Welcome to the Lame Duck phase of the Obama presidency.

[geek tragedy]

A President who can't get 30% of his own party behind him in Congress on his last remaining policy initiative is pretty much done as a player on Capitol Hill aside from his veto power.

Make no mistake--Democrats were simply unafraid of the consequences of crossing the Obama administration when he needed their votes the most. Dick Trumka has more clout in the Democratic caucus than Obama does.

He picked a fight with the Warren/Sanders/labor wing of the party, and got his ass handed to him.

He's still got the veto, and he still has foreign affairs and executive orders. But the political cycle is beginning to put him in the rear view mirror.

Over to you, Bernie and Hillary.

[snooper2]

1. This is his last remaining policy initiative?

Somebody better let him know ASAP!

[geek tragedy]

2. In terms of legislation, absolutely yes.

What remains is defending his presidential authority from legislative encroachment, as well as budget fights.

[YoungDemCA]

3. More like over to the Republicans in Congress

At least, for now.

[geek tragedy]

4. Well, they are the majority party . . .

But, even where they and Obama agree, they couldn't get it passed.

Will they deny the authority to Hillary or Scott Walker?

Probably not. But there's very little appetite for letting Obama conduct these negotiations.

[guillaumeb]

5. The GOP has been trying to marginalize and de-ligitimize President Obama

since Inauguration Day. And many declared Democratic politicians ran from him in 2010 and 2014. The result was a divided and dispirited party that lacked a coherent message. The result of THAT was low turnouts in 2010 and 2014 that handed control of Congress to the GOP.

On the TPA, as on NAFTA, I feel that President Obama is making the same mistake that President Clinton made. Secret negotiations dominated by corporate lobbyists is the ALEC model for creating legislation. Why would average citizens trust that model?

[BeyondGeography]

6. Lame politics, lame process

It was a deal that was never worth the fight and Congress was treated like children (take a peek at the agreement while I count to ten). I don't know what he was suposed to accomplish legislatively post-Midterms but I don't see him taking this defeat personally to the point where it's debilitating.

[geek tragedy]

7. he can still rally the party around budget fights with the GOP.

Other than that, nuttin.

[BeyondGeography]

8. I wonder if the fun and games are really over

House D's have demonstrated leverage and they might want to use it for something more than blocking a trade deal.

[geek tragedy]

10. House D's only have leverage when a big number of Republicans

defy their leadership.

And Republicans only defy their leadership when leadership is trying to negotiate with Obama.

[BeyondGeography]

14. But now they actually have something Boehner and most of his caucus wants

And there's a highway bill in the mix. I'll be staying tuned.

[geek tragedy]

22. Boehner and his caucus will not mind

seeing Obama crippled politically. Sure they don't get TPP now. But they figure Scott Walker or Rubio will win in 2012 at which point they'll pass TPA with only Republican votes.

[ellisonz]

9. Congress hasn't exactly been friendly since 2010.

[geek tragedy]

11. no doubt. But now Obama's in the position Boehner was in recently.

Obama can't deliver any votes in Congress, so he doesn't bring anything to the table in terms of getting bipartisan legislation through

The only thing he can do to help legislation pass is to avoid commenting on it.

[Jefferson23]

12. We'll see what he can pull off this weekend, he'll be working it very hard but for the most part, I

agree.

[geek tragedy]

15. the negotiating will occur between Boehner and Pelosi.

They are the vote counters, and in terms of finding enough:

Republicans to walk the plank by voting with Obama
Democrats to walk the plank by voting for TAA/TPA

to bridge the gap--those are the two who will have to cut the deal.

Obama can spend the weekend worrying about Iranian nukes and Ukraine.

[Jefferson23]

17. He's not going to give up easily...so we'll see. n/t

[HereSince1628]

13. If I believed Trumka had more pull that Obama I'd dance a jig for the return of union support

But, I don't think that's true.

IMO, Trumka just happens to be on the same side as popular believe among Americans of all stripes that there should be no more trade deals that stack the game against consumers.

[geek tragedy]

19. Democratic voters are generally pro free trade if you look at the polls.

But organized labor put their muscle into this fight, and kicked Obama's ass.

Congressional Democrats are worried about their next primary and they can't afford to piss labor off.

[HereSince1628]

21. I saw the Pew poll and have to say it doesn't seem to square

with the combination of republicans and dem left not wanting it.

The only 'little' people I hear supporting it are farmers eager for greater export markets for corn and soy.

[Vinca]

16. He shouldn't have pushed it knowing how Democrats feel about it.

There's one simple analysis to make: if the GOP is almost entirely for something, it has to be bad for the average American.

[madokie]

18. The big picture I see

is anything Obama is for won't see the light of day, no matter what it is. Remember the cuts to SS that he so deftly manipulated into not happening? For starters
Obama is not a dumb ass and I'm sure he sees it for what it is. In the end he will be remembered as a President for the people no matter how he had to go about getting there.

[geek tragedy]

23. His achievements speak for themselves.

But, there won't be any more of them, at least in terms of legislation.

It's all about jockeying for 2016 now.

[Cali_Democrat]

20. This is the least productive Congress in history...

...when it comes to the last few years.

So you're saying it will become even more unproductive?

Is it possible to have a negative number of bills passed?

[Cha]

24. Sorry, geek, my moneyis on President Obama.

[geek tragedy]

25. He had a very bad day today.

He will need a miraculous weekend.

[PowerToThePeople]

26. We don't eat Republican bullshit here

Why was Obama trying to feed it to us?

Republican leaders then passed, in a 219-to-211 vote, a stand-alone bill that would grant the president the trade negotiating authority he sought. But that measure cannot go to the president for his signature because the Senate version of the legislative package combined both trade adjustment and trade promotion.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/13/us/politics/obamas-trade-bills-face-tough-battle-against-house-democrats.html?_r=0

[MannyGoldstein]

27. Of Hillary and Bernie, only one is to Obama's left

It's not just the lame duck thing - Americans, even Congressional Democrats, are fed up with predatory Republican/Third Way policies.

Time to stop @#$&ing the 99% just so rich people can buy more solid-gold toilets.

[geek tragedy]

28. How confident are you that Bernie will be the 45th President?

Obama won't sign the TPP. His presidency is pretty much over (you can do a little happy dance).

But any successor to him other than Bernie will.

[MannyGoldstein]

29. IDunno.

But we owe it to our country, and to posterity, to try like Hell; a Republican or Third Way President might be the stake through our heart.