February 07, 2013
By JOSH LEDERMAN | Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is working to sell Senate Democrats on his strategy for tackling immigration, gun control and a host of fiscal dilemmas.
The president meets with senators Wednesday at a closed-door retreat in Annapolis, Md.
Obama's prospects for enacting his ambitious second-term agenda depend partly on Senate Democrats putting on a unified front. Almost everything on his to-do list faces opposition from Senate Republicans — and even heavier opposition in the Republican-controlled House.
The retreat is also Obama's first chance to press senators directly on his proposal for a quick fix to avert the sweeping spending cuts set to take effect on March 1. Obama says Congress should pass a short-term set of spending cuts and tax changes to give lawmakers more time to hash out a broader deal.