NEWS JUNKIE POST
Jan 29, 2010 at 2:33 pmObama to Republicans: “I’m not an Ideologue”
President Obama went into the lion’s den Friday and came out unscathed. Two days after his first State of the Union address, Obama spoke at the House Republican retreat in Baltimore, imploring the Republican caucus to work with him and stop congressional gridlock and help “close the gap between rhetoric and reality.”
He even engaged in a brisk Q & A session, fielding questions, some party-line propaganda delivered in the form of a question. But like a confident Jeopardy champion, the President handled all comers including Tea Partier Martha Blackburn and outspoken opponents Mike Pence and Tom Price.
Before he even took the podium, Minority leader John Boehner handed Obama a booklet containing Republican solutions, the caucus claims have been offered for a year, but discarded by House Democratic leadership and the White House. Obama nixed the notion that either the congressional Democrats or the White House have ignored Republican suggestions. “I’ve read your proposals. You know I do read these things, ” Obama said with a genial smile. “I’m willing to work with you. But the proposals have to make sense and be substantiated.”
The President spent a good deal of time on health care reform. “What we came up with is a pretty centrist plan, ” Obama said, referring to the proposed Democratic re-haul. “It’s really very similar to the plan Republicans offered in ’94 when President Clinton was trying to do this.” He also said it was in line with what Howard Baker, Bob Dole and Tom Daschle proposed last year as a bi-partisan blueprint for reform. “You guys have been presenting this like it’s some kind of Bolshevik plot,” he said to hearty applause.
Obama said he was willing to listen, and has incorporated some Republican ideas. He reiterated his approval of creating a pool that would allow high-risk consumers to attain catastrophic health coverage; a plan proposed by John McCain during the 2008 campaign. He also said he was open to the Republican idea of allowing people to cross state lines to purchase coverage, but warned there could be glitches. “We have to prevent insurance companies from circumventing regulation and cherry-picking the healthiest consumers.”
Obama, who said, “I’m not an ideologue,” to a smattering of snickers, said he’s open to what some Republicans consider “the holy grail” of health reform: tort reform.
He bantered about the stimulus package, the spending freeze and the jobs bill. He admonished the Republicans, “It can’t be all or nothing.” And he said that applies “to our side, too.” Reminding Republicans that Americans are more concerned with finding secure jobs than with “Our job security” he sounded more committed and assured than he has in months.
The best word to describe Obama’s performance: unflappable. This is the quality that many supporters found most reassuring about him during the campaign. Here is a true leader who not only survives but actually thrives under pressure. In recent months, he has seemed more remote, to some even disengaged. He made mistakes. And has– refreshingly– copped to them. But as he audaciously declared during the State of the Union: “I won’t quit.”
The White House was ecstatic over the President’s performance which was carried live on MSNBC, Fox News and CNN. Further evidence that Obama hit it out of the park came as Fox cut away from its coverage twenty minutes before the session ended. Republican aides have said it was a mistake to let the cameras roll. Republican Rep. Tom Cole said, ” He scored many points today.”
And so Obama– the pragmatic cajoler-in-chief- put forth a very public olive branch. Now let’s see if the Republicans will become honest brokers and put an end to “the politics of no.”
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Excellent piece! Many were warning that Barack had better look like a leader – maybe above all else – at the SOTU. As he has always learned and risen to the occasion since the early days of the campaign, he once again came through. But, in the SOTU and the amazing Q&A at the House Republican Retreat on Friday, he did so in a way that surpassed the imaginings of supporters and critics alike. He is strong and smart, and proves the chest-beating bravado of the last administration dated and deficient. I think he has once again changed the entire equation.