While speaking to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute on Wednesday, President Barack Obama admitted he wished House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was still the Speaker of the House. He added that, until Pelosi is again Speaker, he’d like to further his agenda no matter what Congress thinks.
“Now, as I mentioned when I was at La Raza a few weeks back, I wish I had a magic wand and could make this all happen on my own,” Obama said to Congressional Hispanics in the context of comments on the DREAM Act. “There are times where — until Nancy Pelosi is speaker again, I’d like to work my way around Congress.” (RELATED: Obama stumps for Hispanic votes)
According to White House press officials, the audience applauded regularly throughout his comments on ignoring Congress and his comment on Pelosi.
Obama’s comments about his desire to ignore Congress come as he’s been promoting his “jobs plan” to voters in 2012 swing states as “bipartisan.” In his Wednesday night speech, Obama again claimed his job creation proposals appeal to members of both parties, even though no Republicans or conservative groups have endorsed it yet. “The proposals in this legislation have, in the past, been supported by Democrats and Republicans,” Obama told the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.
The Democratic National Committee has also been running television advertisements urging support for Obama’s “jobs plan.”
Critics have said the president is using the “jobs plan” to campaign in swing states on the taxpayers’ dime. His Wednesday evening speech to Hispanics is not much different. Hispanic voters are a huge constituency Obama needs to win to get reelected in 2012.