It has become an annual rite of fall: President Obama returns from his summer vacation in Martha’s Vineyard, admits the economy is not as strong as he thought it would be, and then offers a “very specific” speech on how his administration will create new jobs. The American people have already heard this speech many times before.
What the American people have not seen yet, is Texas Gov. Rick Perry in a debate. For months, NBC News, Politico, and the Reagan Library have been planning to host a Republican presidential debate on September 7th. Everyone in Washington, D.C., knew this, including the White House. So what does Obama do? He asks Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, if he can give his annual jobs speech on the same night of the GOP debate? And then his spokesman, Jay Carney, has the audacity to claim the conflict is just “coincidental.”
Normally the White House works with the Speaker’s office to agree on a mutually acceptable date for a presidential speech before a joint session of Congress. But not this White House. Obama simply informed the Speaker’s office when Obama wanted to speak and never asked if that date worked for the House. A senior Democratic aide, granted anonymity to explain the sequence of events honestly, conceded to Talking Points Memo that the White House acted hastily.
At first, many on the left celebrated Obama’s bold effort to overshadow the Republican presidential candidate. Gawker even called it “the most gratuitously — and joyously! — dickish move of his presidency.” But then Speaker Boehner pushed back and asked Obama to move the speech to Thursday. The White House called foul, first claiming that Boehner had approved the Wednesday date, and then later admitting they had only informed him of their choice. By late yesterday Obama had completely caved, agreeing to give his speech right before the first NFL game of the season.
No one should be surprised that the White House is trying to play politics with their annual fall jobs speech. What is surprising is just how badly they are playing it.
Around the Bigs
Quinnipiac University, Obama Approval Hits All-Time Low: President Obama’s job approval rating has fallen to its lowest lever ever recorded by a Quinnipiac poll. American voters now disapprove of Obama’s job as president by a 10 point, 52 – 42 percent margin. And by a 49 – 11 percent margin voters believe the economy is getting worse rather than improving.
The Washington Post, Solyndra solar company fails after getting controversial federal loan guarantees: The clean alternative energy firm that both President Obama and Energy Secretary Steven Chu had help up as the model of Obama’s Green Job economy announced they were declaring bankruptcy yesterday, leaving taxpayers on the hook for $535 million in loan guarantees.
The Wall Street Journal, ADP Reports Modest Private Job Growth: according to payroll firm Automatic Data Processing Inc., 91,000 non-farm private sector jobs were created in August. That is almost 20,000 lower than the 109,000 jobs created in July.
The New York Times, U.S. Moves to Block Merger Between AT&T and T-Mobile: The Obama Justice Department sued to block the proposed AT&T/T-Mobile USA merger yesterday claiming it threatened to end competition in the wireless industry. The suit is dividing liberals between those who support blocking the suit and those who support the unions in favor of the merger.
Campaign 2012
Perry: Texas Gov. Rick Perry criticized a ruling by a U.S. District Court Judge Wednesday forbidding the state from requiring doctors to describe a baby’s sonogram before it is aborted. The state may still require the sonogram. Perry said of the decision, “Every life lost to abortion is a tragedy and today’s ruling is a great disappointment to all Texans who stand in defense of life.”
Bachmann: The pro-Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., super PAC “Keep Conservatives United” claims to be airing a television ad attacking Perry in South Carolina. An Actual ad buy has not been confirmed so this may just be an attempt to score some free anti-Perry media.
Righty Playbook
The Examiner‘s Tim Carney details why Obama’s new Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Alan Krueger embodies Obamanomics: “The Wall Street bailout, cash for clunkers, the stimulus, subsidized municipal bonds, an infrastructure bank: Anytime you find the big business lobby rallying behind a proposed expansion of federal spending, you’re likely to find Krueger’s fingerprints, or at least the sound of his hands clapping.”
James Pethokoukis explains why he likes Jon Huntsman’s tax plan: “At first glance, this looks like perhaps the most pro-growth, pro-market (and anti-crony capitalist) tax plan put forward by a major U.S. president candidate since Ronald Reagan in 1980.”
At The Corner, Veronique de Rugy reviews a Mercatus Center study showing that Obama’s stimulus failed to create the jobs Obama claimed it would because firms used the money to hire people already employed at other firms.
Lefty Playbook
Austin Frakt explains why Obamacare ended up looking so much like Romneycare.
The Communications Workers of America explain why they support the AT&T/T-Mobile merger.
Matt Yglesias claims a new study by the Mercatus Center proves Obama’s stimulus worked, contrary to the conclusion by de Rugy noted above.
