Obama tests his sway against a GOP-run Congress

[webfact]

Obama tests his sway against a GOP-run Congress
By JOSH LEDERMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama this week will test whether he still has the sway to keep Washington focused on his own priorities, even as a new Republican-run Congress descends on the Capitol eager to take him on.

Fresh off a two-week vacation, Obama immediately began ramping up for his State of the Union address — his best chance to set the agenda for 2015 on his own terms. Obama will roll out new executive steps and proposals for Congress this week on home ownership, higher education and manufacturing jobs — a similar menu to the one Obama has offered in years past.

Republicans have an entirely different blueprint for the start of the year. In full control of Congress for the first time of Obama's presidency, they planned an all-out offensive against his policies on immigration, foreign policy and the environment.

In a sign of their divergent paths, just as lawmakers arrive in Washington to start the new Congress this week, Obama was heading out of town. He planned to spend most of the week in Michigan, Arizona and Tennessee showcasing how his own economic policies are fueling the economic recovery.

The State of the Union comes early this year, on Jan. 20, and it is Obama's first with Republicans in control of both House and Senate.

Obama's speechwriters have been crafting the speech for weeks, both in Washington and in Hawaii, where the president spent two weeks on the golf courses and beaches of Oahu with his family and a handful of friends. The White House has been also been reaching out to Democratic-aligned policy groups to solicit input on the speech.

In Detroit on Wednesday, Obama planned to tout the return of manufacturing jobs and his decision to bail out the auto industry. In Phoenix the next day, Obama was to showcase gains in the housing sector since the real estate crash and unveil new steps to help Americans buy a home, the White House said. And on Friday, Vice President Joe Biden will join Obama in Tennessee to discuss new ways to help more people attend college or get job-training.

As Obama closed out 2014, he was visibly energized by a string of high-profile presidential moves in the last six weeks of the year. Following brutal midterm losses for Democrats, Obama's actions on Cuba and immigration suggested he still retained some relevance, and Obama said he intended to carry that momentum into 2015.

Yet since the midterms, the key question has been whether Obama will lean in or away from compromise with Republicans in his final two years.

Of the issues the White House said Obama will emphasize in the coming weeks, none were among the handful of areas that both Democrats and Republicans have cited as ripe for compromise — like trade, tax reform and infrastructure.

Eric Schultz, Obama's spokesman, said the president this week will announce both executive steps he plans to take and proposals to work with Congress on legislation. Those proposals will focus on ways to help the middle class benefit from the economic recovery, he said.

"There are a number of issues we could make progress on, but the president is clear that he will not let this Congress undo important protections gained — particularly in areas of health care, Wall Street reform and the environment," Schultz said. Obama has threatened to use his veto pen as needed this year to block GOP attacks.

But Obama will be back from vacation barely 48 hours before the new, Republican-run Congress is seated Tuesday, bringing with it an onslaught of attacks the GOP has been bottling up for years. Without a Democratic majority in the Senate to stop them, Republicans planned to start chipping away at Obama's past actions on health care, immigration and the environment, to name a few.

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said Republicans would still do business with Obama on issues like taxes and trade promotion despite their irritation at his unilateral action in other areas.

"Look, obviously we have not liked the executive actions that especially were taken" after the November midterms, Corker said on "Fox News Sunday." ''But we understand with humility, we've got a lot of serious issues that need to be addressed. The bigger issues absolutely require the president to be involved."
___

Associated Press writer Nedra Pickler contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-01-05

[NeverSure]

"Obama's speechwriters have been crafting the speech for weeks"

The man who has no original thoughts of his own and can't make a speech without a teleprompter.

[Publicus]

It's the economy stupid......

