WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama gave his strongest signal yet that he is willing to compromise on key priorities in a step toward the center that raised pressure on Republicans to meet him halfway.

The president is trying to salvage his top domestic priorities, healthcare and energy, from collapsing into an election-year heap while also seeking support for a multibillion-dollar jobs bill and a commission to launch a rigorous review of how to reduce America’s soaring deficits.

The fact that Obama broke his self-imposed, seven-month ban on solo news conferences was proof of the political predicament in which he finds himself — trying to get some parts of his expansive agenda passed before Washington grinds to a halt ahead of November congressional elections.

Obama laid down what he considers the rules for a February 25 White House summit with Democratic and Republican congressional leaders — be ready to negotiate on jobs, healthcare and other issues, including stalled financial regulatory reform.

WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama gave his strongest signal yet that he is willing to compromise on key priorities in a step toward the center that raised pressure on Republicans to meet him halfway. The president is trying to salvage his top domestic priorities, healthcare and energy, from collapsing into an election-year heap while also seeking support for a multibillion-dollar jobs bill and a commission to launch a rigorous review of how to reduce America’s soaring deficits. The fact that Obama broke his self-imposed, seven-month ban on solo news conferences was proof of the political predicament in which he finds himself — trying to get some parts of his expansive agenda passed before Washington grinds to a halt ahead of November congressional elections. Obama laid down what he considers the rules for a Feb. 25 White House summit with Democratic and Republican congressional leaders — be ready to negotiate on jobs, healthcare and other issues, including stalled financial regulatory reform. "I’m willing to move off some of the preferences of my party in order to meet them halfway, but there’s got to be some give from their side as well," Obama said. His comments also sent a message to his own Democrats that they too will have to compromise their principles if gridlock in Washington is to be broken. Democratic strategist Doug Schoen, who worked in the Clinton White House, said that while it appeared Obama is "getting the religion of bipartisanship a little late," he did put pressure on Republicans to act in kind. "They can’t just be intransigent. They have to engage," he said. WARY GOP Republicans were pleased the president expressed a willingness to consider their ideas after a year in which they were all but shut out of the legislative process by Democrats. But Republicans were suspicious that Obama was trying to lay a trap for them — make compromises or be cast as obstructionists. And they are in little mood to make any major concessions, hoping their capture of a Senate seat in Massachusetts last month is only one of many big gains they can make in November elections against Democratic majorities in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Republicans promised to attend the Feb. 25 summit to outline proposals for reducing healthcare costs and expanding care. But they were skeptical Democrats would give up the sweeping goals of healthcare bills already on the table. "We’re not interested in a dog-and-pony show to trumpet failed bills that, in fact, the Democrats can’t even pass right now," said Eric Cantor, the No. 2 House Republican. Merle Black, a political science professor at Emory University in Atlanta, said Obama’s willingness to compromise on healthcare suggests he realizes the Democratic legislation is not popular with Americans. "What the president is doing here, he sends the message that ‘we don’t have the votes to pass it.’ It’s almost a sign of no-confidence in the Democratic leadership," Black said. On energy, Obama expressed a willingness to agree to Republican priorities on expanding nuclear energy, offshore drilling and clean coal technology as a way of creating jobs, if they would agree to his priorities of enhancing alternative energies such as wind and solar."We had a good meeting with the president, and, what I’d like to emphasize is there are some areas of potential agreement," said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. But there is a long way to go, and there was one telling comment from Obama about the price of saying no. "I won’t hesitate to embrace a good idea from my friends in the minority party, but I also won’t hesitate to condemn what I consider to be obstinacy that’s rooted not in substantive disagreements but in political expedience," he said. (Editing by Eric Walsh)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama’s campaign strategy for Democrats in the November elections is taking shape — appeal to Republicans to make compromises and if they do not, accuse them of obstruction.

Obama is basically angling to call the bluff of Republicans who he believes have done nothing but stand in opposition to his proposals on revamping the U.S. healthcare system and stimulating the economy.

It is a strategy he is outlining in town-hall meetings and most recently at Democratic fund-raising events he held last week, as he seeks to regain his political footing after Democrats lost their 60-vote supermajority in the Senate.

