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March 19, 2010

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Obama to Senate Democrats: ‘Let’s have a fight about real stuff’

Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010 | 9:47 a.m.

— President Barack Obama continued his congressional tour this morning, telling Senate Democrats "we should not be spooked" as he presses his second-year agenda in an increasingly difficult election year for the party.

"Let's have a fight about real stuff," Obama told senators gathered at the annual meeting.

Obama fielded questions from Democratic senators during a live broadcast, much the way he did last week at the House Republicans' gathering. This, however, was a decidedly friendlier crowd.

Obama stressed the need for Democrats to work transparently to build the public's confidence in the workings of government and acknowledged the final health care reform talks were not as open as they should have been.

He reiterated a new theme — that Republicans must take responsibility for governing — and that he has "little patience" for those whose response to today's problems of jobs, the economy and health care is to just say "no."

"The answer is not to do nothing," Obama said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced the president and got a shout out from Obama, who a day earlier triggered a Nevada firestorm by telling a New Hampshire town hall, "You don't blow a bunch of cash on Vegas when you're trying to save for college."

Reid has "got one of the toughest jobs in Washington," Obama told the Senate Democrats. "Let's face it, you guys are a little difficult to manage."

Obama conceded one of his first-year mistakes was not getting out of Washington often enough to meet with ordinary Americans. He admonished fellow Democrats to turn off the TV news, stop reading the blogs and talk to people outside the beltway.

"I follow that advice pretty good," Reid quipped.

As the president listed the cities he has visited in the new year, Reid piped up, saying "Searchlight." Obama, who will visit Las Vegas this month, said not quite yet.

Obama also stressed the need to "finish the job on health care reform ... Even though it's hard."

Discussion: 8 comments so far…

Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy.

  1. Health care reform in it's current embodiment is dead for all purposes. Many of the sitting Dems are going to be unseated in the upcoming mid term elections. Reid is going back to Searchlight with his golden parachute. Were does that leave us the people? Right were we have always been, propping up the lower and upper classes and taking a major hit in our pocketbooks. Politicians are lying criminal scum!!

  2. With the health care mess, I believe Obama-Reid-Peolsi have shown that they are clowns.

    They had full control during the summer and should have gotten ObamaCare done then.

    Obama punted to Reid and Peolsi and they fumbled the ball.

    But Light Blub Joe Biden is the king of clowns.

    http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/joe...

  3. "Let's have a fight about real stuff," Obama told senators gathered at the annual meeting.

    How about the economy, stupid?

  4. Las Vegas Sun writers, editors, readers, watch this video about the Citizens United case

    http://reason.tv/video/show/citizens-uni...

  5. Ronald Reagan's last trip to LV. he warned American how dangerous Harry Reid was, now we know how very right the was! >>> http://www.tark2010.org/reaganslastcampa...

  6. The dem's can do whatever they want. They can easily pick off 1 GOP, but they just want to look good and fluff their feathers like a peacock.
    Ever since the MA election, there have been no major votes? Why? Why are the Dem's acting like a bunch of spineless twits?Maybe they are all talk and no action because they know their ideas suk.

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