Relatively good economic news could help Obama. Washington will be a different place now that the Senate has followed the House of Representatives’ flight from the city. On vacation? Certainly not. According to the official House schedule, its members are on their “Summer District Work Period”, a time off from legislating that the Senate calls its “State Work Period”. Translation: members of both Houses will take some time off, and spend some time hearing from constituents. With Congress’s approval rating at around 24 percent, members should get an earful. More on that in a moment.
When Congress leaves town, the lobbyists cannot be far behind. Nor will the president: the Obamas will be heading for Martha’s Vineyard, the summer playground of wealthy, liberal Democrats, the sort of people who are unlikely to ruffle the presidential feathers by reminding him of his failure to get his health care or energy program through the Congress, or of his inability to persuade voters that the budget’s red ink will turn to black just as soon as they pass his health care reforms. Little wonder: the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office reckons the president’s program will cost some $1 trillion, making people wonder how another trillion of spending can reduce a budget deficit.
