Obama, House Republicans Debate Their Divisions (NYT)

[jefferson_dem]

Obama, House Republicans Debate Their Divisions
By PETER BAKER AND CARL HULSE



President Obama held a document of Republican solutions given to him by House Minority Leader John Boehner, before addressing Republican lawmakers at the GOP House Issues Conference in Baltimore on Friday.BALTIMORE – President Obama challenged Republicans in Congress to work together with him on the economy, health care and other issues as he tried to jumpstart a stalled legislative agenda after a year of partisan gridlock.

Trying to break through the logjam that has stymied much of his legislative agenda and reposition himself again as a leader who wants to cross party lines, Mr. Obama visited a gathering of the House Republican conference and promoted his ideas while promising to consider theirs.

“I don’t believe the American people want us to focus on our job security. They want us to focus on their job security,” he said, drawing applause from the Republicans. “I don’t think they want more gridlock. I don’t think they want more partisanship. I don’t think they want more obstruction. They didn’t send us to Washington to fight each other in some sort of steel-cage match to see who comes out alive.”

Mr. Obama complained to the Republicans about their opposition to his economic stimulus plan last year, noting that it included hundreds of billions of dollars in tax breaks as well as spending for infrastructure and other programs. He chided them in particular for, in some cases, showing up for ribbon-cutting ceremonies for projects funded by the stimulus package that they had voted against. And he complained that a bipartisan budget commission was killed in the Senate.

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http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/obama-house-republicans-debate-their-divisions/?src=twt&twt=thecaucus

[HopeOverFear]

1. how the hell can they can publish this when the conference isn't even OVER YET???

damn...

[livetohike]

2. LOL at the spiral notebook of Republican solutions

Did they pass that around before lunch and everybody write something? :-)

[CAG]

3. He is SCHOOLING them. They are so stupid to come out with their

questions straight out of tea party land faux news hype and he answers them with...... wait for it...... data and facts. Its killing them.

[eleny]

4. "...You would think it's a Bolshevik plot!"

Obama describing how Repukes responded to the Health Care Bill.

Funny stuff in that spanking. :D

[MadBadger]

5. I never have cared for the whole "Chess" thing people talk about

Mostly cuz I dont "get" chess.


But the dude is definitely playing chess right now.

[Clio the Leo]

6. See there!

The whole point of chess is thinking two and three steps ahead of your opposition ... the moves you make now might not benefit you immediately, but they'll force him to do something that will result in greater gain for you.

Forget the SOTU .... if *I* were one of the House GOP members and I learned he was going to be there and was going to FILM it, I'd have either NOT shown up or not asked a question .... no matter what someone thinks of his policies, there are few people on this earth who can out talk Barack Obama.

[Cha]

7. Right, and I don't play

chess but I know it's a symbol for thinking like that..and Obama and his Team are intelligent enough and would have to do this.. for all the problems they're solving on a Global basis.

Doesn't come out perfect all the time but they're in there giving it their all while Dealing in Facts!:think:

[jenmito]

8. I grew up playing chess, since my father and two brothers are

chess masters (well, one of my brother's is, and the others are one step below him) and it's a VERY difficult game. I think it's the only game that doesn't involve any chance of any kind. It's all strategy-all skill.

[Cha]

9. It is difficult..just

like being the President of a country after one bush&cheney ran it down for 8 years.

Do you play often? If one plays I would imgagine they get even more of a feel of what the White House's strategies are.

[jenmito]

12. True,

but being President is probably a little more stressful.

No, I don't play any more. But I'm still aware of the similarities. :)

[depakid]

10. Hate to say it- but he's getting played

He's in there legitimizing their often irrational policies, reinforcing their narrative- and giving them inroads to further their agenda own the line.

Tête-à-tête's are just checkers- the strategy's in the framing.

[jenmito]

13. You're wrong...

he's knocking down every RW talking point that, up 'til now, they got to repeat unchallenged. This was great for people to finally see a rebuttal to all the BS talking points.

[Cha]

14. Unreal, the denial.

.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

11. McConnell looks like he's going to cry on Obama's shoulder.