Obama: GOP tax policy sends jobs overseas
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. President Obama Saturday accused Republicans of favoring tax policies that encourage businesses to move jobs out of the United States.
In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama called for tax credits to help U.S. businesses in the buy new equipment and employ more people. He said he would also like to end tax incentives for relocating jobs to other countries.
"Over the last four years alone, Republicans in the House voted 11 times to continue rewarding corporations that create jobs and profits overseas -- a policy that costs taxpayers billions of dollars every year," the president said.
Obama said individual initiative is the main driver behind job creation but government plays an important role.
"And that's to create an environment in which someone can raise capital to start a new company; where a business can get a loan to expand; where ingenuity is prized and folks are rewarded for their hard work," he said.
GOP equates Americans to Chilean miners
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- The weekly Republican address Saturday by Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana equated the plight of 307 million Americans with the 33 Chilean miners rescued last week.
Pence began by acknowledging the rescue of the miners who spent 69 days underground in primitive conditions until they were drawn up one by one in an internationally broadcast effort.
"Today, many Americans feel trapped under the weight of historic spending and government mandates," Pence said in the GOP's weekly radio and Internet message. "This administration suggests that our choice is between the failed economic policies of the present and the failed economic policies of the past, but there is a better way."
Pence reiterated the Republican call for Congress to extend the George W. Bush-initiated tax cuts due to expire Jan. 1.
"No American should see a tax increase in January and Republicans are determined to oppose any effort to raise taxes on any American in this difficult economy," Pence said.
Congress is in recess until after the Nov. 2 midterm elections and traditionally, major votes such as the Republicans are seeking before the Christmas holiday adjournment aren't common.
Dems raise nearly $16 million in September
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised nearly $16 million during September, its largest-ever monthly total, officials said.
That's twice the amount raised in August, and it will be spent supporting Democratic candidates ahead of November's midterm elections, The Hill reported Saturday.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee took in $8.3 million in September, and spent nearly $14 million promoting its candidates.
The NRCC has $19 million available for the final weeks of campaigning, while the DSCC has $25.6 million on hand, the report said.
"While we've always expected to be out raised and outspent by the Democrats, the reality is that they've now been forced to abandon a number of their candidates on the campaign battlefield, including Robin Carnahan in Missouri just this week, and have assumed an almost purely defensive posture," said Rob Jesmer, the NRSC's executive director. "Senate Republicans are not only on offense in at least 10 Democrat-held Senate seats, but we're shifting even greater financial resources into blue states like California, Washington, and Illinois."
About $2 million of the DSCC's September totals came from a transfer from the Democratic National Committee, and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., gave $1 million. The committee took in more than $27 million in the third quarter of the year, the report said.
"Democrats are increasingly unified and motivated in the final stretch of the midterm elections," said DSCC Executive Director J.B. Poersch. "As Republicans nominate extremists who want to return to the failed Bush economic policies of the past, Democrats are ready to fight."
Retirement age strikes hobble France
PARIS, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- A French government minister in Paris called for calm Saturday as thousands of workers went on strike to protest a pending hike in the retirement age.
Amid civic chaos and national strikes all week that targeted fuel supplies, Economy Minister Christine Lagarde issued a statement calling for reason," the BBC reported.
"There is no reason to panic over this. I am sure that we will unblock the situation through intelligent social dialogue," Lagarde said.
At issue is President Nicolas Sarkozy's intention to raise the state retirement age from 60 to 62, and from 65 to 67 for a full government pension, the report said.
Britain's Sky News said throughout the past week protesting workers at France's 12 oil refineries have slowed production to a point where rail and air transport have been affected.
Saturday, the transport ministry issued a warning that the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris only had enough fuel to last a few days, the BBC said. A strike by ground workers at Orly Airport in Paris grounded several Air France flights Friday, Sky News said.
Unions are calling for another national strike Tuesday.
