in history has done. And today, ironically, it's covered by a companion visit to the Air Force Academy. I say ironically because the failure of this president is most dramatically exhibited in his treatment of college students... "The reason I say that is a dramatic rise in tuition, four years of college tuition is up 25% since he came to office. And we're literally looking at half of college graduates under 25 either being unemployed or underemployed, an historic figure. I think as all of you know, today we have only 54.3% of the 18-24 year olds in America have jobs. It's literally the lowest rate in recorded history and those records go back to 1948. "So for the president to appear on college campuses is ironic because it's a symbol of his greatest area of failure. In Colorado, it's highlighted by the fact that he refuses to address the problem with our entitlements and that's a big problem for college students because the growing entitlement demand on the state of Colorado funds has literally sucked the life blood out, sucked the funding away from colleges and universities." Click Here To Listen To The Full Audio: http://www.gop.com/audio/5.23.2012_CO.mp3   ### 

Excerpts from ABC News   By: Matt Negrin May 23, 2012 "The 2004 version of Barack Obama, who captured the nation with a dazzling speech about unity and went on to win the presidency on a message of hope, died on Monday. He was 8 years old. "The cause of death appeared to be a bitter realization that he needed to win reelection in an increasingly partisan political environment, a cancer that he had been battling for months if not years. "Obama's illness got the best of him late Monday, as he announced that his campaign for four more years in the White House would be based not on optimism, but rather the shady corporate record of his opponent, Mitt Romney, who ran a private-equity firm that few Americans knew about before this year. "Obama's announcement was a stark contrast to the speech that catapulted him into his party's sights eight years ago, when he electrified Democrats at their quadrennial convention. "'There is not a liberal America and a conservative America,' Obama declared to cheers at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. 'There is the United States of America. "We are one people,' Obama roared, perhaps envisioning his political future as the crowd rose to its feet. 'All of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.' "And strangely enough, it was in that very speech that Obama predicted his own demise. Just before his climactic applause line, the future president issued a stark warning. "'Even as we speak,' he said, 'there are those who are preparing to divide us -- the spin masters, the negative ad peddlers, who embrace the politics of anything goes.' "On May 21, 2012, more than three years after he was sworn into office, Obama confessed at a press conference in his hometown, Chicago, that he had become one of those peddlers. "That day, his campaign had published a video attacking Romney for his role at his firm, Bain Capital, which bought an Indiana office supplies company and profited off of it before it went bankrupt. The ad said nothing about Obama, and even a handful of Democrats began criticizing the ad for dishonestly targeting the arena of private equity... "'This is not a distraction,' he said. 'This is what this campaign is going to be about.' "Obama's admission was in some ways the completion of a metamorphosis that began even during the 2008 campaign, as it became likely that he would be elected. After promising to throw out so-called politics as usual, Obama broke his first promise by rejecting public funding for his campaign because he could raise millions more on his own. He also ran negative ads against his opponent, John McCain, in that race, too. "Later in his presidency, Obama would crusade against a Supreme Court decision that allowed so-called super PACs to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on election ads. He said the decision would corrupt American politics, but after his rivals took advantage of the system, he abandoned his ideological view and embraced his own super PAC, even sending his cabinet secretaries to fundraisers for it... "At times in his presidency, it seemed that the old Obama was fighting back. He embraced ideas from Republicans on health care, for example, only to see them rejected across the aisle. Eventually, when his party tried to pass major legislation, Obama decided that rather than hold out for a long-shot deal with the GOP, he pushed through the health care bill and new rules for Wall Street... "Obama is survived by a president who will spend most of the next six months on the stump, railing against his Republican opponent as he tries to retain political power. A memorial service will be held at a fundraiser today in Colorado. In lieu of flowers, donations are being accepted at the Priorities USA Action super PAC." Click Here To Read The Full Article: http://abcn.ws/KTf9JX   ###