WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus released the following statement on the January unemployment report: “While today’s jobs report brings welcome news of lower unemployment, far too many Americans are still without work.  Our economy remains unacceptably weak, and families across the country are still struggling to make ends meet,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. “Three years ago yesterday, President Obama said that if he didn’t have the economy fixed ‘in three years,’ his presidency would ‘be a one-term proposition.’ Today’s unemployment numbers remind us that our economy is far from fixed. That, by the president’s own standard, should make him a one-term president. “After three years in office, Barack Obama has failed to produce the economic recovery he promised. His endless pursuit of regulations, mandates, taxes and deficits made economic recovery significantly more difficult.   “Our country desperately needs a change in direction. We need a president who will fight for hard-working taxpayers, not just campaign donors and his own job. As the campaigner-in-chief travels around the country, he’s making countless promises for a second term. Today’s jobs report reminds us that he could not even keep the promises from his first term.” ###

Excerpts from National Journal By: Ronald Brownstein February 2, 2012   “The Gallup state-by-state average approval numbers for 2011 released this week don't necessarily predict where President Obama will finish on Election Day, but they do measure the hill he must climb to win re-election. “The most important number in presidential elections, of course, is 270 - the number of Electoral College votes it takes to win. The best way to examine the Gallup numbers is to measure them against that yardstick. “In 2010, if you sorted down from Obama's highest approval rating to his lowest, he could reach 270 Electoral College votes by carrying the 22 states plus the District of Columbia where his approval rating stood at 46.9 percent or more… “In the 2011 numbers, the situation looks much more difficult for Obama. From 2010 to 2011, Gallup found, his average approval ratings dropped in every state except Connecticut, Maine and (oddly enough) Wyoming. As a result, to reach 270 Electoral College votes based on the 2011 numbers, he would need to win 20 states plus the District of Columbia where his approval rating stands at 44.5 percent or more…  “Obama in 2010 could reach an Electoral College majority by carrying states where his approval rating stood at least at 46.6 percent, something that would be difficult but hardly impossible. To reach a majority based on the 2011 results, he'd need to carry states where his approval stood at 43.7 percent or above. That's a much more daunting prospect… “In 2011, the states in which Obama's approval rating exceeds 50 percent-enough to make him a clear favorite-have a combined total of 159 Electoral College votes. His rating stands between 47 percent and 49.9 percent in states with another combined 56 Electoral College votes. That means he's favored at least somewhat in states with 215 Electoral College votes. That's a big decline from 2010, when he stood above 50 percent in states with 175 Electoral College votes and from 47 to 49.9 percent in states with another 84, for 259 favored votes… “The implication is that the number of states Obama can plausibly contest to reach 270 Electoral College votes is narrowing…in 2010, Obama's approval rating stood at 47 percent or above in New Mexico, Oregon, Iowa, Ohio and Nevada, all states he carried in 2008. His average 2011 ratings fell below that level in all five states… “These Gallup numbers show how much work awaits the Obama campaign, not only in states at the border of the emerging Democratic coalition like Virginia, Florida and Nevada, but some, like Pennsylvania and Oregon that have been part of its core since 1992.” Click Here To Read The Full Article: http://bit.ly/xjb00P   ###  

Excerpts from Red State By: Reince Priebus February 2, 2012   “Eric Holder testifies before Congress today on his department’s outrageous Operation Fast and Furious scandal. Eager to provide political cover for Obama’s embattled Attorney General, House Democrats…released a report attempting to exonerate Holder and his political appointees for failing to do their jobs. “Of course, their report says Holder’s innocent. The facts say he’s guilty. I say he must resign. “This cynical ploy is just the latest effort by Democrats to cover up the truth. Slowly but surely, their web of misstatements, falsehoods, and shifting blame is coming unraveled, revealing a reckless and incompetent administration… “It’s a disaster and tragedy that could have been prevented, and the Justice Department refuses to take responsibility… “Democrats will do anything to avoid blame. The DOJ withheld information. The White House accused congressmen of ‘playing politics.’…The administration sealed the court documents connected to the murder of the border patrol agent… “Obama still insisted in October that he has 'complete confidence in Attorney General Holder and how he handles his office.' That’s the biggest problem. Obama has 'complete confidence' in a scandal-ridden department… “Americans…have lost their confidence in this administration, and I, along with many other Republicans, have repeatedly called for Holder’s resignation. It’s time he heed those calls. “In his State of the Union address, President Obama said, ‘I am asking my Attorney General to create a special unit of federal prosecutors and leading state attorneys general to expand our investigations into the abusive lending and packaging of risky mortgages that led to the housing crisis.’ “A new agency run by Eric Holder? I wouldn’t get my hopes up on that one.” Click Here To Read The Op-Ed: http://bit.ly/x3me16   ###

