With friends like these, who needs Republicans?

[babylonsister]

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/03/26/obama_budget_dems/


With friends like these, who needs Republicans?

After a successful press conference, the president works a tougher crowd –- congressional Democrats.

By Mike Madden

Reuters/Larry Downing

U.S. President Barack Obama is escorted into the Senate Democratic Caucus luncheon Wednesday on Capitol Hill by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and others.

snip//

Administration officials, hoping to head off a media narrative that Obama and Democrats in Congress were at odds, decided to stay positive. Aides set up a morning conference call with reporters and budget director Peter Orszag, who declared everything was fine. "{The House and Senate plans} are 98 percent the same as the budget proposal the president sent up in February," he said. The outreach by Obama himself was proactive, rather than reactive. He spent most of his lunchtime visit, senators said afterward, making a pitch to keep the "core values" of the budget intact; cut here and there if you must, but don't lose sight of the goals. Vice President Biden got involved, too, meeting House Democrats for lunch and stopping by the Senate while he was in the building.

The White House may not be concerned enough to go public with pressure on Democrats yet, but liberal allies are. The Campaign for America's Future is organizing a "Dog the Dogs" campaign to call conservative Democrats and demand they side with Obama. Another group, Americans United for Change, is running TV ads targeting selected Democratic lawmakers. MoveOn.org is running radio ads with a similar goal. "It is our hope that Congress gets the boost it needs to stand up to the special interests that will do anything to maintain the failed policies of the last eight years," said Tom McMahon, the acting head of Americans United for Change.

So far, that effort may not be having the desired effect. "I think it's helping the media industry in Nebraska," Nelson told Salon Wednesday afternoon. "I never feel pressure from that kind of influence attempt. The only pressure I feel is pressure to do what's right, and pressure to reflect the values of people from Nebraska, not from Washington, D.C."

Still, Nelson and other moderates, like Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., were careful to minimize whatever differences they might have with the White House after hearing from Obama. "He's very realistic," Nelson said. "He has great expectations, but he doesn't have impossible expectations."

As for Republicans, they were already digging their heels in as hard as they could, as they have on most proposals out of the Obama White House. As one GOP leadership aide put it, it's not hard to figure out what the Republican message on any given day is: They'll be grousing that Obama wants to spend too much money. Late Wednesday afternoon, Judd Gregg -- the New Hampshire Republican who bailed on an offer to join the administration -- joined Senate GOP boss Mitch McConnell for another in what's becoming a never-ending series of press conferences whining about Obama's economic policies. "He intends to take this government hard left," Gregg said. At least Obama knows where they stand. As Wednesday's public show of affection for Senate Democrats proved, getting his own party to agree with his policies could take a lot more handholding over the next few weeks.

[Captain Hilts]

1. This is just driving me nuts.

It wasn't cool in '93 and it's not cool now.

And people wonder why Dems have the reputation of not being able to work together.

[Wapsie B]

2. Are these people just trying to get some sweetheart deals for their areas?

They know they've got the power to bottle things up if they so choose. So I've wondered if this isn't just part of their plan to enact legislation favorable to their states?

[babylonsister]

3. I don't know.

There are all kinds of theories, but what Dem in their right mind wouldn't want to address healthcare, the environment, education, and reducing the deficit? And from what I've heard, if it doesn't get done during the president's first year, it won't get done.

We finally have the means to get this done, then we have these Dems who are proving to be obstacles. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

4. They are only pretend Dems.

Republican Lite is still Republican. If the country wanted a Republican majority they would have voted for it. They didn't. All these guys ran with a "D" by their name. One would think they followed Democratic goals and ideals, only they don't. They should all be sued for false advertising.

[Dogmudgeon]

5. It's pretty shrewd until the vote

If I were ANY Democratic lawmaker, I'd be whining loudly to my Republican friends from Democratically-leaning districts that we were going to need more Republican crossovers.

With a solid Democratic bloc, the GOP will tighten its own party solidarity. If they perceive that there are cracks in the Democratic edifice, efforts at their own solidarity will will be sacrificed in the name of "throwing a bone" to their voters.

THAT would be a shrewd strategy.

On the other hand, if they actually defect on the vote -- lock and load.

--d!

[Jakes Progress]

6. Makes me wonder if their states

are like Texas in the 50's. Back then Texas had two parties - Liberal Democrats and Conservative Democrats. It was not possible for a person who called themselves republican to be elected. But the slimes just ran as Democrats. They voted republican, they put forth republican bills, they worshipped the corporation like republicans. But they said they were Democrats.

Maybe that's what we have in their states. The party leadership needs to weed these out and run real Democrats. (Yeah, I know. That's really going to happen.)

[KharmaTrain]

7. Squeaky Wheels

Other posters here are picking up on the same game plan I'm seeing. This is the first part of the dance. The President has made his opening move and now all the partners are out there trying to manuever for the best position. It's easy now to run to a microphone and play concern troll or stomp your feet as it's part of the mating ritual with the intention of getting their pet project as part of the deal.

The corporate media enables this game as they frame things in a way that makes those who want to speak out run to them like moths to a flame. The noise on the cables is amped up while most people either aren't tuned in on this thing or are focused only on their own parts of the plan. This is a national budget with a lot of moving parts...the moving is the dance.

With the Democrats as the majority, the next dance is in their room...a tango between the House & Senate as horses are traded and the pork barreled out. The President (in specific Emmanuel) has the final say on the deal, but there will come a time where the music stops and the whip will be cracked. While there many be one or two Senate Democrats who may object, the bill will move through...and with votes to spare.

[babylonsister]

8. Hey, Kharma Train, I like your

optimistic way of looking at this, and you are not alone. I've read that theory several times. I do hope everyone is right on this one. :hi:

[KharmaTrain]

9. Face It...We Like To Angst

Thanks so much, Sis...I always appreciate all you bring to this place.

Not sure I'm optimistic as much as one whose seen these games play on both sides. Obama has plenty of votes in the House and only needs 50 in the Senate...that means 8 defections. While that's possible, the man in the White House has a lot of clout now...especially in party funding...piss him off and it could cost big.

Overall, I prefer the way we have things now than we did 4 years ago with DeLay and Frist diagnosing Terri Schaivo. Someone one's gotta take a step back.

:hi:

[TahitiNut]

10. One correction. It's not the tango. It's the Uncle Samba.

:silly: