White House Debates Fight on Economy (winning second term w/ mandate best thing)

WASHINGTON — As the economy worsens, President Obama and his senior aides are considering whether to adopt a more combative approach on economic issues, seeking to highlight substantive differences with Republicans in Congress and on the campaign trail rather than continuing to pursue elusive compromises, advisers to the president say.

Mr. Obama’s senior adviser, David Plouffe, and his chief of staff, William M. Daley, want him to maintain a pragmatic strategy of appealing to independent voters by advocating ideas that can pass Congress, even if they may not have much economic impact. These include free trade agreements and improved patent protections for inventors.

But others, including Gene Sperling, Mr. Obama’s chief economic adviser, say public anger over the debt ceiling debate has weakened Republicans and created an opening for bigger ideas like tax incentives for businesses that hire more workers, according to Congressional Democrats who share that view. Democrats are also pushing the White House to help homeowners facing foreclosure.

....Dan Pfeiffer, the White House director of communications, said that there was no internal debate. “The president’s first priority is to work with Republicans and Democrats to grow the economy, create jobs and reduce the deficit, but if the Republican House continues its ‘my way or the highway’ approach, he will make sure the public knows who is standing in the way and why.”

The issue is being framed by the 2012 election. Administration officials, frustrated by the intransigence of House Republicans, have increasingly concluded that the best thing Mr. Obama can do for the economy may be winning a second term, with a mandate to advance his ideas on deficit reduction, entitlement changes, housing policy and other issues.

“The president’s first priority is to work with Republicans and Democrats to grow the economy, create jobs and reduce the deficit, but if the Republican House continues its ‘my way or the highway’ approach, he will make sure the public knows who is standing in the way and why.”

It is imperative that the Republicans seize control of the PR in this debate. They owe it to the country, and that's not an overstatement.

Most of us here know how Barney Frank, Franklin Raines, Clinton's push for easier - higher risk mortgages, and democratic opposition to attempts by the Bush administration to reform Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac contributed in a very significant way to the collapse of the housing market and our current economic woes.

Probably all of us here know that S&P and Moody warned that a downgrade was coming unless we decreased the deficit and had a plan to decrease our debt. We know that the Tea Party is a loose collection of citizens of all stripes who all agree that the government needs to spend less and balance its checkbook - and not just keep going back to the American taxpayer and taking more to finance their fiscal indiscretion.

However, more people in the country have heard and believe that our economic problems are due to the ‘Bush Tax Cuts’, greedy Wall Street financial people and bankers, and greedy corporations. Many have recently heard and believe that our credit downgrade was caused by the Tea Party being ‘uncooperative’.

Misperception can become the established ‘truth’ for many, and thus cannot be left to stand.

That’s one part of a larger story.

The net imports vs exports show that year after year the US is the big loser in jobs.

And a great part of our exports are agricultural products which are not big jobs creators.

You are right.

The Left (MSM - politicians - teachers) w/talking points, tightly control their message and define their opposition.

The conservative messenger is important (background, bearing and beliefs) to dispel the lies of the Left.

Reagan could do it. I believe Perry can too.

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