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Monday, Jun 11, 2012 4:15 PM UTC

THE RACE: Obama asserts he’s in control of agenda

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Topics: From the Wires,

THE RACE: Obama asserts he's in control of agendaPresident Obama(Credit: AP)

Newt Gingrich’s dynamic style in his first months of running the House as speaker in 1995 reduced President Bill Clinton to asserting that he was still relevant. Now President Barack Obama seems to be proclaiming much the same thing.

He is running against Republican obstructionism in the House, much as Clinton earlier saw his initiatives stymied by the Gingrich-led House.

Obama blames Republican lack of action on his jobs and other economic legislation for the poor economy.

Trying to prove his relevance, he has given Congress a “to do” list for fixing the economy, a laundry list likely to be ignored by GOP lawmakers.

Similarly, trying to demonstrate he is a player — even though his actual leverage is limited — the president has given European leaders a “to do” list for getting their economic house in order.

“When it comes to this recovery, we can’t fully control everything that happens in other parts of the world. But there are plenty of things we can control,” he said in his weekend address.

But it’s not clear how much blaming economic woes on Republicans and Europe will play with voters.

Such assertions can raise questions in voters’ minds about a president’s capabilities — and relevance.

His assertion that “the private sector is doing fine” during a Friday press conference didn’t help. Republican challenger Mitt Romney quickly jumped on it to suggest Obama was out of touch.

Obama later backtracked, telling reporters “it is absolutely clear the economy is not doing fine.”

But it’s not going to go away. On Monday, senior political adviser David Axelrod insisted on CBS that voters will decide based on Obama’s actions — not words.

Romney was in Atlanta for a fundraiser. Obama was granting White House interviews to local TV anchors from across the country, with no scheduled public events.

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Follow Tom Raum on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tomraum. For more AP political coverage, look for the 2012 Presidential Race in AP Mobile’s Big Stories section. Also follow https://twitter.com/APCampaign and AP journalists covering the campaign: https://twitter.com/AP/ap-campaign-2012

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

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