Obama bows to Republican opponent in test of wills

US President Barack Obama bowed to his top Republican opponent in a feud over a date to debut a new White House jobs plan, as trust between Washington's most powerful men sunk to a new low. The change ended a brief but bitter public spat with Republican House Speaker John Boehner, whose support Obama needed to address a rare joint session of Congress when lawmakers return next week from a month-long break. Kicking off the extraordinary showdown, Obama had asked for a combined House-Senate session on September 7 to unveil his new assault on 9.1 percent unemployment -- at the same time as a Republican presidential debate. Keen not to be outmaneuvered, Boehner, in what some sources said was an unprecedented move, rejected his request, saying logistical issues meant the next night would be a better fit, and after a few hours, Obama relented. "The president is focused on the urgent need to create jobs and grow our economy, so he welcomes the opportunity to address a joint session of Congress on Thursday, September 8," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement. "We appreciate the president working with us tonight and look forward to hearing his new proposals," said a Boehner spokesman, Brendan Buck. It was not clear what time Obama would speak, but Boehner's original counter would have put the high-stakes presidential address in competition for viewers with the televised opening game of the National Football League's new season. The very public dispute exposed the tattered relationship between Obama and Boehner, following a showdown over raising the US government's borrowing limit which drove the United States to the brink of default in July. It also reflected the political dysfunction and extreme partisanship which prompted Standard and Poor's to downgrade America's top notch debt rating and boded ill for any bipartisan action on the jobs crisis. Obama, whose approval ratings have been driven down by the stuttering recovery, hopes to use the speech to jolt the recovery back to life and improve his own parlous political standing as he launches his 2012 reelection bid. "It is my intention to lay out a series of bipartisan proposals that the Congress can take immediately to continue to rebuild the American economy," Obama said in a letter to top congressional leaders. "Washington needs to put aside politics and start making decisions based on what is best for our country and not what is best for each of our parties in order to grow the economy and create jobs," Obama said. Boehner's reply did little to disguise irritation among Republicans who saw Obama's gambit as a scene-stealing ploy.  "It is my recommendation that your address be held on the following evening, (September 8) when we can ensure there will be no parliamentary or logistical impediments that might detract from your remarks," Boehner wrote. The clash between Obama and Boehner then degenerated into a war of words between their aides over a scheduling issue that would normally have been choreographed in private. A White House official said on condition of anonymity that the administration had consulted with Boehner's office on the September 7 date before going public and received no objections or concerns. But Buck said no one had signed off on the date before Obama's public request arrived. "It's unfortunate the White House ignored decades -- if not centuries -- of the protocol of working out a mutually agreeable date and time before making any public announcement," Buck said. A president cannot call a joint session of Congress himself, as the House of Representatives and the Senate must pass resolutions to invite him. A senior Democratic aide accused Boehner's office of "childish" behavior. "It is unprecedented to reject the date that a president wants to address a joint session of the Congress. People die and state funerals are held with less fuss," the aide, who declined to be identified, said. Obama's initiative may represent his last chance to revive the economy before next year's presidential election goes into overdrive and reflects his emerging 2012 reelection strategy of asking recession-weary voters to hold Republicans to account if they block his latest job creation efforts. The White House insisted the decision to go up against the debate at the Ronald Reagan Library in California among Republicans fighting to eject him from the White House was "coincidental." NBC News and Politico, co-hosting the debate which will mark the first clash between new party front runner Rick Perry and his rivals, said meanwhile they would not reschedule. Obama's speech will likely open a new rift with House Republicans who refuse to accept new spending proposals and tax rises and want steep cuts in expenditures in programs dear to Democrats. The plan is expected to consist of a mix of old and new proposals, including a call for tax rises on the richest Americans, more spending on job creating infrastructure projects and an extension to a payroll tax cut.