Montage: President Obama’s Contributions to Civility in Washington

OBAMA One of my ░░░░░░░░ regrets is my inability ░░░░░░░░ reduce the polarization and ░░░░░░░░ in our politics I ░░░░░░░░ Republicans in Congress right ░░░░░░░░ have shown over and ░░░░░░░░ they ll do anything ░░░░░░░░ wreck the system for ░░░░░░░░ at the top even ░░░░░░░░ the obstruction keeps the ░░░░░░░░ rigged against the middle ░░░░░░░░ Middle class families can ░░░░░░░░ wait for Republicans in ░░░░░░░░ to do stuff So ░░░░░░░░ me Say that climate ░░░░░░░░ constitutes a serious threat ░░░░░░░░ global security Denying it ░░░░░░░░ refusing to deal with ░░░░░░░░ endangers our national security ░░░░░░░░ undermines the readiness of ░░░░░░░░ forces You ve seen ░░░░░░░░ extreme faction of the ░░░░░░░░ Party that has shown ░░░░░░░░ and again and again ░░░░░░░░ they re willing to ░░░░░░░░ the entire party and ░░░░░░░░ country and the economy ░░░░░░░░ the same way members ░░░░░░░░ Congress and the House ░░░░░░░░ in particular don t ░░░░░░░░ to demand ransom in ░░░░░░░░ for doing their jobs ░░░░░░░░ that that ideological extremism ░░░░░░░░ maximalist position is much ░░░░░░░░ prominent right now in ░░░░░░░░ Republican Party I think ░░░░░░░░ s somewhat ironic to ░░░░░░░░ some members of Congress ░░░░░░░░ to make common cause ░░░░░░░░ the hardliners in Iran ░░░░░░░░ don t negotiate by ░░░░░░░░ a gun to the ░░░░░░░░ person s head or ░░░░░░░░ yet by putting a ░░░░░░░░ to the American people ░░░░░░░░ head by threatening a ░░░░░░░░ Think about what we ░░░░░░░░ do if a reckless ░░░░░░░░ didn t hold the ░░░░░░░░ hostage every few months ░░░░░░░░ It is not a ░░░░░░░░ if I show up ░░░░░░░░ your house and say ░░░░░░░░ me everything inside or ░░░░░░░░ m going to burn ░░░░░░░░ down What we re ░░░░░░░░ for is negotiating with ░░░░░░░░ with a bomb strapped ░░░░░░░░ their chest The Republicans ░░░░░░░░ provided a laundry list ░░░░░░░░ essentially ransom demands OBAMA ░░░░░░░░ cannot think of a ░░░░░░░░ potent recruitment tool for ░░░░░░░░ than some of the ░░░░░░░░ that s coming out ░░░░░░░░ here during the course ░░░░░░░░ this debate They are ░░░░░░░░ policies that harm millions ░░░░░░░░ Americans They re not ░░░░░░░░ cold hearted they just ░░░░░░░░ believe that if we ░░░░░░░░ more tax breaks to ░░░░░░░░ fortunate few and we ░░░░░░░░ less in the middle ░░░░░░░░ and we reduce or ░░░░░░░░ the safety net for ░░░░░░░░ poor and the sick ░░░░░░░░ we cut food stamps ░░░░░░░░ we cut Medicaid and ░░░░░░░░ let banks and polluters ░░░░░░░░ credit card companies and ░░░░░░░░ do only what s ░░░░░░░░ for their bottom line ░░░░░░░░ the responsibility to the ░░░░░░░░ of us then somehow ░░░░░░░░ economy will boom and ░░░░░░░░ and prosperity will trickle ░░░░░░░░ to everybody The tone ░░░░░░░░ our politics hasn t ░░░░░░░░ better since I was ░░░░░░░░ In fact it s ░░░░░░░░ worse.”