President Obama has requested to appear before a joint session of Congress next week to deliver his long-awaited jobs speech.

“As I have traveled across our country this summer and spoken with our fellow Americans, I have heard a consistent message: Washington needs to put aside politics and start making decisions based on what is best for our country and not what is best for each of our parties in order to grow the economy and create jobs. We must answer this call,” Obama wrote in a letter to congressional leaders, who must formally invite him to speak (meaning John Boehner can block the request).

So, in the spirit of “putting politics aside,” the president has requested to speak at 8 p.m. on Sept. 7, the exact time and date of the GOP presidential debate at the Reagan Library in California, where Texas Gov. Rick Perry will makes his formal debut on the 2012 stage.Asked if this was a deliberate scheduling decision, White House press secretary Jay Carney said “no, of course not.”

“There are a lot of factors that go into scheduling a speech before congress,” he added. “You can never find a perfect time.”

Carney said the GOP debate, hosted by NBC and Politico, was “not enough of a reason” for the president speak at a different time.