Speaking at the White House a few minutes ago, President Obama announced that the White House had formally delivered his Americans Jobs Act to Congress and he called on members to pass it right away.
On the substance, it was pretty much the same thing that President Obama said on Thursday and Friday about his jobs plan, but a couple of things about the politics of the event caught my attention.
First, he was surrounded by teachers, first responders and veterans. That might seem like political stagecraft 101, but it hasn't been something the White House has done a very good job of. But the visuals here worked. It was a far cry from the dreary debt limit debate. It was good to see.
Second, President Obama continued to take an aggressive approach, repeatedly challenging Congress to put politics aside and do what is right for the country. He quoted directly from this Politico story in which an anonymous aide says that Republicans shouldn't do anything on jobs because it could help Obama's re-election campaign:
“Obama is on the ropes; why do we appear ready to hand him a win?” said one senior House Republican aide who requested anonymity to discuss the matter freely. “I just don’t want to co-own the economy by having to tout that we passed a jobs bill that won’t work or at least won’t do enough.”
Obama also once again renewed his call for the public to contact their members of Congress to demand action. He seems to understand that this isn't a battle that he can win on his own—but it's also a battle that can't be won without him following through.
9:04 AM PT: Here's video of President Obama's remarks: