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What might a 2nd term bring? More bully pulpit, no bipartisan illusions
From today's NYT profile:
Hardball Time
How has Mr. Obama applied the lessons he learned? One day last spring, aides told him interest rates on federal student loans would double on July 1 unless Congress acted. Early on in his presidency, Mr. Obama might have invited lawmakers to the White House.
Instead, he headed to Air Force One and flew to college campuses in North Carolina and Colorado to castigate Congress for not heading off the rate hike. There was never any debate about the strategy; no one, even Mr. Obama, thought about talking with Republicans.
“Our view on student loans was they wouldn’t do it without really putting their backs against the wall,” said David Plouffe, the president’s senior adviser. “He realized this was a simple thing, it was clear, it was something we could motivate people on.”
Republicans angrily accused the president of bad faith. “He was making a political argument,” said Representative John Kline of Minnesota, chairman of the education committee. “I never saw any engagement from the White House about what really to do about it.”
Maybe so, but Obama aides crowed that it worked because Republicans instantly came out against the rate increase, too. Republicans said they saw it the other way, arguing that they defused the Obama attack by reacting quickly. Either way, it was a sign of how much the president had changed.
No longer would he give Republicans the benefit of the doubt. Having been surprised by the unbreakable solidarity against his initiatives, Mr. Obama came to privately use the phrase “not on the level,” meaning Republicans were not playing straight. “They came in like they were the East German judge at the Olympics,” said Mr. Goolsbee. “He could hit the triple flip and they would give him a 2. That was a pretty grim lesson that he had to learn.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/06/us/politics/obama-seeking-re-election-asks-for-patience.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&hp
How has Mr. Obama applied the lessons he learned? One day last spring, aides told him interest rates on federal student loans would double on July 1 unless Congress acted. Early on in his presidency, Mr. Obama might have invited lawmakers to the White House.
Instead, he headed to Air Force One and flew to college campuses in North Carolina and Colorado to castigate Congress for not heading off the rate hike. There was never any debate about the strategy; no one, even Mr. Obama, thought about talking with Republicans.
“Our view on student loans was they wouldn’t do it without really putting their backs against the wall,” said David Plouffe, the president’s senior adviser. “He realized this was a simple thing, it was clear, it was something we could motivate people on.”
Republicans angrily accused the president of bad faith. “He was making a political argument,” said Representative John Kline of Minnesota, chairman of the education committee. “I never saw any engagement from the White House about what really to do about it.”
Maybe so, but Obama aides crowed that it worked because Republicans instantly came out against the rate increase, too. Republicans said they saw it the other way, arguing that they defused the Obama attack by reacting quickly. Either way, it was a sign of how much the president had changed.
No longer would he give Republicans the benefit of the doubt. Having been surprised by the unbreakable solidarity against his initiatives, Mr. Obama came to privately use the phrase “not on the level,” meaning Republicans were not playing straight. “They came in like they were the East German judge at the Olympics,” said Mr. Goolsbee. “He could hit the triple flip and they would give him a 2. That was a pretty grim lesson that he had to learn.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/06/us/politics/obama-seeking-re-election-asks-for-patience.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&hp
9 replies
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Immigration Policy Reform including a full vote and passage of The Dream Act
Drug War Reform
Prison Reform
Many more Federal Judge (Court of Appeals/District) confirmations without the current GOP obstruction
Two or three new Supreme Court Justice appointments
Repeal of DOMA
Passage of Obama's Jobs Bill
and a bunch more other good things
just came in to dream with you, right back'acha. It's the buzz from the convention... 
their dog peed on the carpet to put out the fire that almost happened? 
