Political Animal
Blog
The White House doesn’t seem especially surprised by Senate Republicans blocking the American Jobs Act this week. Rather, President Obama and his team appear to be executing a p.r. strategy put in place well ahead of action on Capitol Hill, and making a concerted effort to take advantage of the political circumstances.
Here, for example, is a video Obama for America distributed to its list last night.
For those who can’t watch videos online, it’s a three-minute clip of the president, speaking to OFA supporters from the White House, about what’s transpired. Obama noted, for example, that Senate Republicans “blocked this jobs bill from moving forward,” even though it included measures Republicans have “supported in the past.”
The president added, “Now, a lot of folks in Washington and the media will look at last night’s vote and say, ‘Well, that’s it; the bill is dead. Let’s move on to the next fight.’ I’ve got news for them: not this time, not with so many Americans out of work, not with so many families struggling to get ahead. I will not take no for an answer, and I hope you won’t either.
“In the coming days we will force members of Congress to vote on the individual proposals in the American Jobs Act. They’ll have a chance to vote on whether they believe we should keep teachers out of work or whether we should put them back in the classroom where they belong. They’ll get to vote on whether they believe construction workers should stay unemployed while our roads and bridges fall apart, or whether we should put these men and women back to work rebuilding America. They’ll be forced to decide whether we should cut taxes for middle class Americans or let them go up next year. In fact, that’s exactly what one of the leading Republican Presidential candidates suggested we do during last night’s debate: allow taxes to rise by up to a thousand dollars next year for struggling middle class families.”
Mitt Romney, I think he’s talking about you.
Also note, Obama spoke at the White House Forum on American Latino Heritage yesterday, and pushed a nearly identical message as part of his remarks. Vice President Biden also appeared on all of the major morning talk shows on Wednesday “to make clear that the fight is not over.”
Those hoping the White House would have the good sense to follow through with an aggressive jobs message should be pleased. Indeed, Obama and his team clearly seem to believe they have a winning message here.
And I suspect they’re right. There are no downsides to having the president taking a high-profile role fighting for a popular jobs bill when unemployment is the nation’s highest priority. It’s also noteworthy that Obama’s message is becoming more partisan — “some in Congress” is out; “congressional Republicans” is in.
Will the efforts pay dividends? It’s hard to imagine the circumstances that would push GOP lawmakers into doing the right thing, though I suspect the White House knows this. Rather, the push is about positioning the president as the one in Washington championing job creation, and Republicans as the ones deliberately standing in the way. Given the larger political landscape, that’s probably the only smart move left.
Facebook
Twitter
Danp on October 13, 2011 8:08 AM:
allow taxes to rise by up to a thousand dollars next year for struggling middle class families.”
Mitt Romney, I think he’s talking about you.
I missed that. Did Romney call for letting the Bush tax cuts sunset?
c u n d gulag on October 13, 2011 8:08 AM:
Well, since they said "NO!" resoundingly to the whole package, I supposed now they can take a page from Herman Cain and, as each individual proposal comes up, scream "Nein! Nein! NIEN!!!"
PARTY UBER ALLES!!!!
Keep sticking it to them Mr. President.
Oh, and if you get a chance, stick it to part time Democrat Ben Nelson too, please!
To Democrats, Half Nelson's as useful as mammaries on a male bovine.
BrklynLibrul on October 13, 2011 8:12 AM:
Too little, too late -- he should have embraced this strategy eighteen months ago, rather than buy into the GOP narrative of austerity now, austerity fo'evah.
DAY on October 13, 2011 8:13 AM:
Meanwhile, the Republicans are offering their alternative plan.
-Including elimination of environmental regulations, cutting taxes, and passing free trade agreements.
none of while help anyone making less than a million dollars a year.
vote, while you are still able. . .
square1 on October 13, 2011 8:15 AM:
Shorter Obama: Now that actually creating jobs is a non-starter, we can move forward to passing the crap bits that are really handouts to Wall Street, like the infrastructure bank.
BTW, did anybody notice that Reid used the nuclear option to end a filibuster on the Chinese currency bill in order to proceed to debate on the jobs bill...whereupon Democrats were incapable of actually debating the jobs bill because Reid refused to use the nuclear option.
j on October 13, 2011 8:20 AM:
Anyone else notice that with everything going on with the OWS demonstrations it looks like the repubs will nominate the Wall Street poster boy Romney as their candidate.
square1 on October 13, 2011 8:28 AM:
They’ll be forced to decide whether we should cut taxes for middle class Americans or let them go up next year.
I find this intriguing. So far, both parties have refused to put a stand-alone extension of the middle class tax cuts up for a vote. Mainly because both parties like to hold the middle class hostage in order to ram through otherwise unpalatable legislation.
If Democrats actually gave a crap, they would immediately put it up for a vote and, at the very least, force the GOP to block a tax cut on the middle class. I invite the Democrats to prove my cynicism wrong.
SW on October 13, 2011 8:28 AM:
It was the only smart move ever on the table and three years have been wasted trying to blow the rotted corpse of David Broder with all this bi-partisan horses shit.
