I literally agree with every word that Steve Benen says in his piece on the way the press is treating Obama’s pitch for a jobs bill. But I also think it’s legitimate to ask the president how the hell he thinks he’s going to get it passed. One thing that would help is if the press would accurately report, without he said/she said b.s., what’s really going on. They shouldn’t have to ask the president why he isn’t trying to make some kind of deal with the Republicans. A fairer question would be something like, “Now that you’ve given up trying to work with the Republicans, do you feel like you learned your lesson a little too late?”
I’d actually be interested to learn his thoughts on that question, because in some ways I think he did wait a little too long to pivot. I understand that the debt ceiling was a true hostage situation. But he probably played along too long with the myth that the Republicans would agree to anything. I can second guess a lot of stuff, especially in how the administration let things get out of control in the lead-up to health care vote and then the midterms. Personally, I wish he would have gone heavy on the obstruction in the Summer of 2010. Once the financial reforms bill was in the bag, he should have gotten a lot more political to try to protect his majorities.
On the other hand, he got a tremendous amount done in the lame-duck session.
In any case, he’s running against a Do-Nothing Congress because that’s exactly what they are. People are out of work and congressional Republicans are happy about it. What else can he do? If they want to do something, they’ll do something. As the president said today:
And so, Bill, the question, then, is, will Congress do something? If Congress does something, then I can’t run against a do-nothing Congress. If Congress does nothing, then it’s not a matter of me running against them; I think the American people will run them out of town, because they are frustrated, and they know we need to do something big and something bold.
The president asks a better question than any he answered this morning.
The bill in itself is a compromise (where’s the left-wing agenda in there, pressroom?) The only “non-compromise” is passing it.
As Brad DeLong frequently says, “Why Oh Why Can’t We Have a Better Press Corps?”
you’ve come around to agree with me that Obama elected the Tea Party candidates. Better late than never.
What is mystifying, though, is your contention that he took “too long to pivot”. Many of us knew before he was inaugurated that the Republicans would never “agree to anything”. No pivoting should have been necessary.
Ed, you and I agree on almost nothing, and that hasn’t changed. Twenty years from now, regardless of what happens next November or for the remainder of Obama’s presidency, people will point to 2009-2010 as the most productive years in Congress in a half century. He got that done by working with three Republican senators, or two, or in one famous case, none. His pivot point could not have come before he was done with his major legislative effort, and it really wasn’t over until Christmas Eve, when he unleashed a bomb of good stuff: DADT, the Start Treaty,… Read more »
But I disagree that people like me have turned people against the president. He and his staff have done that. In January of 2009 most of the nation was stoked about “hope” and “change”. Comments on liberal blogs couldn’t have changed that.
Twenty years from now, regardless of what happens next November or for the remainder of Obama’s presidency, people will point to 2009-2010 as the most productive years in Congress in a half century.
No, they won’t. Why? Because the economy is in the shitter. Or are you satisfied with Caesar(ie. the DC political class) fiddling while Rome burns(or whatever the saying is exactly)?
… good stuff: DADT, the Start Treaty, the Food Safety overhaul, the payroll tax cuts, and the 9/11 responders bill. Yes, good stuff, but not what the voters were/are worried about. Here in Illinois, the payroll tax cuts are ironic. The day they appeared on the paycheck, Gov. Quinn’s(IL-D) income tax doubling took effect, completely canceling the federal tax cut. Lots of anger about that. I can’t see Quinn or Obama surviving unless Republicans nominate completely unqualified crazy morons to run against them. Which is, of course, a strong possibility. What the rest of us have to worry about… Read more »
OT: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/186133-reid-triggers-nuclear-option-to-change-senate-rules-and-pr
ohibit-post-cloture-filibusters
Why now?
First the detainee language in the defense bill, and now this.
I wonder what’s up with Harry Reid.
holy cow!
SOMEONE finally got fed up!
That is still weak sauce. Just remember this though if the GOP controls the Senate in 2017, with a President Jindal.
Armbullyfiretwistingpulpitchats. And speeched. Same as all the other stuff.
Essentially, Obama waited to make the pivot until was ready to start his campaign. The whole strategy was a calculated risk. He endured years of playing Mr. Nice Guy, and actually accomplishing a lot, but looking weak to most Dems but making a good impression on a lot of centrists. As I’ve argued here before, even the debt ceiling deal, which looked so bad to many, was actually a good deal (under the circumstances). But now it’s payback time. He’s not going to go gentle with them. http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/06/politics/obama-economy How the hell he thinks he’s going to get the jobs… Read more »
On the other hand, he got a tremendous amount done in the lame-duck session.
It’s clear, to me anyway, the Obama made the decision to concentrate on legislating while he had unsustainably-large majorities in Congress, even if doing so meant neglecting other aspects of his presidency, like appointments and politicking.
And he really did get a great deal done through Congress, right up until the end.
Including things, like DADT repeal, that a lot of people were certain would never get past the Republicans.
Wow…you guys just don’t get it.
