Congress: Obama's Hill visit

NBC’s Mike Viqueira reports that President Obama spoke for 14 minutes to House Democrats during his closed-door meeting with them on Capitol Hill yesterday. More than 150 members attended, and they were very enthusiastic. Obama, as expected, focused on the budget. "Only way to get out of the economic mess we are in is to grow our way out of it. If we do not have growth, we will not succeed," he said, according to staffers inside the meeting. The president closed by saying that he and Dems are in this together. Said budget was a blueprint for economic growth. "I need your vote in passing the budget. If we do that, we will create a sense of momentum that will allow us to do health care reform and education" and other major initiatives. "If we don't pas the budget, it will empower those critics who don't want to see anything getting done." The New York Times adds this about Obama’s trip to Capitol Hill yesterday: “Lawmakers and aides said Mr. Obama also impressed them with his detailed level of ... (link)