Obama On Republicans: 'I'm An Optimist, Not A Sap'

In an interview with columnists aboard Air Force One, President Obama talked about what he learned from the stimulus battle. Pronouncing himself impressed with his team for moving the legislation through Congress so quickly, he said the plan wasn't everything he wanted but was still a "very good start on moving things forward."

As for his experience with congressional Republicans, the president said, "I made every effort to reach out to Republicans early to get their input and to get their buy-in. I think that there were some senators and House members who have a sincere philosophical difference with the idea of any government role in boosting demand in the economy. They don't believe in [John Maynard] Keynes and they're still fighting FDR ... I think we can disagree without being disagreeable on that front."

He added that the GOP also made a "political and tactical" decision to oppose the stimulus as a way to rally their base. "Whether that's a smart strategy, I think you should ask them." He said that it was his impression that the House Republicans decided to vote party-line against the bill before he met with them. "I'm not sure that there was a whole host of things that we were going to do that was going to make a difference." (Republicans dispute that interpretation, claiming they were open to the stimulus when they met with Obama.)

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said recently that Obama lost control of the stimulus debate by focusing too much on bipartisanship.

Asked if he would be so willing to reach out to Republicans in the future, the president responded, "You know, I am an eternal optimist. That doesn't mean I'm a sap."

Looking more forward, the president also outlined his priorities for the rest of the year:

My priorities for the rest of the year. Number one is to get the right structure for the successor to TARP; spending the $300-some billion that has already been authorized as wisely as possible, and injecting transparency and trust into the financial system. Having a housing program that provides relief to people who are at risk of losing their homes. Financial regulations that ensure that the crisis doesn't happen again. A innovative and aggressive push for health care reform that focuses not just on access but also on costs, and trying to just provide relief to working families. And a push for an energy policy that puts us on a path to sustainability.

Comments

[handesmith]

Good for President Obama for attempting to play nice with the other kids on the playground, but frankly I wish right now that he would just whip their asses plain and simple for the next eight years.

[GingerB]

He's killing them with kindness. The wailing and gnashing of GOP teeth is evidence.

They'll either evolve or go extinct.

[GingerB]

He's kil.ling them with kindness. The wai.ling and gnas.hing of GOP teeth is evidence.

They'll either evo.lve or go ext.inct.

[dulcis]

I think he already did. He offered them a chance to play, and they refused, and then he showed them he doesn't need them at all. They're like the cartoon character that has just been shot full of holes, laughs and says, 'you missed' then takes a drink of water and leaks like a sieve.

[NotMcCain]

He's the "good cop".

We, the voters, get to play "bad cop" and vote these losers out in 2010, 2012.

And, personally, I can't wait.

[StillIRise]

He's doing both: Playing nice and whipping ass!!!

[heal57]

As usual, the repubs are mistaking kindness and generosity for weakness. They'll never walk on Obama's face with cleats, though they would love to do that!

[GingerB]

GOPers don't understand compromise or decency. They only know how to bully.

[roshni]

They are guilty of a chronic case of bad manners. Case in point, John McCain and his THAT ONE.

[SoontobeBlueVirginia]

On a similar note, go read Frank Rich in today's NYTimes: "They Sure Showed That Obama"...t­hose Repubs just don't get it!

[LiberalDemIda]

And let's hope they continue "not to get it". It'll make making their party extinct a much more smoother process.

[davispty5]

Excellent column. He hits the nail squarely on the head.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/opinion/15rich.html?_r=1

[greatlardini]

What a joy it is to have an intelligent President who can think on his feet and doen't have to be led around by his handlers. I can easily stand eight years of this type of responsible government that has the best interests of the entire country at heart, not just the chosen few.

[rmetz74]

It's been a long time since we had sanity, intelligence, and reason in the White House. Clearly it's making some people very uncomfortable.

[StillIRise]

Actually, I think it's driving some people crazy ... literally!

[bulfinch]

If the repubs are smart they'll listen closely. If they're not they may now prepare for the steamroller.

[timbonotes]

Obama's handling of "round one" should hold him in good steed. He chose the high road, bipartisanship, and it is the congressional Republicans who've shown that partisanship and political obstruction are the only things that matter to them. They don't care about the good of the country and it is plain for everyone else (with a brain) to see.

[FrozenNorthObserver]

Well I'm glad he cleared that up, it was getting difficult to tell. You already had 8yrs of "optimists", I was really hoping for a "realist."

[SCboy]

Yes, absolutely. I have been and will be an Obama supporter, but his naivete in regards to how Republicans operate is slightly alarming. They do not care about regular folks; they care about power. Obama needs to get a handle on this.

[dandypuddin]

He is well aware of it. He is trying to reach out because he promised the American people he would do his best in this area. We know he is no miracle worker when it comes to the divisive GOP.