“I told my Republican friends I want to work together with them where I can — and I meant it,” Obama said at a Democratic event on Thursday. “And I told them I will also call them out if they say they want to work on something then when I offer a hand, I get nothing in return.”

WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama’s campaign strategy for Democrats in the November elections is taking shape — appeal to Republicans to make compromises and if they do not, accuse them of obstruction. Obama is basically angling to call the bluff of Republicans who he believes have done nothing but stand in opposition to his proposals on revamping the U.S. healthcare system and stimulating the economy. It is a strategy he is outlining in town-hall meetings and most recently at Democratic fund-raising events he held last week, as he seeks to regain his political footing after Democrats lost their 60-vote supermajority in the Senate. "I told my Republican friends I want to work together with them where I can — and I meant it," Obama said at a Democratic event on Thursday. "And I told them I will also call them out if they say they want to work on something then when I offer a hand, I get nothing in return." By the same token, Republicans are expressing a willingness to work with Obama — up to a point — and are interested to see if he really is willing to agree to some of their priorities. Sensing they stand to make big gains in congressional elections in November, they are in no mood to agree to anything that would raise taxes or increase government spending and budget deficits. "Republicans will not blindly abandon our commitment to the American people and throw out our principles," said the top Republican in the House of Representatives, John Boehner. And they are also wary of Obama, suspecting his newfound willingness to talk to them is a political ploy aimed at spotlighting their initiatives and ridiculing them. Obama’s pledge to seek unity will be put to the test as early as this week. On Tuesday he hosts Democratic and Republican leaders from the House and Senate at the White House for talks on jobs and the economy. PRODUCING RESULTS Democratic leaders are pushing a multibillion-dollar jobs bill that is expected to seek an extension of unemployment benefits and aid to beleaguered state budgets, among other items. Republicans want to see Obama hold true to pledges made in his State of the Union speech and seek measures to build more nuclear plants, increase offshore oil exploration and take steps to increase U.S. exports such as entering into foreign trade agreements. Obama and his Democrats, struggling to bring down the country’s 9.7 percent jobless rate and having seen their healthcare overhaul stalled, are eager to prove to Americans they can generate results ahead of the November elections. "Voters are looking for results," said political analyst Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report. "Right now they’re frustrated that they’re not seeing bipartisan results." Mindful that independent voters want to see bipartisanship and are disenchanted with Obama, Republicans are under pressure to prove they can join in governing, ahead of elections in which more than a third of the 100 Senate seats and all 435 House seats are at stake. Some see a potential for agreement on a scaled-backed healthcare initiative. "I would love to see a small-scale, sensible, centrist healthcare initiative get passed this summer," said Ari Fleischer, who was press secretary to Republican President George W. Bush. "I still would like to see progress get made wherever the center can hold on modest initiatives. But I think there’s no taste for anything major." The party in power typically loses seats in the first election after a new president takes office, and Democrats are in a defensive mode after Republican Scott Brown last month won a Senate seat in Massachusetts held for decades by Democrats. The Cook Political Report’s latest forecast said Republicans stand to gain four to six Senate seats and 25 to 35 seats in the House. That is not enough for Republicans to gain control of either chamber but sufficient to give them a louder voice and force Obama to take greater notice of their priorities. "It’s never OK to decide the outcome of an election nine months away. But there are few signs that Democrats have an easy way out of this," Wasserman said. University of Texas political scientist Bruce Buchanan said with the country locked in recession and facing other staggering problems, it can only help to have the two sides talking. "It might create some common ground," he said. "I just think it’s a healthy development if they can make a habit out of it. And if they can do it in a sincere way instead of trying to game it somehow." (Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama vowed on Thursday not to quit in his quest for a healthcare overhaul and said if the effort fails this year, Americans will render a judgment about it in November congressional elections.

“The key is to not let the moment slip away,” he said.

He spoke at a Democratic National Committee fund-raising reception at which he sought to boost the morale of party loyalists in the wake of the Democrats’ loss of a 60-vote supermajority in the Senate when Republican Scott Brown won in Massachusetts last week.

