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Saturday, January 21, 2012

FACT CHECK: History flubs in Republican debate


Jason Reed / Reuters
Republican presidential candidates former Senator Rick Santorum, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rep. Ron Paul participate in a Republican presidential candidates debate in Charleston, South Carolina, January 19, 2012.
Mitt Romney perpetuated one unsubstantiated claim, about his record at Bain Capital, and more or less corrected himself on another, about President Barack Obama's health care law, in the latest Republican presidential debate.
Vote: Should a candidate's private life be open for scrutiny? 
His rivals flubbed history, Newt Gingrich blaming a Democratic president for a jobless rate he never had, and Ron Paul painting an idyllic picture of life before Medicare that did not reflect deprivations of that time.
A look at some of the claims in the debate Thursday night and how they compare with the facts:

ROMNEY: "We started a number of businesses; four in particular created 120,000 jobs, as of today. We started them years ago. They've grown — grown well beyond the time I was there to 120,000 people that have been employed by those enterprises. ... Those that have been documented to have lost jobs, lost about 10,000 jobs. So (120,000 less 10,000) means that we created something over 100,000 jobs."
THE FACTS: Romney now has acknowledged the negative side of the ledger from his years with Bain Capital, but hardly laid out the full story. His claim to have created more than 100,000 jobs in the private sector as a venture capitalist remains unsupported.
Romney mentioned four successful investments in companies that now employ some 120,000 people, having grown since he was involved in them a decade or ago or longer. From that, he subtracted the number of jobs that he said are known to have been lost at certain other companies.
What's missing is anything close to a complete list of winners and losers — and the bottom line on jobs. Bain under Romney invested in scores of private companies that don't have the obligation of big publicly traded corporations to disclose finances. Romney acknowledged that he was using current employment figures for the four companies, not the number of jobs they had when he left Bain Capital, yet took credit for them in his analysis.

GINGRICH: "Under Jimmy Carter, we had the wrong laws, the wrong regulations, the wrong leadership, and we killed jobs. We had inflation. We went to 10.8 percent unemployment. Under Ronald Reagan, we had the right job — the right laws, the right regulators, the right leadership. We created 16 million new jobs."
THE FACTS: Sure, inflation was bad and gas lines long, but under Carter's presidency unemployment never topped 7.8 percent. The unemployment rate did reach 10.8 percent, but not until November 1982, nearly two years into Reagan's first term.
Most economists attribute the jobless increase to a sharp rise in interest rates engineered by then-Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker in an ultimately successful effort to choke off inflation. Unemployment began to fall in 1983 and dropped to 7.2 percent in November 1984, when Reagan easily won re-election.
The economy did add 16 million jobs during Reagan's 1981-1989 presidency. Gingrich's assertion that "we created" them may have left the impression that he was a key figure in that growth. Although Gingrich was first elected to the House in 1978, his first Republican leadership position, as minority whip, began when Reagan left office, in 1989.

PAUL: "I had the privilege of practicing medicine in the early '60s, before we had any government (health care). It worked rather well, and there was nobody on the street suffering with no medical care. But Medicare and Medicaid came in and it just expanded."
THE FACTS: Before Medicare was created in the mid-1960s, only about half of the elderly had private insurance for hospital care, and they were facing rising costs for those policies on their fixed incomes. Medicare was hugely contentious at the time, seen by many doctors as a socialist takeover, but few argued that the status quo could be maintained.
A Health, Education and Welfare Department report to Congress in 1959, during the Republican administration of Dwight Eisenhower, took no position on what the federal government should do but stated "a larger proportion of the aged than of other persons must turn to public assistance for payment of their medical bills or rely on 'free' care from hospitals and physicians."
Paul advocates a return to an era when doctors would treat the needy for free. But even in the old days, charity came with a cost. Research from the pre-Medicare era shows that the cost of free care was transferred to paying customers and the insurance industry.

ROMNEY: "I could have stayed in Detroit, like him, and gotten pulled up in the car company. I went off on my own. I didn't inherit money from my parents. What I have, I earned. I worked hard, the American way."
THE FACTS: It's true there's no evidence Romney's wealthy family gave him a trust fund, or helped him secure a job at Bain Capital, where he would ultimately make his fortune. But it's not entirely the case that his success is wholly the result of his own hard work.
Romney's father, George, was an automobile industry CEO and a Michigan governor. He paid for Mitt to attend the Cranbrook School, a private boarding school in the Detroit area. The education didn't hurt Romney's ability to get into Harvard, where he earned law and business degrees in 1975.
While Romney appears to have gotten a job at Bain out of college on his own, the Boston Globe book "The Real Romney" reports that Romney's parents helped him and his wife buy their first home when he was in his early 20s.
On Thursday night, the Romney campaign did not dispute the finding that Romney's parents helped pay for that house, in the Boston suburb of Belmont.

ROMNEY: "The executive order is a beginning process. It's one thing, but it doesn't completely eliminate Obamacare. ... We have to go after a complete repeal. And that's going to have to have to happen with a House and a Senate, hopefully, that are Republican."
THE FACTS: With that statement, Romney essentially corrected his repeated suggestions in early debates and speeches that he would eliminate President Barack Obama's health care law with a stroke of the pen on his first day in office — a power no president has.
In one variation of the claim, he had vowed in a Sept. 7 debate that on Day One, he would sign an executive order "granting a waiver from Obamacare to all 50 states." This, despite the fact that the law lays out an onerous process for letting individual states off the hook from its requirements, and that process cannot begin until 2017.
Now he acknowledges the political reality that a Republican president would need Republican control of Congress to have a strong shot at repealing the law.

