Obama makes job, tax case to big donors

President Barack Obama made the case for his re-election and his jobs plan at two big-ticket fundraisers on Thursday, emphasizing the importance of higher taxes to pay for his dollar 447 billion proposal.


“We can pay for it in a way that is responsible and that has everybody sharing in the burden,” Obama told the guests attending the first of two intimate dollar 35,800-per-couple Democratic events.The speech was crucial to Obama, whose hopes of re-election next year are largely tied to the state of the economy.The Democratic president joked to guests at his first stop that they could look to his opponents if they needed to be energized for the campaign.


“If you need some inspiration, go watch the Republican presidential debate,” he said.


Democratic officials have been working to paint the field of Republican candidates as extremists whose views are outside the mainstream.