“Why Obama Should Be Worried”  Excerpts from POLITICO: “To hear Democrats (and much of the media) tell it, President Barack Obama is a man on the rebound… “There is a big problem with this Pollyanna punditry: There are bunch of real-time numbers coming in that tell a much different tale. “In short, there’s a new Congressional Budget Office report that shows unemployment likely to climb to nearly 9 percent by the election, there’s polling data showing Obama tied or trailing…in the most important swing states…and there is mounting evidence that the assumption of a decisive Obama fundraising advantage for the fall might be flat wrong. All of this is happening while Republicans are at their worst…spending millions of dollars and using all of their air time explaining why the other is untrustworthy, deeply flawed and eminently beatable by Obama… “A new CBO report grabbed lots of headlines for projecting the deficit will top $1 trillion this year — making Obama the first president ever to pile up $1 trillion or more every year in office… “The CBO projects unemployment will rise, hitting 8.8 percent in the third quarter of the year, the heart of the campaign. That’s terrible politics. Obama advisers have told us repeatedly on background that if unemployment is above 8.5 percent in the final months of the campaign, it will be extremely hard, if not impossible, to win. The advisers say independents will not return to Obama if it looks like economic growth is anemic and uncertain and it looks like his policies did little, if anything, to create new jobs under his watch. “Economists seem divided on the question of whether robust enough economic and job growth can happen in time for Obama to benefit… “If Obama is on the rebound, someone forgot to tell swing voters in the most important up-for-grabs states in 2012. “Gallup, which both parties praise for its detailed appraisals of voters’ moods, just crunched the numbers in the 12 states that can authentically be called swing states. The results were hardly great news for Democrats… “Gallup also reported some disturbing national news Monday for Team Obama: The president had a 50 percent or better approval rating last year in only 10 states and the District of Columbia. In five states that could decide the election…Obama’s slide has been steep and uniform… “This is a 50-50 country. If Obama can’t win independents and can’t win the swing states, he can’t win reelection… “Obama fundraising has not been as strong as many Democrats had hoped or anticipate. More troubling for Democrats, there are signs that Republicans…could match the most prolific fundraiser in the history of presidential politics…” Read the Full Article Here: http://politi.co/zVlX0r     “Reelection Rumblings for Obama”  Excerpts from The Hill: “Recent economic reports could have the Obama White House worried. “All of the reports suggest the pace of economic growth is still slow, and that unemployment could rise, and not fall, by the end of the year… “Here’s why the White House should be nervous: “The Federal Reserve has announced it will keep interest rates low through 2014, a sign of its pessimism about the pace of the economic recovery. “The Commerce Department found the nation’s economy grew at a 2.8 percent rate in the fourth quarter of 2011, a faster pace than the rest of the year but worse than expected. If the economic growth slows in the next quarter, it will be tough to keep unemployment down. “The Congressional Budget Office projected a wider budget deficit and rising unemployment for the rest of the year, with the jobless rate expanding to 8.9 percent by the end of the year, when Obama goes to the polls. Rising deficits and unemployment would give Romney and Republicans potent weapons to use against the White House. “Housing remains a problem. The Case-Shiller index again found that home prices across the country fell 1.3 percent in November from October in its most recent survey. Until home prices rebound, voters will lack confidence in the economy’s future, and Obama needs them to feel better about the direction of the country… “The fight for the White House might be determined by how quickly workers return to the labor force. While the official unemployment rate is 8.5 percent, actual unemployment is much higher since the official statistics don’t include people who have dropped out of the labor force… “Zandi said some older workers who have left the workforce because their unemployment benefits have expired might never come back, an argument that suggests the labor force will not expand. “Obama three years ago said he’d be held accountable if the economy didn’t improve. ‘If I don’t have this done in three years, then there’s gonna be a one-term proposition,’ Obama told ‘Today Show’ anchor Matt Lauer, speaking on the economy. “The next 10 months will tell the story.” Read the Full Article Here: http://bit.ly/zCpQh2    ###

WASHINGTON – The Republican National Committee (RNC) released a new web video “How Democrats Describe the Obama Economy” on the third anniversary of Barack Obama saying if he doesn’t have the economy turned around in three years, it’s going to be a one-term proposition. The video catalogues Democrat leaders describing the poor economy under President Obama’s leadership. The web video can be viewed here. Download the web video here. “Three years ago today President Obama said, ‘If I don’t have this done in three years, then there’s going to be a one-term proposition.’ Three years later, 12 million people don’t have jobs, home prices are at an all-time low and there is no end in sight. By his own standard, it’s obvious that this president has failed to turn the economy around. And just like Obama said, it’s time to make this a one-term proposition,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.   ### 

WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus released the following statement on December fundraising: “After breaking multiple fundraising records this year, the Republican National Committee ended 2011 with yet another strong showing, raising $11.6 million in December," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. “2011 was indeed a record-breaking year for the RNC. We raised more major donor money this year than in any off-year in history, while our grassroots supporters continued to play a critical role in our financial success. “Thanks to the generosity of all our supporters, the RNC will a powerful force this election year. Over just the last year, we added nearly $20 million cash-on-hand and paid off $12 million of our debt. “I thank all our donors for their generosity and trust in 2011. Their support will empower us to ensure Barack Obama is a one-term president and elect Republicans up and down the ticket in November.”    ###