Anonymous on October 13, 2011 8:35 AM:
c u n d gulag, I think we should continue to associate "Nein! Nein! Nein!" with Cain. Bet that would go over well with the older generations.
sublime33 on October 13, 2011 9:33 AM:
It would help tremendously if Obama called out Romney by name instead of the generic "one of the leading Republican presidential candidates". One of Obama's biggest flaws is that he overestimates how well informed much of the population is about political and policy issues. If he doesn't call out Romney by name, many voters inclined to vote for Romney in the general election won't think Obama is referring to their guy.
RT on October 13, 2011 9:44 AM:
"BTW, did anybody notice that Reid used the nuclear option to end a filibuster on the Chinese currency bill in order to proceed to debate on the jobs bill...whereupon Democrats were incapable of actually debating the jobs bill because Reid refused to use the nuclear option."
Apples and oranges, I'm afraid. The Chinese currency bill had already passed the "filibuster threshold".
Robert Waldmann on October 13, 2011 9:55 AM:
I say bill to extend payroll tax holiday much more than 100% financed by the Buffet rule (starting 2013) with the extra revenue put in the SSA OASDI trust fund.
According to some right wing think tank the Buffet rule would raise only about 1% of GDP which is tiny compared to the social security shortfall of about 1% of GDP.
Republicans will not vote to save social security by imposing the Buffet rule. I think a large majority of US voters will not vote for Republicans if they don't. I think the Democrats will win if they follow my advice.
Ben on October 13, 2011 9:56 AM:
The number of jobs that would be gained by the jobs bill will be lost to the free trade agreements that passed Congress yesterday, and are awaiting the president's signature.
Robert Waldmann on October 13, 2011 10:04 AM:
dear DanP
Romney didn't call for letting the Bush tax cuts expire. He called for letting the (current) Obama tax cut expire. The cut in question is called the payroll tax holiday. It is current policy due to a bill signed into law by Barack Obama in 2010. This was his second huge tax cut (the other was in the ARRA). There were also many little tax cuts.
Obama has proposed extending this second huge Obama tax cut. That was one provision of the bill blocked in the Senate by a Republican (and two Democrats) filibuster of the motion to proceed.
John S. on October 13, 2011 10:53 AM:
Wow, look at all the phony "liberals" from Brooklyn and elsewhere. I've seen you people complaining for months, clamoring for Obama to be aggressive, use the bully pulpit and push a progressive agenda. And when he finally does, it STILL isn't good enough for you. It's "too little, too late" or "just words" or some other form of disappointment that you concoct to continue your gripe with our president.
You people are a joke, and I certainly hope the rest of America doesn't learn the hard way that there IS a difference between Obama and Romney as you pout from the sidelines.
square1 on October 13, 2011 11:34 AM:
Gosh, John S., it's almost as if people want results and not lip service.
BTW, you only make yourself sound like a jackass when you accuse liberals of "pout[ing]" from the sidelines". Liberals raised money for Democrats, campaigned for Democrats, and voted for Democrats. In 2008, liberals gave Democrats both houses of Congress and the White House. For a short, but not insignificant, period of time Democrats had 60 votes -- a filibuster-proof majority -- in their caucus. Democrats have no excuses for failure.
Holding politicians accountable for their failures is not pouting. It is democracy. If the Centrist Democrats who have destroyed the party don't like the criticism, they can quit.
Carlos on October 13, 2011 12:29 PM:
How many times have the pundits told us yet again that Obama "really means it this time?" Always forgetting all the other supposed turning points in the Obama presidency.
It reminds me of Thomas Friedman and "the next six months will be crucial".
KarenJG on October 13, 2011 1:47 PM:
Carlos (and others), based on the last election, the coming year and 24 days may be the only chance we get to have Obama support and fight for liberal and progressive policies. I say we pour it on and get as much as we can from "Campaign Obama."
chi res on October 13, 2011 4:02 PM:
Shame on you, John S. You've offended the square.
Everyone knows that they're "whiners", not "pouters"!
John S. on October 13, 2011 4:26 PM:
@square1
Aw, did I strike a nerve? Good. It's purity putzes like you who sat out last year in protest and allowed a minority of old, white folks to swarm the polls and hand us a worthless Tea Party congress. Congratulations on your stunning victory and clear repudiation of Democratic "centrism".
Or are you one of those fabled Naderites who taught us all a good lesson in 2000 and held the DLC accountable by sticking us with Bush? By the way, Nader is clamoring for Bloomberg to make a run for president - real liberal lion that one is.
Everything you say makes you sound like a jackass. If only that translated into supporting the donkey.
Doug on October 13, 2011 7:43 PM:
It took the Republicans four decades to screw this country up and people CALLING themselves "progressive" or "liberal" expect a 180 degree turn around in less than tree years?
Apparently Republicans aren't the only ones with a "reality" problem...
yellowdog on October 13, 2011 8:03 PM:
I appreciate the President's efforts. He is pushing a broken political system about as effectively as anyone possibly could at this moment. He is making the differences between parties clear, much as Truman did in early 1948, when he sent up mountains of legislation he knew the GOP Congress would never pass. They didn't--and people wondered why.
At the risk of taking the focus off jobs, I hope Obama comes out with a great big overturn Citizens-United bill when the moment is right--just to get the dastardly McConnell to go on record (again) defending the gazillions in corporate cash that he takes for granted. That would be a nice way to put Romney on the defensive too.