Virginia Delegate Barbara Comstock: "Four years ago, Barack Obama said I don't want to wake up four years from now to find our children's future mortgaged by another mountain of debt. That here we are after the Greek columns from 2008 have faded, and we are facing Greek-like debt. And the financial crisis we have and the spending that threatens us, the debt and the deficit and the decline that it is causing in the growth of our economy is a real threat and we've got to address that. And you have this administration for three years has just neglected to deal with it all together. From Secretary Geithner admitting they have no plan to deal with the debt. He has run up to Capitol Hill to say we don't have a solution but what we do know is that we don't like yours. But here we are $5 trillion in debt, a 50% increase from the time Barack Obama said he was going to get rid of this debt and he increased it by 50%. We have $16,000 in individual debt up to $50,000 and now household debt has gone from $43,000 to $135,000 under his watch. In 2016, you're going to have Social Security Disability Trust Fund go bankrupt...the federal debt is at $25.9 trillion that is just going to crowd out any type of private investment. And then, of course, they have done absolutely nothing to preserve Social Security or Medicare. So when debt is 101% of GDP, the largest since 1945, and you have absolutely no plan, and somebody admitting no plan and distracting and finding every other issue that you can talk about other than the economy other than this debt and deficit. "We need serious leadership. In the speech that Governor Romney is giving today out in Iowa really sets out the way a serious leader who has great experience in the private sector of having run things and understands the economy and can turn things around and has a record in the private sector in philanthropy and as governor of turning things around. "I look forward to this discussion that we're going to have over the next six months because it's a dramatically different way of doing things and I think it's very much what we've done in Virginia. In Virginia, we're the number one state for jobs because we have focused like a laser beam on the economy. And we made that our priority and we cut back spending and we did it in a strategic way and we did it early and provided business and tax incentives so you have growth and having a prosperity agenda while you're also having to cut back on government spending, get more of that activity going on the private sector so you can grow the economy and not have these disastrous policies you see in Europe, in these Greek-like policies that unfortunately President Obama and his Greek columns are bringing us."   Former U.S. Congressman Tom Davis (R-VA):   "The problem we have is that all of the tough decisions are being kicked downstream. If you just take a snapshot as to where we are today. Everything is being kicked over until after the election. "The appropriation bills, the House is going to pass most of these bills but you're not going to see because they have different 302 allocations but you're not going to see any reconciliation of that before the election. Again, we will be operating on continuing resolutions. So the appropriations bill over in October 1 start date will be kicked over until after the election...Whatever happens to the Bush tax cuts, the payroll tax will be kicked over until after the election, and that will be kicked over until after the election. "The American people really don't know where anybody stands on these except we will wait until after the election and see what happens. Governor Romney has a unique opportunity to break the gridlock that we have had for a long time. In the meantime most of our spending is on autopilot. "People forget that Governor Romney dealt with a heavily Democratic legislature during that time and knows how to govern in a bi-partisan mode. So I don't know what the make-up of the next Congress will be but when you take a look at the Governor's record he has been able to do an outstanding job in reaching across party lines and get results... "The overriding issue which sets the mood and the atmospherics for the election is going to be the stewardship of the economy. I don't think there is any question that is where it is. I think that's where the voters will be focused in September and October..." Click Here To Listen To The Full Audio: http://www.gop.com/audio/5.15.2012_Virginia.mp3   ### 

