Reince Priebus
Politico
A newly uncovered recording of President Barack Obama may well distill his philosophy. “I actually believe in redistribution,” Obama said at a conference.
So it makes sense that his presidency has been defined by high unemployment and the worst economy since the Great Depression. His agenda is one of dependency—not opportunity and job creation.
His words at this 1998 conference make plain the consequential choice we face in this election. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney believes in the American free enterprise system. But Obama believes in a government-centered society.
Despite the struggling economy, Obama has yet to offer a plan for job creation. His only plans for a second term are more taxing and more spending. No surprise, these are the key ingredients in the recipe for redistribution.
In contrast, Romney and his vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) have a comprehensive plan to create jobs and increase take-home pay. The Romney-Ryan Plan for a Stronger Middle Class has five steps.
First, they will pursue North American energy independence — creating jobs and making energy more affordable and reliable. Second, they will ensure every American has access to quality education and the ability to gain the skills needed for a good job.
Third, they will develop trade policy that works for Americans, by opening new markets for our goods and cracking down on cheaters like China, who don’t play by the rules. Fourth, they will cut the federal deficit to ensure out-of-control spending no longer poses a threat to the investments that expand our economy. Fifth, they will champion small businesses, the engine of our economy, ensuring government no longer stands in their way.
This plan is expected to create 12 million new jobs over the next four years, putting Americans back to work and strengthening our country. In addition, Romney will cut taxes for middle class families. Don’t expect to get the same from Obama. Lower taxes and limited spending means less to redistribute.
When Obama champions redistribution, he abandons the promise of the American Dream. That dream—of self-reliance derived from hard work, of homeownership earned from sacrifice and saving—may not always come easily. But it is a dream that has survived for generations and been realized by millions. The answer to our economic ills is not to let the dream die. The answer is to revive it and make it more accessible.
We’ve already paid a heavy price for the president’s misguided philosophy of dependency. He’s asked government to do more and spend money we don’t have, leaving the next generation with a bill they can’t afford: $5.4 trillion in new debt. That’s not just irresponsible. It’s immoral.
Because he’s expanded government rather than the economy, 23 million Americans are struggling for work. We’ve endured 43 straight months of unemployment above 8 percent. Incomes are shrinking while prices are rising. Poverty is at an all-time high, and a record number of Americans rely on food stamps.
Behind these statistics are Americans who want jobs but can’t find them. This is not the time to increase government dependency. It is the time to build more opportunity through jobs that foster upward mobility. That’s what Americans want.
But a president who trusts the government more than the free market cannot be expected to lead in the right direction.
So we now face a crucial decision: Will the United States pursue dependency, or opportunity? In less than seven weeks, the nation will choose.
Will we put our faith in the federal bureaucracy, or in the American people? Do we want our children to settle for redistribution, or do we want them to aspire to a better, successful future?
This tape recording has made clear what Obama wants. But it doesn’t take a recording to know what the American people believe in. This is still the land of the American Dream. And that dream isn’t something distributed by the federal government. Romney knows this, and he will work from Day One to revive that dream for all Americans.
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