Republican candidates steer clear of "corridor of shame"




Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley leave a news conference in Gilbert, South Carolina, January 20, 2012.
Credit: Reuters/Jim Young
MARION, South Carolina | Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:06pm EST
(Reuters) - Amid the flurry of campaigning before Saturday's South Carolina Republican presidential primary, not a single candidate has shown up in Marion County, a sleepy rural stretch that represents the bottom of the U.S. economy.
Unemployment in the county stands at a staggering 17.3 percent, the highest rate in a state battered hard by the recession. Manufacturing, textile and tobacco jobs have been steadily leaving Marion for decades and now more than 2,000 of the county's 33,000 residents are looking for work, according to the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.
Marion County is located in what has become known as the "corridor of shame" - an impoverished stretch of South Carolina along Interstate 95 - and has stood still even as Republican Governor Nikki Haley aggressively lures companies to the state. Her efforts last year brought announcements of new or expanded operations in the state from Boeing, BMW and TD Banknorth.
Haley, who has endorsed Mitt Romney in the Republican presidential race, is proud of the growth. "In a nation struggling economically," she said in a recent interview, "South Carolina is winning."
But Marion County, which sits along the site of a proposed interstate highway, has scored few wins. Its population is stagnant in a state that has seen a 67 percent increase in population in 30 years. Without jobs, officials say, it is hard to attract new people and younger residents are anxious to flee.
Rodney Berry, mayor of the town of Marion and executive director of business development in the county, says two things hold the county back. Roads need work, something residents feel acutely when they travel to more prosperous neighboring counties, and the county has built its hopes around completion of the new interstate highway.
It also suffers from the perception that the available workforce is uneducated. Thirteen percent of residents have bachelor's degrees, little more than half the average in South Carolina statewide.
"Plain and simple," Berry said. "A lot of people need some help."
SOLIDLY DEMOCRATIC
Politically, Marion County has long been a Democratic Party stronghold in a Republican state. It is majority African-American and in 2008 its voters solidly backed Barack Obama. They are poised to back Obama's re-election.
Obama visited the county in 2007 and raised its problems as a campaign issue. Republican Newt Gingrich picked up the theme, referring to the "corridor of shame" in campaign appearances and criticizing the Obama administration's outreach to low-income communities.
But none of the Republican contenders ventured into Marion when they gathered 50 miles away in the popular tourist town of Myrtle Beach for a Monday debate. Myrtle Beach is in Horry County, which has fared much better in the tough economy. Marion County's other neighbor, Florence, last year saw major manufacturing companies arrive, including the job-listing site Monster.Com, food-maker Heinz, and car-maker Honda.
"You'd think we'd be primed for great growth," Berry said. "But we are so different than the two big counties we are nestled between. We do think often that we are the forgotten people."
Adding to the pain, Marion County is about to lose its influential Democratic congressman, James Clyburn, through redistricting. A Republican may take the seat, leading Berry to worry that his county will be even more forgotten.
LIFE GOES BY
Rita Hennecey, who has lived here since 1953, watches the slow pace of progress with her friends from a table at Dry Dock, a popular gathering place along Highway 76.
"Marion used be known as a pretty little city on the way to the beach," she said after church one recent Sunday. "You would never have dreamed it would be this way."
Hennecey and her friends can recount the town's history, its namesake Revolutionary General Francis Marion, known as the "Swamp Fox," and the tobacco farms and textile plants that once supported a thriving economy.
But they can just as easily recall the names of the now-gone companies that once made candy, clothes and Coke bottles. When Russell Stover, the area's largest employer, left town in 2000, nearly 1,200 jobs went with it. That story has been repeated over and over. In May, car-parts manufacturer Inteva closed its plant, putting 42 people out of work.
"It used to be busy on Main Street," said Lucia Atkinson, who has lived in the area for more than 70 years. Her husband was mayor for 18 years. "It was filled with four or five groceries and four filling stations. They sold ladies dresses and furniture."
Today, a quarter of the stores on Main Street are vacant.
As mayor, Berry finds himself fielding phone calls from residents who need help with electric bills or organizing collections to put chicken, grits, and rice onto families' tables. More than a quarter of the people live below the poverty line.
"When you hear the news every month, Marion County is the highest unemployment," Berry said. "Emotionally, it takes a toll on folks. It's become engrained in our minds to some degree ... It just starts to permeate your mind and body that maybe we can't."
But he and others try to be optimistic. Over the years, folks here have faced and conquered adversity many times before.
"We are very resilient people," he said.
(Editing by Marilyn W. Thompson and Bill Trott)

Gingrich wins SC GOP primary, beating Romney






(Reuters) - Newt Gingrich jolted the Republican presidential race on Saturday with a convincing come-from-behind victory in South Carolina, where voters rejected frontrunner Mitt Romney's pitch that he is the best bet to fix a broken economy and defeat President Barack Obama.



Updated 8:46 p.m. ET


Newt Gingrich has won the South Carolina Republican primary, capping off a remarkable comeback for his presidential bid that reshapes the trajectory of the battle for the GOP nomination.
Based on exit polls and early returns, NBC News projects Gingrich as the winner of the primary, while former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will finish second.
The results mark the end of a tumultuous week in politics that saw Gingrich erase and then overcome the lead Romney had in the Palmetto State following his victory in the Jan. 10 New Hampshire primary. Gingrich came on strong in the closing days of the campaign, looking to rally under his banner the many conservatives unwilling to get behind Romney, who had sought to posture himself as the eventual nominee.
The results upset the conventional wisdom in the race, which had set expectations for Romney to score a knockout blow against his competitors with a win in the Palmetto State. Gingrich’s victory reshapes the race, at a minimum extending the primary contest through the Jan. 31 primary in Florida, which appears set to feature a pitched battle between Romney and Gingrich.
VIEW full South Carolina primary results
"We're now three contests into a long primary season ... We've still got a long way to go, and a lot of work to do," Romney said in remarks shortly after 8 p.m., in which he previewed the line of attacks he'll use against Gingrich in Florida.
Gingrich, Romney said, had joined President Obama in launching a "frontal assault on free enterprise," referencing the ex-speaker's attack on Romney's record at Bain Capital.
"Those who pick up the weapons of the left today will find them turned against us tomorrow," Romney said. "If Republican leaders want to join this president in demonizing success...then they're not going to be fit to be our nominee."


Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
After finishing second in the South Carolina primary, Mitt Romney says the race is "getting even more interesting," and tells the crowd, "there is so much worth fighting."
Gingrich's performance in South Carolina was driven in thanks to late deciders, who broke decisively in his direction in the last few days of the campaign. That stretch saw two debate performances by Gingrich, on Monday and Thursday nights. Almost two-thirds of voters said the debates were an important factor in their decision, and Gingrich won about half of them.
More broadly, core elements of the GOP base in South Carolina – conservatives, Tea Party supporters and evangelical Christians – broke for Gingrich. And the former speaker even edged Romney in two important constituencies for the former Massachusetts governor: voters who said electability in November was their most important concern in a nominee, and voters who said the economy was their top issue.
 The South Carolina results underscore Romney’s lingering inability to overcome skepticism from conservatives about electing him as their standard-bearer against Obama this fall.
RELATED: Conservatives, evangelical Christians rebuff Romney in South Carolina
Gingrich had erased Romney’s lead by abandoning his previous pledge to wage a “relentlessly positive” campaign. The former speaker eventually embraced a strategy of drawing strong contrasts with Romney and benefited from the negative advertising run on his behalf by a super PAC – a practice Gingrich loudly denounced in Iowa, where he saw his poll numbers collapse amid attacks by a pro-Romney super PAC.
“I hope to win S.C.” Gingrich said Friday night in Orangeburg, “God willing we'll win, and tomorrow night will be very interesting and then Florida will be even more interesting and I'm sure you'll want to come with us.”
His victory provides, if nothing else, a symbolic imprimatur; the winner of the South Carolina primary has gone on to win the nomination in each Republican primary since the contest’s inception in 1980.
Voters headed to the polls in stormy conditions throughout most of the Palmetto State that could hold down turnout in some areas. County election officials reported light turnout in some areas, and heavier than expected voter rolls in other areas.
The South Carolina results capped one of the most tumultuous weeks in the presidential campaign thus far, a week that saw the veneer of inevitability the Romney campaign had built for itself erode by the end.
Recertified results in the Iowa caucuses found that he had actually lost the contest by a handful of votes to former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. And Romney has fought to withstand some of the most intense scrutiny he’s faced during the campaign; critics have assailed his private equity career and demanded Romney release his tax returns – demands which only reached a fever pitch after Romney estimated he pays an effective rate of 15 percent of his income in taxes.
Moreover, Romney’s performance in South Carolina will speak volumes about his fractious relationship with movement conservatives. He’s struggled at times to break through a ceiling on his support from those voters, who are skeptical of Romney’s past conversion on abortion rights and his embrace of authorship of a health care law as governor that closely resembles Obama’s 2010 reform law.
Romney had largely stuck to message in South Carolina, where he’s campaigned since winning Jan. 10’s New Hampshire primary, by keeping his focus on Obama and posturing himself more as a presumptive nominee.
But in an acknowledgement of Gingrich’s late push, the Romney campaign has also revived the attacks on the former speaker they used to great effect in Iowa to tamp down Gingrich’s December surge.
“Let's have him describe his relationships in Washington,” Romney said Saturday in Greenville, turning up the heat on Gingrich and highlighting the ex-speaker’s work on behalf of troubled mortgage giant Freddie Mac. “If people think Washington is the answer, if people think someone who spent the great majority of their life in Washington, I'll be surprised."
Romney’s campaign appears poised to make that argument even more sharply in Florida. They circulated a “flashback” video on Saturday reminding voters of the ethics investigation Gingrich had faced during his speakership.
Nonetheless, the fact that Gingrich has arrived at the precipice of political resurrection – again – this cycle is itself remarkable.
Political observers had questioned when, not if, he would drop out after suffering missteps at the outset of his campaign that led to the defection of virtually all of his top staff last June. But Gingrich stuck with it and climbed to the top of the polls in Iowa, only to see his numbers implode again after weathering attacks from super PACs and Texas Rep. Ron Paul’s campaign.
In South Carolina, the former speaker has been aided by a variety of factors contributing to his potential comeback. He’s scored major points with voters with a couple of strong debate performances this week, particularly by way of launching acerbic attacks on the media. His angry refusal to answer allegations made by an ex-wife topped headlines coming out of a debate on Thursday – the same day that saw Texas Gov. Rick Perry drop his own campaign and endorse Gingrich.


GOP candidate Rick Santorum talks about the state of the race and reaffirms that he wants to be the voice for those people in America that don't have one in government
The winnowed field (Jon Huntsman also ended his campaign and endorsed Romney), only reduced the number of candidates threatening to divide the anti-Romney vote in South Carolina.
Santorum, crowned the winner of the Iowa caucuses upon further review of the vote totals, had doggedly criticized both Romney and Gingrich in hopes of rallying conservatives behind his unflashy, if consistent, record.
"Three states, three winners -- what a great country," he said in remarks Saturday evening, vowing to continue his campaign through Florida and subsequent nominating contests.
The Romney campaign is hoping that contest, which awards all of the delegates to its winner, features a primary closed to registered Republicans in a large swing state, will be its firewall. It’s a more expensive campaign to wage because of its multiple, expensive media markets, and is seen as a test of organizational strength.
Romney’s advantage there is one of the reasons the Paul campaign, which is polling third in South Carolina, at 16 percent, in a NBC News-Marist poll earlier this week, has elected to skip the next battle in Florida in favor of focusing on caucuses.

Ron Paul promoting a cause through campaign

NBC’s Garrett Haake, Alex Moe and Andrew Rafferty contributed.

Treasury dips into pension funds to avoid debt


Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner arrives at the Finance Ministry to meet Japan's Finance Minister Jun Azumi in Tokyo January 12, 2012.  REUTERS/Toru Hanai
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner arrives at the Finance Ministry to meet Japan's Finance Minister Jun Azumi in Tokyo January 12, 2012.
Credit: Reuters/Toru Hanai


WASHINGTON | Tue Jan 17, 2012 6:35pm EST

 
(Reuters) - The Treasury on Tuesday started dipping into federal pension funds in order to give the Obama administration more credit to pay government bills.
"I will be unable to invest fully" the federal employees retirement system fund beginning Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in a letter to Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress.
The House of Representatives is expected to vote on Wednesday on the Obama administration's request to raise the country's legal debt limit to $16.394 trillion.
However, unless the lower chamber and the Senate are able to shore up enough votes to block the White House request, the debt limit will be increased by $1.2 trillion next Friday and a repeat of last year's debt ceiling debacle will be averted.
Geithner said Treasury started suspending reinvestments in a federal pension fund known as the G-Fund -- a tool Treasury has had to employ six times over the past 20 years in order to keep the country below the statutory debt limit.
The Treasury Department has already tapped another seldom-used fund in order to allow the government to continue borrowing without running afoul of the country's laws.
(Reporting By Rachelle Younglai; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and James Dalgleish)


Inside the News: U.S. Treasury Sec urges decisivWed, Dec 07 2011
Geithner: Wall St reform under attackThu, Dec 01 2011

Those who have dropped out, and their thoughts


 

