I'll just put up a poll at the end.
President Obama has requested a joint session of Congress at 8 p.m. next Wednesday to lay out new jobs proposals aimed at boosting the economy, setting up a direct confrontation with Republican presidential candidates who are scheduled to debate the same night in California.
Hours later, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) instead urged the president to move his speech to the following night, Sept. 8, citing the need for the House to conduct a “security sweep” in its first day back in session.
Obama would need both chambers of Congress to adopt a concurrent resolution in order to be allowed to speak.
“It is my recommendation that your address be held on the following evening, when we can ensure there will be no parliamentary or logistical impediments that might detract from your remarks,” Boehner wrote in a letter to Obama on Wednesday afternoon.
WaPo
To me it makes no sense to schedule the speech when the Republican debate is scheduled unless you purposely want to be in the Republicans' faces. Chris Cizzilla at WaPo argues there are no coincidences in presidential politics and I think he's right:
There are no coincidences in presidential politics.
Strategists spend hours poring over every word a president utters, every policy position he takes and every state he visits, a level of attention to detail that makes happenstance virtually nonexistent.
And so, when the White House announced today that President Obama would deliver his much-anticipated jobs speech on Sept. 7 at 8 pm — the exact same day and time that the 2012 Republican candidates are scheduled to debate in California — the idea that the timing was purely coincidental was, well, far-fetched.
WaPo, The Fix: Coincidences don’t happen in presidential politics. Ever.
Now Obama did get an invitation, but that is a formality:
As such, on behalf of the bipartisan leadership and membership of both the House and Senate, I respectfully invite you to address a Joint Session of Congress on Thursday, September 8, 2011 in the House Chamber, at a time that works best for your schedule.
Washington Monthly, Steve Benen
Benen speculates:
I haven’t the foggiest idea what happens next, and/or whether Boehner is just trying to throw his weight around a bit. Will the White House say, “Thanks for the recommendation, but we want Wednesday”? And then what?
And if Obama accepts Thursday, will Boehner change his mind again and say, “You know what? Let’s make it Friday”?
For that matter, has there ever been an instance in which a president requested a joint session and the Speaker of the House replied, “Pick a different day”?
Washington Monthly, Steve Benen
So now we have what some call "a pissing match." Obama scheduled Wednesday, and Boehner says no. It's a petty dominance game on Boehner's part.
Symbols matter and the first two and a half years of this presidency suggests that the President would not get bogged down in such silliness and just say "Thursday's fine."
But if that's the case, why this:
White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama wanted to address Congress because it will need to pass legislation on the jobs package. "The venue is appropriate because of the action that needs to be taken," Carney said.
Carney said aides were aware of the Republican debate, scheduled for the Ronald Reagan library in Southern California and set to be televised by MSNBC. Carney said many political (and television) schedules had to be taken into account in planning the speech, and Wednesday is the best day.
The proximity of the Republican debate is "coincidental," Carney said, adding, "There's never a perfect date."
USA Today: Obama wants jobs speech Sept. 7 -- Boehner, Sept. 8
So I think they sought a confrontation. I can come to no other conclusion.
It's a rather remarkable standoff . Usually, presidents and congressional leaders will negotiate beforehand before the White House requests a specific date to address the House and Senate, as Obama did earlier today.
USA Today: Obama wants jobs speech Sept. 7 -- Boehner, Sept. 8
I believe Obama sought this confrontation, although I may be wrong.
So who blinks?
Barack Obama or John Boehner?
I'll go out on a limb and say John Boehner.
Update I: somehow screwed up and the poll did not post. Just vote in the comments.