PJ: The contrast couldn't be more stark between Obama and some of his GOP rivals. Whereas most of the corral of GOP Presidential wannabes weigh in on just about every issue to get their names and opinions in the news, Obama speaks when he deems it most appropriate to weigh in. But of all the chattering Republicans in the field none contrasts more dramatically with Obama than Sarah Palin who has never walked away or ignored even the smallest of supposed slights or controversies. She finds a need to weigh in, contradict, slam or fight about anything and everything whether she knows what she is talking about...or not.
The Straits Times
Obama keeps low profile on high profile issues
WASHINGTON - CALL it an above-the-fray strategy.
On hot partisan issues that Democrats and Republicans have found cause to fret about - from spending reductions to state labor disputes - President Barack Obama is keeping a low profile.
Democrats like Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia want him more publicly engaged in budget negotiations in Congress while others want him to denounce Republican proposed program cuts.
Democrats like Representative Keith Ellison want him to go to Wisconsin to stand in solidarity with public unions fighting to retain their bargaining rights. Some lawmakers in both parties want him to take a greater lead against Libya's idiosyncratic strongman, Moammar Gadhafi.
But the White House sees no upside in outspokenness. 'There is a very strong gravitational pull in this town to try to drag the president to every single political skirmish and news story,' said White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer.
Mr Pfeiffer said Mr Obama has enough issues on his agenda and said the White House doesn't believe the public wants the president weighing in on an array of subjects. 'They want him leading the country; they don't want him serving as a cable commentator for the issue of the day,' he said. -- AP
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_644404.html
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