Perry on the Issues



Rick Perry

Governor of Texas


  • Perry’s jobs plan revolves around energy: by overhauling what he calls "job killing" environmental regulations and expanding the U.S. energy market, he says he can create 1.2 million-2.5 million new jobs.
  • Perry champions a Texas program that allows children of undocumented workers to pay in-state college tuition. But the answer to the failures of federal border policies, he says, is not to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants.
  • Perry has said that the "best advice" he would give to Occupy Wall Street protesters is that "money is probably the most highly overrated thing in the world from the standpoint of really being happy with your life." Perry has aligned himself with the Tea Party, noting in his book that the “Tea Party movement began in earnest as the result of boiling frustration among Americans, triggered by the dramatic expansion of government into their private affairs through bailouts and so-called stimulus plans.”
  • Perry proposes expanding oil exploration offshore and on land by executive order, which he says will create more than a million new jobs, and advocates the rejection of “activist EPA regulations.”
  • Perry says his opposition to abortion rights is not an "election-year slogan." He also says he vows to end the encroachment of federal government into private affairs.
  • Perry has called Social Security a Ponzi scheme and says states should design their own Social Security programs. But he believes that benefits for retirees and those nearing retirement should be protected.
  • Perry seeks to limit government spending to 18 percent of GDP, implement a freeze on federal hiring and salaries, eliminate earmarks, and ban government bailouts – moves he says would balance the budget in less than a decade. Perry also favors a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution.
  • Perry says the U.S. should maintain a "presence" in Afghanistan but that a quick military withdrawal is needed. He has suggested U.S. troops be sent to Mexico if drug violence there gets worse. Perry would eliminate all foreign aid –“every country is going to start at zero dollars” -- and then reallocate depending on each country’s support for the U.S. He would also fortify the border with fencing, human patrols, and “unmanned aerial assets.
  • Perry says he would repeal Obama’s healthcare legislation, entrust the states with Medicaid, and reform Medicare by raising the age of eligibility and allocating benefits based a recipient’s income.

 Top Industries Donating to Perry campaign

IndustryTotal
Misc Business$3392109
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate$2155284
Other$1348165
Energy & Natural Resources$1346512
Construction$656200
Lawyers & Lobbyists$641409
Health$576031
Transportation$495200
Agribusiness$254800
Communications/Electronics$183600
Ideological/Single-Issue$78000
Defense$22250
Labor$0
  • Huntsman advocates tax reform via the implementation of a plan similar to the Simpson-Bowles Commission’s “zero plan,” as well as by reducing the corporate tax rate and eliminating the Alternative Minimum Tax and taxes on capital gains and dividends. He would also unwind Obama’s financial regulatory reforms, remove the EPA’s “job-killing” regulations, and expand and enhance international trade agreements.
  • Huntsman supports heightened border security and has said that while the idea of a fence “repulses” him, America may have no other choice.
  • Huntsman has said that the Occupy protests are legitimate expressions of free speech and as such are “uniquely American” and “traditional.”
  • Huntsman supports an increase in domestic oil production, lifting restrictions on “fracking,” and pursuing new energy technologies such as coal-to-liquid fuel.
  • Huntsman favors the overturn of Roe v. Wade and opposes gay marriage, although he says he would honor state laws that have legalized same-sex marriage.
  • Huntsman believes that Social Security and Medicare are unsustainable in the long-term and supports means testing for both.
  • Huntsman supports a balanced budget amendment and "a real focus on entitlement reform" to address the national debt, which he says is “immoral” and will otherwise “metastasize and kill this country.”
  • Huntsman supports an American troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the expansion of international trade agreements. He opposes waterboarding and torture, which he says lowers America’s “standing in the world and the values that we project, which include liberty, democracy, human rights and open markets.”
  • Huntsman opposes the individual mandate and Obama’s healthcare law, which he says he believes will be overturned by the Supreme Court.

 Top Industries Donating to Huntsman campaign

IndustryTotal
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate$467473
Misc Business$410496
Other$260350
Lawyers & Lobbyists$129350
Health$62131
Communications/Electronics$61750
Energy & Natural Resources$37600
Construction$26850
Transportation$11250
Agribusiness$9750
Ideological/Single-Issue$7400
Defense$6250
Labor$0

Bachmann on the Issues

Michele Bachmann

Congresswoman for Minnesota’s 6th District

  • Bachmann has an 11-point blueprint for job creation that calls for repealing the healthcare overhaul and financial regulation signed by Obama in 2010, cutting the number of tax brackets, and giving a $1.2 trillion tax holiday to American companies overseas.
  • Bachmann has said building a border fence between the U.S. and Mexico would be her first priority. "As president of the United States, every mile, every yard, every foot, every inch will be covered on that southern border," Bachmann said while campaigning in South Carolina.
  • Bachmann is a Tea Party advocate and founder of the conservative moment's caucus in Congress. A small group of "Occupy" protesters disrupted Bachmann's speech aboard the USS Yorktown in South Carolina on Nov. 11, accusing her of "dividing Americans" and promoting discrimination. Bachmann later called the protestors “ignorant and disrespectful.”
  • Bachmann would work to lift restrictions on off-shore drilling and increase access to oil and natural gas on the Outer Continental Shelf. She would also stop the Environmental Protection Agency's cap-and-trade, end this “Job Killing Agency’s” threats against the growing domestic shale gas industry, and end the threat of tax increases for energy explorers and producers.
  • Bachmann opposes gay marriage and legal abortion – she has pledged as president to nominate judges who she believes will overturn Roe v. Wade -- and supports the right to bear arms.
  • Bachmann says Social Security should remain unchanged for Americans 65 years and older. For younger Americans, however, she believes the system should be reformed to allow individuals to be able to invest their Social Security taxes in private accounts.
  • Bachmann says it's time to draw a line in the sand and stop increasing the debt load on the nation and future generations. She has vowed to "stand firm" against any increase in the U.S. debt ceiling.
  • Bachmann says the United States is at war with radical Islamic extremism. She says she would "stand on the side of Israel" and would ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon. She vows to commit the resources necessary to protect the nation but says even the military's budget must be examined for places where the United States can do more or at least the same with less. She believes the country must never put troops in harm's way unless there is a clear, vital U.S. interest at stake and a clear mission.
  • Bachmann says she won't rest until Obama's healthcare reform is repealed and would push for greater competition in the healthcare market, which she says would result in both lower prices and better outcomes. She would also work "to unleash the power of medical innovation" and personal choice.

