Plouffe: Obama Led the Way to Spending Deal

White House senior adviser David Plouffe says President Barack Obama’s leadership paved the way to the compromise that resulted in the deal on 2011 spending, which avoided a government shutdown, Politico reports.

“I do think that should give us some confidence that this is the first big test of this divided government and the speaker, the president, the Senate majority leader . . . they were able to work together,” Plouffe said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”

“So the president has led,” Plouffe said. “Sometimes here in Washington when people accuse you of not having leadership what they mean is you’re not leading the political fight,” adding the American people are “sick and tired” of partisan bickering.

“The president’s view is that the country needs leadership that’s focused on where do we find common ground so that we can win the future and continue to move the economy forward,” Plouffe said.