Speaking at the first of two events that together raised between $2 million and $3 million for the party, Obama said he did not want Democrats to “feel discouraged” but rather keep up the fight against “the forces of the status quo.”

WASHINGTON, Feb 4 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama vowed on Thursday not to quit in his quest for a healthcare overhaul and said if the effort fails this year, Americans will render a judgment about it in November congressional elections.

“The key is to not let the moment slip away,” he said.

He spoke at a Democratic National Committee fund-raising reception at which he sought to boost the morale of party loyalists in the wake of the Democrats’ loss of a 60-vote supermajority in the Senate when Republican Scott Brown won in Massachusetts last week.

Speaking at the first of two events that together raised between $2 million and $3 million for the party, Obama said he did not want Democrats to “feel discouraged” but rather keep up the fight against “the forces of the status quo.”

WASHINGTON, Feb 4 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama vowed on Thursday not to quit in his quest for a healthcare overhaul and said if the effort fails this year, Americans will render a judgment about it in November congressional elections. "The key is to not let the moment slip away," he said. He spoke at a Democratic National Committee fund-raising reception at which he sought to boost the morale of party loyalists in the wake of the Democrats’ loss of a 60-vote supermajority in the Senate when Republican Scott Brown won in Massachusetts last week. Speaking at the first of two events that together raised between $2 million and $3 million for the party, Obama said he did not want Democrats to "feel discouraged" but rather keep up the fight against "the forces of the status quo." "We’re going to finish what we started because we do not back down. We don’t quit. I don’t quit. I’m still fired up, I’m still ready to go, and it’s because of you," Obama said. Obama has seen healthcare, his top legislative priority, become subject of a prolonged stalemate in the U.S. Congress. Legislation passed separately by the House of Representatives and the Senate have yet to be reconciled and Brown’s election meant Republicans would be able to engage in procedural blocking tactics to keep it from passing. Meantime, Obama and his Democrats have been put on the defensive by Americans angry and frustrated at the 10 percent jobless rate, bank bailouts and high deficit spending. Obama said he wanted to see congressional passage of a multibillion-dollar jobs bill and would like to use $30 billion in repaid bank bailout funds for small business loans. But he said America’s healthcare system is in need of a revamp and he wants to see the process through. He said he wanted Republicans and Democrats to bring their best ideas forward over the next several weeks to determine whether the deadlock can be broken. His remarks amounted to a challenge to Republicans to suggest areas of a healthcare overhaul that they could support rather than simply opposing legislation. A bipartisan meeting is planned for next week. "Let’s just go through these bills, their ideas, our ideas, let’s walk through them in a methodical way so that the American people can see and compare, what makes the most sense. And then I think we have to go ahead and move forward on a vote," he said. And Obama clearly suggested that he would use a failure to approve healthcare reform against Republicans in the November elections if the overhaul falters. "If Congress decides we’re not going to do it even after all the facts are laid out, all the options are clear, then the American people can make a judgment as to whether this Congress has done the right thing for them or not," he said. "And that’s how democracy works and there’ll be elections coming up and they will be able to make a determination and register their concerns one way or the other during election time," Obama said. (Editing by Eric Beech)

NASHUA, New Hampshire (Reuters) – President Barack Obama acknowledged on Tuesday that a controversial “cap-and-trade” mechanism to fight climate change could be separated from other aspects of an energy bill before the U.S. Senate.

A cap-and-trade system would set limits on greenhouse gas emissions and allow companies to trade permits to pollute. The system, a version of which was approved by the House of Representatives, is controversial, especially among lawmakers who represent states with big coal reserves.

“The most controversial aspects of the energy debate that we’ve been having: the House passed an energy bill and people complained that, ‘Well, there’s this cap-and-trade thing,’” Obama told the crowd.

“We may be able to separate these things out. And it’s conceivable that that’s where the Senate ends up,” he continued.

