Characteristically combining arrogance with silliness, President Obama has given Congress a to-do list. The list includes the same chestnuts Obama has been promoting for a while; it really is directed to the House of Representatives only. Notably absent from Obama’s list is any suggestion that the Senate should adopt a budget, as is required by law.
By ignoring the Democratic Senate and referring to “Congress,” Obama is trying to suggest that Republicans control the legislative branch, so any inaction is their fault. Actually, the opposite is true:
Republicans said they had a lengthy list of their own in the form of bills that have cleared the GOP-led House but remained bogged down by Senate Democrats. They accused Obama of recycling old ideas.
“We’ve passed nearly 30 jobs bills to increase American competitiveness, expand domestic energy production and rein in the red tape that is burdening small businesses. Democrats are blocking every one of them,” said Brendan Buck, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.
Running against Congress is a time-honored tactic, especially for presidents who don’t have a record of accomplishment to run on. Unpopular as Congress always is, it seems highly unlike that Obama will be able to get away with blaming his record on Congressional Republicans, especially in view of the fact that the Democrats controlled both the House and the Senate for the first two years of his term.