Obama To Critics: "Show Me Your Budget!"
WASHINGTON — President Obama headlined two fundraisers in Washington expected to bring in an estimated $3 million for the Democratic National Committee. The party is struggling to keep financial pace with its Republican counterpart despite coming off a successful election in which Democrats won the White House and expanded power in Congress.
The country's new chief executive has been ramping up his dual role as the Democratic Party's leader in recent days after largely shunning campaigning and fundraising over the past two months as he focused on a country struggling through economic recession and two wars.
During remarks at a high-dollar fundraiser, Obama tied his record to Democrats' hard work on an economic stimulus package. He specifically noted his pending budget proposal, which faces skepticism from some inside his party and hostility from Republicans. Obama made clear that his fellow Democrats should fall in line.
"It's a vision of what the Democratic Party stands for," the president said, citing his budget's plans for health care and education.
Speaking with a teleprompter but appearing at times to deviate from his text, the president defended his budget and derided the "hall of mirrors here" in Washington, saying of the political handicapping in D.C., "One day I'm a genius; one day I'm a bum!" That prompted laughter from the crowd.
"To a bunch of the critics out there, I've already said, show me your budget! I'm happy to have that debate."
Then when he addressed the criticism that he was trying to take on too many problems at once, the audience got more and more involved.
"There are those who say, 'You know you're taking on too much."
"No way," said someone from the audience.
"Your budget is too ambitious," Obama continued, describing his critics. "That we can only focus on one problem at a time."
"You're smarter than that!" said a member of the audience.
Obama said people can't wait for issues like health care and energy to be solved.
"The American people don't have the luxury of focusing on one problem at a time," he said. "They can't tell the landlord, 'I can't pay the rent this month, I've got other things to do!'"
The President said to a crescendo of partisan applause, "I'm not going to kick these problems down the road for another four years, another eight years!"
Obama has shied from overtly partisan activities since taking office, mindful that engaging in Democratic politics while the country was ailing would leave him vulnerable to criticism and, perhaps, run counter to his call for bipartisanship in Washington.
But, over the past week, Obama activated his grass-roots campaign apparatus, Organizing for America, and its almost 14 million e-mail address list to put pressure on Congress to back his budget proposal. And, now, the party's standard-bearer is jumping with both feet into the game, largely out of necessity.
He addressed a big-donor audience _ with tickets costing $30,400 per couple _ at the National Women in the Arts Museum before appearing at the Warner Theater, where singer Tony Bennett was to perform. Tickets for that event range from $100 to $250 to $1,000.
Democrats said both events were sold out.
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First Posted: 03-26-09 07:23 AM | Updated: 04-26-09 05:12 AM