On jobs bill, White House bets on Boehner's support

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: Politico

President Barack Obama needs House Speaker John Boehner’s help to muscle a jobs bill through Congress, but he’s betting that Boehner needs the win just as badly.

The White House strategy rests on the risky assumption that Obama can sell Boehner on a new political reality: With voters desperate for jobs, neither leader can afford to do nothing.

It’s a twist on the conventional wisdom that Republicans can ignore a weakened Obama. His approval ratings are low, but Congress is worse off, senior administration officials said Tuesday. House Republicans hold a 48-seat majority, but more than 60 of them will run in districts that Obama won in 2008 — and will contest heavily next year, the officials said. And while the tea party may loathe Obama’s plan, the coveted independent vote does not, they added.

The political calculation is dicey — and the GOP calls it flawed, for several reasons. The Republican Conference has shown itself to be ideologically opposed to much of what Obama thinks would create jobs, and some are reluctant to do anything to help him in 2012. It also overlooks a simple Hill dynamic: By sending over a bill financed by what Republicans call tax hikes and urging them to pass it, the president is damaging his own cause.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/63455.html

[Javaman]

1. only a fool would take that bet. nt

[Johnson20]

10. Yeah. Wonder what the odds are. n/t

[Maeve]

2. Sucker bet. He's not a good Speaker nor a real leader. eom

[bulloney]

3. Repubs are deliberately sabotaging the economy, betting that voters will blame Obama and Democrats

when the 2012 elections take place.

Republicans have never cooperated in the past. Boehner knows his seat is very secure with his district's voters. So, why should Obama expect cooperation now?

What did Einstein say about the definition of insanity?

[GOTV]

4. Because Boehner has Obama's best interests at heart

I understand this article claims that Obama expects that it's in Boehner interest to do something about jobs - but it isn't. The best thing for Boehner is for the economy to remain bad and Obama to lose his job.

Obama is still playing the sucker.

[russspeakeasy]

5. It wouldn't be the first stupid bet they have made...

:evilfrown:

[Harry Monroe]

6. President Obama, what color is the sky on your planet?

Naive, naive, naive.

[Overseas]

7. You mean just because Ohio is at its highest poverty rate in over 30 years?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4994205

[Old Codger]

8. I thought

He was a slow learner but this is somewhere magnitudes beyond that, have to create a new definition for this idea. Actually hate to even think of another reason for this seeming stupidity.

[COLGATE4]

9. Yeah, that oughta work THIS time.

:puke: :banghead:

[No Elephants]

11. Would they say this without some indication from Boehner?

[Betty]

12. He is never going to accept the fact

That the repugs want only one thing, and that is for him to FAIL. they have proven this over and over again, and yet he pathetically keeps coming back for more abuse. what the fuck is wrong with him????????

[quakerboy]

15. That is not true

They also want all the poor people to die off, or at least shut up. And they want the rich to be tax free. And for the brown people to remain properly subservient.

[AnnieBW]

13. You get better odds with the Mafia

Seriously? They think that they can get John of Orange's support?

:banghead:

[neverforget]

14. They never learn do they?

:eyes: