Quotes from Bill Press

Here is one of the first rules of politics: it's not enough that I do well; I must also destroy my enemy.

In politics there are no principles, just opportunities

Things are not as bad as they seem. They are worse.

Today, the U.S. has lost one out of every four manufacturing jobs that existed before NAFTA—over 5 million, with 42,000 factories closed. A modest trade surplus with Mexico was replaced with a large, persistent deficit. . . . NAFTA's new investor protections dramatically increased the ability of corporations to outsource entire factories to Mexico"—resulting in the "giant sucking sound" presidential candidate Ross Perot warned us about.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership If corporations liked NAFTA, they will love TPP—and American workers hate the prospect of it. As some Democratic members of Congress succinctly put it, TPP is "NAFTA on steroids." First

In other words, in Barack Obama's world, incrementalism is good enough. Fortunately, nobody ever told that to FDR or Teddy Roosevelt, or Lyndon Johnson.

And despite promising "everything I've got," President Obama either did not know how, or chose not, to use the persuasive powers of the presidency, à la Lyndon Baines Johnson, to force them to act.11

In total, as of this writing in October 2015, there have been 972 mass shootings since the Sandy Hook murders, resulting in at least 1,217 people dead and 3,509 wounded.

And, most disappointing of all, Obama turned out to be a cautious, hesitant, almost timid chief executive, not the dynamic, bold, fearless leader we were all counting on.

Eight years ago, we chanted: "Yes, we can." Today, on too many issues, we lament: "Yes, we could have—but we didn't.

On the economy, good intentions were not enough. Bold leadership was needed. But Barack Obama did not provide it. And the economy still suffers.

Obama's no LBJ.18

You can disagree, but it's a personal belittling attack which is beneath the dignity of the presidency.