(Image source: The New York Times)
BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN
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President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner are having trouble compromising again --- this time over the calendar. MSNBC has the details:
“The White House asking Speaker Boehner, Senate majority leader Harry Reid for time to address a joint session of the Congress next Wednesday at 8 p.m. The White House says it’s to unveil his new jobs plan.”
There was just one problem...
“Oh by the way, the 8 o’clock Wednesday night timing that’s the same time the NBC News political debate at the Reagan Library where all 8 candidates are scheduled to debate.”
The White House says the timing is coincidence. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus took to Twitter to vent:
“@BarackObama request to give jobs speech the same night as GOP Presidential debate is further proof this WH is all politics all the time.”
And House Speaker Boehner was having none of it. Citing a tight schedule -- he asked the president to move the date back.
In a visit to CNN - Politico’s Julie Mason says -- the whole thing was handled pretty badly.
“Apparently the White House didn't do their back channelling. Usually these things are agreed upon in advance. And then it's up to the speaker to invite the president to come speak. The president doesn't summon Congress to a joint session and then arrive and speak. So according to the speaker's office this was handled badly. So this is the push back we're seeing.”
The president ended up moving his request -- to the day AFTER the GOP debate -- even though the White House maintains it gave the speaker a heads-up before the request went public.
A Sky News blog calls the concession -- disappointing for the president’s supporters.
“Anyone keeping score in this summer’s epic Barack Obama v the Republicans battle? Chalk another point up to the red corner. … His die-hard supporters see it as another example of Obama giving ground to Republicans, something they say happens way too often.”
But CBS’ Bob Schieffer says it was wise of the president to go ahead and move the date back -- just to put an end to the bickering.
Still - he says -- in the end -- no one looks good here.
"This was shaping up something worthy of the playground, 10-year-olds arguing over who was going to get to bat first or something. This is just really one of the most ridiculous episodes that I think we've had in the last year or so, a year of ridiculous episodes."
But as WPVI points out -- turns out -- there’s a scheduling conflict with that, too.
“Now the president will have to compete with the opening game of the NFL season- the Saints and Packers.”
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