U.S. Congressman Joe Heck (NV-3): "There is no greater issue that we're facing in Washington that our debt and deficit. In fact, as you've all heard said many times before when then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mullen was sitting before the House Armed Services Committee and he was asked what is the single greatest threat to the security of the United States. The senior military advisor to the president didn't say a nuclear Iran and he didn't say a resurgent Russia. He didn't talk about a growing China. His answer was the national debt so when you have the senior military advisor to the president standing up and saying look the biggest threat that we face to our national security is our debt, we've got to sit up and take notice. Unfortunately, President Obama has no rationale to offer for his own reelection and no record of achievement to run on in the area of debt and deficit. All he has is a record of broken promises. "No matter how hard he tries to make the election about something else and he has tried desperately especially with the most recent announcement on gay marriage. As Mitt Romney said, it is still the economy, and we are not stupid. The American people have certainly suffered enough over the last three years, and they deserve better. The president has been unable to come up with a budget that puts us on a sustainable course. And when you look at the fact that the Senate voted down the president's budget proposal by a vote of zero to ninety-nine. It shows an extreme lack of confidence in his ability to get our fiscal house in order. Instead, he's presided over record deficits and wasted taxpayer dollars while adding trillions to the national debt. "When he first was elected, he pledged to cut the deficit in half stating that if he was unsuccessful this would be a one term proposition. Well, instead, we're on track to have the fourth greater than a trillion dollar deficit this year all under this president's administration. By the time he's finished, President Obama will have added as much to the national public debt as all of his predecessors combined. So it certainly doesn't look like he's got a path to try to get our fiscal house in order. The question then becomes, do we continue down this path of failing European states or do we pivot and choose a path of prosperity? "Mitt Romney will get us on that path to prosperity. He'll make the federal government simpler, smaller and smarter by cutting spending, capping spending and moving us towards a balanced budget. I think the governor's record of accomplishments in multiple different venues makes him one of the most qualified president's for the presidency in modern history. Whether it's his experience in business, the fact that he turned around a failing Olympic games and brought it from scandal and mismanagement to one of the most successful Olympic games in the modern era. Or, as governor where he closed a three billion dollar deficit while rooting out waste and cutting taxes nineteen times. This country needs a turnaround specialist and Mitt Romney's career has been about taking things that are failing and turning them around and making them successful. "When we look at Governor Romney's path to prosperity would include its things like making the tax code simpler, fairer, and flatter. It's about bringing down our corporate tax rates. We now have the highest corporate tax rate in the world. And if we want to bring businesses back to the United States, want to bring manufacturing back to the United States then we have to be competitive. So, Mitt would lower the corporate tax rate to 25%. He would put in place an across the board 20% reduction in marginal income tax rates; make the R & D [research and development] tax credit to foster innovation; and ending the repatriation tax which would bring billions of dollars of investment back to America. So, Mitt Romney clearly has a bold agenda for a better America. "I think we can no longer afford President Obama's liberal, borrow and spend policies, which will continue to saddle our children with unimaginable debt. Debt is now at about $53,000 per man, woman, and child in the United States. Truly unsustainable. I think that when we look at how we're going to preserve and protect important retirement programs, not just for today's retirees and near retirees for future generations we've got to have somebody who's willing to address the problem today, not waiting until 2023 when the Medicare Trust Fund is going to be insolvent in 2024. It certainly limits your ability to make the structural changes to preserve and protect the program. That's why I believe that Mitt Romney is the best candidate for president..." Click Here To Listen To The Full Audio: http://www.gop.com/audio/5.15.2012_Nevada.mp3   ### 

Colorado Treasurer Walker Stapleton:   "I think there is a great opportunity in this election cycle particularly for Governor Romney to highlight differences between himself and President Obama on the record of our economy and job growth and economic management. I think that it is important to recognize that in order to run for reelection as president it's important to have a rationale for one's reelection and President Obama , in my opinion, has a woefully inadequate record of both job growth and economic recovery in the United States. We have 23 million plus people out of work in this country and in Colorado the unemployment rate is just under 8 percent and nationally it's just over 8 percent and unfortunately our deficits are growing much larger. "President Obama has presided over trillion dollar deficits his last three years in office. The debt was $10 trillion the day the president took office and we are now at a $14.6, approximately, trillion dollar deficit. The stock market is clearly not stable based on job news that fluctuates and the increase in price of gas. There are deep problems with our economic recovery in this country and I think that people will be looking for somebody who has a skill set from the private sector of actually creating jobs, creating economic opportunities and not increasing our corporate tax rates which are already amongst the most regressive in the entire world, not looking to repeal President Bush's tax cuts, not looking to increase capital gains tax rates, which I think would have a very negative long term effect on debt accumulation. Here in Colorado I think we are seeing a lot of the same challenges in our budget that we are seeing nationwide as well... "I think that we have an entitlement problem at the federal level and I think that we have a massive entitlement problem here in Colorado. I think the president has not taken on at all looming entitlement problems, looming problems to Social Security. Unfortunately his Supercommittee didn't even address entitlements and I think that without entitlement reform you are never going to get sustainable budget in the future in our country and definitely not in Colorado either. So, I really think that there is an opportunity for Governor Romney to talk about his business record and his economic record in a positive way that people can believe that we can turn the corners here on these difficult economic times and record deficits..." Click Here To Listen To The Full Audio: http://www.gop.com/audio/5.15.2012_Colorado.mp3   ### 

