WASHINGTON — President Obama ridiculed Republicans on Friday, describing them as a party seeking to mimic the Democratic Party’s middle class rhetoric even as Republican officials and candidates pursued policies that enrich the wealthy.
In a speech at the winter meeting of the Democratic National Committee, Mr. Obama highlighted the economic progress the country has made during his time in office and pushed back against attacks on his record from Republicans who are already gearing up for the 2016 presidential campaign.
The president spent much of the speech assailing the hypocrisy of Republicans, who he said have recently tried to convince Americans that they care about the fate of the middle class.
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“What I don’t find with Obama — this will get me in more trouble again — is a really deep knowledge of history,” Mr. Giuliani told The New York Times. “I think it’s a dilettante’s knowledge of history.”
Mr. Obama is unlikely to respond to such criticism directly, especially from the many Republican hopefuls who are eager to draw the president into a direct back-and-forth.
But he also cannot afford to simply let his presidency be a political punching bag for the next two years without a full response. And he cannot just count on the 2016 Democratic candidates to defend the policies for him, since they may decide to distance themselves from some of his policies.