Like a president never used a TelePrompter before

Here’s St. Ronnie of the GOP with TWO TelePrompters:

http://brobrubel.com/2012/03/13/like-a-president-never-used-a-teleprompter-before/

Democrats Think Last Year Was Great, Republicans Think It Was Terrible

Although 57% of Americans told Fox News that 2014 was a good year, the numbers were drastically different depending on whether the respondent identified as a Republican or Democrat, and whether or not the respondent approved of President Barack Obama. Here's what the pollster found:

Washington Post/Fox News

Democrats overwhelmingly found 2014 to be a good year. Republicans were far less satisfied. And as you can see, those that approved of Obama thought 2014 was good, while those that didn't thought it was bad.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-think-last-year-was-great-republicans-think-it-was-terrible-2015-1#ixzz3Nyly10rz

[NeverSure]

It's the economy stupid......

Like a president never used a TelePrompter before

Here’s St. Ronnie of the GOP with TWO TelePrompters:

http://brobrubel.com/2012/03/13/like-a-president-never-used-a-teleprompter-before/

Democrats Think Last Year Was Great, Republicans Think It Was Terrible

Although 57% of Americans told Fox News that 2014 was a good year, the numbers were drastically different depending on whether the respondent identified as a Republican or Democrat, and whether or not the respondent approved of President Barack Obama. Here's what the pollster found:

Washington Post/Fox News

Democrats overwhelmingly found 2014 to be a good year. Republicans were far less satisfied. And as you can see, those that approved of Obama thought 2014 was good, while those that didn't thought it was bad.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-think-last-year-was-great-republicans-think-it-was-terrible-2015-1#ixzz3Nyly10rz

That's a Fox News Poll. You couldn't possibly be quoting such a nonsense outfit, could you? Utter rubbish.

Reagan was probably the best off-the-cuff speaker we've had in our lifetimes. He used a teleprompter the way most speakers use their notes.

If you ever heard an unedited interview with Reagan you'll know what I mean. He believed what he said and had no problem saying it.

I'm trying to think of the last time I heard an unrehearsed live interview with Obama. Only certain chosen reporters who are Obamabots are ever given private access to him.

PS The Democrats got smashed in an election a couple of months ago, and the voters sent a Republican majority Congress to Washington. Try to keep up.

[NeverSure]

His name is Obama. I can't stand him, but i respect the office, not the man. He is, unfortunately, the President of The United States of America.

For those who aren't Americans, the term lame duck means he's coasting through his last two years as president with no real power. He has an opposition congress.

[Publicus]

Reagan used 4x6 index cards he himself hand printed on one side only, using upper and lower case letters to have in hand in front of him the points he wanted to say. As an extemporaneous speaker Reagan was middling to not so good of one. His press conferences started with the "Well...." pause to try to gather his thoughts while he rambled and smiled a lot remembering throughout to keep mentioning what a good ol' guy he was.

Other times St Ronnie of the GOP used a roll of paper similar to a wide bandage tape that Michael Deaver would write on for him in small print lettering....Reagan held the roll down at the podium table to rotate the roll with his thumb and fingers to see the points turning over as he spoke. Others such as myself who sometimes stood near him while he spoke to an audience or was jovial with a small group of people were unanimous that his black hair was naturally black, looked entirely and completely natural

Reagan lost the Senate to the Ds in the 1986 election and the House had already been Democratic so Reagan truly faced lame duck status during his final two years. So he focused on foreign stuff, with Gorbachev in Iceland and so forth. Prez Obama however will move the domestic agenda by dealing directly and effectively with it.

The two post election polls that measured Obama's approval found he was back up again, which is unheard of for a president whose popularity ratings had slipped. CNN found his approval in December at 48% on the strength of renewed support by young voters, women, Independents. The AP-GfK poll found O's overall popularity to be back at the killing of bin Laden levels.

The Republicans in Congress now have two Clown Cars, the beat up one with the lines painted on it they'd already had for the flatliners in the House and now a bright shinny polka doted new one for the Senate.

PS: It's the economy again, as always and forever, which the Republicans don't ever get because the Rs are stupid. The only way the Republican party will win a presidential election again is to give the Blue States Ebola, and i'm not putting it past a bunch of 'em to try.

