That sound you hear is the White House’s credibility bubble bursting. CBS reported last week that 74 percent of Americans believe the Obama stimulus either damaged the economy or had no effect.

The wisdom of the crowd turns out to be true.

The White House boasts that the $862 billion Stimulus is performing like a well-oiled machine, ensuring that 3.5 million jobs have been “created or saved” because of it. At $246, 285.71 per job, that’s a hefty claim were it true. Since February of 2009 the U.S. economy lost a net 2.35 million jobs.

What is true is that the administration’s confidence-crushing economic policies are, according to National Federation of Independent Business Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg, “scaring us to death”. What’s happened here is that a White House sorely lacking in private-sector experience has, for almost two years now, been broadcasting a clear message: “Business: beware.”

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“Health overhaul to force changes in employer plans.” “Draft health rules set hurdles.” “Employer health care costs to jump 9% in 2011.” With headlines like these splashed across the nation’s newspapers, it’s no wonder the American public remains steadfastly opposed to the government takeover of health care signed into law by President Obama in March. Just this week, the Obama administration released bureaucratic new health care regulations that could change or eliminate more than half of all employer-provided health care plans, affecting tens of millions of Americans. Apparently, “If you like it, you can keep it” was an Obama promise too good to be true – one of many, as it is turning out.

Indeed, ObamaCare’s broken promises are piling up for America’s families, seniors, and job-creators and stifling the economic recovery we all hope to achieve. Bureaucratic mandates, higher taxes, and record deficit spending are proven job killers – yet these very principles lay at the heart of the Democrats’ government takeover of health care.

During the Blair House summit, Speaker Pelosi decreed the Democrats’ health care plan would “create four million jobs — 400,000 jobs almost immediately.” With a national unemployment rate stuck near 10 percent, and with 15 million Americans searching for work, Republicans and the American people continue to ask: Where are the jobs?

One of the lasting lessons of the health care debate is this: The American people will no longer accept a federal government that is tone-deaf to their concerns. Men and women who never before have spoken out about politics are now standing up and demanding to be heard. And Republicans are using every resource and seizing every opportunity to bring their voices to Washington D.C.

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This week, I had the privilege to deliver the Weekly Republican Address.  In it, I talk about how Washington Democrats’ continued failure to end their out-of-control spending spree is scaring the hell out of the American people and hurting our economy.  The need for action could not be clearer: a $13 trillion debt, near-10 percent unemployment, and stagnant private sector growth.  Having run a small business, I can tell you that all this deficit spending, coupled with the new health care law’s burdensome mandates and tax hikes, is crushing these engines of our economy.

As bad as things are, Democrats don’t even intend to pass a budget, doing nothing instead of seizing this critical opportunity to provide the fiscal discipline that is sorely needed to create jobs and boost our economy.   Even after presenting President Obama with a statement signed by more than 100 economists that says just that, he still has not pressed leaders in his own party to take action.  Taxpayers have every right to be fed up with this stunning failure of leadership – the kind of leadership President Obama promised to provide.

These and other topics are discussed in the Weekly Republican Address:

“Hello – I’m John Boehner.  In these tough economic times, American families have done their level best to stay afloat – spending less and working more while trying to map out a financially sound future.  They deserve that same degree of discipline and vigilance from their government.

“But instead of bringing fiscal sanity to Washington like he promised, President Obama has spent taxpayer dollars with reckless abandon, refusing to make tough choices and pushing the burden on to future generations.  No price tag has been too high for Washington Democrats, and now we’re all paying the price.

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With the government takeover of healthcare becoming law and our ever-increasing national debt weighing down on our children’s future, Washington’s agenda looks nothing like the American peoples agenda. It’s no wonder people all across America are continually asking the same question: why isn’t Washington listening to us?

I’ve had enough. Have you? Well, here’s a new outlet - www.AmericaSpeakingOut.com – to voice your ideas to change America. This is an outlet where these ideas will not fall on deaf ears. Together, we can create something new, something bold, and something to act as a check and balance to Washington’s out-of-touch agenda. And we can work to craft this agenda now, instead of waiting to let more bad policy go unchecked. The stakes are just too high to wait any longer. American families continue to struggle from job losses month after month, all while Congress continues to increase Washington spending, pile onto the debt, mettle with American free enterprise, and ignore national unemployment that hovers near ten percent.

Thankfully, millions of Americans are engaged and continue to offer ideas, even though the majority in Congress shuns the idea of listening to the people. As a Member of the minority in the House of Representatives, I’ve seen this firsthand. I held two healthcare town halls last summer, and about five thousand people showed up to overwhelmingly support saying no to the government takeover of healthcare. But, Washington did not listen to our voices, and the voices of countless other Americans. Instead, the backroom deals prevailed over the majority of America. Well, we can change that. That is why were trying something different.

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The Democrat majority isn’t listening, but House Republicans will. That’s why we’re launching America Speaking Out; an unprecedented initiative of engagement with the American people that will lead to a governing policy agenda for America. Through the use of cutting-edge technology, town hall meetings, and old-fashioned conversation, America Speaking Out will surely become one of the largest online conversations ever about how to get back to a smaller, smarter, more accountable government. This initiative will lead to vital communication with the American people about the serious challenges that they’re waiting for Congress to address.

Washington Democrats have been ramming their own one-sided agenda through Congress. And, throughout the past year, they have repeatedly gone behind closed doors and choked off opportunities for honest and transparent debate. But, my Republican colleagues and I are ready for an exchange of ideas that will restore the bonds of trust between Americans and their elected leaders.

We have to show the American people that we know what’s at stake this year. In the face of failed leadership by Congressional Democrats, House Republicans must produce a vision for a better America that will return our national government to the common sense and common values of everyday Americans. And we’re looking to the American people to help us.

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