President Obama praised embattled Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz Friday and called Washington “the capital of cynicism.”
“I want to thank Debbie for the great work she is doing to keep our party strong,” Mr. Obama said at the DNC Women’s Leadership Forum in Washington. “Nobody — nobody anywhere works harder than Debbie Wasserman Schultz. I want to thank her for her incredible efforts.”
Ms. Wasserman Schultz, who has served more than three years in the post, is under fire by Democrats for her management style. Critics accuse the Florida Democrat of building loyalty to herself instead of working for the party.
Mr. Obama said Republicans and the media aren’t giving him enough credit for successes during his administration.
“By almost every economic measure, we are better off today than we were when I took office,” he said. “And that’s not an exaggeration; those are facts. There are times when I’m watching the news and I’m wondering whether they’ve been paying attention.
The president said Democrats have the “right vision” for America, while Republicans want to “tilt the tax code in favor of those at the very top … let the big banks and the polluters and the credit-card companies do whatever they want … shrink investments in things like education and technology … make it harder for striving young immigrants to come here.”
Mr. Obama urged supporters not to listen to the “cynics” who criticize the administration.
“Sometimes I think, you know, Washington’s the capital of cynicism — but despite those cynics, America’s making progress,” he said.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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