Summer's heated Capitol Hill debate yields to a cooler fall?
Washington (CNN) - After nearly a month of contentious debate over the debt ceiling, many members of Congress appear to be striking a new tone of civility.
Following President Barack Obama's job speech before a joint session of Congress on Thursday, members flooded the media with post speech reaction displaying a more tempered attitude.
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House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, set the tone moments after the speech ended, releasing a statement saying, "The proposals the President outlined tonight merit consideration… We hope he gives serious consideration to our ideas as well. It's my hope that we can work together to end the uncertainty facing families and small businesses, and create a better environment for long-term economic growth and private-sector job creation."
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, who has a long history of disagreeing with President Obama, followed suit and said he thinks both parties can work together to get a jobs plan passed.
"There is plenty in the president's speech that we can work together on," Cantor told CNN. "I think where we need to focus is to be able to set aside differences and work towards commonality."
Leaders from the other side of the aisle expressed their team spirit as well. Democratic Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, was happy to hear about Cantor's response.
"I'm pleased with his [Cantor's] positive response," said Hoyer. "We ought to be working together to grow the economy, we're prepared to do that and I'm prepared to work with Mr. Cantor towards that end."
Vice President Joe Biden attributed the new attitude on Capitol Hill to feedback members received from their constituents during the August recess.
"When Congress takes an action that backfires on them, and the American people respond very harshly, as they have for playing brinksmanship with paying the national debt, they come back somewhat chastened," Biden said during an interview on ABC's Good Morning America Friday.
"We are willing to compromise on any ideas that will help the middle class," Biden said at another point during a CBS Early Show interview also Friday. "If they have better ideas, then we are totally prepared to compromise. But we are not prepared to compromise in terms of doing nothing."
However, not everyone was willing to sign on to working together towards a jobs deal with the White House. Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minnesota, called the president's speech nothing but "a sequel of all of the failed policies that the president has put forward in the past."
"Not only should Congress not pass this plan," Bachmann said. "I say, 'Mr. President, stop. Your last plan hasn't worked, and it's hurting the American economy."
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- CNN's Kate Bolduan contributed to this report
Rep. Bachmann is out of touch with the American people. She doesn't seem to realize that the crowd she hangs out with is delusional.
The new tone sounds good now but once the details of Obama's plan come out and he has to be schooled, once again, on basic economics, President Zero is not going to take kindly to it and will then send his minions out to try to blame everyone else for his continuing failure.
I really hope that Boehner,saying, "The proposals the President outlined tonight merit consideration concerning he has caved in before from pressure from the Tea Baggers like Cantor and Ryan. Boehner seems like he could be a realistic man if it wasn't for the other crazies in his party. So far the GOP has not put forth any jobs legislation as they promised in the mid-term elections. I think Boehner realizes he will be the minority leader in 2012 if they don't get their act together and start doing the "people's work" instead of obstructing our government!
Wow it is too bad that the american people have lost their trust and any faith that they had in the republicans in congress...it would be nice to read something they say with out having the gut wrenching feeling that they are again going to hold our country hostage! i am an optomistic person and do not like the feelings of fear and disdain they all invoke ! not a one of them should be re elcted ever! i would like to be more open minded...but really i just cant do it anymore!
Michele Bachmann Is a Nut case, and shouldn't even be In congress. All she does Is Complain and LIES.
I love to see the teabaggers backpedaling as fast as they can. Unfortunately tantrum boy cantor and the others who voted to bankrupt the country, you can't take it back. It's on record and you will have to explain to your constituents why you hate one man so much that you were willing to take the whole country down. As far as tantrum boy, yes, cantor, you did say you were going to blackmail the thousands of Americans affected by hurricane Irene. We now you are a coward.
Rep. Michele Bachmann live in visualize world
Rickster wrote:
The new tone sounds good now but once the details of Obama's plan come out and he has to be schooled, once again, on basic economics, President Zero is not going to take kindly to it and will then send his minions out to try to blame everyone else for his continuing failure.
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He shocked and awed the GOP when he dared them to adhere to their pledges not to raise taxes on the middle class. Despite your negative rhetoric, the majority of the American people think very highly of his plan. Game on. The ball is in the Republican court, and they know that their backs are against the wall. The spotlight is on House Republicans. Why do you think we heard so much concilliatory rhetoric from actual Republicans politicians? "Check!"
The tea baggers constituents promised to put cross hairs over their names if they caused the U.S. bond rating to drop again.
Either that, or the baggers took a quick community college course in Econ 101.