Obama Team In Campaign Mode: Calling Out States On Stimulus

Without admitting that they are in full-out campaign mode to pass the stimulus, the Obama White House has begun what feels very much like an election year push to drum up support for the beleaguered recovery package.

Coming off a sharp, occasionally searing speech by the president at the House Democratic Caucus retreat Thursday night, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs announced a series of town hall meetings Obama will hold next week to get Congress to move swiftly on the package.

The stops -- one in Elkhart, Indiana, the other in Fort Myers, Florida -- will bring Obama "directly to where the problems seem most acute," according to Gibbs. The two cities have seen unemployment levels rise 10.6 percent and 4 percent respectively. When it was noted that this seemed like a campaign tour, Gibbs replied: "[it's] like the good old days."

He later let it be known that any lawmakers from those two regions were welcome to hop on board Air Force One to travel with the president.

Going to specific districts and regions is a time-honored way for presidents to send a message to members of Congress. And certainly, the White House is deeply invested in rallying popular support to the stimulus. Earlier in the briefing, state-specific analogies were wielded as political tools.

After making the formal defense of the recovery package, Gibbs noted that in the last month alone the economy had lost 598,000 jobs -- "the equivalent of losing every job in the state of Maine." You got that Sens. Collins and Snowe?

In the past two months, the economy had shed 1.2 million jobs -- "that is basically losing every job in Pittsburgh or Cleveland." Sens. Specter and Voinovich?

In the past three months, roughly 1.8 million jobs had been lost -- in other words, "every job in Connecticut or South Carolina" Sen. Graham and Lieberman, that's for you, oh and get your buddy McCain on board.

And in the past four months 2.2 million jobs were lost, which is "basically losing every job in the state of Louisiana." Not quite sure who the target is there, but Sen. Mary Landrieu is now on notice --no crossing party lines.

Comments

[jrgilbert]

10:34 AM on 02/08/2009

Mr. President,
You won! Claim your prize. Be magnanimous in victory, but be victorious. You have a majority in both houses. Propose the best solutions to our problems and don't give in to the minority. They wouldn't have lost if the public thought they had a better mousetrap. It is apparent that some Republicans would rather be Republicans than Americans. Shame them into becoming Americans, but don't become one of them. That young Marine saluting at the ladder to Marine One is acknowledging the presence of his Commander in Chief, not the Great Proposer. Make him proud that he is putting his life on the line for you; make us proud of you for what you are about to do.

[chronic]

01:56 AM on 02/07/2009

"Sen. Mary Landrieu is now on notice --no crossing party lines."

She gets on my nerves and shes a phoney. When she talks with that soft phoney caring tone I cringe!!

[FLAdeziner]

05:56 PM on 02/06/2009

Dear Mr. President,
Just so you understand that there are plenty of us out here that voted for YOU and got our family and friend to vote for YOU..............we didn't vote for the Democrats. We didn't send the money to the Democrats.

We don't like Pelosi much, and we have no confidence in Reid. We were looking for a leader that would rise above all the politics, not someone that would get embroiled in the mess the first time there was something to vote on.

The Democrats have demonstrated time and again that they cannot put together anything to vote on that isn't filled with nonsense projects. We are counting on you to create a new electrical grid, fix the roads, fix the bridges do projects that work us toward oil independence. Projects that all the members of Congress can agree to fund and would be crazy not to fund.

Don't start the first bill with Head Start & Family Planning. Are they important, yes, but draw too much lightening. Build on your success. When you have some victories under your belt and can take a punch on the small stuff, then introduce those pet projects.

THINK BIG!! DO BIG THINGS!! Don't let Pelosi and Reid force you to use up all your capital trying to get this small stuff through. Don't make those of us that defied the naysayers look foolish on the very first bill.

[vjoseph]

06:10 PM on 02/06/2009

You may be right about not starting the bill with head start and family planning. We have four years to implement these programs. I want to see more infrastructure projects instead

[harriscrl3]

11:09 PM on 02/06/2009

It needs LESS tax cuts and more infrastructure spending or job creation.

Carol

[SPQR1775]

05:56 PM on 02/06/2009

It is about time that the President get his head in check. I support him 200%, but I now agree that this focus as of last night and today with Gibbs is what have been missing and next week he will target the States specifically and the districts. Go to Republican districts and let the GOP know, it is time to and for CHANGE. Hit them hard and hold no punches.

AMERICA NEED LEADERSHIP, ONLY THE DEMOCRATS CAN PROVIDE NEW LEADERSHIP. THE GOP IS DEAD, CORRUPT AND FOCUS ON THOSE CEO PAYS. AG YEAH!

[SPQR1052]

10:45 PM on 02/06/2009

Outstanding! I agree 100000% Oh and I love your SPQR1775, pretty sharp.... Perhaps others will catch on and we'll have a trend going. They can always use the year their states ratified their constitution. I am American but living in Europe - I used the date from our family crest (maternal side.)

__________________________________

SPQR
[e-mail]
Amer - I CAN
"Senatus Populusque Romanus"
The Senate and the People (Romans)
__________________________________

[chronic]

01:23 AM on 02/07/2009

YES YES YES!!!!

