On Tuesday, Obama held a campaign-style event at the White House to call for balancing the impact of deficit reduction so that the middle class and vulnerable citizens such as the elderly don't get hit too hard.
There were green picnic tables set out beneath the shade trees full with foliage, and on this sunny weekend afternoon there were waiters in braided white coats moving swiftly about, balancing trays laden with bottles and pitchers and plates, and men of every age gathered at each of the tables, smoking cigarettes and pipes and cigars and drinking deeply from tall beakers and earthenware mugs.