[StellaRay]

I assure you Obama has a handle on it. Do you really think he came up through Chicago politics and remained naieve? Seems to me it's the republicans who have to get a handle on that underestimating Obama thing.

[wrenny]

Naive like a fox - a brilliant one. Don't worry about Obama - even his political foes have commented on his political skills.

[Skepticat]

I think you've forgotten what it's like to have a smart president. Did anyone really expect the Repubs to make nice? Regardless of how they behave Obama wins - and they behaved like the greedy little piggy obstructionists we (and No doubt Obama) expected them to be. I suspect Obama will continue to make nice - and they will continue to behave stupidly, because they have no other plan. Will their waning base rally to them in 2010 after 2 years of obstruction - probably not.

[GingerB]

You're not fooling anyone. You'll say everything you can against President Obama to try to undermine his administration.

He's dealing with reality. Why don't you try it?

[StillIRise]

I don't know anyone who was optimistic during the 8 years of Bush, except of course for Bush and Cheney and the Republican Congress who were optimistically racking up and pocketing all the profits they could get from the war, tax cuts for the wealthy and the other loops and hoops they created that have destroyed our economy.

The only ones who found difficulty in understanding President Obama and his agenda are those who are trying to see a new paradigm of leadership through an old lens. If you still don't see the President as a realist - or as some would say a pragmatist - then I think your lens still needs some adjustment.

[punkingale]

My lens may need adjusting. It seems the words in these posts are smaller than usual!

[JiminNC]

Funny coming from the frozen bastion of conservative ideology. If you think Bushco Inc was optimism, that might explain why to keep electing fascists up there.

[Norge]

Perhaps, though Obama is bording on verbal abuse with such terms for a large group of people and that is not educated or democratic and besides he is a myth believer of Lincoln the scoundrel.

[dandypuddin]

I am hoping that English is your second language & if not, that the stimulus bill will help our educational system.

[bubbuh]

More likely, he's talking through a medication haze.

[judyc]

Tee hee hee!

[StillIRise]

I thought it was me! I started thinking, maybe my eyes needed resting ...

Thanks for the reality check!

[julianna]

Start him out with a copy of My Pet Goat please.

[Norge]

dandypuddin,
It will require more than money to repair the American educational system.

For starters it will require a redress of values more in persuit of the truth than myths.

[Happyexpat]

myth believer of Lincoln the scoundrel.­..........­..........­..???????? Can you translate please?

Are you by any chance a ghost? A wandering, unhappy spirit from, say, around 1860-64?

Even though it wouldn't explain the odd spelling and grammar, it would at least be a start in explaining the strange POV....

[Norge]

The myth of Lincoln, the great savior of slaves. The scouldrel Lincoln created "a more perfect union" and almost exported the slaves back to africa while imprisoning thousands of people opposed to his dictatorial powers including one supreme court judge.

For further reading about the myth of Lincoln go to http://www.lewrockwell.com

[bluize]

3 weeks in and I am still in awe of having a President that can speak in sentences and make sense. The main problem with this stimulas is the GOP will make every attempt to sabotage and weeken this plan for if it succedes they will have to bend over,put their head between their legs and kiss their rears goodbye.

[Roll451]

It's smart politically right now for Obama to say to Republicans who don't accept Keynes or FDR that we can disagree with being disagreeable. However, I am utterly disgusted by the fact that one of our two major parties refuses to learn anything from history except how to distort it to support their mostly worthless talking points. Come the next election, the Democrats should go after the Repugs hard for still living in the 19th century.

[AlwaysaLiberal]

He's our prez and we're keeping him!!!

[LiberalDemIda]

D_mn straight we are!

[TallyLass]

Optimism is good, but let's not waste too much time with people who screwed the joint up and have no intention of working to make it better. Realism is in order. Because otherwise that is a sap.

[Ted LPD]

Did the media understand when Prez said "I am not a sap"?

Prez drives media crazy... they follow him with dictionaries. It is cool to be educated and a Democrat!

[dandypuddin]

My other favorite line from our President; "Aren't you all tired of all that cable chatter?" I know I am pundited out.

[rubinoff]

its and old saying, used by a certain segment of society...­and, no...the media doesn't know.

[rubinoff]

wait until he tells them, he's not a creampuff or a mr. milquetoas­t....that'­ll really set 'em off.
running around yelling, what does that mean, wa wa wa???....l­mao

[Jamchinadian]

ROF Howling MAO !

[dandypuddin]

Dem straight!! 8 years.

[ENOUGH1]

I voted for President Obama and I trust him to do the right thing for the American people. We've got your back President Obama.

[FrozenNorthObserver]

and he's got your wallet,,,

[ADinSC]

Maybe, but it's an empty wallet. The republicans cleaned it out a long time ago.