Dem rep to Obama: Don’t ‘lay back’ after presidency

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) says President Obama should help determine the nation’s future after leaving the White House.

“When he goes out, I don’t want him to sit back and lay back and say, ‘OK, I’m going to vacation,’” he said Tuesday on CNN’s “New Day.” “We’re talking about the future of America.”

“If he sees things going wrong that are going to affect the voting rights of people, [if] he sees things that are going to hurt people, I would pray that he would say something,” Cummings added. “If he sees things going wrong that will affect children yet unborn, I want him to do that.”

{mosads}“I would hope the president would stand and say whatever he’s got to say. This is no time for political correctness. It’s what we do in these moments, these moments right here, that will affect my children and my grandchildren.”

Cummings added Obama had dramatically increased African-Americans’ confidence in their community and themselves.

“They’re pressing their chests out a little more,” he said, citing his neighbors. “Their heads are up. They feel better about who they are.” 

“They used to think that the only thing that they could become is a basketball player or a football player. Now they know they can become the president of the United States.”

Obama is scheduled to give a farewell address in Chicago detailing his legacy later Tuesday.

The former Democratic Illinois senator made history in 2008 when he was the first African-American elected president in the U.S.

Valerie Jarrett, one of Obama’s senior advisers, said earlier Tuesday the president will focus on his positivity about America’s future.

“There’s just a lot to feel very positive about and he wants to reflect briefly on the progress that we’ve made,” she said on CNN’s “New Day.” “[But] it’s also looking forward, taking the long view about why he’s optimistic about the future of our country.”

“There are going to be zigs and zags along the way. But if you really focus on what makes our country extraordinary, what makes it great, I think there is reason to be optimistic and hopeful.”