Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010 | 9:47 a.m.
President Barack Obama continued his congressional tour this morning, telling Senate Democrats "we should not be spooked" as he presses his second-year agenda in an increasingly difficult election year for the party.
"Let's have a fight about real stuff," Obama told senators gathered at the annual meeting.
Obama fielded questions from Democratic senators during a live broadcast, much the way he did last week at the House Republicans' gathering. This, however, was a decidedly friendlier crowd.
Obama stressed the need for Democrats to work transparently to build the public's confidence in the workings of government and acknowledged the final health care reform talks were not as open as they should have been.
He reiterated a new theme — that Republicans must take responsibility for governing — and that he has "little patience" for those whose response to today's problems of jobs, the economy and health care is to just say "no."
"The answer is not to do nothing," Obama said.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced the president and got a shout out from Obama, who a day earlier triggered a Nevada firestorm by telling a New Hampshire town hall, "You don't blow a bunch of cash on Vegas when you're trying to save for college."
Reid has "got one of the toughest jobs in Washington," Obama told the Senate Democrats. "Let's face it, you guys are a little difficult to manage."
Obama conceded one of his first-year mistakes was not getting out of Washington often enough to meet with ordinary Americans. He admonished fellow Democrats to turn off the TV news, stop reading the blogs and talk to people outside the beltway.
"I follow that advice pretty good," Reid quipped.
As the president listed the cities he has visited in the new year, Reid piped up, saying "Searchlight." Obama, who will visit Las Vegas this month, said not quite yet.
Obama also stressed the need to "finish the job on health care reform ... Even though it's hard."
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