[myke3000]

05:39 PM on 02/06/2009

How quickly the Repubs forget the sight of the 2 million + people on the mall to support our new President and his administration. Now, with more than 2 million unemployed in the last 6 months, could you imagine that many people coming to Washington not in peace and love, but in anger???

Come on...the GOP doesn't want a march on DC coming to town like that.

[SurrealPumpkin]

05:59 PM on 02/06/2009

It wouldn't be as mellow and crime free a march, that's for sure.

[SailFree]

05:28 PM on 02/06/2009

Hey, States, all in favor of getting "free cheese" raise your hands!

[vjoseph]

05:56 PM on 02/06/2009

Loads of these states have Republican governors who wrote a letter to the Congress to accept the stimulus package. Truth hurts, bi tch

[PoliticalAmazon]

05:25 PM on 02/06/2009

"Campaign mode" isn't going to get the job done, long term. Part of the problem has been that OBama and his team have been stuck in campaign mode because that's what they do best.

Obama needs to learn how to handle the GOP, and holding cocktail parties may be swell, but it undermines his ability for Obama to get HIS agenda and HIS policies through Congress.

As I said before, the GOP doesn't understand bipartisan or compromise, nor do they value it. They seen it as a sign of weakness, and use it as an oppotunity to humiliate the person offering bipartisanship. It's just the way the dregs of the once-great GOP (the politicians in Congress) think. They no longer even pretend to be doing what is best for America or their contituents. They are focused on one thing: power. THe only way they now know how to get power is through petty politics, propaganda, and gutter politics.

Obama has to get over his pathetic need to be liked by the GOP, and he has to come to grips with the reaility facing him: bipartisanship will not be obtained by being nice, but by shoving them into a corner so that the only way they can remain relevant is to work in a bipartisan manner.

[RACVC]

05:19 PM on 02/06/2009

Dear Democrats, Please quit trying to make nice. Draft up your (the majority) plan and put it out there. The repubs will be yanking your chain forever if you don't draw a line in the sand. I do believe that the American majority is behind you.

[apoyo]

05:12 PM on 02/06/2009

Drive it home.

[JaneQCitizen]

05:00 PM on 02/06/2009

Bring it for vote - right now. No more giving in to the Republicans. They can vote yes or no, or filibuster and feel the wrath of the American working class.

[VJ2008]

05:07 PM on 02/06/2009

I AGREE! If Harry Reid lets this vote get away from him this weekend, I (a democrat) will help campaign against him. The dems sure look spineless from my point of view. I suppose they are just letting the repubs hang themselves some more, but that better be the case. ENOUGH is ENOUGH, VOTE the stimulus in ALREADY!

[SurrealPumpkin]

06:06 PM on 02/06/2009

All that's happening is Reid is hanging himself along with the Republicans.

Who to substitute for him? A senator from a solid blue state, the Republicans play dirty.

[RACVC]

05:21 PM on 02/06/2009

Well put, JaneQ.

[Blink2X]

04:44 PM on 02/06/2009

Good! All this talk of being bipartisan nwith these obstructionist clowns from the Republican Party is a great notion...the Republicans do not give a rat's a$$ for the American people or this country. Their only concern is regaining power..the next election..politcal games... more tax cuts for wealthy donors. The time for 'friendly' negotiating with them is pointless. Obama gave it a good shot...hope he realizes.... with 'friends' like these...who needs enemas?

[VJ2008]

04:56 PM on 02/06/2009

Agreed, and they are playing games with our lives. I am sooooooooo angry about that. MEMO TO REPUBLICANS: Quit playing games with my life!

[Sloane7]

04:43 PM on 02/06/2009

Anyone that's worked for a start up company knows how cool it must be to work for the Obama team.

[hialoha]

04:51 PM on 02/06/2009

Yes and somehow I feel that I am.

[jingles32]

04:41 PM on 02/06/2009

Arianna, can you please give this piece a more prominent placement? Like the front page banner headline? It's time to rally the troops!

Thanks. :)

[TheKidd]

04:52 PM on 02/06/2009

Arianna doesn't agree with the current form of the stimulus package.

[SurrealPumpkin]

06:01 PM on 02/06/2009

Tough! All the more reason to encourage discussion.

[NODRAMAME]

04:31 PM on 02/06/2009

i think that at this point he should not trim the stimulous bill. he should listen to his advisors and let the votes fall as they may as a dare to anyone to take that chance to vote against. He should call out state by state those in the most need and let them know that if this bill does not paass that he tried. And all will see who will be to blame.

[ImWithThatOne]

04:30 PM on 02/06/2009

If Sen. Landrieu is on notice, and if he does indeed make a trip down this way, I'm all ears, and am prepared to pack my mom and sister to go and see him. Bless you Mr. President and good luck.

[SurrealPumpkin]

06:02 PM on 02/06/2009

Sen. Landrieu is a she.

[chronic]

01:35 AM on 02/07/2009

Lawd have mercey.