By JOHN FUND
President Obama made a smart move on Friday by going into the lion's den. He became the first President not just to attend a Congressional retreat of the opposition party but also to take members' questions live on television. Republicans, who have long criticized Mr. Obama for not having C-SPAN cameras airing policy discussions, could hardly refuse the White House's demand that C-SPAN be allowed into such a session for the first time.
During the 80-minute discussion, Mr. Obama demonstrated how a president can dominate a public event. The House Republicans who lined up to question him at their retreat in Baltimore had to speak up to him from below a podium, allowing him to seem to address them from on high. Mr. Obama batted back or slid away from most of the questions thrown at him as he pressed his message that the American people don't want more gridlock and partisanship.
But while Mr. Obama won the photo-op aspects of the meeting and the tactical victory of the day, Republicans wrung some soundbites out of him they can use in the future. Mr. Obama was forced to accept and hold up for the cameras a 30-page Republican booklet entitled "BETTER SOLUTIONS: a Compilation of GOP Alternatives." He acknowledged that he had read their bills on health care and complimented Rep. Paul Ryan, ranking Republican on the budget committee, for having a realistic solution to the growth of Medicare. All of that will make it harder for Mr. Obama and his surrogates to paint the GOP as "the party of 'No'" in the future.
In addition, Mr. Obama conceded that the health care bill that emerged from Congress would not fulfill his pledge that Americans who want to keep their existing health insurance unchanged would be able to do so. He also indicated that as president he would like to get bills from Congress that were less complex and less lengthy than many recent monstrosities that could only be subject to an up-or-down presidential veto or signature. GOP members of Congress, who have long supported a new line-item veto power for the president that would pass Constitutional muster, will no doubt now press him to lend support to their efforts.
But the real winners from the exchange were the American people, who got to see a spontaneous version of the "Question Time" that British members of Parliament have long used to demand accountability from their Prime Ministers. Here's hoping that Friday's session won't be the last
President Obama made a smart move on Friday by going into the lion's den. He became the first President not just to attend a Congressional retreat of the opposition party but also to take members' questions live on television. Republicans, who have long criticized Mr. Obama for not having C-SPAN cameras airing policy discussions, could hardly refuse the White House's demand that C-SPAN be allowed into such a session for the first time.
During the 80-minute discussion, Mr. Obama demonstrated how a president can dominate a public event. The House Republicans who lined up to question him at their retreat in Baltimore had to speak up to him from below a podium, allowing him to seem to address them from on high. Mr. Obama batted back or slid away from most of the questions thrown at him as he pressed his message that the American people don't want more gridlock and partisanship.
But while Mr. Obama won the photo-op aspects of the meeting and the tactical victory of the day, Republicans wrung some soundbites out of him they can use in the future. Mr. Obama was forced to accept and hold up for the cameras a 30-page Republican booklet entitled "BETTER SOLUTIONS: a Compilation of GOP Alternatives." He acknowledged that he had read their bills on health care and complimented Rep. Paul Ryan, ranking Republican on the budget committee, for having a realistic solution to the growth of Medicare. All of that will make it harder for Mr. Obama and his surrogates to paint the GOP as "the party of 'No'" in the future.
In addition, Mr. Obama conceded that the health care bill that emerged from Congress would not fulfill his pledge that Americans who want to keep their existing health insurance unchanged would be able to do so. He also indicated that as president he would like to get bills from Congress that were less complex and less lengthy than many recent monstrosities that could only be subject to an up-or-down presidential veto or signature. GOP members of Congress, who have long supported a new line-item veto power for the president that would pass Constitutional muster, will no doubt now press him to lend support to their efforts.
But the real winners from the exchange were the American people, who got to see a spontaneous version of the "Question Time" that British members of Parliament have long used to demand accountability from their Prime Ministers. Here's hoping that Friday's session won't be the last
