This Article is From Feb 04, 2010

Obama offers pep talks to Democrats

Obama offers pep talks to Democrats
Washington: President Barack Obama urged Senate Democrats on Wednesday to move beyond a demoralizing defeat last month in Massachusetts and to draw a lesson for their own campaigns as they navigate the difficult headwinds of a midterm election year.

"I promise you, the answer is not to do nothing," Obama said. "The American people are out of patience with business as usual."

Five days after a lively question-and-answer session with House Republicans at their retreat in Baltimore, Obama stood before a friendlier audience of Senate Democrats at the Newseum here. He said Congress should press ahead on health care legislation, but offered no guidance for how to accomplish the task.

At times, the president's appearance took on the air of a pep rally, complete with back-slapping jokes and stinging criticism of Republicans. But at other points it seemed as though the senators had been summoned to the principal's office, with Obama delivering a stern reminder to do better, work harder and live up to their potential.

"I think the natural political instinct is to tread lightly, keep your head down and to play it safe," Obama said, warning Democrats against retreating from their priorities.

He added: "We've got to finish the job on health care. We've got to finish the job on financial regulatory reform. We've got to finish the job, even though it's hard."

The president took questions from Democrats, several of whom conveyed the frustrations of their constituents. The rules of seniority were set aside, so the senators with some of the most challenging races were selected to speak first, allowing them the opportunity to raise concerns and distance themselves from the institution in which they serve.

Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado said: "This place looks broken to the American people."

Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas added: "People out there watching us, they see us nothing more than Democrats and Republicans up here fighting."

Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana said: "Why should the Democratic Party be trusted? And are we willing to make some of the tough decisions, to actually head this country in a better direction?"

The president acknowledged the difficulties, but implored Democratslawmakers to ignore the political chatter on cable television and in the blogosphere and "get out of the echo chamber" in Washington.

If Congress delivers results, he added, "I'm confident that politics in 2010 will take care of themselves."

For more than an hour inside the Newseum, which sits along Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the Capitol, Obama said he welcomed bipartisan cooperation on issues like health care. But he dismissed criticism from Republicans that Democrats had not given consideration to their ideas.

"We considered hundreds of Republican amendments," Obama said. "When I start hearing that I should accept Republican ideas, let's be clear, we have. What hasn't happened is the other side accepting our ideas."

He added, "I also made it clear that 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."

Even as Obama was criticizing Republicans and bucking up Democrats, the White House announced that the president would hold the first in a series of bipartisan brainstorming sessions next week.

"I know these are tough times to hold public office," Obama said. "I'm in the arena with you. The need is great. The anger and the anguish are intense."

While Republicans have suggested that their victory in the Massachusetts special election to fill the seat of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy showed evidence of opposition to the health care bill, Obama offered a different analysis.

"If anybody's searching for a lesson from Massachusetts," Obama said, "I promise you the answer is not to do nothing."

The session between Obama and his former colleagues from the Senate was televised, following the pattern set by last week's meeting with House Republicans. That gathering was repeated again and again on television and heralded for a rare exchange between a sitting president and the opposition party.

The Democratic event on Wednesday received far fewer accolades for candor and spontaneity. The White House conceded the differences, but defended the meeting as a productive one.

"Well, in fairness, we did tell them we were coming," said Bill Burton, a deputy White House press secretary. "I think that if you look at the questions, they weren't softballs. They were tough questions that the president took on."

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