Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., thinks that President Obama is neglecting the black community – even asking if Obama cares more about Iowa than the black community – but the president did sit down individually with the Congressional Black Caucus chairman Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., yesterday to discuss his upcoming jobs plan and speech.
Cleaver told reporters after his meeting that he’d like Obama to unveil a larger spending program than the $300-$400 billion dollar plan that he’s expected to unveil in his speech tonight. “You know, I’m a Democrat,” Cleaver said, “I wanted a trillion dollars,” but says he is “not optimistic” that House Republicans will pass the smaller package.
Asked about what he thinks about the House Republicans’ decision not to schedule a rebuttal speech, Cleaver said that he chose “to interpret that as a sign of respect for the President,” although he allowed that a more “sinister” interpretation might be plausible.
Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had a more negative reaction, saying that “The Republicans’ refusal to respond to the president’s proposal on jobs is not only disrespectful to him, but to the American people.”
