Politics

At press conference, Obama acknowledges little clout in D.C.

Neil Munro White House Correspondent
Font Size:

President Barack Obama today acknowledged his faltering political influence on voters, and on the Republican and Democratic legislators who are charting their own course towards the 2012 election.

“All I can do is make the best arguments and mobilize public opinion,” he said during a 73-minute morning press conference in the White House. “So far, [Republicans] have not been responsive to public opinion.”

Pressed by reporters for answers on ongoing crises and scandals, Obama also said that Attorney General Holder did not know the disastrous details of his “Fast and Furious” program; that the feds must invest in green technology because traditional oil is running out; that China manipulates its currency; and that Pakistan cooperates with extremists.

The reporters’ tough questions and the president’s cautious answers highlighted the mounting economic problems, political obstacles and internal scandals plaguing the administration.

Three reporters suggested his calls on the GOP to pass his $47 billion seem more like a campaign than a serious negotiation with legislators, and Obama responded with a campaign-style rebuke of the GOP.

“We will keep on going [to win passage of the bill] …  [and] they will have to explain why they’re opposed to putting teachers back into school or are opposed to rebuilding our schools,” he said, while acknowledging that the economy “is currently weakening.”

“If Congress does do something, I can’t run against a do-nothing Congress. If Congress doesn’t do something, the people will run them out of town,” he said.

Obama also alluded to his political weakness on Capitol Hill as he tried to blame Republicans for cynicism about Washington. “What we’ve seen is the American people respond very enthusiastically to the specific provisions of the jobs bill … [and] I can go out there and make speeches, but until they see action, some of that cynicism is going to be there,” he said.

Via his speeches, he said, he’s taking his ”case to the American people so they understand what’s at stake.”

Obama’s relations with Hill Democrats are also fraying, as some criticize his jobs bill and proposed tax increases. Senate Democrats, for example, have dropped his proposed tax plan and, rather than vote on his proposal to increase taxes on people earning more than $250,000 per year, are now seeking a 5.6 percent surcharge on millionaires.

Obama didn’t object to this change. “The approach that the Senate is taking, I’m comfortable with,” he said.

Senate Democrats are also pushing a populist bill to punish China for currency manipulation. Obama said China does manipulate its currency, but did not say if he supports or opposes the bill.

To help spur public pressure against the GOP, Obama also derided the GOP’s economy-boosting proposals, such as its calls for deregulation. There is “not one persuasive argument that Republicans have made against a [jobs] bill like this,” he said.

“Their answer I’m hearing now is that ‘We’re going to roll back all of these Obama regulations,’” he said. “Their big economic plan … is to roll back financial protections … weaken consumer watchdogs … rollback regulations that make sure we’ve got clear air clean water … Does anybody really think that’s going to create jobs right now?”

“There may be some skepticism … that I personally can persuade the Republicans … that’s exactly why we need public pressure,” he said.

Follow Neil on Twitter

PREMIUM ARTICLE: Subscribe To Keep Reading

Sign up

By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use

You're signed up!

Sign up

By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use

You're signed up!
Sign up

By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use

You're signed up!

Sign up

By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use

You're signed up!
Sign up

By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use

You're signed up!

Sign Up

By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use

You're signed up!
Sign up

By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use

You're signed up!
Sign up

By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use

You're signed up!
BENEFITS READERS PASS PATRIOTS FOUNDERS
Daily and Breaking Newsletters
Daily Caller Shows
Ad Free Experience
Exclusive Articles
Custom Newsletters
Editor Daily Rundown
Behind The Scenes Coverage
Award Winning Documentaries
Patriot War Room
Patriot Live Chat
Exclusive Events
Gold Membership Card
Tucker Mug

What does Founders Club include?

Tucker Mug and Membership Card
Founders

Readers,

Instead of sucking up to the political and corporate powers that dominate America, The Daily Caller is fighting for you — our readers. We humbly ask you to consider joining us in this fight.

Now that millions of readers are rejecting the increasingly biased and even corrupt corporate media and joining us daily, there are powerful forces lined up to stop us: the old guard of the news media hopes to marginalize us; the big corporate ad agencies want to deprive us of revenue and put us out of business; senators threaten to have our reporters arrested for asking simple questions; the big tech platforms want to limit our ability to communicate with you; and the political party establishments feel threatened by our independence.

We don't complain -- we can't stand complainers -- but we do call it how we see it. We have a fight on our hands, and it's intense. We need your help to smash through the big tech, big media and big government blockade.

We're the insurgent outsiders for a reason: our deep-dive investigations hold the powerful to account. Our original videos undermine their narratives on a daily basis. Even our insistence on having fun infuriates them -- because we won’t bend the knee to political correctness.

One reason we stand apart is because we are not afraid to say we love America. We love her with every fiber of our being, and we think she's worth saving from today’s craziness.

Help us save her.

A second reason we stand out is the sheer number of honest responsible reporters we have helped train. We have trained so many solid reporters that they now hold prominent positions at publications across the political spectrum. Hear a rare reasonable voice at a place like CNN? There’s a good chance they were trained at Daily Caller. Same goes for the numerous Daily Caller alumni dominating the news coverage at outlets such as Fox News, Newsmax, Daily Wire and many others.

Simply put, America needs solid reporters fighting to tell the truth or we will never have honest elections or a fair system. We are working tirelessly to make that happen and we are making a difference.

Since 2010, The Daily Caller has grown immensely. We're in the halls of Congress. We're in the Oval Office. And we're in up to 20 million homes every single month. That's 20 million Americans like you who are impossible to ignore.

We can overcome the forces lined up against all of us. This is an important mission but we can’t do it unless you — the everyday Americans forgotten by the establishment — have our back.

Please consider becoming a Daily Caller Patriot today, and help us keep doing work that holds politicians, corporations and other leaders accountable. Help us thumb our noses at political correctness. Help us train a new generation of news reporters who will actually tell the truth. And help us remind Americans everywhere that there are millions of us who remain clear-eyed about our country's greatness.

In return for membership, Daily Caller Patriots will be able to read The Daily Caller without any of the ads that we have long used to support our mission. We know the ads drive you crazy. They drive us crazy too. But we need revenue to keep the fight going. If you join us, we will cut out the ads for you and put every Lincoln-headed cent we earn into amplifying our voice, training even more solid reporters, and giving you the ad-free experience and lightning fast website you deserve.

Patriots will also be eligible for Patriots Only content, newsletters, chats and live events with our reporters and editors. It's simple: welcome us into your lives, and we'll welcome you into ours.

We can save America together.

Become a Daily Caller Patriot today.

Signature

Neil Patel