[rotary]

I seriously do not think Obama can deal "effectively" with anything taking into account his level of experience at anything and his past record. When he does not have that teleprompter he looks like a high school kid at his first debate.

[Publicus]

Anyone who thinks Barack Obama hasn't learned a few maneuvers during the past six years in Washington and how to tack the boat when would be fooling himself completely.

The Congress are a rabble, the White House is a tight small unit and we're going to see the difference in how each goes about pursuing results.

[chuckd]

Is anybody else drinking the Kool Aide?

Just curious.

[Publicus]

Then there's the Republican Presidential Primary Campaign travelling Buffalo Bus.

One ticket is $50 million up front and in full. The Kool Aide is included in the ticket price, same as it was for the 2012 party primary voting and knife fights....lemon again too.

$50 m is what any candidate will need to go the distance, which means to mathematically win enough delegates to lock up the nomination well before the quadrennial national convention and wake, which will be held late in the summer. Burial will be on the first Tuesday of November.

Prez Obama meanwhile will be busy being president.

[Scott]

A post with a deliberate misspelling of a name has been removed

[Pinot]

Obama will go down as a great President. He's successfully saved the American economy, ended two wars, nailed Binh Laden, and kept the government chugging along despite an opposition dedicated to getting that n*&^%$r out out of the White House.

America has become a very divided country. Obama has always welcomed compromise but you can't compromise with this right wing craziness. I expect he'll be correctly exercising his veto power on a regular basis during the next two years. The Republicans have an opportunity to show they can govern, but that just ain't going to happen. They're too caught up in the tea party dogma.

[CMNightRider]

Obama will go down as a great President. He's successfully saved the American economy, ended two wars, nailed Binh Laden, and kept the government chugging along despite an opposition dedicated to getting that n*&^%$r out out of the White House.

America has become a very divided country. Obama has always welcomed compromise but you can't compromise with this right wing craziness. I expect he'll be correctly exercising his veto power on a regular basis during the next two years. The Republicans have an opportunity to show they can govern, but that just ain't going to happen. They're too caught up in the tea party dogma.

Obama will be remembered as;

His inability to tell the truth.

The first affirmative action president.

Least experienced to occupy the White House.

His outdated political ideology (Socialist).

The president who racially divided the country.

Never accepting responsibility for anything.

And last but not least.........The worst president ever.

[Ulysses G.]

Obama will be remembered as;

His inability to tell the truth.

The first affirmative action president.

Least experienced to occupy the White House.

His outdated political ideology (Socialist).

The president who racially divided the country.

Never accepting [/size]responsibility for anything.

And last but not least.........The worst president ever.

Since WW II anyway.

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2056

Edited January 6, 2015 by Ulysses G.

[chuckd]

Then there's the Republican Presidential Primary Campaign travelling Buffalo Bus.

<snip>

Is the Buffalo Bus in addition to the Clown Car or does it replace it?

Your vehicle descriptions are colorful to say the least. Also juvenile and immature, but never mind.

[Publicus]

Then there's the Republican Presidential Primary Campaign travelling Buffalo Bus.

<snip>

Is the Buffalo Bus in addition to the Clown Car or does it replace it?

Your vehicle descriptions are colorful to say the least. Also juvenile and immature, but never mind.

Your post goes in opposite directions simultaneously and I'm not one to split hairs but you seem to insist, so here goes.......

Clown cars for the Congress, one for each the House and the Senate...

A $50 million a ticket Bubba Bus for the guys running for the R party's nomination for president.

One reason everybody got Barack Obama is that you guys drive jam packed clown cars and sro bubba buses.

[chuckd]

Thanks. Now I know where the Buffalo Bus came from.

That came from the Obama Bus which the US Secret Service had built for Obama to run around the country in luxurious style.

By the way, they were built partly in Canada and cost a cool $1.1 Million each.

The Republican candidate also gets to borrow one of them during the campaign...but they probably have to still call them The Obama Bus.

I was hoping it was something a little more modern that Clown Cars. That is so 60'ish.