Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Obama reaching out to Republican rank and file

Details

  • Description

    What's behind president's move?

  • Duration 3:34
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Editor's Picks

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

More than just mentioned the Republicans are being invited over to the White House tonight for dinner some of them anyway and there are signs the president is trying to reach out of the Republican rank and file.

To try to come up with some kind of a new budget deal.

Some minority leader Mitch McConnell saying he welcomes the move.

I expect the president to talk to various members frankly I was she'd done more that over the years we've that all of us.

Very limited interaction with the president and he's certainly don't have to go through many to call my members and I'm sure he will.

And I encourage him to do so.

Well some are wondering whether the president's willingness to reach out is connected to the recent drop in his polling numbers.

Right after the sequester kicked in his approval rating in the latest Gallup poll now at 49%.

Down from a high of 56%.

Shortly after his inauguration.

Let's talk about it with Juan Williams a Fox News political analysts want one senior democratic.

Congressional aide.

Says of the president that he seems to view.

Relations with lawmakers as -- -- not an opportunity.

Is this the right thing to do to be you know inviting some of these Republican senators to dinner.

Yeah -- answer as Mitch McConnell said I should've done a long time ago and I think the entire.

You know it's not just Republicans or Democrats the entire congressional delegation.

-- often times that he doesn't make the effort necessary.

To develop the kind of ties that allow you to hammer out deals to understand exactly what's driving people on the hill.

And he views it as kind you know what let them do it and then I'll make the final decision he'll be the decision maker in this case though John I think -- You're exactly right to point to those poll numbers because what you see what the poll numbers is.

That that.

Republican argument that the president should have at least accepted the idea of -- added flexibility.

So that he could minimize some of the damage being done by the sequester such as the White House towards.

Is something that he should have welcomed he should have been braced.

As a service to the American people and that by simply standing -- and that plays well the democratic base it is not playing well with independents and certainly not playing well with Republicans.

And -- having an effect on his number.

We know that last week when Mitch McConnell and the other Republican leadership of the house was invited over to the White House be with the president.

McConnell said it was a first time he'd spoken of the president in two months since them since the you know.

Deal of the the midnight deadline deal on the fiscal cliff.

January 31 correct and I I think the president's position there was look I -- The deal still on the table from the previous negotiations what do we have to talk about unless you folks are willing to show that you are willing to that address the revenue situation.

Republicans are pretty clear in saying no more revenue -- But now I think the president understands look.

We need to make a deal they're approaching they've gone past the -- -- like now they're approaching the budget deadline the end of this month march.

There's a need to do something and I think that the whole notion and this is the Republican argument I think it's having impact is where's the presidential leadership.

You can say that Republicans are hard headed.

Obstinate are blocking the present what you know what the president have to demonstrate leadership to the American people and demonstrate that he's trying to make a deal he can't simply be mr.

-- knows if that's the case people will blame him.

For all the problems so he'll have dinner with a few Republican senators tonight in the next week he's meeting with the entire senate Republican caucus we'll keep -- -- where.

Juan Williams thank you thank did you.

Load More