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Obama's GOP Outreach Too Little, Too Late

Obama allowed Democrats to scorn Republican input: Rove

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 4, 2010 1:24 AM CST

(Newser) – President Obama's televised question-and-answer session with House Republicans was a photo-op aimed at boosting his poll numbers instead of a real effort to seek input from the GOP, writes Karl Rove. The beleaguered president did get a modest bounce after the meeting, but it came at the expense of further alienating the GOP with his dishonest answers on the budget and stimulus package, Rove notes in the Wall Street Journal.

The president sought to portray Republicans as obstructionist when their input on the stimulus and other issues had actually been scorned by Democratic leader, Rove writes. Obama has "hemmed himself in" by letting his party's congressional leaders draft policy instead of pushing them to compromise with the opposition, Rove writes, and he can expect many more party-line votes in Congress as a result.

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President Obama takes questions from Republican lawmakers at the GOP House Issues Conference in Baltimore last Friday. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

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Framed as an opportunity for the president to hear from the other side, Mr. Obama's real aim was to portray Republicans as obstructionist and boost his own public standing in the process. - President Obama

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 23 comments

DontLikeYou___

Feb 5, 2010 12:57 PM CST

The jobs problems is here because business owners, like myself, do not trust Obama. It costs money to employee someone. In addition to their hourly wage, the business owner pays a minimum of about 17% in medicare, social security and fed/state unemployment taxes. I got a notice from my state in January that my unemployment tax was going up. That means that in 2010, it will cost me even more to employee each person. It is sad that a man like Obama who has never held a real job or run a business is making policies which are killing this economy.

DontLikeYou___

Feb 5, 2010 12:45 PM CST

@OG_Travis. You never struck me as a capitalist. More like a Maoist.

DontLikeYou___

Feb 5, 2010 12:44 PM CST

Wall street stocks can be bet against. That's right. You can actually bet that the stock will go down, and if it does, you win prizes. How's that for crazy?

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Karl Rove • Republican Party • approval ratings • Obama administration • President Obama • spending freeze • Obama budget

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Obama's GOP Outreach Too Little, Too Late