The American people need jobs and they need them now. So there is literally no better day to present a massive jobs proposal than on the first day Congress returns from their August vacation. President Obama requested a joint session of Congress to present his plan to create jobs, but Republicans have already decided to play politics with this issue… again!
The day the President is requesting is September 7th, the first day congress returns to work. But September 7th is also the day the Republican presidential misfits come together onstage and hold another debate. The President’s choice to use the first day congress comes back to announce his plan to get Americans working again, pissed off the leader of the Republican party, and he made his disgust known. No, we’re not talking about John Boehner, we’re talking about the conservative radio personality, Rush Limbaugh.
Limbaugh went on his radio show today, and demanded that Boehner deny the President the opportunity to make a joint address to present his jobs plan. Limbaugh, gasping for breath as he yelled into the microphone, said;
“Why should the Republicans grant the president a joint session of Congress to make a political campaign speech on any date? Why should the Republicans handcuff themselves that way?”
“Speaker Boehner must say no to this request. He can say no to this. It is up to the Speaker of House. The president just can’t say ‘I’m showing up. Put everybody in the audience, I’m coming over to make a speech.’ Boehner can say no to this. He should say no,”
So what’s a Boehner to do when his leader is demanding he stop his President from announcing his jobs plan? Like a good follower, Boehner did what was expected and wrote the President suggesting that the CIA will not be able to effectively do their job in sweeping the Chamber for security threats, and he asked the President to use September 8th instead. Boehner wrote;
“As the Majority Leader announced more than a month ago, the House will not be in session until Wednesday, Sept. 7, with votes at 6:30 that evening. With the significant amount of time, typically more than three hours, that is required to allow for a security sweep of the House Chamber before receiving a President, 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.”
We all know that the President’s safety is not a concern for Boehner or his Republican friends. We also know that politics is at play here. If September 7th wasn’t a Republican debate, then this would not be an issue for Rush Limbaugh, and he wouldn’t have any reason to command Boehner to deny the President.
And just for the record, this would be the first time in our history that a President gets denied an opportunity to present a joint address.