Top Industries Donating to Bachmann campaign

IndustryTotal
Other$743262
Misc Business$229236
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate$213251
Health$131517
Ideological/Single-Issue$112479
Construction$78985
Communications/Electronics$65497
Agribusiness$53827
Energy & Natural Resources$49390
Transportation$42746
Lawyers & Lobbyists$39751
Defense$12386
Labor$0
  • Cain’s solution for creating jobs is his "9-9-9" tax reform plan, which would throw out the federal tax code and replace it with a flat 9 percent rate for corporate, income, and sales taxes.
  • Cain has said he would secure the border by building an electrified fence between the United States and Mexico.
  • Cain, who has embraced the Tea Party movement, has called Occupy Wall Street “un-American” and “anti-capitalism.” In a Wall Street Journal interview, he addressed Occupy protesters, saying: “Don't blame Wall Street, don't blame the big banks, if you don't have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself.” He later said he wasn’t talking about the nation’s 14 million unemployed.
  • Cain proposes rolling back “excessive” environmental regulations that have “forced American consumers to rely far too heavily on foreign oil” and ramping up domestic sources of energy. He says decisions about energy sources should be left up to the free market.
  • Cain opposes abortion and has called Planned Parenthood "planned genocide," arguing that the organization's mission is to "help kill black babies before they came into the world.” He supports a federal ban on gay marriage.
  • Cain has said he would create optional personal retirement accounts in lieu of Social Security modeled after a system in Chile.
  • Cain says the solution to America’s national debt is cutting spending and, he says, “nothing should be off the table,” including every federal agency and government program.
  • Cain has avoided taking a stand on the war in Afghanistan and says he would rely on advice from military commanders. The “Cain Doctrine” on national security is an extension of the Reagan philosophy, “peace through strength,” he says . “My philosophy is peace through strength and clarity. We need to clarify who our friends are, clarify who our enemies are, stop giving money to the enemies and make sure our enemies know who are friends are that we’re going to stand solidly behind,” Cain says.
  • Cain says Obama’s healthcare should be replaced with “free market reforms” such as enacting loser pay laws and increasing the flexibility of Health Savings Accounts.

Top Industries Donating to Cain campaign

IndustryTotal
Other$289934
Misc Business$200868
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate$149940
Health$81678
Energy & Natural Resources$54750
Communications/Electronics$44730
Construction$41451
Lawyers & Lobbyists$36265
Agribusiness$25300
Transportation$19500
Defense$8350
Ideological/Single-Issue$3637
Labor$0


IndustryTotal
Ideological/Single-Issue$506852
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate$16750
Misc Business$13250
Lawyers & Lobbyists$11500
Transportation$8650
Other$8450
Energy & Natural Resources$5000
Construction$3250
Health$3250
Communications/Electronics$500
Agribusiness$0
Defense$0
Labor$0



Tim Pawlenty

Governor of Minnesota (2003 - 2011)
 

Top Industries Donating to Pawlenty campaign

IndustryTotal
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate$1100971
Other$655215
Misc Business$443971
Lawyers & Lobbyists$291043
Construction$139532
Health$125379
Communications/Electronics$123250
Energy & Natural Resources$103073
Transportation$87500
Agribusiness$73600
Ideological/Single-Issue$59650
Defense$1500
Labor$0

Where the GOP hopfuls stand on the issues


The Miami Herald

A look at where the 2012 Republican presidential candidates stand on a selection of key issues in Florida and nationwide.They are former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen.



Abortion
Gingrich Platform calls for conservative judges and no subsidies for abortion but not a constitutional abortion ban.

Paul Says federal government should have no authority either to legalize or ban abortion.

Romney Says Roe v. Wade should be reversed by a future Supreme Court and states should decide their own abortion laws.

Santorum Favors constitutional abortion ban and opposes abortion even in cases of rape.

Cuba

Gingrich On a recent trip to Miami, he signed a letter vowing to pursue a strong policy against Cuba by not lifting sanction until all political prisoners are free and re-establishing the 2004 stricter Bush travel rules.

Paul Only Republican to call for end to embargo against Cuba. "If we wouldn’t have had this embargo for 40 years, (Fidel) Castro would have been gone a long time ago," he told reporters in Tallahassee last April.

Romney Supports embargo. Labeled Cuba “a rogue nation” along with Iran, North Korea and Venezuela in foreign policy statement by campaign.

Santorum Supports the pro-democracy movement on the communist island.

Debt

Gingrich As House speaker in 1990s, engineered passage of a seven-year balanced-budget plan. It was vetoed but helped form a bipartisan balanced budget later.

Paul Would eviscerate federal government, slashing nearly half its spending, shut five Cabinet-level agencies, end spending on existing conflicts and on foreign aid.

Romney Defended financial sector bailout, criticized GM and Chrysler bailout. Cap federal spending at 20 percent of GDP.

Santorum Freeze social and military spending for five years to cut $5 trillion from federal
budgets.

Economy

Gingrich Repeal the financial industry regulations that followed the Wall Street meltdown. Restrict the Fed’s power to set interest rates artificially low.

Paul Return to the gold standard, eliminate the Federal Reserve, eliminate most federal regulations.

Romney Lower taxes, less regulation, balanced budget, more trade deals to spur growth. Replace jobless benefits with unemployment savings accounts. Repeal new financial-industry regulations.

Santorum Eliminate corporate taxes for manufacturers, drill for more oil and gas, and slash regulations.

Education

Gingrich Shrink Education Department. But supported Obama administration’s $4 billion Race to the Top grant competition for states.

Paul Abolish the Education Department and end the federal role in education.

Romney Supported No Child Left Behind law. Once favored shutting Education Department, later saw its value in "holding down the interests of the teachers’ unions."

Santorum Voted for No Child Left Behind law, now regrets vote. Wants "significantly" smaller Education Department but not its elimination.

Energy

Gingrich Let oil and natural gas industries drill offshore reserves now blocked from development, end restrictions on Western oil shale development.

Paul Remove restrictions on drilling, coal and nuclear power, eliminate gasoline tax, provide tax credits for alternative fuel technology.

Romney Supports drilling in the Gulf, the outer continental shelves, Western lands, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and offshore Alaska; and exploitation of shale oil deposits.

Santorum Favors drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, scaling back "oppressive regulation" hindering drilling elsewhere, and eliminating energy subsidies in four years.