Obama had (or has) NO intention of this bill passing…
He TELEGRAPHED his motive with the “Do-Nothing” Congress comment…
I.E. Harry Truman…
Obama knew this plan had absolutely no chance of passing…it’s part of his re-election campaign…
You know…find someway to blame the stagnant economy on the Republican do-nothing Congress…
Progressives…Keynes is dead (metaphorically)…stimulus doesn’t work…Government absolutely cannot create NET jobs…this “Jobs” bill is warmed-over Stimulus, and, deep down, you know it…
You should be proud of Obama…in the game of Chess, given his sh–y, I mean crap-y performance on the economy, it’s the only move he had!
You’re the one who doesn’t get it, friend. Of course we know Obama will run against Congress if they do nothing on the jobs front. That doesn’t mean we don’t want Congress to pass a bill that will be of some benefit to people. Ask yourself why Bush signed a stimulus bill in early 2008? Now you should have a better idea of why the Republicans won’t agree to pass any kind of jobs bill. If they controlled the Presidency you can bet your ass that they would be using government action to boost the economy. Why? To win elections.… Read more »
You still don’t get it… The only thing Government can “DO” is get out of the way of those who create wealth and jobs… Passing “Jobs Bills” that take more money away from those who create Jobs is robbing Peter to pay Paul… By “Doing Nothing”, the Republicans aren’t creating jobs, but preserving them… Obamacare…Dodd-Frank…”Cap and Trade”… Job Killers…wealth, and JOBS, is (are) created by the free-flowing exchange of goods and services… Progressives don’t like that “free-flowing”… The real question is, what is more important… The ratio of wealth holding between the wealthiest one percent, or the “poorest” ninety-percent… Or… Read more »
Well, what if the laws of physics were different? They’re not, BUT WHAT IF!?!?! WHAT IF!?!?! HUH!?!
“What if the increasing concentration of wealth in the top one percent translated to an increasee STANDARD OF LIVING of the “Bottom” 99 percent…” Interesting question, Liberty For All. Actually, as it turns out, there’s considerable evidence to the contrary—namely that increased income inequality within a state or nation decreases the quality of life for everyone in the society. Check out British researchers Richard Wilkinson & Kate Pickett’s work in their recent book, “The Spirit Level: Why Equality Is Better For Everyone” or see the website of their organization, The Equality Trust. http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/ (In brief, they document that increased… Read more »
If yes…Good Work!…Vote Republican…
Why would anyone do that? The standard of living for the bottom 99% has fallen under every Republican President in my lifetime.
We’ve tried it your way, and your way is a miserable failure.
You were doing good up to this point. Stimulus does work. It hasn’t been tried! Not on the scale that is needed. Government can absolutely create net jobs. Are you telling me there was net unemployment during WWII when virtually everyone in the country was working directly or indirectly for the government? That we were no better off than during the Depression? The Jobs bill is warmed over neo-conservative tax cut BS with crony capitalism pork.
I don’t wanna be a dick. I don’t.
why, why WHY have you not used language this strong in the past? Or have I missed that?
I say this not to be a dick, but because I know you have times had the ear of people in the white house. I wish you had used language this strong MONTHS ago, when it might have made an enormous difference.
seriously.
You weren’t paying close enough attention. Booman has demonstrated a predilection for playing fifty quite often. Don’t worry, baby, it will all be over soon. In a year you’ll have the presidency and both houses of congress controlled by Republicans. Business will automatically start hiring and banks will start lending freely again creating the mirage of Romney and Republicans as economic geniuses. The Wall Street protests will be over because nothing satisfies the rage of the disenfranchised proletariat like good got damn paying jobs and easy credit. The few true believers will be calling out, “What about the movement?”…”Please! A… Read more »
God! You’ve got to be on Obama’s payroll to have such a distorted view of the electorate.
Is that really such strong language, Brendan? That I said that maybe he made a mistake in playing nice for too long? Is it stronger than begging him for a month not to get us involved in Libya? Is it stronger than saying his decision making process for killing an American citizen is totally unacceptable? First of all, you don’t know what I say to the White House. I’m glad they are willing to listen to me. One of the reasons they listen to me is because I treat them fairly. Some of my strongest criticisms of the… Read more »
yeah man,this is pretty strong language coming from you. the whole post, not just the one line.
Libya worked out pretty well. I don’t hear people complaining about Libya. I hear people complaining about his original sin, financing banker bonuses while letting the employed lose their houses. You can’t believe how bitter people are about that. I’m not sure I understand the depths of bitterness, because our class has the imperative to “man up”, “stop whining”, etc. To hear the little that I do hear about lost homes they must be in internal agony. Three people that I know and talk to regularly out of about a dozen have been foreclosed/allowed to short sell in lieu of… Read more »
. Reid triggers ‘nuclear option’ to change Senate rules, end repeat filibusters (The Hill) – In a shocking development Thursday evening, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) triggered a rarely used procedural option informally called the “nuclear option” to change the Senate rules. Reid and 50 members of his caucus voted to change Senate rules unilaterally to prevent Republicans from forcing votes on uncomfortable amendments after the chamber has voted to move to final passage of a bill. Reid’s coup passed by a vote of 51-48, leaving Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) fuming. Reid said motions to suspend the… Read more »