President Obama’s top adviser Valerie Jarrett was behind a plan to force a showdown with Republicans over ObamaCare as part of a strategy to regain Democratic control of the House next year, claims author Ed Klein.
Klein — who wrote a provocative biography about Obama last year entitled “The Amateur” — said White House insiders refer to Jarrett as “The Night Stalker” because she is the only presidential aide who frequently spends time in the family quarters and dines with the Obamas.
Klein, who is conducting a research for a new Obama tome scheduled for next spring, called Jarrett the “architect” of Obama’s take-no- prisoners approach when it comes to his signature domestic policy initiative.
It was Jarrett who advised Obama that voters would mostly blame Republicans if the federal government ground to a halt, providing a golden opportunity to swing back control of the House to Democrats in the 2014 mid-term elections, according to Klein.
A Democratic House would give Obama an opportunity to pass immigration and other legislation blocked by the current Republican majority.
“It was during one of those nightly sessions that Jarrett devised the no-negotiating strategy that Obama has employed in his fight with the GOP over the government shutdown,” Klein said, citing sources within the administration.
“Valerie came up with the concept late at night, after the kids and grandma and were gone.”
“She convinced the president that a government shutdown and default offered a great opportunity to demonize the Republicans and help the Democrats win back a majority in the House of Representatives in 2014 .
. . Valerie also came with the idea of using the words `hostage’, and `ransom,’ and `terrorists’ against the Republicans,’” Klein said.
Jarrett, who like the Obamas hails from Chicago, has deep ties to the president, First Lady Michelle and the extended family.
“Everyone in the Beltway knew Valerie Jarrett was influential. They didn’t know how influential she was,” said Klein, who interviewed more than a half dozen White House and former presidential advisers about the shutdown strategy.
“Her power derived from one simple fact — proximity, No one except Michelle Obama is closer to the president than Valerie,” Klein quoted Democratic power broker Vernon Jordan as saying. Jordan’s wife is a cousin of Jarrett.
Jarrett is the one who advised Obama “do not cooperate one iota on ObamaCare. Don’t given an inch. Let the Republicans stew in their own juice,“ Klein said.
“The Republicans walked into a trap set up by Valerie Jarrett and President Obama, The Republicans are in an untenable position,” he added.
Klein said Jarrett is the conscience of the administration, “the keeper of the flame” who reminds Obama why he wanted to become president.
“The government shutdown is about protecting ObamaCare, yes. But it’s much larger than that. It’s about the 2014 House elections,” said Klein.
The White House had no immediate comment.