Obama utters words 'tax and spend liberal.' Republicans drool.
In a candid magazine interview, President Obama acknowledges that he made it too easy for Republicans to cast him as a 'tax and spend liberal.' The comments could backfire against Democrats.
President Obama's candor in a New York Times interview may have created some awkward moments for Democratic candidates.
Susan Walsh/AP
Washington
Around elections, presidential candor 鈥� even in limited amounts 鈥� can be politically awkward.
So at a meeting Wednesday morning with reporters, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was at pains to tamp down reaction to comments President Obama made for an interview with the New York Times Magazine that will be distributed this Sunday.
In the cover story, by reporter Peter Baker, Mr. Obama admits to learning 鈥渢actical lessons鈥� in his first two years in office. He let himself look too much like 鈥渢he same old tax and spend liberal Democrat,鈥� the president said. When it comes to public works programs, the President said, 鈥渢here鈥檚 no such thing as shovel ready projects.鈥� And he raised the possibility he should not have included tax breaks as part of the stimulus bill and instead 鈥渓et the Republicans insist on the tax cuts,鈥� thus casting the aura of bipartisan compromise on the legislation. And the story said the president is spending time with key aides mapping a changed course for the next two years.
"There is no post mortem鈥� underway, Mr. Gibbs told reporters. As to the magazine鈥檚 report that White House insiders think the administration has a communications problem, Gibbs quipped he was 鈥渟ort of used to it.鈥� In the magazine story, Gibbs is quoted as saying 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 been to a policy-problem meeting in 20 months.鈥�
Republicans were quick to jump on the president鈥檚 comments. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) sent out a press release titled 鈥淥bama Acknowledges Stimulus Failures 鈥� Does Bishop Agree?鈥� The sub-head read "Twenty Days Until Election Day, Self-Proclaimed 鈥楾ax and Spend Democrat' Admits There is 鈥楴o Such Thing as Shovel-Ready Projects.' "
The press release referred to a race pitting incumbent Democrat Tim Bishop, who represents the eastern end of Long Island, against Republican challenger Randy Altschuler. But the NRCC said it fired off a similar release to a long list of Congressional districts.
Democratic congressional candidates can ill afford any additional bad news. Non-partisan analyst Charlie Cook of the Cook Political Report wrote Wednesday that it was 鈥渢riage time for Democrats.鈥� Pivotal swing voters have swung and 鈥渁re now giving Republicans big leads,鈥� he says. The analyst says 鈥渢his year is shaping up to be something of a repeat of the 52-seat House and eight-seat Senate rout of Democrats of 1994.鈥