Environment

Gingrich Convert EPA into "environmental solutions agency" devoted to research and "more energy, more jobs and a better environment simultaneously." Once backed tougher environmental regulation.

Paul Previously said human activity "probably does" contribute to global warming; now calls such science a "hoax." Says emission standards should be set by states or regions.

Romney Acknowledged that humans contribute to global warming, but later said "we don’t know what’s causing climate change." Cap and trade would "rocket energy prices."

Santorum The science establishing human activity as a likely contributor to global warming is "patently absurd" and "junk science."

Gay marriage

Gingrich If the Defense of Marriage Act fails, "you have no choice except a constitutional amendment" to ban gay marriage.

Paul Decisions on legalizing or prohibiting gay marriage should be left to states.

Romney Favors constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, says policy should be set federally, not by states.

Santorum Supports constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, not leaving decision to states. "We can’t have 50 marriage laws."

Health care

All would seek repeal of Obama’s health care law.

Gingrich Prohibit insurers from cancelling or charging hefty increases to insurance holders who get sick. Offer "generous" tax credit to help buy insurance. Previously supported mandatory coverage.

Paul Opposes compulsory insurance and all federal subsidies for coverage.

Romney Opposes federal mandate to obtain coverage; introduced mandate in Massachusetts. Proposes "generous" subsidies to help future retirees buy private insurance instead of going on Medicare.

Santorum Would seek to starve Obama’s health care law of money needed to implement it. Supported Bush administration’s prescription drug program for the elderly, now regrets doing so.

Immigration

Gingrich In contrast to most rivals, supports option of giving legal status to illegal immigrants who have sunk roots in the U.S. and lived otherwise lawfully. Supports path to citizenship for illegal immigrants’ children who perform U.S. military service. Make English the official language. Divert more Homeland Security assets to at Mexican border.

Paul Do "whatever it takes" to secure the border, end right to citizenship of U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants, no social services for illegal immigrants, aggressive deportation.

Romney Would veto legislation that seeks to award legal status to some young illegal immigrants who attend college or serve in the armed forces. Favors complete U.S.-Mexico border fence, opposes education benefits to illegal immigrants.

Santorum Supports complete border fence, opposes education benefits to illegal immigrants.

Israel

Gingrich Supports Israel. Would move U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Called Palestinians “invented” people.

Paul To reporters in Tallahassee last April, Paul said: "Israel has over 300 nuclear weapons. If we just leave them alone they’d just take care of themselves." Republican Jewish Coalition did not invite him to recent candidates’ forum.

Romney Said President Obama had “chastened” Israel in its pursuit of an appeasement strategy in the Middle East. Would make Israel first country he would visit as president.

Santorum Pro-Israel. He vows to “stand with Israel as an ally and in any efforts Israel may take to defend themselves from Iranian aggression.”

Social security

Gingrich Give younger workers the option of diverting Social Security taxes to private retirement accounts.

Paul Says younger workers should be able to opt out of Social Security taxes and retirement benefits; benefits for today’s retirees should be protected.

Romney Starting with workers now under 55, raise age to qualify for full benefits, and limit inflation increases for wealthier beneficiaries. Protect status quo for people 55 and older.

Santorum Proposes immediate steps to lower benefits for wealthier retirees, raise the age to qualify for full benefits and restrict inflation increases in benefits, both for current and future retirees. Supports option of private retirement accounts.

Taxes

All support eliminating the estate tax and keeping Bush-era tax cuts.

Gingrich Choice of filing under current system or paying a 15 percent tax, preserving mortgage interest and charitable deductions. Cut corporate tax to 12.5 percent.

Paul Eliminate the federal income tax and the IRS, and defund close to half the government.

Romney No one with adjusted gross income under $200,000 should be taxed on interest, dividends or capital gains. Cut corporate tax rate to 25 percent.

Santorum Triple the personal exemption for dependent children, reduce the number of tax brackets to two — 10 percent and 28 percent — exempt domestic manufacturers from the corporate tax and halve the top rate for other business.

War

Gingrich Supported Iraq war and opposed early withdrawal. Said U.S. forces should not have been used in Libya campaign, after he had called for such intervention. Opposes "precipitous" pullout from Afghanistan.

Paul Bring most or all troops home from foreign posts "as quick as the ships could get there." Opposed U.S. intervention in Libya. Cut Pentagon budget.

Romney Has not specified the troop numbers behind pledge to ensure the "force level necessary to secure our gains and complete our mission successfully" in Afghanistan.

Santorum Says he would order bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities unless they were opened for international arms inspectors. Proposes freezing defense spending for five years.

The Associated Press, The Miami Herald, Miami Herald Naked Politics blog, Tampa Bay Times, New York Times, official Republican presidential campaign websites contributed to this report.

Candidates 2012



  • Barack Obama

    44th President of the United States

    Top Industries Donating to Obama campaign

    IndustryTotal
    Other$11366550
    Misc Business$6818104
    Finance, Insurance & Real Estate$4187924
    Lawyers & Lobbyists$4175570
    Communications/Electronics$2956215
    Health$1719547
    Construction$562534
    Energy & Natural Resources$421113
    Agribusiness$296341
    Ideological/Single-Issue$247125
    Transportation$148974
    Defense$111745
    Labor$13087
  • Newt Gingrich

    Speaker of the House of Representatives (1995-1999)

    Top Industries Donating to Gingrich campaign

    IndustryTotal
    Other$350390
    Misc Business$252030
    Finance, Insurance & Real Estate$200150
    Health$91707
    Lawyers & Lobbyists$79851
    Ideological/Single-Issue$50700
    Agribusiness$46904
    Energy & Natural Resources$44450
    Construction$42200
    Communications/Electronics$25650
    Transportation$19450
    Defense$750
    Labor$0
  • Gary Johnson

    Governor of New Mexico (1995-2003)

    Top Industries Donating to Johnson campaign

    IndustryTotal
    Misc Business$114420
    Other$53251
    Finance, Insurance & Real Estate$28790
    Energy & Natural Resources$17700
    Communications/Electronics$9600
    Health$9000
    Lawyers & Lobbyists$7250
    Agribusiness$6250
    Construction$4250
    Defense$250
    Transportation$250
    Labor$0
    Ideological/Single-Issue$0
  • Ron Paul

