White House Debates Fight on Economy

[WestVirginiaRebel]

NY Times:

WASHINGTON — As the economy worsens, President Obama and his senior aides are considering whether to adopt a more combative approach on economic issues, seeking to highlight substantive differences with Republicans in Congress and on the campaign trail rather than continuing to pursue elusive compromises, advisers to the president say.

Mr. Obama’s senior adviser, David Plouffe, and his chief of staff, William M. Daley, want him to maintain a pragmatic strategy of appealing to independent voters by advocating ideas that can pass Congress, even if they may not have much economic impact. These include free trade agreements and improved patent protections for inventors.

But others, including Gene Sperling, Mr. Obama’s chief economic adviser, say public anger over the debt ceiling debate has weakened Republicans and created an opening for bigger ideas like tax incentives for businesses that hire more workers, according to Congressional Democrats who share that view. Democrats are also pushing the White House to help homeowners facing foreclosure.

Even if the ideas cannot pass Congress, they say, the president would gain a campaign issue by pushing for them.

“The president’s team puts a premium on being above the partisan fray, which is usually the right strategy,” said Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, the No. 3 Democrat in the Senate. “But on this issue, when he knows what the right thing to do is, and when a rather small group on one side is blocking any progress, you have to be willing to call that group out if you want to get anything done.”
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Because we've seen how great things are when Obama can get something done, right?

[Argyle58]

I would think that THE ECONOMY would be the absolute LAST issue that the dims would want to take a stand on, considering the fact that every economic policy they have foist upon us has been a dismal failure. Added to that all the regulations the various Administration agencies have inflicted on virtually every type of business in the country.

 

Yeah, lets debate the economy. Of course, now Sheila Jackson Lee and Nancy Pelosi are claiming that Republicans are taking a hard stance on the economy because Obama is black.Link The race card is going to be played at every turn over the next 18 months.