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WASHINGTON — President Obama last night punted plans to pull a political stunt by asking to address a joint session of Congress at the same time his potential GOP rivals will debate each other next week.
Instead, he’ll go head to head with the NFL.
Obama’s embarrassing about-face came after House Speaker John Boehner warned that if the president tried to upstage Republican contenders on TV next Wednesday, Congress might, in turn, unleash parliamentary tricks that would ruin any speech he planned about job creation.
Last night, he said he’d deliver his address a day later, on Thursday.
The thrust-and-parry that ended with Boehner looking even sunnier than usual began with a letter Obama sent him and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid yesterday.
“Washington needs to put aside politics and start making decisions based on what is best for our country and not what is best for each of our parties in order to grow the economy and create jobs,” Obama wrote. “I respectfully request the opportunity to address a Joint Session of Congress on September 7, 2011, at 8:00 p.m.”
Coincidentally — or not — that is the same time Republican candidates will gather in the Ronald Reagan Library in California for a debate hosted by NBC and Politico.
Boehner (R-Ohio) replied in writing to Obama, saying the House won’t be back in session to consider the request until Tuesday night, and suggesting the president give the speech Thursday instead.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney initially claimed the timing was a “coincidence,” adding that the debate was “not enough of a reason” to change it.
He said the speech would proceed as planned, “whatever the competing opportunities on television are, whether it’s the wildlife channel or the cooking channel or political.”
Carney sang a different tune last night, claiming, that after Boehner’s reaction, Obama “welcomes” the opportunity to address Congress on Thursday, Sept. 8.
But the president faces even stiffer competition that night, when the New Orleans Saints play the Green Bay Packers to kick off the NFL season.