Obama urges Republicans to put aside partisan politics

WASHINGTON, Oct 30 (KUNA) -- Days before the midterm congressional elections, US President Barack Obama called Republican leadership to put aside partisan politics and focus on strengthening the economy.
"Tuesday is Election Day, and here in Washington, the talk is all about who will win and who will lose, about parties and politics and your hope is that once this election is over, the folks you choose to represent you will put the politics aside for a while, and work together to solve problems. Thats my hope, too", said Obama in his weekly address.
"Whatever the outcome on Tuesday, we need to come together to help put people who are still looking for jobs back to work. And there are some practical steps we can take right away to promote growth and encourage businesses to hire and expand. These are steps we all should be able to agree on not Democratic or Republican ideas, but proposals that have traditionally been supported by both parties," he added.
Obama noted that he believes "it is the fundamental responsibility of all who hold elective office to seek out common ground. It may not always be easy to find agreement; at times we will have legitimate philosophical differences. And it may not always be the best politics. But it is the right thing to do for our country." "Thats why I found the recent comments by the top two Republican in Congress so troubling. The Republican leader of the House actually said that "this is not the time for compromise." And the Republican leader of the Senate said his main goal after this election is simply to win the next one", he added.
Obama said that the country has a choice to make between spending "the next two years arguing with one another, trapped in stale debates, mired in gridlock, unable to make progress in solving the serious problems facing our country. We can stand still while our competitors "like China and others around the world" try to pass us by, making the critical decisions that will allow them to gain an edge in new industries." "Or we can do what the American people are demanding that we do. We can move forward. We can promote new jobs and businesses by harnessing the talents and ingenuity of our people. We can take the necessary steps to help the next generation, instead of just worrying about the next election. We can live up to an allegiance far stronger than our membership in any political party," he concluded. (end) jm.aff KUNA 301811 Oct 10NNNN