Obama Plans Stimulus Tour

Obama is not going to spend any time getting comfortable at his desk in the Oval Office. As soon as the inauguration celebrations are over, he plans to take to the road to sell his $775 billion stimulus package to the nation, appealing over the heads of Congress to the American people. And his cabinet will also scatter far and wide, stressing the need for quick passage of his bill to defibrillate the stalled economy. "We'll fan out," said David Axelrod, Obama’s chief public relations advisor. "We'll make clear to people why we need to do what we're doing, why it's the size it is, what the individual component parts are, and why they are an important part of the equation in terms of short-term recovery.” There are dangers, however, to going on tour like a rock star, writes David Nicholas in the Los Angeles Times: “By mounting an aggressive public relations campaign, Obama may be seen as bypassing the GOP en route to a major legislative victory. For a new president who promised bipartisanship, Obama's methods could leave Republicans feeling isolated and marginalized."