Obama meets the Republicans, asks that ‘no’ become ‘maybe’
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President Obama today called for bipartisanship in dealing with the nation’s ills in a rare public confrontation with Republican congressional leaders, who said afterward that they were willing to search for common ground.
The televised session in Baltimore could have been like Daniel entering the lion’s den, but in keeping with the goals, it was more an exercise in restrained politesse. Both sides agreed that discussion could be useful even if their political differences could not be reconciled.
“That’s how we operate. It’s all tactics, not solving problems,” Obama told the Republicans, bemoaning what he said was the replacement of civility with a slash-and-burn style of politics, fostered by the media.
Earlier, Obama told the group that “I don’t believe the American people want us to focus on our job security, they want us to focus on their job security.”
After the president left, Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio said the sides should ‘find a common ground. Because that is what is expected of us.”
“This is a first we need more of,” said Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia. He called on Democratic leaders in the House to follow the president’s example and open their doors to Republicans.
The question-and-answer session was remarkable for being a public confrontation at a time when both sides agree much of the political dialog in Washington has become so partisan that compromise is a brittle hope. It was polite on both sides, but insistent as the president and Republicans recognized that they had different approaches to the nation’s ills.
Republicans pressed their arguments that their ideas have been ignored on major issues and that Democrats have demonized them as the Party of No, a roadblock to legislation.
Obama said he viewed the GOP arguments on key issues like healthcare, energy, jobs and fiscal discipline as part of the political conversation, even if he disagreed with Republican positions.
There were many things he has proposed that Republicans say they agree with, Obama said, but party members refuse to support the suggestions for political reasons.
“Just because it is my administration that proposes it” shouldn’t mean the GOP automatically opposes it, Obama said.
‘It can’t be all or nothing,’ he said at another point.
On policy, Obama said he and Republicans could discuss such issues as tort reform, medical malpractice insurance reform and some targeted tax cuts.
“I am committed to working with you on these issues,” Obama said, but he insisted that the GOP proposals had to be based in a realistic approach and not in a political endgame. Some of the GOP health proposals, Obama insisted, weren’t financially possible and shouldn’t be pursued just to win political votes in this, a midterm election year.
But above, Obama urged civility in speech, while recognizing political necessity made some exaggeration inevitable.
“We have got to be careful about what we say about each other,” Obama joked at one point. “Because our constituents believe us.”
-- Michael Muskal
