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But that’s not how everyone on Capital Hill has been seeing things.

Since his speech last week on his support of continuing the so-called Bush-era tax cuts, Democrat Obama has listened to near mutiny-type talk from members of his own party.
 

But that doesn’t necessarily mean he has been winning friends on the other side of the political aisle.
Indeed, 5th District Rep. Virginia Foxx referred to the president’s speeches on the matter as “rhetoric,” and 10th District Rep. Patrick McHenry said the olive branch was extended late but is nonetheless welcome.
The 5th District includes the northern two-thirds of Iredell County, including most of Statesville. The 10th takes in the southern third of the county including Mooresville.
 

“In the past couple of weeks we’ve seen a lot of maneuvering and heard a lot of rhetoric out of the White House,” Foxx said in a e-mail to the R&L. “All this rhetoric aside, President Obama is learning that his liberal allies in Congress didn’t hear the message the American people sent last month.”

That message, Foxx said, is one of “spending cuts, low taxes and smaller government.”
 

She said that message also “has been lost on (Obama’s) allies as they scramble to push through one last batch of out-of-touch, liberal legislation.”
 

“Congress has a duty to stop the January tax hikes from hitting North Carolina families, businesses and job creators. Anything short of halting these impending tax hikes will do real harm to the economy and future job creation,” she said.

McHenry believes the proposed tax rate freeze — or tax cut extension — is simply a matter of common sense in this extended sagging economy.
 

“This tax plan keeps the current rates for all taxpayers, including small business owners,” he said. “During these tough economic times, raising taxes on any group would be unconscionable.”

McHenry believes Obama has kept to his side of the political fence through much of tenure so far but is happy to see him try to bring the GOP on board.
 

“The President hasn’t seriously reached out to Republicans until this last month,” McHenry said. “But it’s a first step toward building a previously nonexistent relationship with Republicans.”

Foxx agreed with McHenry’s assessment that Obama has been late in inviting the GOP to the negotiating table. She is cautious about whether or not the union will make a difference to the American people.
“Will this last-minute scramble result in higher taxes on Americans next month?” Foxx asked, rhetorically. “I doubt it. And I will strongly oppose any final-hour deal that increases taxes.”

The most conservative estimates by economic experts are that the tax cut extension — even for a two-year period — would increase the national debt by more than $500 billion over the next decade.

Both Foxx and McHenry have said in the past that the answer to that is to shrink the size of the federal government. However, neither congress member addressed that matter during their recent exchanges with the R&L.