Obama Visit Is Stimulus for White House-Congress Ties

President-elect Obama’s visit to Capitol Hill today is as much about an economic stimulus package as it is about stimulating the White House-Congress relationship neglected by Bill Clinton and George W Bush, writes Manu Raju in Politico. A bipartisan, inclusive approach should earn Obama points with lawmakers—but if he’s too pliant, he could quickly develop a reputation for weakness.

The price tag on Obama’s plan—as much as $775 billion—worries Republicans, but it contains tax credits and other measures aimed at winning over GOP legislators. Either way, Obama’s trip down Pennsylvania Ave “sends an important symbolic message,” one expert says: it’s “a very definite break with the Bush-style of policymaking.” (More President Obama stories.)