"House Democrats Strategize At Maryland Retreat"

ROBERT SIEGEL, Host:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.

MELISSA BLOCK, Host:

And I'm Melissa Block.

N: Andrea, welcome.

ANDREA SEABROOK: Hi. Thanks.

BLOCK: And when you talk about this focus of the Democrats on taking back the House, pretty tall order given how many seats they lost in November.

SEABROOK: But the Democrats are really changing their tune here. They have a lot of enthusiasm. They're talking about their agenda. And they're talking about what they'll do to convince Americans that they should be in the majority again.

BLOCK: So what is the message that they think could sell their ideas?

SEABROOK: And listen to Steny Hoyer talk about that.

STENY HOYER: We think we can bring business and labor together. We can bring conservatives and liberals together. We can bring all of our country together on the agenda of making sure that we make it in America, in both meanings of that word.

BLOCK: Okay. So, Andrea, that's the aspiration. What about the perspiration side of things, the hard politics?

SEABROOK: And listen to how he describes that work.

STEVE ISRAEL: This Drive for 25 is going to be based on two essential ingredients. One: We're going to offer constructive proposals. And the Republicans spent four years just saying no and not lifting a finger to help. We're going to offer constructive, thoughtful economic proposals to grow jobs like make it in America. And two: We're going to hold the Republicans accountable when they do not support the interests of middle- class and working families in this country.

BLOCK: Now, Andrea, the House Democrats heard earlier today from Vice President Joseph Biden. They're going to hear from President Obama tonight. What's the message from the White House?

SEABROOK: Well, I think President Obama will talk a lot about this sort of push for manufacturing and jobs in America. That has been his big push today. Those remarks will be closed to the public and the press. Vice President Biden spoke a lot about the wars, and about America being on track to get out of Iraq and start bringing troops out of Afghanistan, as well.

BLOCK: Andrea, thanks.

SEABROOK: My pleasure.