|
The White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett rejected criticism on Sunday that President Obama has not delivered on his promise of "change" during his first year in office.
She said the president has brought about "enormous change."
I think what we've seen is a dramatic difference in terms of how the United States is perceived around the world, Jarrett said, adding that Obama's travels have established relationships with world leaders that lay a foundation for keeping America safe and making us a partner around the world.
Jarrett also credited the president with having "pulled back the economy from the brink of disaster.
On the same program, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell countered that "if you look at the first year of this administration, we haven't made much progress." He complained about the deficit in the president's budget and the health care reform package that Republicans oppose.
Characterizing the performance of his own party this year, McConnell said, "What we did is try to operate on principle. The president decided to go hard left. That's why he doesn't have many of my members [supporting his agenda]. If he chooses to govern in the middle, he will have broader support."
Jarrett insisted the president never wavered from his promised bipartisan approach.
Discussing his health care initiative, Jarrett said Obama "has sat down with the leadership and members of the Republican Party, both the House and the Senate. In fact, bills in both the House and the Senate contain provisions that were suggested by the Republican Party -- so nothing's changed about the president's approach."
VOV News
|