Obama Seeks Middle Ground With Republicans on Economic Package

Naftali Bendavid reports on Congress. President-elect Barack Obama , coming to Capitol Hill today for the first time since his election, went out of his way to reach out to Republicans, and they seemed to respond in kind. After separate meetings with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Obama met with a bipartisan group of 10 lawmakers. Obama told the participants the economy was bad and getting worse and that the two parties needed to work together. He wanted to move swiftly but responsibly, he added, and he would like the economic recovery package on his desk by the President’s Day congressional recess in mid-February. Obama also told the Republican lawmakers, “The monopoly on good ideas does not belong to a single party. If it’s a good idea, we will consider it.” Seated around a table in the ornate Lyndon B. Johnson Room on the second floor of the U.S. Capitol, the lawmakers each made comments. The Republicans said they ... (link)