Jobs vs. Tea Party Economics

Today is President Obama's 1000th day in office - and the 1000th day of right-wing pundits and Republican politicians rooting for him to fail. Later this week, the Senate will likely vote on a part of the President's American Jobs Act to put more of our teachers, firefighters, and cops back on the job.

CORE MESSAGE

 We face a choice: American jobs or Tea Party economics.

Connect: We need to create jobs now - our leaders need to put ideology aside and do what works.

Define: Last week, Republicans in Congress voted for Tea Party economics: laying off teachers, leaving veterans without jobs, and letting more of our roads and bridges crumble.

Discredit: "Trickle down economics" - tax giveaways for the richest 1% - doesn't work. "Tea Party economics" - cutting jobs to create jobs - doesn't work either.

Make them choose: This week, they'll face another choice: take away jobs from 400,000 teachers or keep them teaching the next generation and spending in our local stores.

Illustrate: Washington Republicans keep asking "where are the jobs?" Well, the jobs are right in front of them. They just have to stop blocking them.

TAILOR THIS MESSAGE

You can use the White House state-by-state fact sheets about the impact of the American Jobs Act to tailor this message to your state:

"This week, [YOUR SENATOR] faces a choice: they can put [FILL IN NUMBER] teachers back in our kids' classrooms and keep more firefighters and cops on the job, or they can choose Tea Party economics."

ATTACKS AND RESPONSES

"Republicans have a better jobs plan."

• Economists say the Republican proposal won't help our economy in the short-term and could even send our economy back into a recession. 
• Instead of voting for proposals that we know actually create jobs, Republican politicians just repackaged the same failed ideas they've been pushing all along.
• "Trickle down economics" - tax giveaways for the richest 1% - doesn't work. "Tea Party economics" - cutting jobs to create jobs - doesn't work either.

"It's ridiculous to suggest that Republicans are rooting against the economy."

• Let's not forget Republicans in Congress have said their top goal is to defeat the President and break our government.
• That's why since the beginning of this presidency, Republican leaders have fought for job-killing cuts, tried to stop the President from creating jobs, and brought us the Tea Party Downgrade.
• The evidence is clear: Republican politicians would rather see the President fail than put Americans back to work.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Over 60% of Americans support federal funding to fix our crumbling roads, bridges, and schools, and three out of four Americans support using federal funds to put teachers, firefighters, and cops back to work. The American Jobs Act would do just that, including putting 400,000 teachers back into our classrooms.
• The President's original American Jobs Act is made up of practical ideas that both parties have already supported, including a tax credit for companies that hire new workers, investments in the nation's infrastructure, and tax credits to businesses hiring out-of-work veterans.
• More tax giveaways for millionaires and big corporations just mean more money for millionaires and big corporations that already have more money than they can spend, not jobs.
• Washington Republicans voting down the Jobs Act the first time is a perfect example of why their constituents back home are taking to the streets and speaking out - and these Occupy Wall Street protestors are now twice as popular with the American people as the Tea Party.

We develop messaging by aggregating, analyzing and distilling polling, tested messaging, and expert recommendations, and monitoring the media to identify what is and isn't working.  See here for some of the experts and organizations we draw on.