Graves says election can change nation’s direction

The Daily Citizen: Graves says election can change nation’s direction

By Charles Oliver - The Daily Citizen
August 22, 2012

President Barack Obama inherited a tough economic situation, but he has had his chance to turn things around and failed, said U.S. Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ranger.

Graves spoke Tuesday night to a meeting of the Dalton Tea Party.

Graves noted that for Obama’s first two years in office that Democrats had big majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

“He had full control, and they basically passed every item on his agenda,” Graves said.

But Graves noted that unemployment is still high, well above what the administration predicted it would be if its policies were passed.

“So what does he do? He blames others. He blames business owners. You didn’t build that. He blames the previous administration. He blames Congress, and I’d remind him the Obama Senate is still in place,” Graves said. “He has become the blamer in chief, not a leader.”

Graves noted that Obama had promised to cut the federal deficit in half by the end of his first term. Instead, Graves said, the federal government has run “four straight years of trillion dollar deficits.”

“It has just added to our debt, which is $16 trillion now,” Graves said.

Noting that the number of federal food stamp recipients has doubled over the past three years, Graves said America is heading down a path towards debt, dependency and despair.

“We should be turning to one another — turning to family, to friends, to church, to our community. But because the federal government is absorbing so much from us to give to others, it’s hard to turn to anyone else right now,” he said.

Graves said that in 11 weeks voters will have a chance to change the nation’s direction when they go to the polls.

“We gave hope and change a chance. We are going back to opportunity and prosperity,” Graves said.