O’Donnell: You didn't rebuild that

>>> what was the most lied about statement president obama made this year? what did the president say that republicans then lied about, day in and day out? and even devoted one night of their convention to lying about? this. this was the most lied about thing president obama said this year.

>> if you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. there was a great teacher somewhere in your life. somebody helped to create this unbelievable american system that we have that allowed you to thrive. somebody invested in roads and bridges. if you got a business, you didn't build that. somebody else made that happen. the internet didn't get invented on its own. government research created the internet so that all the companies could make money off the internet. the point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together. there are some things just like fighting fires we don't do on our own. so we say to ourselves, every since the founding of this country, you know what? there's some things we do better together.

>> that is the full version of the statement. the version you never hear from republicans. what republicans reduced that to was, if you have a business, you didn't build that. what the president actually said was somebody invested in roads and bridges if you've got a business you didn't build that. what he was very clearly saying was if you have a business, you did not build the road that your business is on. you did not build the roads that lead to and from your business. the roads and bridges that allow you to do business. in the closing week of the campaign, you haven't heard a word from republicans about you didn't build that, which was once their favorite attack line on the president. and one republican is very busy these days thanking the federal government for what it has built.

>> i saw in places like avalon where there were significant dunes that were built by the army corps of engineers , they did much, much better than some of the things that were done in the northern part of the shore. one of the things i'm going to be talking to the president about is bringing the army corps immediately.

>> countless businesses have been destroyed. those businesses will not reopen without help from the government. federal and state government took coordinated action today to make sure those businesses and individuals will be able to get fuel, fuel that was rapidly running out. cars in new jersey were going to run out of gas. gas stations were going to run out of gas. and not be able to get anymo more. if the government didn't take action today. the government, yes, the gas stations and the drivers are going to pay for that gasoline out of their own pockets when they buy it, but they weren't going to be able to get it without government help. the government will clear the streets of wreck age and debris in front of the businesses that are now closed. the government will do the repair work that allows those businesses to have electrical power , to have passable streets. and ultimately allows those businesses to reopen and thrive once again. the government will reopen the transportation systems that allow those businesses' employees to come to work. transportation systems that allow those businesses' customers to come to their stores and restaurants. the owners and workers of those businesses will work harder than theyed ha ever had to work before to get their businesses up and running again and they deserve to take pride in whatever rebuilding they do. but what they know is that they cannot do it alone. not now. many of them will get checks directly from the federal government for rebuilding. and one republican now believes they should get those checks from the federal government , believes that they deserve those checks.

>> when people who don't have interest on the jersey shore , have never visited, have no interest in seeing it make it, see this in a world of shrinking resources, is it fair to ask why you? why the money? why the effort if this is the new normal?

>> well, listen, it's fair to ask it but i have the answer. the answer is that for new jersey , which gives so much to this country, by the way, 50th in return of our federal tax dolla dollars. so new jerseyians sent more than any other state in america getting back less. when that is done and you see that our state is a state that needs this to contribute to our economy and also to the soul and sieb ranscy of our state, i think we have answers and arguments to make. and you're looking at the guy who's going to make those arguments.

>> now chris christie is going to be the republican guy who is going to say to washington, give us money for spending on infrastructure. the kind of spending that republicans mocked in the you didn't build that lie that they told about president obama all year. le chris christie is the republican guy who's going to say to washington give us earmarks, yes, earmarks for the army corps of engineers to build sand dunes on our beaches. exactly the kind of spending that republicans have ridiculed for years. sand dunes that just saved lives in new jersey . and chris christie will have a little extra punch to his argument. because as he rightly points out, what he's asking for is for new jersey to get its own money back. new jersey sends in more money to the federal government than it ever gets back in federal spending. per person, new jersey sends in more money than any other state compared to what it gets back in federal spending. the wealthier states have always done this. the phenomenon was first tracked by then-senator from new york dannal patrick monahan who based his funding on that fact that new york sends into the government far more money than it gets back. while at the same time states like alabama, alaska, louisiana, kentucky, mississippi, west virginia , wyoming, they all operate as clients of the federal government , collecting from the federal treasury far, far more than they ever send in in tax payments. these states have always lived off new york 's money and new jersey 's money and connecticut's monday and california's money and they've always been represented by conservative politicians happy to make speeches about wasteful federal spending while they were very busy directing that wasteful federal spending as they would call it to their own states. when staten island and the rest of new york state and new jersey and the other storm-damaged states are rebuilt, there is now at least one republican in new jersey who will understand the profound truth president obama spoke when he said this.

>> somebody invested in roads and bridges. if you've got a business, you didn't build that.