Colorado Treasurer Walker Stapleton:   "I think there is a great opportunity in this election cycle particularly for Governor Romney to highlight differences between himself and President Obama on the record of our economy and job growth and economic management. I think that it is important to recognize that in order to run for reelection as president it's important to have a rationale for one's reelection and President Obama , in my opinion, has a woefully inadequate record of both job growth and economic recovery in the United States. We have 23 million plus people out of work in this country and in Colorado the unemployment rate is just under 8 percent and nationally it's just over 8 percent and unfortunately our deficits are growing much larger. "President Obama has presided over trillion dollar deficits his last three years in office. The debt was $10 trillion the day the president took office and we are now at a $14.6, approximately, trillion dollar deficit. The stock market is clearly not stable based on job news that fluctuates and the increase in price of gas. There are deep problems with our economic recovery in this country and I think that people will be looking for somebody who has a skill set from the private sector of actually creating jobs, creating economic opportunities and not increasing our corporate tax rates which are already amongst the most regressive in the entire world, not looking to repeal President Bush's tax cuts, not looking to increase capital gains tax rates, which I think would have a very negative long term effect on debt accumulation. Here in Colorado I think we are seeing a lot of the same challenges in our budget that we are seeing nationwide as well... "I think that we have an entitlement problem at the federal level and I think that we have a massive entitlement problem here in Colorado. I think the president has not taken on at all looming entitlement problems, looming problems to Social Security. Unfortunately his Supercommittee didn't even address entitlements and I think that without entitlement reform you are never going to get sustainable budget in the future in our country and definitely not in Colorado either. So, I really think that there is an opportunity for Governor Romney to talk about his business record and his economic record in a positive way that people can believe that we can turn the corners here on these difficult economic times and record deficits..." Click Here To Listen To The Full Audio: http://www.gop.com/audio/5.15.2012_Colorado.mp3   ### 

Excerpts from the Union Leader   By: Chairman Reince Priebus May 15, 2012 "'I don't want to wake up four years from now and find out that our children's future was mortgaged by another mountain of debt.' "That was then-candidate Obama in 2008. But four years later, a 'mountain of debt' is exactly what we're waking up to-all thanks to President Obama. "We all know the national debt poses a grave threat to our economy, our national security, and ultimately our freedom. But President Obama ignored that reality and made matters worse. He broke his promises to control government spending and added more to the debt than any president in history. And his term is not even over. "Under President Obama's watch, the national debt has increased $5 trillion. Today, the debt stands at a mind-numbing $15.6 trillion, or $50,767 per American. In less than ten years, the debt is projected to reach $25.9 trillion due to President Obama's policies. "We cannot afford four more years of this president, because our children cannot afford to spend their lives paying off his debts. "Instead of controlling spending, President Obama dramatically increased it. He wasted $831 billion on his stimulus bill, promising it would save our economy and reduce the unemployment rate to less than 6 percent by now... "President Obama has spurned every opportunity to seriously tackle the deficit. He rejected plans from House Republicans that would have reformed government spending and put America on a path toward fiscal sanity... "First, massive debt destabilizes the economy. Look no further than the nightmare playing out in Greece... "Second, the debt undermines national security. We have to borrow trillions from foreign governments to fund our own government... "Ultimately, debt is a threat to our freedom. It leaves us unable to enjoy full economic freedom at home and powerless to defend freedom abroad... "In November, a vote for President Obama is a vote for more spending and more debt, less prosperity and limited opportunity. A vote for Governor Romney is a vote for spending reforms and efficient government ..." Click Here to Read The Full Op-Ed: http://bit.ly/JQjcsO   ### 

