Separated Dem Powers: Headed For Divorce?
James Poulos ·
Jun 17, 2010 at 8:04am
If you missed it, go back and read Matt Bai in the NYT:
Voices rose and drowned out other voices as the meeting grew tense. “The fact is,” Pelosi said, addressing herself to Axelrod, “that the longer you say Washington is broken, and you’ve been saying that for 18 months, the more that becomes the story.”
Even when one party controls both branches, it's always hard for the White House to put Congress first. Beneath the I-Miss-Bill nostalgia, the brutal truth still burns: Clinton was horrible for Congressional Dems. Now, with Obama intent on hammering "Washington" and "the system," a whiff of panic is creeping back in. A punishing cycle in '12 will sour Democrats on Obama even more -- something he must well know. But what's the alternative?
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Jun '10
Re: Separated Dem Powers: Headed For Divorce?
A while back I bet with a pal that Obama would not be re-elected. I rarely bet on anything, but on that day I felt particularly confident, because at some point over the previous couple of weeks various individuals began laughing at Obama. Since then the laughter has only increased. What is particularly gratifying about this is that I always thought Barry an empty suit, and it’s nice to see the world as a whole moving apace to the same conclusion. This president is a turkey and his wattle is beginning to grow longer by the day, which might make for a most interesting Thanksgiving this year. Gobble, goggle!
May '10
Re: Separated Dem Powers: Headed For Divorce?
Clinton was horrible for Congressional Dems, yes, but I think he was a net good for his party longterm--making it seem reasonable, responsible, moderate--in a way that Obama does not. In fact Obama is now undoing all that Bill had built: a remaking of the Dem. party in the wake of Carter/Mondale--one that is responsible fiscally and in foreign policy. The tax-and-spend liberal moniker didn't stick quite so effectively after Bill. It will again after The One. The worst of both worlds for Congressional Dems: they still get dumped on, but without the consolation of belonging to the party of a successful president.