    Congressman for Texas’s 14th District

    Top Industries Donating to Paul campaign

    IndustryTotal
    Other$960756
    Misc Business$890104
    Ideological/Single-Issue$504701
    Finance, Insurance & Real Estate$311769
    Health$289169
    Communications/Electronics$262387
    Construction$101377
    Energy & Natural Resources$88947
    Transportation$79363
    Agribusiness$64133
    Lawyers & Lobbyists$64002
    Defense$49833
    Labor$402
  • Buddy Roemer

    Governor of Louisiana (1988-1992)
  • Mitt Romney

    Governor of Massachusetts (2003-2007)

    Top Industries Donating to Romney campaign

    IndustryTotal
    Finance, Insurance & Real Estate$7801006
    Other$3872508
    Misc Business$3507469
    Lawyers & Lobbyists$1819195
    Health$949875
    Communications/Electronics$732700
    Construction$716982
    Energy & Natural Resources$586070
    Transportation$485626
    Agribusiness$317325
    Defense$56050
    Ideological/Single-Issue$50870
    Labor$0
  • Rick Santorum

    Senator of Pennsylvania (1995-2007)

    Top Industries Donating to Santorum campaign

    IndustryTotal
    Finance, Insurance & Real Estate$192500
    Misc Business$126276
    Other$109111
    Health$63058
    Lawyers & Lobbyists$46100
    Construction$34700
    Energy & Natural Resources$32000
    Ideological/Single-Issue$31700
    Transportation$21250
    Communications/Electronics$18250
    Agribusiness$17400
    Defense$4900
    Labor$0

Obama wants export agency, closing of Commerce Department



 President Obama arrvies to deliver remarks on government reform at the White House, January 13, 2012.
Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque
WASHINGTON | Fri Jan 13, 2012 12:53pm EST
(Reuters) - President Barack Obama will ask Congress on Friday for authority to close the Commerce Department and create a new export agency, an overhaul that could save $3 billion and help inoculate him against Republican election-year charges that he is a big-government liberal.
White House budget official Jeffrey Zients told reporters the reorganization would fold together the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and other trade bodies now spread across Washington, giving businesses a single point of contact and ensuring federal spending goes further to boost exports.
Obama was set to deliver remarks at 11:20 a.m. on the new, yet-to-be-named department that would be tasked with achieving his goal of doubling exports in five years, a key part of his economic agenda as the November presidential vote nears.
The Democrat was expected to cast it as an effort to make the government leaner and more efficient, reducing bureaucracy for export-oriented companies.
The proposal - the first of a series of consolidation steps Obama is expected to pursue - comes amid growing concerns about huge federal deficits and the size of the government.
Obama wants to put the USTR, the U.S. Export-Import Bank, Overseas Private Investment Corp, the Trade and Development Agency, the Small Business Administration and parts of the Commerce Department under a new roof - something that has been under discussion for years.
Last March, he asked White House budget officials to examine whether to merge the groups as a way to save money and ensure that U.S. export promotion is as efficient as possible.
A White House official said on Friday the goal of the consolidation was to save $3 billion over 10 years. It may also lead to the loss of 1,000 to 2,000 jobs through attrition, the official said.
TRADE TIES
Obama will seek a vote in Congress within three months on the proposal, which may meet resistance from some lawmakers who have voiced concerns the risks of putting small, focused trade agencies into a large bureaucracy.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, one of Obama's fellow Democrats, and some other senior lawmakers have argued that the USTR, a cabinet-level agency of some 240 career employees, may lose its focus in a larger department.
But Obama is expected to say the move will help achieve his goal of doubling U.S. exports in five years - from $1.57 trillion in 2009 to $3.14 trillion by 2015. He has been trying to hitch the U.S. economy to faster growth in developing markets such as countries in Asia through closer trade ties.
With the election nearing, the White House has been working to highlight Obama's efforts to get things done in Washington in spite of gridlock in Congress. Resistance to the reorganization proposal would be cast by the White House as an example of Capitol Hill obstructionism.
"We think this is the sort of thing that should have bipartisan support," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
Obama's proposal appeared to catch Republicans by surprise. They said they were reserving judgment until they had seen more details of what he was proposing.
"After presiding over one of the largest expansions of government in history, and a year after raising the issue in his last State of the Union, it's interesting to see the president finally acknowledge that Washington is out of control," said Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.
"We'll be sure to give it a careful review once the White House provides us with the details of what it is he wants to do," he said.
Republican presidential candidates vying to face Obama in the November election have been focusing in their campaign speeches on the size of the federal government and U.S. deficits, saying they pose a risk to the U.S. economy.
(Additional reporting by Doug Palmer, Stella Dawson Susan Heavey, Editing by Ross Colvin and Philip Barbara)



