The U.S. Congress is poised to give final approval to President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan, handing the new president a major political victory in his first few weeks in office. Mr. Obama waged a two-front campaign on behalf of the bill.
美国国会正准备就奥巴马总统提出的经济刺激计划进行最后的投票表决，让这位新总统在上任头几个星期就有一个重大胜利。与此同时，奥巴马也在为议案的通过在两个层面进行游说。
In addition to persuading members of Congress, the president went back into campaign mode to win passage of the stimulus bill, reaching out for grassroots support.
除了试图说服国会成员外，总统还再次利用竞选的方式争取草根阶层的支持，以推动经济刺激计划的通过。
During a town meeting in Florida, Mr. Obama took a question from a woman who turned out to be homeless.
奥巴马在佛罗里达的一个市议政会上回答了一个失去住房的妇女的提问。
"We need something more than a vehicle and parks to go to. We need our own kitchen and our own bathroom. Please help," said Henrietta Hughes.
这位妇女说：“我们不仅需要车辆和公园，我们还需要厨房和卫生间，帮帮我们吧。”
"Okay, Miss Hughes, well, we are going to do everything we can to help you, but there are a lot of people like you," the president said.
奥巴马说，“好的，休斯小姐。我们会尽最大的努力来帮助你，但是，像你一样的人很多啊。”
In addition to campaign-style events to build public support, Mr. Obama also went on the offensive during his first presidential news conference.
除了采用竞选游说的方式去赢得民众的支持，奥巴马在自己的首次总统新闻发布会上也积极主动地推广自己的计划。
"With the private sector so weakened by this recession, the federal government is the only entity left with the resources to jolt our economy back to life," he said.
他说：“由于私营部门力量在这次衰退中被严重削弱，联邦政府是唯一有能力重振经济的实体。”
Some criticized the president for giving long answers, but University of Virginia political expert Larry Sabato says Mr. Obama continues to demonstrate political powers of persuasion.
"The answers were long, but Obama is still benefiting from the contrast with George W. Bush," said Sabato. "Presidents have a honeymoon not just with the public, but also with the press. The press' questions were respectful and gentle. That will not last. The press is a fair-weather friend. When the weather turns stormy, they will too."
President Obama has been able to unify congressional Democrats, but is having less success winning Republican support, including the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
奥巴马总统在团结国会民主党议员方面很有能力，但是，在争取共和党人方面却没有获得什么成功，其中包括参议院共和党领袖、来自肯塔基的麦康奈尔。
"This bill misses the mark," he said. "It is full of waste. We have no assurance it will create jobs or revive the economy."
麦康奈尔说：“这个议案没有切中要害，有很多浪费的地方。我们对这个议案将会创造工作机会和振兴经济没有信心。”
From the beginning, Mr. Obama made it clear that passage of his stimulus plan was his top priority.
奥巴马从上任伊始就明确表示，让经济计划获得通过是他工作的重中之重。
Experts say the new president used all the political tools at his disposal to make his case.
有专家说，新总统动用了一切可供他使用的政治工具来推动他的计划。
"It is really important, particularly for someone like Obama who is relatively new to Washington," said Stephen Farnsworth, presidential expert at George Mason University in Virginia. "He was only in the Senate for four years before becoming president. It is really important for Obama to have a clear line of what he needs to do and where he is going to go."
维吉尼亚乔治.梅森大学研究总统问题的专家史蒂芬.法恩斯沃斯说：“这很重要，特别是对像奥巴马这样在华盛顿政坛上相对说来还是个新手的人。他在担任总统职位前只在参议院服务过四年。所以，对奥巴马来说，确定自己所需做得工作的明确路线方向非常重要。”
Public opinion appears to be siding with the president, though the polls show more support for him personally than for his stimulus plan.
公众舆论现在看起来是站在总统这边，尽管民调显示民众对奥巴马的支持更多是出于对他本人而不是对他的经济计划的支持。
But Professor Farnsworth believes Mr. Obama had little time to waste in pushing his plan through Congress.
但是，法恩斯沃斯认为，奥巴马不能浪费时间来等待国会通过他的计划。
"People are not going to be all that patient," he said. "Unemployment rates are increasing, jobless claims are increasing, foreclosure rates are increasing. There are a lot of things that are not working all that well in America right now, and as a result people, even if they have jobs and even if they are paying their mortgages, they are worried a lot about the future."
法恩斯沃斯说：“人们不会总是那样有耐心。失业率在继续上升，申领失业补助的人数在上升，原屋主丧失产权的住房的比例在上升。在上述几个方面，美国目前的情况都不如人意。这样的一个结果就是，即使是有工作的人，即使他们目前能支付房贷，他们也会对自己的将来很担心。”
Political analysts say the real measure of success for Mr. Obama will not be how quickly he got his plan approved by Congress, but whether the plan actually works to stimulate the economy. And that verdict, they say, will not be rendered for some time.
政治分析人士说，对奥巴马来说，衡量成功的真正标准不是他如何迅速地让国会通过自己的计划，而是他的计划能否真正刺激经济的发展。他们说，短期内是不能对这一点作出判断的。 |