Obama reaches out to Republicans

Published 11:21 am Thursday, January 28, 2010

TAMPA, Fla. — President Barack Obama is reaching out to Republicans to join him and fellow Democrats on health care and other legislation.

“I want the Republicans off the sidelines” and involved in crafting solutions to the nation’s problems, he said today. He said that on every priority in his agenda, “my door remains open” to ideas from both sides.

“I want them with us,” Obama said about the Republican minority in Congress that has stymied many of his proposals. Obama spoke in Tampa during a follow-up event to his Wednesday night State of the Union address. He spoke at a town hall at the University of Tampa where he was taking questions after opening remarks.