President Obama is touring the country to ramp up public pressure on Congress to pass his American Jobs Act — and that means all of the bill, not just the parts that are acceptable to House Republicans. "It's not an à la carte menu," said Obama adviser David Axelrod. "It's a strategy to get this country moving." Meanwhile, House Republicans say they're open to certain parts of the $447 billion package — which is largely a mix of tax cuts, infrastructure spending, and state aid — but are unlikely to support all of it. Going further, some senior GOP aides have suggested it's doubtful any part of the plan will pass if it means a "win" for Obama. Will either side yield ground to get something done about jobs?
Obama may actually be open to negotiations: Axelrod's assertion suggests "the White House doesn’t have its messaging ducks in a row," says Greg Sargent at The Washington Post, since another Obama aide said just hours later that Obama would sign parts of the bill if necessary. But both statements reflect the political reality that "no one ever thought the House GOP would pass the entire bill to begin with," and Obama will have to fight to get any aspect of the package enacted.
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