Barack Obama drops in on Senate Democratic Policy Committee Issues Conference

The Obama administration is working their magic. Trying to make sure with November elections approaching that Democrats are on the same page. Then the Democratic Senators must carefully take the Obama administration's platform and craft it to fit their constituencies come November. Some With soo much on the line some Senators were literally taking notes. Having a conference at the Newseum today the President did not take any softball questions from his own party. It would not help democrats hammer out the game plan.

President Barack Obama gave what amounted to a 15-20 minute pep rally for Democratic senators at the Senate Democratic Policy Committee Issues Conference before taking questions for about an hour. Sen. Harry Reid opened up the meeting by telling Democrats they should be talking about not about "where we were, but where we are." He went on to rattle off some of the accomplishments the Democratic led Congress has accomplished so far, starting with the Lilly Ledbetter equal pay act and including tougher tobacco regulations, credit card reform and other issues.

Seated on stage with Barack Obama were Sens. Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, Byron Dorgan, Patty Murray and Chuck Schumer.

Sen. Bill Nelson, Dianne Feinstein, and Sen. Evan Bayh were in the first couple of rows. Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman was seated in the back row. He was singled out at one point by President, who thanked him, John Kerry and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (n'o present) for clean energy legislation.

Here's a little summary of the question and answer held after the President's remarks.

-SEN. ARLEN SPECTER asked first question about jobs and trade with China, complaining that China is taking US jobs and then selling goods back to US. "It's really a form of international banditry," Specter said. He went on to ask if POTUS would support legal remedies, etc. to address trade imbalances.
OBAMA - "I would not be in favor of revoking trade relationships we have with china," he said. POTUS went on to say how he has supported enforcement of trade rules, specifically mentioning the recent tift with China over tires. POTUS went on to say china and asia will be the world's biggest trading partners, and closing the US off to them "would be a mistake.

-SEN. MICHAEL BENNET got some chuckles when he recounted a conversation he had with his daughter about the deficit. He said his daughter told him: "Just so you know, I'm not paying for that, dad." He asked POTUS what they needed to do to address the deficit and reform how Washington works.
OBAMA responded by saying "The problem you've got here is an institution that increasingly is not adapted to a hugely successful 21st century economy."
He also took another swipe at Republicans, saying "If you want to govern, you just can't say no."
He went on to caution senators to "turn off your TV" and specifically CNN, FOX, MSNBC and others and told them they should go out and talk to constituents and get out of the echo chamber of politics in Washington.

He said one mistake he made in the past year was not getting out of Washington enough - something he's increasingly tried to do in recent weeks.
"That was a mistake I make last year, not getting out of here enough," POTUS said to wide applause from senators.

-SEN. BLANCHE LINCOLN asked about how to let constituents to know the economy is getting back on track, how to reduce their uncertainty and make Americans feel better about how things are going.
OBAMA: "Well, look, there's not doubt the past year has been an uncertain time for the American people." He went on to rattle off stats on economic construction, state budget freefalls, etc. and said given such, uncertainty among Americans is to be expected. "Part of what we've done this year is put a floor under people's feet" with the Recovery Act and other policies.

-SEN. KRISTEN GILLIBRAND asked about health care for 9-11 responders and other who live around Ground Zero. She mentioned legislation she recently introduced and asked if he supported it and would work w/ congress.
OBAMA responded that he had not seen her legislation, but was fully committed to working w/ congress on this issue.

-SEN. BARBARA BOXER thanked POTUS for meeting with Republicans. Asked if he could use executive order to help community banks to increase lending , possibly using TARP funding and also what he could do to make big banks do more lending.
OBAMA: Recounted all the places he traveled and said everywhere we go, small bizes say they can't get enough financing. He said he thought the best approach was legislative, not executive, and urged senators to pass legislation that would transfer TARP repayments to community banks, rather than approach it through executive order.

-SEN. PAT LEAHY asked about the slowness of getting judicial nominations approved by Senate because of Republican holds and stalls.
OBAMA responded that it wasn't just judicial nominations that were getting stalled by Republicans, but also all sorts of nominations. He said he would reach out to Republican leadership to try and make confirmation of nominees "a priority."

-SEN. SHERROD BROWN asked about how to change US policies to encourage more clean energy manufacturing.
OBAMA responded saying that the administration and Dems are certainly trying, but also cautioned that the US may lose its lead to China and elsewhere if it doesn't ask more quickly.

-SEN. EVAN BAYH asked what he and other senators should tell constituents when they ask about why the deficit isn't being reduced quickly enough, and what he and others should tell Americans when they ask about why they should trust Democrats.
OBAMA: "I'll tell you why Democrats should be trusted, because the last time this budget was balanced was under a Democratic president."
He went on to say that Democrats needed to make sure they let Americans know what the country is up against - not only the recession but the huge deficits Democrats inherited.