WASHINGTON — In a blunt election prescription for his own skittish party, President Barack Obama on Wednesday implored Democratic leaders to swing big, be honest with an angry public and expose any obstructionism by Republicans.
“We still have to lead,” Obama told Democratic senators in a pep talk that unfolded on live TV.
That line alone revealed how the political dynamic has changed in just two weeks, as Senate Democrats saw their edge slip from 60 to 59 in a special Massachusetts election.
His advice: Get results, and this year’s midterm elections will work out fine. Let policy be our politics, and make sure everyone knows about petty acts by the opposition.
Tactical guidance
Obama’s mission is to stiffen the resolve of his own party as he pursues an agenda that is consistent — creating jobs, overhauling health insurance, regulating Wall Street — yet is also cast in more personal, real-life terms.
So Obama went into detail in offering tactical guidance to a room full of senators with decades of election experience. The president said lawmakers should do more business in the public eye; tell voters honestly that some problems will take a long time to solve; stop listening to cable TV shows; make a case for health care reform without getting bogged down by insider minutiae; and call out Republicans when gamesmanship holds up votes.
Obama said he’s still confident the American people will re-elect leaders who do the right thing and explain it well.
“We’ll call (GOP) out”
Obama’s new bipartisanship — cooperative offers laced with criticism — was on display. The president said he meant it when he told House Republicans that he wants to work with them. Then he sharply added: “We’ll call them out when they say they want to work with us, and we extend a hand and get a fist in return.”
Expect Obama to make the same case when he campaigns for candidates this year. The White House’s thinking is that Democrats took the heat in 2009, but that when voters have choices on the ballot this year, Republicans will face consequences if they don’t work with Obama on fixing problems.
Obama’s comments came as the White House announced he would start holding meetings next week with bipartisan congressional leaders.
Virtually all of the senators who got their hands on a microphone Wednesday face steep re-election challenges this year, and their moment with the president allowed them to give voice to public dissatisfaction with the economy and Washington.
Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado: “This place looks broken to the American people.”
Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana: “Why should the Democratic Party be trusted?”
Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas: “Are we willing as Democrats to also push back on our own party and look for that common ground that we need to work with Republicans?”
Obama called the senators by their first names and praised them for legislation they sent him last year. He acknowledged the health care fight got messy, the transparency disappeared, and “we paid a price for it.”
Just keep pushing, he said.
“I know these are tough times to hold public office,” he said. “I’m there in the arena with you.”
