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| Obama denies sending mixed signals over Congress charm offensive | Obama denies sending mixed signals over Congress charm offensive |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| The White House has denied that Barack Obama is sending out mixed messages on the eve of three days of visits to Congress to discuss budgets, immigration, guns and climate change. | The White House has denied that Barack Obama is sending out mixed messages on the eve of three days of visits to Congress to discuss budgets, immigration, guns and climate change. |
| Obama has meetings scheduled with Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, a charm offensive billed by the White House as an attempt to woo Republicans – and some Democrats – opposed to his tax and spending plans, as well as other proposed second-term legislative proposals. | Obama has meetings scheduled with Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, a charm offensive billed by the White House as an attempt to woo Republicans – and some Democrats – opposed to his tax and spending plans, as well as other proposed second-term legislative proposals. |
| But he has also scheduled a speech on Wednesday night at a conference in Washington of Organising for Action, Obama's campaign group, which has been reformed to mobilise public opinion behind his agenda. | But he has also scheduled a speech on Wednesday night at a conference in Washington of Organising for Action, Obama's campaign group, which has been reformed to mobilise public opinion behind his agenda. |
| Scheduling the Organising for Action speech in the same week as his congressional charm offensive risks raising suspicions among Republicans that Obama is just going through the motions of seeking a compromise on the budget and other issues. They worry that his real objective is purely political: to portray the Republicans are obstructionist and hope they are punished in the congressional midterms in 2014. | Scheduling the Organising for Action speech in the same week as his congressional charm offensive risks raising suspicions among Republicans that Obama is just going through the motions of seeking a compromise on the budget and other issues. They worry that his real objective is purely political: to portray the Republicans are obstructionist and hope they are punished in the congressional midterms in 2014. |
| The White House press secretary Jay Carney denied there were any mixed messages, and insisted that Organising for Action is not a partisan body beginning preparations for the 2014 election. "I think you are mischaracterising the group," Carney said. He insisted that the organisation was committed to discussing policy. | The White House press secretary Jay Carney denied there were any mixed messages, and insisted that Organising for Action is not a partisan body beginning preparations for the 2014 election. "I think you are mischaracterising the group," Carney said. He insisted that the organisation was committed to discussing policy. |
| He also rejected criticism that Organising for Action is selling access to the president for big donors. "There are organisations all over Washington and around the country that support policy agendas. Any notion, as we've talked about, that there's a price set for a meeting with the president is absurd and wrong," Carney told the daily White House press briefing. | He also rejected criticism that Organising for Action is selling access to the president for big donors. "There are organisations all over Washington and around the country that support policy agendas. Any notion, as we've talked about, that there's a price set for a meeting with the president is absurd and wrong," Carney told the daily White House press briefing. |
| But, crucially, he did not deny that the president might meet Organising for Action donors. | But, crucially, he did not deny that the president might meet Organising for Action donors. |
| Speakers at the Organising for Action conference include Jim Messina, the organisation's chairman and Obama's campaign manager for re-election. | Speakers at the Organising for Action conference include Jim Messina, the organisation's chairman and Obama's campaign manager for re-election. |
| Asked what Obama hoped to achieve from his visits to Congress, Carney said he wanted to make clear his willingness to work with lawmakers from both parties on his priorities: namely, a balanced budget, comprehensive immigration reform, sensible action to reduce gun violence, action to help energy independence and an end to Senate obstruction over nominations, in particular judicial ones. | Asked what Obama hoped to achieve from his visits to Congress, Carney said he wanted to make clear his willingness to work with lawmakers from both parties on his priorities: namely, a balanced budget, comprehensive immigration reform, sensible action to reduce gun violence, action to help energy independence and an end to Senate obstruction over nominations, in particular judicial ones. |
| Some of the spending proposals had enjoyed bipartisan support in the past, Carney said. There was nothing partisan either, he said, about immigration reform or gun reform. | Some of the spending proposals had enjoyed bipartisan support in the past, Carney said. There was nothing partisan either, he said, about immigration reform or gun reform. |
| After meeting Senate Democrats on Tuesday, Obama is to meet House Republicans on Wednesday, and, separately, Senate Republicans and House Democrats on Thursday. | After meeting Senate Democrats on Tuesday, Obama is to meet House Republicans on Wednesday, and, separately, Senate Republicans and House Democrats on Thursday. |
| The meetings come after a series of discussions at the White House – and over dinner – between Obama and mainly middle-ranking Republican members of Congress. Many of these Republicans have said they welcomed Obama's overtures, but expressed scepticism about whether in the end they will be able to reach a compromise on spending and other issues. | The meetings come after a series of discussions at the White House – and over dinner – between Obama and mainly middle-ranking Republican members of Congress. Many of these Republicans have said they welcomed Obama's overtures, but expressed scepticism about whether in the end they will be able to reach a compromise on spending and other issues. |
| Paul Ryan, who was Mitt Romney's vice-presidential running-mate in the November election, is to present a House budget on Tuesday morning. But there is little in his plan – the details of which have been widely trailed in advance – that Obama would accept, not least re-opening the debate over his proposed healthcare reforms, which are due to be applied fully from next year. | Paul Ryan, who was Mitt Romney's vice-presidential running-mate in the November election, is to present a House budget on Tuesday morning. But there is little in his plan – the details of which have been widely trailed in advance – that Obama would accept, not least re-opening the debate over his proposed healthcare reforms, which are due to be applied fully from next year. |
| Senate Democrats are working on their own budget, too, but in the knowledge that little of it would be passed by House Republicans. Obama is promisign to produce his own budget next month. | Senate Democrats are working on their own budget, too, but in the knowledge that little of it would be passed by House Republicans. Obama is promisign to produce his own budget next month. |
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