U.S. Congressman Steve King (IA-5): "I'm glad we have shifted into this mode where it is Governor Romney's economic policies versus Barack Obama's economic policies... Our national debt today is $15.689 trillion the national debt when Barack Obama was sworn into office was $10.626 trillion. In over this period of time of three and half years we have seen roughly a $5 trillion dollar increase in our national debt. Our debt was 80% of the GDP when he was elected. The debt is 105% today and to give you an example Greece's is at 152% now and if you project Barack Obama's trillion dollar plus per year here on out, we are going to be approaching the condition that Greece is in if we have a second Obama term... "We have a real philosophical difference in this presidential election...There is no place for him to go but to double-down and to borrow more money and hand out more money and tell people that it is your patriotic duty to spend it. Mitt Romney has extensive experience in the private sector and in the public sector and no one questions that he is a consummate manager. No one questions his economic understanding and his economic ability and I think the American people are going to have a very clear choice... "If you grow government to the point where it stifles the private sector and the private sector essentially can't contribute to the growth of the GDP any longer you reach a point where you can't borrow money anymore and you have a country that's not growing its GDP. I think we need to think about what happens in the microcosm of Greece and more people are discouraged from or being discouraged from being involved in the workforce and we have some number that approaches 100 million people in America of working age simply not in the workforce, if they aren't going to work they are not increasing the GDP of the United States... "We cannot go on this trajectory. The individual share of the national debt today is $51,000 and its increased $16,500 per individual since Barack Obama came to office..."   Iowa Auditor of State David Vaudt:  "Obviously as Iowa State Auditor, I have repeatedly expressed concern of the condition of the federal budget and how it will impact Iowa's finances. For every dollar of state revenue spent, Iowa spends another dollar in federal revenue to provide general funds services. The sustainability of federal revenues coming to the states is a big problem and it has really grown over the past few years of the Obama administration. Eventually, the federal government will either choose to decrease its spending or, like Greece, it's going to be forced to cut its spending. Either way, when that happens, Iowans will be directly impacted. "This president has promised 'change we can believe in' but in the past three plus years of his administration all we have is a string of broken fiscal promises. The president promised to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term, obviously that won't happen. He promised a stimulus package that would keep the unemployment rate down and stimulate a strong recovery, neither has happened. He's promised healthcare would reduce the national debt but according to the Congressional Budget Office that law will actually add over $1.3 trillion to the national debt. And those revised projections just seem to be getting worse. "I think the only 'change we can believe in', in this administration where we will see additional national debt. The Obama administration has regretfully created an environment of uncertainty. Uncertainty that has really stifled economic growth. Our growth rate is far behind what we should see in a normal recovery. This president has been a failure on the most important issue of the last five years: the economy. America needs an economic comeback and a president who knows what it takes to make that comeback happen. It's time to put a Republican back in the White House."   Click Here To Listen To The Full Audio: http://www.gop.com/audio/5.14.2012_Iowa.mp3     ###

WASHINGTON - The Republican National Committee (RNC) released a new web video

Excerpts from the Reno Gazette Journal     By: Chairman Reince Priebus May 11, 2012 "In 2008, then-candidate Barack Obama told us, 'The real question is, 'Will this country be better off four years from now?' "Yet today, as the president speaks in Reno, he won't dare ask the question, 'Are we better off four years later?' "Nevertheless, President Obama should be held to his own standard. A sitting president is accountable for his record, especially to those who have been hurt most during his presidency: the struggling middle class... "Since President Obama took office, Nevada has lost over 70,000 jobs. Median household incomes have fallen over $5,000 since 2008. Two out of three homeowners owe more on their homes than they are worth. "When Democrats and President Obama forced their $831 billion stimulus, more than $2 trillion ObamaCare bill and massive regulations on us, they said these big government programs would be good for the economy. But we are worse off thanks to these policies... "In November, a vote for President Obama is a vote for more debt and high unemployment, higher taxes and more home foreclosures. "But a vote for Republicans is a vote for a new direction - for opportunity and prosperity. It's a vote for policies that will secure a better future for our children and empower the middle class." Click Here To Read The Full Op-Ed: http://on.rgj.com/JpUCf6   ###

Excerpts from Red State By: Chairman Reince Priebus May 10, 2012 "The Celebrity-in-Chief heads to a Hollywood blockbuster fundraiser this afternoon. George Clooney stars as the host. Chef Wolfgang Puck plays a supporting role as caterer. And Obama is expected to rake in as much as $12 million, making it the biggest presidential fundraiser ever. "Of course, President Obama has a long history of hobnobbing with the Hollywood glitterati. He's pitched movies to mogul Harvey Weinstein. He had Davis Guggenheim direct a documentary on his first term. He even hosted a secret 'Alice in Wonderland' costume ball at the White House, decorated by Tim Burton and featuring Johnny Depp. "But, most notably, he's taken their money-so much of their money. The president himself readily admits he depends on celebrity cash to fund his campaign... "With the president appearing increasingly out-of-touch, and his policies leaving Americans out of work, it's unsurprising that only 19 percent of voters believe Obama's policies favor the middle class, according to a CBS-New York Times poll. "The Clooney fundraiser will be Obama's 133rd fundraiser since declaring reelection. No president has held nearly as many fundraisers as President Obama. "But with middle class Americans reeling from the effects of Obama's failed leadership, not even Hollywood magic can cover up the truth. "With a first term this disastrous, we can't afford to see the second-because if we've learned anything from Hollywood, it's that the sequel is always worse." Click Here To Read The Full Op-Ed: http://bit.ly/JCBYkX   ###