WASHINGTON | Fri Jan 13, 2012 2:44pm EST
 
(Reuters) - President Barack Obama asked Congress on Friday for power to consolidate agencies that promote U.S. exports, a move he cast as crucial to streamlining a sprawling bureaucracy struggling to meet the demands of a 21st century economy.
In proposing to close the Commerce Department and merge six trade and business agencies, Obama could help inoculate himself against Republican charges that he is a big-government liberal who has presided over one of the largest expansions of U.S. government in history.
Obama has launched a number of initiatives since late last year as part of a White House strategy to cast him as an activist president running for re-election in November against a "do-nothing" Congress as well as the eventual Republican presidential nominee.
The power Obama has requested would let him design changes that Congress could vote for or against, without revisions. The export plan was described by White House officials as a first step, with further consolidation likely to follow if Obama gets the authority he wants.
Ronald Reagan, an idol of conservative Republicans, was the last president who had authority to reorganize the government in the way Obama is seeking.
Analysts were skeptical that Republicans in Congress would approve Obama's request for expanded powers in an election year, although the initial Republican reaction appeared broadly positive.
"We hope the president isn't simply proposing new packaging for the same burdensome approach. However, eliminating duplicative programs and making the federal government more simple, streamlined, and business-friendly is always an idea worth exploring," said Brendan Buck, a spokesman for House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner.
Obama, in remarks at the White House, said the overhaul would make it easier for U.S. businesses to get help to export their goods, a key part of his economic agenda.
"With this authority, we'd help businesses grow, save businesses time and save taxpayer dollars," he said, outlining his request for powers to reorganize the federal government that Congress will need to consider within three months.
Obama wants to fold together the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and five other export bodies now spread across Washington into a new, yet-to-be-named department, giving businesses a single point of contact and trying to ensure that federal spending goes further to boost sales abroad.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - now part of Commerce - would be absorbed into the Department of the Interior under the plan, which also elevates the Small Business Administration to a cabinet-level post to underscore the White House's focus on smaller companies as an engine of job growth and recovery.
BUBBLES AND SALMON
A spokeswoman for Mitt Romney, the front-runner in the Republican presidential nomination race who has said he will make it a top priority to reduce the scale of government, cast Obama's move as an election year stunt.
"It's ironic that President Obama, who has grown government beyond belief for the past three years, is calling for consolidation of government. It is unfortunate that he is only doing so now to curry political favor in an election year," said spokeswoman Andrea Saul.
Seeking to illustrate how complex government bureaucracy had become, Obama unveiled a slide with a bubble diagram that showed a dizzying array of websites, toll-free numbers and customer service centers that were available to small business owners seeking advice on loans and how to export.
"It's a mess," Obama said, after noting his favorite example of the bureaucratic maze.
"As it turns out, the Interior Department is in charge of salmon in fresh water, but the Commerce Department handles them in saltwater," he said. "If you're wondering what the genesis of this was, apparently, it had something to do with President (Richard) Nixon being unhappy with his Interior Secretary for criticizing him about the Vietnam War. And so he decided not to put NOAA in what would have been a more sensible place."
With U.S. unemployment still high and the economy growing slowly, Obama is trying to boost U.S. trade ties with developing markets such as Asia as a way to spur output. He has set a goal of doubling U.S. exports in five years - from $1.57 trillion in 2009 to $3.14 trillion by 2015.
Trade experts said having one agency in charge of exports should help. "For the business community, engagement with overlapping agencies streamlined into a coherent process would be an advantage," said Nick Consonery of the Eurasia Group.
A White House official said the goal of streamlining the trade agencies was to save $3 billion over 10 years. It may also lead to the loss of 1,000 to 2,000 jobs through attrition, the official said.
(Additional reporting by Doug Palmer, Stella Dawson, Susan Heavey, Steve Holland, Glenn Somerville and Matt Spetalnick, Editing by Ross Colvin and Vicki Allen)




WASHINGTON | Fri Jan 13, 2012 6:40pm EST
 

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama asked Congress on Friday for broad powers to overhaul the U.S. government and untangle what he called an "outdated bureaucratic maze" that makes it hard for U.S. businesses to sell their goods abroad.
Obama said he wanted to consolidate six trade and business agencies into a single export body to help the United States better compete in a 21st century economy and modernize a government he said had grown too complex.
The move could help inoculate him against charges from Republicans hoping to unseat him in November that he is a feckless liberal who has presided over one of the largest expansions of the U.S. government in history.
Ronald Reagan, an idol of conservative Republicans, was the last U.S. president who had the authority to reorganize the government in a similar fashion. But Obama must contend with some Democrats who worry that merging the agencies will backfire and some Republicans who are unwilling to give the president wider powers. Analysts were skeptical that Congress would approve Obama's request in an election year.
The consolidation of power Obama is seeking would allow him to design structural changes to the government that lawmakers would have to approve or reject, without revisions.
Obama said he wanted to move the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and five other export bodies spread across Washington into a new trade department, giving businesses a single point of contact and trying to ensure that Washington's export promotion packs a punch.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - now part of the Commerce Department - would be absorbed by the Department of the Interior under the plan, and the Census Bureau as well as other statistical agencies would find a home in the new, yet-to-be-named department. The Commerce Department would then be closed.
A spokeswoman for Mitt Romney, the front-runner in the Republican presidential nomination race who has said he would make it a top priority to reduce the scale of government, cast Obama's proposals as campaign spin.
"It's ironic that President Obama, who has grown government beyond belief for the past three years, is calling for consolidation of government. It is unfortunate that he is only doing so now to curry political favor in an election year," spokeswoman Andrea Saul said.
EXPORT PROMOTION
In a speech delivered at the White House, Obama said the overhaul would make it easier for U.S. businesses to work with the government and boost their overseas sales, essential to his economic goal of doubling U.S. exports by 2015.
He also announced he would elevate the Small Business Administration to a Cabinet-level post - his inner circle of senior officials - with immediate effect to underscore his focus on smaller companies as an engine of job growth and recovery.
Nick Consonery, a China analyst at the Eurasia Group in Washington, said there was a genuine need for the United States to strengthen its trade policy as it seeks to increase exports and also ensure other economies play by the rules.
"We are definitely entering an environment where they will take trade disputes more aggressively and this would help provide a streamlined structure for that," he said.
LAWMAKERS NOT CONVINCED
On Capitol Hill, several key lawmakers expressed concern about the plan to anchor the specialized USTR - which negotiates free trade deals and monitors for rule-breaking - in a broader bureaucracy where its work may get bogged down.
"Taking USTR, one of the most efficient agencies that is a model of how government can and should work, and making it just another corner of a new bureaucratic behemoth would hurt American exports and hinder American job creation," Democrat Max Baucus and Republican Dave Camp, who chair committees overseeing trade policy, said in a joint statement.
Representative Sander Levin, the senior Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees USTR, noted Congress established that agency "because our trade objectives were not adequately negotiated, implemented or emphasized when trade negotiators and enforcers were part of a broader agency."
The lawmakers' comments raised questions about the White House's strategy for selling Obama's plan on Capitol Hill. But even if Congress rejects it, it would still be a win for the president, who has made running against an obstructionist Congress a central theme of his election campaign.
John Murphy from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce also stressed it was important to avoid hurting the USTR with a merger. "The business community would oppose its merger with the Commerce Department, whose functions are quite different," he said.
Seeking to illustrate how complex government bureaucracy had become, Obama unveiled a slide at the White House with a bubble diagram that showed a dizzying array of websites, toll-free numbers and customer service centers that were available to small business owners seeking advice on loans and how to export.
"It's a mess," Obama said, after noting his favorite example of the bureaucratic maze.
"As it turns out, the Interior Department is in charge of salmon in fresh water, but the Commerce Department handles them in saltwater," he said.
A White House official said the goal was to save $3 billion over 10 years from streamlining the trade agencies, which may lead to the loss of 1,000 to 2,000 jobs through attrition.
(Additional reporting by Doug Palmer, Richard Cowan, Stella Dawson, Susan Heavey, David Lawder, Steve Holland, Glenn Somerville and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Ross Colvin and Stacey Joyce)