, Feb 2 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama acknowledged on Tuesday that a controversial "cap-and-trade" mechanism to fight climate change could be separated from other aspects of an energy bill before the U.S. Senate. A cap-and-trade system would set limits on greenhouse gas emissions and allow companies to trade permits to pollute. The system, a version of which was approved by the House of Representatives, is controversial, especially among lawmakers who represent states with big coal reserves. "The most controversial aspects of the energy debate that we’ve been having: the House passed an energy bill and people complained that, ‘Well, there’s this cap-and-trade thing,’" Obama told the crowd. "We may be able to separate these things out. And it’s conceivable that that’s where the Senate ends up," he continued. Other, more popular parts of the energy bill seek to boost renewable energy such as wind and solar power. Those parts may be easier to pass. As Obama was delivering his remarks, leading senators on Capitol Hill said detailed work was continuing on a comprehensive bill — one that would promote alternative energy development but also impose nationwide controls on carbon emissions. Democratic Senator John Kerry, the leader of the group, told reporters "a lot of progress" was being made. But he added that there still is no deal on the mechanism for reducing carbon dioxide emissions. "It is accurate that we are still working on precisely what carbon-pricing mechanism, what shape it will take," Kerry said, adding, "We know we need to price carbon." A Senate aide close to the negotiations told Reuters that the goal was to get a bill ready for floor debate by April, after the Environmental Protection Agency conducts an economic analysis of whatever compromise is produced. Meanwhile, independent Senator Joseph Lieberman told Reuters that he, Kerry and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham were "working to get to 60" votes of support — the number needed to bypass opponents’ procedural hurdles and approve major legislation. Asked when the senators might be able to unveil a compromise bill, Lieberman said, "Probably not before March." A White House spokesman said the president still supported comprehensive climate and energy legislation as one package. HYBRID CONSIDERED Given the difficulty of passing a cap-and-trade program in the Senate, Kerry, Graham and other senators have talked of the possibility of a "hybrid" system to control carbon emissions. One private-sector supporter of carbon control legislation, who asked not to be identified, said a "hybrid" could be a system that imposes cap and trade on coal-fired power plants, coupled with "some sort of cap and dividend or emissions fee for other industrial sources" of carbon pollution. Cap and dividend refers to a system that would reduce industry’s carbon emissions and compensate consumers for potentially higher energy prices. But it would not create a market for trading pollution permits like cap and trade does. Getting an energy and climate bill through Congress was originally one of Obama’s top policy goals, but the drawn-out healthcare debate delayed the package, and supporters fear it may die or be delayed further during an election year that could change the balance of power in the House and Senate. Obama made it clear during a question and answer period with a crowd in New Hampshire that he wanted a market mechanism to put a price on carbon. He said that even with advanced technology, coal — a highly-polluting fossil fuel — would continue to be cheaper to buy than cleaner, renewable energy. A market mechanism would address that by making companies pay for using fuels that emit more carbon dioxide, one of the most common greenhouse gases blamed for warming the earth. "The concept of incentivizing clean energy so that it’s the cheaper, more effective kind of energy is one that is proven to work and is actually a market-based approach," Obama said. "Does it make sense for us to start pricing in the fact that this thing’s really bad for the environment and, if we do, then can we do it in a way that doesn’t involve some big bureaucracy and a control-and-command system, but just says…there’s going to be a price to pollution," he said. "Then everybody can adapt and decide which are…the best energies," he said. In June a Senate committee approved an energy package that would require utilities to generate 15 percent of electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind power by 2021. It also supported a measures that would allow drilling within 45 miles (72 kilometres) of Florida’s Gulf coast. (Additional reporting by Richard Cowan in Washington; Writing by Jeff Mason; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

NASHUA, New Hampshire (Reuters) – President Barack Obama warned on Tuesday that high budget deficits could hurt U.S. economic recovery as he sought to reassure Americans that his latest budget would help create jobs and trim debt levels.

A day after unveiling a $3.8 trillion spending plan for the 2011 fiscal year beginning on October 1, Obama took his policy agenda on the road, highlighting his program to create jobs and calling for stalled healthcare reform legislation to be passed this year.

In remarks tinged with criticism of opposition Republicans, Obama, a Democrat, said both political parties should join forces to bring down the deficit.

“We should all be able to agree that we’ve got to do something about our long-term deficits,” he told a town hall-style meeting at a school gymnasium in New Hampshire.