Why President Obama should listen to Chris Matthews

[Mikeystyle]

Chris Matthews has often told the story about when he was working for House Speaker Tip O'Neill years ago and they were trying to get an infrastructure bill passed. Republicans were blocking it.

Matthews called the district of the House Minority Leader, Bob Michel, and got a list of all the bridges that were below code (Michel's district surrounded a river by the way).

Tip O'Neill went to the floor of the House and started reading the list---and the opposition crumbled. The Republicans didn't want to be seen as blocking improvements in their districts that were obviously needed.

That's the approach the Obama administration should take with Republicans and the economy. Point out the crumbling infrastructure in Republican districts and why it's necessary to get an infrastructure bill through Congress---it's good for our short-term economy (jobs) and longer-term economy as well. (along with not seeing a bridge collapse like in Minnesota a few years ago).

The administration's talk of an "infrastructure bank" is off the mark---nobody knows what that is. It needs to be done with a bottom line approach: bridges are crumbling and below code and that's both dangerous and bad for the economy. Elicit support of local mayors who would be happy to get some bacon.

People care a lot more about jobs than they do the debt right now and we're not going to be able to tackle the debt in the long term if we don't stimulate demand in the short-term. The work needs to be done and we could get more "bang for the buck" at at time when construction workers are looking for jobs.