Obama Blinks, Reschedules Jobs Talk

(Newser) – Chalk up another one for the Republicans. In the standoff over President Obama's schedule for his urgent jobs speech, Obama blinked. He has agreed to move the date a day later, to next Thursday, which is the same time as the NFL season opener. John Boehner complained about the original date, saying it would require extra time to do a security sweep for the joint session following a recess, reports the New York Times. Wednesday is also the same day as the next GOP presidential debate.

Democrats considered Boehner's response "disrespectful," while one Republican called picking the same date as the debate a "stunt," notes the New York Daily News. Jay Carney denied the original choice was part of a strategy designed to deliberately steal the thunder from the GOP. “One debate of many was not reason not to have a speech when we wanted to have it,” he said. Obama plans to "lay out a series of bipartisan proposals to rebuild the American economy by strengthening small businesses, helping Americans get back to work, and putting more money in the paychecks of the middle class and working Americans," the president said in a letter to Congress.