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President Offers GOP "Bargain" In Chattanooga Visit

AP Photo/Susan Walsh

Speaking for the first time in East Tennessee since his 2008 election, President Barack Obama offered a “bargain” to his Republican rivals in Washington in an effort to head off a looming budget battle.  Obama told a Chattanooga audience he was willing to cut corporate tax rates if Republicans would agree to spend money on job creation programs for the middle class.

"More good jobs that pay decent wages, a better bargain for the middle class, an economy that grows from the middle out," Obama said.  "That's got to be our focus."

Republicans responded by suggesting Obama’s tax cut offer was nothing new and didn’t contain any real concessions. 

The President made his remarks during a visit to Chattanooga’s two year-old Amazon.com fulfillment facility.